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Flight Path by Tern

Tern Software Inc

Welcome to Flight Path, your weekly insider’s guide to the latest in travel technology with Tern, the premier platform for travel advisors. Join us every Friday as Tern’s R&D leadership takes you on a journey through what’s new and exciting in Tern, unveiling the features and updates shipped each week.

Hosted by Tern’s co-founder and CEO David Shull, Head of Product Molly Johnson, and Head of Design Brad Turner, Flight Path offers a unique peek behind the curtain of building the best platform for travel advisors. From in-depth discussions about new releases to behind-the-scenes insights into the design and development process, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the innovation and hard work that drive Tern’s success.

Whether you’re a travel advisor looking to stay ahead of the curve or a tech enthusiast curious about the latest advancements in travel technology, Flight Path is your go-to source for all things Tern. Tune in every Friday and let us navigate you through the future of travel.

Hosts:

David Shull: Co-founder and CEO of Tern
Molly Johnson: Head of Product at Tern
Brad Turner: Head of Design at Tern

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24 episodes
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Avg 36 min
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Friday · 28 min
Record your traveler’s insurance choice for them
🌟Check out Tern Today: https://tern.travel/ Subscribe to our podcast: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@terntravel?si=7yy2A_FGzHSVekKX Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UpK5kLet2B2m6u1xc3fz7?si=qaZbVoYpQHW3D2323cg2ew Follow us on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ternsoftware?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ternsoftware Join our community group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PVUWN6zK1/ Episode Overview CEO and Co-Founder David Shull, Head of Design Brad Turner, and Product Lead Jade Pathe host the final Flight Path before the 2026 Tern User Conference. Advisors can now record a traveler’s insurance decision directly, and the card authorization page now shows travelers when each item will be charged. Brad covers a mobile-friendly header refresh shaped by Facebook group feedback. Next week, the team records live from New Orleans. Episode Topics (04:36) Watching TUC live: Every keynote and general session streams on Tern’s YouTube channel. (10:17) Insurance decisions for travelers: Decline or select coverage on a traveler’s behalf and attach proof of a decline.(14:01) Mobile-friendly headers: A cleaner header and a new Done editing button. (17:54) Clearer card authorization: Labels show which items are charged right away and which after advisor confirmation.(22:58) The week ahead: What the team is most excited for at the user conference. Show Highlights Log a traveler’s insurance choice from a phone callA documented decline helps protect against chargebacks Editing screens are easier to use on mobile Card auth wording will keep improving with advisor feedback
October 9 · 32 min
Commission Invoicing for Agencies, Plus Faster Reports
🌟Check out Tern Today: https://tern.travel/Subscribe to our podcast:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@terntravel?si=7yy2A_FGzHSVekKX Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UpK5kLet2B2m6u1xc3fz7?si=qaZbVoYpQHW3D2323cg2ew Follow us on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ternsoftware?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ternsoftware Join our community group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PVUWN6zK1/ Episode Overview David Shull (CEO and Co-Founder), Molly Johnson (Head of Product), and Brad Turner (Head of Design) walk through a big week for agency finances. Agents can now send commission invoices straight to suppliers, agencies can invoice anyone from the back office, and reporting updates in near real time. Plus a test of lower-cost AI models and a round of mobile-friendly fixes. With User Conference less than two weeks out, the team previews payouts and service fees coming next. Episode Topics (07:56) Real-time reporting: New bookings show up in reports almost instantly. (10:12) Commission invoices: Agents send branded invoices to suppliers while bank details stay encrypted. (13:37) Agency invoicing: Invoice agents, suppliers, or clients, with Airwallex payments coming soon. (16:57) Lower-cost AI models: Testing cheaper models that could mean more AI usage on every plan. (21:58) Quality of life: Consistent duplicating, publish and preview on every trip page, mobile fixes. (29:23) Week ahead: Payouts closed beta and service fees early access. Show Highlights Request supplier commission without leaving Tern Basic invoicing can now live in your back office Reports reflect bookings as soon as they’re logged More AI usage at the same plan price is the goal Email Molly for payouts and service fees accessKeywords
