Resources
Practical guides for running an independent travel advisory: reading the paperwork correctly, getting paid what you're owed, staying covered when something goes wrong, and building a client experience worth repeat business. Written for advisors, not for search engines. No invented statistics, and anything that depends on your jurisdiction says so.
Running the business
- 5 min read
How to read a hotel confirmation like a pro
The fields on a hotel confirmation that actually matter: rate basis, taxes, deposit, balance date, cancellation deadline, guest names and commission.
- 4 min read
How to build a supplier library that pays off on the second trip
A practical structure for saving what you learn about hotels, DMCs and tour operators, so repeat research stops being repeat work.
- 4 min read
How to run twenty active trips without missing a deadline
A day-in-the-life look at the tasks a busy advisor actually needs: deposit due dates, cancellation windows, final payments and document chases.
Money and commissions
- 4 min read
How to chase unpaid commissions without souring the supplier relationship
A reconciliation routine, realistic expected-payment windows, and a chase email template that gets a reply instead of a form letter back.
- 4 min read
How to structure a planning fee and actually get it paid
Flat, hourly, per-traveller or credited-to-booking: how advisors structure planning fees, and how to present one so a client says yes.
- 4 min read
Card authorization forms and PCI: what advisors can and cannot do
Why you cannot email or text a card number, what a compliant authorization form contains, and how vaulting and tokenisation actually work.
Paperwork and protection
- 5 min read
What belongs in a travel advisor's client agreement
Scope, fees, supplier terms, insurance, document handling, liability and e-signature consent: the sections a client agreement needs to earn its keep.
- 4 min read
The six-month passport rule, explained
Which countries actually enforce six months of passport validity, how to check the current rule, and what to do when a client is close to the line.
- 5 min read
Why you should document every travel insurance offer and decline
Offering insurance is only half the job. A paper trail of the offer and the decision is what actually protects you when a trip goes wrong.
- 4 min read
Seller of travel registration: what US states actually require
California, Florida, Washington and Hawaii each regulate sellers of travel differently. What the rules generally require, and how to check the current version.
Client experience
- 4 min read
How to write a proposal that gets approved
Structure, pacing and pricing clarity: why one well-built option usually converts better than three, and how to lay pricing out so nothing looks buried.
- 4 min read
What your client portal should actually let clients do
Approve, sign, pay, upload and carry the plan: the five things a travel client actually needs from a portal, and why logins get in the way.
Switching tools
- 4 min read
Switching from Travefy, TravelJoy or Tern: what to check before you cancel
What each tool lets you export, what it does not, and the checklist to run before your subscription lapses and the data goes with it.
- 4 min read
The Umapped shutdown and what it should teach you about vendor risk
Umapped announced its closure on 5 June 2025 and shut down on 8 October 2025. What advisors lost, and the questions worth asking before you commit to a platform.
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