October 2 · 29 min
Your Brand on Every Itinerary
🌟Check out Tern Today: https://tern.travel/ Subscribe to our podcast: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@terntravel?si=7yy2A_FGzHSVekKX Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UpK5kLet2B2m6u1xc3fz7?si=qaZbVoYpQHW3D2323cg2ew Follow us on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ternsoftware?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ternsoftware Join our community group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PVUWN6zK1/ Episode Overview David Shull (CEO and Co-Founder), Molly Johnson (Head of Product), and Brad Turner (Head of Design) share a week of releases focused on putting your agency's brand in front of clients. Brad covers custom itinerary subtitles and branded client emails. Molly walks through quick submit booking and a smarter team page that sets up a future agent CRM, and Brad closes with new AI automation controls. With the user conference 20 days out, the team teases three big launches on day one. Episode Topics (08:25) Custom itinerary subtitles: Write your own line under the trip title, including on group itineraries. (12:51) Quick submit booking: Add a booking, trip, and contact from one dashboard form, now with non-commissionable bookings. (16:08) Branded client emails: Authorization and insurance opt-out receipts now show your business name and logo. (19:02) Team and billing page: Filters, exports, custom columns, last login, and an all-members view for hosts. (24:06) AI automations: Pick standard or premium models, and AI drafted emails now use email variables. Show Highlights Itineraries and client receipts now read as coming from your agency Agency owners can track advisor activity without a custom report Simple AI automations can run on a lighter model to save usage Payouts closed beta is expected soon
September 25 · 37 min
Let Clients Choose Exactly What They Authorize
🌟Check out Tern Today: https://tern.travel/ Subscribe to our podcast: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@terntravel?si=7yy2A_FGzHSVekKX Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UpK5kLet2B2m6u1xc3fz7?si=qaZbVoYpQHW3D2323cg2ew Follow us on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ternsoftware?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ternsoftware Join our community group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PVUWN6zK1/ Episode Overview CEO David Shull, Head of Product Molly Johnson, and Head of Design Brad Turner walk through a new opt-in credit card authorization flow that lets clients choose exactly what they authorize. They also cover mobile-friendly search pages, an experiment to lower AI costs, and near real-time reporting, then preview Quick Booking and the Users Conference. Episode Topics (02:15) TPI onsite: Molly shares how AI reconciliation handled a 275-step supplier statement cleanup. (12:09) Opt-in authorization: clients now check each item they want to authorize. (18:25) Mobile updates: Trips, Tasks, and Contacts fit your phone, with a labeled Actions menu. (23:05) Lowering AI costs: a live experiment tests more efficient tool use. (30:48) Quality of life: cleaner dashboard payments, near real-time KPIs, and AI chat variables. (34:18) Looking ahead: Quick Booking beta and collaborative trip templates. Show Highlights Clients choose exactly which items to authorize Search pages work better on your phone KPI dashboard updates in near real time Quick Booking beta arrives next week Users Conference registration closes October 1
September 18 · 36 min
Tern Dashboard Numbers Now Update Almost Live
🌟Check out Tern Today: https://tern.travel/ Subscribe to our podcast:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@terntravel?si=7yy2A_FGzHSVekKX Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UpK5kLet2B2m6u1xc3fz7?si=qaZbVoYpQHW3D2323cg2ew Follow us on socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ternsoftware?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ternsoftware Join our community group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PVUWN6zK1/ Episode Overview David Shull, Molly Johnson, and Brad Turner cover this week's reporting overhaul: near real-time dashboard metrics, locked-in currency rates, and protection against deleting trips with commission. The episode closes with a first look at the 2026 Tern User Conference in New Orleans, over three times last year's size. Episode Topics (08:40) Near real-time dashboard metrics -Homepage sales and commission numbers now update close to live, replacing the old 20-30 minute delay. (19:06) Filter reports by supplier tag - Sales and booking reports can now be filtered by supplier tags, including consortia tags. (21:32) Currency rates lock in - Multi-currency bookings lock their conversion rate at booking and payment for accurate reports. (22:34) Trip deletion blocked with commission - Trips with received commission can no longer be deleted; archiving still works (24:02) 2026 Tern User Conference preview - New Orleans, 300+ advisors, full engineering team on site, first-ever live stream. Feedback forums return. Show Highlights Dashboard numbers update almost live, cutting the old 20-30 minute delay Currency rates lock in at booking and payment Trips with received commission are protected from deletion 2026 User Conference: 300+ advisors, first live stream, New Orleans
September 11 · 31 min
Quick Submit Bookings: No Full Trip Required
🌟Check out Tern Today: https://tern.travel/ Subscribe to our podcast: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@terntravel?si=7yy2A_FGzHSVekKX Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UpK5kLet2B2m6u1xc3fz7?si=qaZbVoYpQHW3D2323cg2ew Follow us on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ternsoftware?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ternsoftware Join our community group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PVUWN6zK1/ Episode Overview Brad Turner, Head of Design, hosts this week with Molly Johnson, Head of Product, and Jade Pathe, Lead PM, while David travels. The team covers AI templates saving to your library, shared template editing in beta, and a quick submit booking flow that pays you without a full itinerary while Tern builds the trip in the background. Back-office and mobile fixes round it out, with more betas heading toward the user conference. Episode Topics (08:29) AI Chat Saves Templates To Your Library: Save a template right from chat. (09:25) Collaborative Editing For Templates: Beta lets more than one person edit shared workflows. (15:51) Quick Submit Bookings: Get paid without a full itinerary, Tern builds the trip in the background. (22:13) PDF Downloads Add Package And Insurance Docs (23:00) Agency Supplier And Seat Fixes: Merge duplicate suppliers, buy a single seat. (28:18) Mobile Fix For Hidden Back Button Show Highlights Submit a booking and get paid without a full itinerary Tern builds the full trip in the background automatically Multiple people can now edit shared templates in beta AI chat saves new templates straight to your library Back-office fixes smooth out supplier mapping and statements
September 4 · 39 min
PDF Itinerary Exports Now Fit How You'll Use Them
🌟Check out Tern Today: https://tern.travel/Subscribe to our podcast:YouTube: https://youtube.com/@terntravel?si=7yy2A_FGzHSVekKXSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UpK5kLet2B2m6u1xc3fz7?si=qaZbVoYpQHW3D2323cg2ewFollow us on socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ternsoftware?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ternsoftwareJoin our community group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1PVUWN6zK1/Only 9 Flight Path t-shirts left. See how you can claim yours here: https://forms.tern.travel/t/sf9P2kDxozus Episode OverviewEpisode 101 brings David, Brad, and Jade (filling in for Molly) to ship Tern's top-voted Canny request: customizable PDF itinerary exports. They also cover fixing hotel photos with AI and human review, shared library editing, and quality-of-life updates, then look to User Conference on October 22. Episode Topics(07:03) PDF Export Overhaul. Toggle daily overview, itinerary detail, documents, and layout instead of one bloated export(17:02) Hotel Photos and Descriptions. A new tool pairs AI analysis with human review to replace outdated content.(27:03) Shared Library Editing. A sharing drawer moves toward view and edit access for teams, in closed beta.(29:10) Option Block Visibility. Selections show in the activity log, not just email.(30:51) AI Usage Reset Timing. Usage limits reset in each user's own time zone.(31:09) Duplicate Booking Flags. Shows which duplicates came from a migration(33:53) AI Reconciliation. PDF parsing is more reliable, near-matches flag for review Show HighlightsSend a short, client-ready PDF, not a 100+ page documentHotel content overhaul pairs AI screening with human reviewLibrary items moving toward true shared editing for teams
August 28 · 38 min
Flight Path Turns 100: Tern's Financial Tools Timeline
🌟Check out Tern Today: https://tern.travel/ Subscribe to Tern on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@terntravel?si=u0VwC9jh1Hru9Hej Limited edition Tern swag. Fill out the form here: https://forms.tern.travel/t/sf9P2kDxozus Episode OverviewDavid Shull (CEO), Molly Johnson (Head of Product), and Brad Turner (Head of Design) mark 100 episodes of Flight Path with a look back at two years of memories and a status update on Tern's financial tools, including outbound invoicing, service fees, agent billing, and full accounting, and where each stands with their payment processor and compliance review. The team also covers the week's product work: more consistent booking integrations, contact archiving, and a round of quality of life upgrades across the back office and advisor workflow, plus the announcement of a new Tern podcast for advisors and agency owners and a 100th episode giveaway for the community.Episode Topics(00:00) 100th episode celebration: David, Molly, and Brad revisit favorite Flight Path memories from two years of recording.(10:31) 100 t-shirt giveaway: subscribe on YouTube, comment, and submit the form for a chance at limited edition Tern swag. Enter here: https://forms.tern.travel/t/sf9P2kDxozus(12:41) Booking integration consistency: bookings through partners like Project Expedition now always go through, with clear notifications when a booking requirement still needs to be met.(15:28) Contact archiving: archive inactive contacts to keep automations and search clean while keeping full trip history.(17:53) Financial tools timeline: status update on outbound invoicing, service fees, agent billing, and full accounting, moving through payment processor testing and compliance and bank partner review.(26:34) Back office and AI reconciliation: agency admins get an agent view of unclaimed bookings, and AI reconciliation now handles larger statement files with smarter supplier matching.(31:00) Advisor workflow updates: send email directly from the inbox tab, a new "in-law" contact type, and autofill for client billing addresses.(32:47) Agency onboarding AI skill: ask Tern's AI chat to interview you about your agency setup and build a task list to get everything configured right.(38:15) New Tern business podcast: launching next week with guests including the president of Travel Planners International and the CEO of Classic Vacations.Show HighlightsFinancial tools timeline gives agencies a clear read on when invoicing, service fees, and full accounting will roll outBooking integrations now separate the client's booking from agency reporting for more reliable syncingNew AI onboarding skill acts as a guided setup partner for agenciesA new Tern podcast is coming, focused on business lessons for advisors and agency ownersFree swag giveaway for the first 100 people who enter, to celebrate the community
August 21 · 33 min
Collaborators Can Now Apply Your Trip Automations
Episode Overview David Shull (CEO), Brad Turner (Head of Design), and guest host Jade Pathe cover a back-to-basics week at Tern. Headline: collaborators can now see and apply automations and workflows on a shared trip, closing a gap for agencies working as a team. Also: itinerary view tracking, editable Project Expedition descriptions, agency tags, AI chat email parity, and smarter passport reads. Next week: PDF export customization and hotel content work ahead of the user conference. Episode Topics (05:23) Itinerary View Tracking: see when a shared link was last viewed, deduplicated hourly, to spot login mismatches. (09:13) Editable Project Expedition Descriptions: post-booking descriptions can be edited and localized; pre-booking stays locked. (13:34) Agency Tags: admins add locked, agency-level tags to shared trips, searchable in commission reconciliation. (17:02) AI Chat Email Parity: CC/BCC and individual sends now match standard Tern email. (18:56) Smarter AI Chat on Passports: reads expiration and legal name instead of guessing, fixing false errors. (21:07) Collaborators Can Apply Automations: view and apply automations and workflows on a shared trip, with sync when owners match. (26:16) Reconciliation by Group Number: search bookings by group number during reconciliation. (27:20) Client-Facing Email Setting: set an email separate from your Tern login for client materials. (29:27) Billing Address Autocomplete: credit card auth forms auto-fill billing address. Show Highlights Collaborators can finally see and apply automations on a shared trip. AI chat matches full email functionality and reads real passport data. Editable tour descriptions post-booking, without breaking the supplier's record. Sharper reconciliation: locked agency tags and group number search. Next up: PDF export customization and hotel content ahead of conference. Keywords Tern, Flight Path podcast, CRM for travel agents, automation templates, travel advisor workflow, AI product tools, product updates
August 14 · 27 min
Email In Tern Finally Works Like Real Email
Episode Overview This week's Flight Path brings hosts David Shull (CEO and Co-Founder), Molly Johnson (Head of Product), and Brad Turner (Head of Design) through one of the biggest update weeks yet. The headline is a full rework of email in Tern: CC and BCC support, a wider recipient picker that isn't locked to trip contacts, and a new toggle between sending as one thread or as individual mail-merge style emails. Alongside that, rooms and cabins can now carry their own photos directly, ALG reservations import straight into itineraries through a new formal partnership, and group trip workflows can finally be set to apply only to regular trips. The episode wraps with a run of quality-of-life fixes advisors have been asking for. Next week brings a deep-dive ALG Vacations webinar and an early look at a new hotel discovery experience. Episode Topics (02:46) Email Overhaul. CC/BCC support, an expanded recipient picker, and a thread vs. mail merge toggle unify email across the app. (09:00) Room Media. Photos now attach directly to individual rooms and cruise cabins instead of living inside text descriptions. (12:19) ALG Import Integration. A new formal partnership pulls ALG reservations line by line into Tern itineraries, with an AI chat option. (17:43) Group Trip Workflows. Auto-apply workflows can now be scoped to regular trips only, so they no longer misfire on groups. (20:53) Quality of Life Round-Up. Custom default cover photos, one-click address field copying, added credit card authorization details, and card-type icons. Show Highlights Email in Tern now behaves like the inbox advisors already know, closing out a 500+ vote request Room and cabin photos sell the room, not just the trip ALG bookings import without manual re-entry, with an AI-assisted path too Group workflows and regular trip workflows finally stay out of each other's way Keywords Tern, Flight Path podcast, itinerary builder, travel advisor workflow, AI product tools, product updates ALG Vacations Webinar Want the deep dive on the ALG import integration? Register here: https://tern.travel/events/tern-alg-vacations
August 8 · 41 min
Building The Ledger Behind Your Bookings
Episode OverviewDavid Shull (CEO), Molly Johnson (Head of Product), and Katie Williams (COO) recap this week's agency owner webinar and dig into why Tern is building its own general ledger and payment infrastructure instead of integrating with QuickBooks. They cover what's live in closed beta now, what's coming next, and why real money means accuracy comes before speed here. The episode wraps with this week's product updates and a look ahead to Virtuoso Travel Week. Episode Topics(03:49) Why The Webinar Mattered: Katie on why gathering every agency owner in one room was a stake-in-the-ground moment for the industry.(09:50) The Rollout Plan: Molly on what's live in closed beta now versus what's coming with payments and the ledger.(13:41) Building An Immutable Ledger: Why real money means treating "ship fast" as the exception, not the rule, here.(19:59) Why Not Integrate With QuickBooks: David and Molly on why standard accounting software wasn't built for travel.(26:33) Getting Your Agency Onboard: Katie on how to get in touch, plus a new referral program.(30:17) Shared Search Arrives: Anyone can now find shared trips and contacts, a long-requested fix.(31:51) Addresses That Fill Themselves: Google Places autofill lands in forms and trip locations.(34:08) Group Trip Summary: An at-a-glance view of travelers, cost, and expected commission across subtrips. Show Highlights Tern is building payments and a general ledger from scratch, purpose-built for travel Global search now surfaces shared trips and contacts across the team Address autofill via Google Places is live in forms and trip locations Group trip summaries give an instant read on cost and commission A new agency referral program launches next week with a $750 credit for qualifying switches Keywords Tern, Flight Path podcast, payments, product updates, travel advisor workflow, AI product tools
July 31 · 32 min
Back to Basics Is Shipping the Fixes You Asked For
Episode OverviewDavid Shull (CEO, Co-Founder), Molly Johnson (Head of Product), and Brad Turner (Head of Design) open Flight Path's first full week of the Back to Basics campaign, the product push sparked by advisor feedback in the Facebook community. The team walks through a run of advisor-side fixes: credit card authorizations now autofill client addresses, room and cabin numbers get a dedicated field visible on web and mobile, traveler access errors are clearer, forms now say "legal first name," and AI chat can build smart flights. Molly covers the agency side, including commission rate changes that push to unpaid payouts and new granular permission controls. They close with a look ahead to the August 5 webinar on commission tools and service fees, and Virtuoso Travel Week.Episode Topics(00:45) Week in Review, Molly hits a milestone processing real money through Tern wallets while testing agency service fees; Brad shares new hires joining the design and marketing teams.(09:47) Back to Basics Origins, the hosts unpack the Facebook feedback thread that reshaped the roadmap and the "lean into the sting" mindset behind it.(11:26) Addresses & Credit Card Auth, client billing addresses now autofill on contact profiles, a top-voted Canny request.(14:41) Room & Cabin Numbers, a structured, easy-to-find field now shows on the overview page in both web and mobile.(17:25) Clearer Traveler Access Messaging, travelers get specific next steps instead of a dead-end access error.(18:56) Legal First Name & Smart Flights, forms clarify legal vs. preferred name, and AI chat can now build smart flights.(22:20) Agency Back to Basics, commission rate pushes to unpaid payouts, new granular permissions, backdated payouts, and agent lookup for host agencies.(26:31) What's Coming, a preview of the August 5 webinar's commission reconciliation and service fee tools.Show HighlightsCredit card authorization addresses now save automatically to the client's contact profile.Room and cabin numbers have a dedicated field visible right on the overview page.Traveler access errors now point to a clear next step instead of a dead end.Commission rate updates can push automatically to unpaid, on-hold payouts.New granular agency permissions let owners limit access to sensitive controls.August 5 webinar will preview centralized service fee and commission tools for agencies.KeywordsTern, Flight Path podcast, CRM for travel agents, AI product tools, travel advisor workflow, payments, forms, product updates
July 24 · 41 min
Trip Statuses Now Update Themselves Automatically
Episode Overview David Shull (CEO), Molly Johnson (Head of Product), and Brad Turner (Head of Design) walk through a stacked update week: trips can now automatically move between statuses like traveling and traveled based on trip dates, a new Planned Bookings report makes it easy to audit anything that slipped through uncommitted, and the agency back office gets its own dashboard home plus new commission documentation and rate-change tools. A long list of quality of life fixes rounds things out. Next week: more on payments and reporting. Episode Topics (06:11) Automated Trip Statuses. Trips now move between statuses like traveling and traveled automatically, based on trip start and end dates, using Tern's existing automation triggers. (15:50) Planned Bookings Report. A new report surfaces bookings still marked as planning so advisors and agencies can catch anything that should have been marked booked. (19:57) Reporting Filters. New filters for trip tags, client state, and consortia or marketing codes make it easier to slice booking and client data for lead tracking and tax reporting. (22:45) Agency Back Office Home. All agency admin workflows, suppliers, commission reconciliation, and payouts now live in one dashboard, separate from the agent experience. (24:00) Commission Documentation and Rate Changes. Commission types can now require documentation, and rate changes can retroactively apply to commission already received but not yet paid. (29:02) Quality of Life Upgrades. Auto-formatted date fields, traveler age shown at trip start, visible terms and cancellation policies on the itinerary, full-resolution photo downloads, and bulk apply counts. Show Highlights One of the most requested features ever (500+ merged votes) is live New audit tools help advisors catch bookings before they cost commission Agency back office now has a single home for suppliers, commission, and payouts Commission rate changes can now apply retroactively where policy allows Small but mighty fixes: dates, traveler age, and cancellation policies just got easier to find Keywords Tern, Flight Path podcast, automation templates, travel advisor workflow, product updates, CRM for travel agents
July 17 · 41 min
Group Trip Edits Can Now Sync to Every Subtrip
Episode Overview David Shull (CEO), Molly Johnson (Head of Product), and Brad Turner (Head of Design) cover Tern's biggest group trips update yet: changes made to a group itinerary can now push down to every subtrip automatically, ending a long-standing manual workaround. They also walk through new AI capabilities that pull directly from an advisor's own template library and photo collection, a refactor of the booking drawer for logging commission, and a batch of quality of life fixes. The episode closes with a longer discussion on where AI is taking the build vs. buy decision facing agencies and hosts across the industry. Episode Topics (00:00) Week in Review. The team compares a heads-down build week against a meeting-heavy one. (02:46) Group Trip to Subtrip Syncing. Pushing edits from a group itinerary down to subtrips, the most requested group trips feature to date. (08:30) Retroactive Sync for Existing Groups. Opting older group trips into syncing with a guided review step. (12:27) AI Library Integration. The AI can now search, read, and apply activity and itinerary templates, plus auto-tag uploaded photos for search. (21:41) AI Task and Note Editing. New direct editing capabilities with more usage headroom on low-cost actions. (22:41) Booking Drawer Refinements. Clearer logging for expected payments, backdating, and editing commission payouts. (30:01) Quality of Life Updates. Unclaimed booking alerts, TLN integration updates, group trip deletion warnings, clearer property addresses. (32:54) Build vs. Buy in Travel Tech. Why Tern is building the technology layer for advisors and hosts across the industry. Show Highlights Group trip edits now push to every subtrip, ending duplicate manual updates AI pulls directly from an advisor's own templates instead of generic content Photo library search improves through automatic AI tagging, no setup needed Booking drawer gets clearer language for logging and correcting commission Team unpacks why Tern is positioning as the technology partner for the whole industry
July 10 · 41 min
Agency Back Office Update Adds a Whole New Payroll Cycle
Episode Overview Tern co-founder David Shull, Head of Product Molly Johnson, and Head of Design Brad Turner catch up after a July 4th break. The episode centers on Tern's overhauled agency back office: a new Back Office Home separating agent and admin views, automated commission splits for referrals and mentors, and a system letting agents self match unclaimed commissions instead of admins exporting spreadsheets. Also covered: new AI chat features and cleaner itinerary date and time display. Full details land at Tern's agency launch webinar on August 5. Episode Topics (00:00) Weeks in Review, catching up after the July 4th break and this quarter's board meeting. (07:14) AI Chat Updates, chat can reference your email template library, save and share prompts, debug automations, and pull Project Expedition tours into a trip. (15:25) Itinerary Display Fixes, consistent date and time formatting across every item type. (18:45) New Back Office Home, a dedicated navigation home for agency admins, separate from the agent CRM. (26:03) Booking Drawer and Commission Splits, one consistent booking review flow plus automated referral and mentor splits. (31:05) Unclaimed Commission Matching, agents review and self claim unclaimed commissions with agency level controls. (39:43) Week Ahead, integration work, this week's group subtrip sync launch, and new hires starting. Show Highlights AI chat reads your email templates and automations, and surfaces tours inside a trip. Back Office Home gives agency admins one dedicated space, separate from selling. Automated mentor and referral splits remove manual adjustment work for admins. Agents self match unclaimed commissions instead of admins exporting spreadsheets. Agency launch webinar set for August 5, with a full back office deep dive.
June 26 · 30 min
Commission Reconciliation Just Got a Whole Lot Simpler
Episode Overview:David, Molly, and Brad are back with a packed episode covering the biggest AI chat upgrades to date, a major new agency back-office feature, and a meaningful update to groups. This week's AI updates go deeper than new features: they address the frustration advisors have felt when the chat forgets their preferences, and start to answer the bigger question of how AI memory should actually work inside a platform built for travel. On the agency side, a long-requested feature around unclaimed commissions is heading into beta, and it closes a loop that agencies have been managing manually for years. Episode Topics:(0:00) Week in Review: Molly's QA life, Brad's AI usage rollout, David's Singapore trip with the APAC team(5:27) AI Can Now Search Your Photo Library: The chat can pull images directly from your branded content folders using metadata and folder names, putting the right photo in the right place without manual searching.(7:21) Save Your Writing Style to Chat: Advisors can now tell the AI to save preferences like tone, formatting, and style directly from a conversation, so it carries those instructions into future sessions.(8:18) How AI Memory Actually Works in Tern: David explains why AI doesn't "learn" on its own, what evals are, and how Tern is building structured memory objects so preferences persist across conversations.(14:19) Unclaimed Commission Feature Heading to Beta: Agents can now view unclaimed bookings at their agency, claim the ones that belong to them, and get notified on approval, cutting out the manual back-and-forth that agencies have relied on outside the platform.(21:15) Quality of Life Updates: Reorderable lodging rooms on itineraries, year-over-year reporting comparisons replacing month-over-month, and a new search infrastructure powering faster, smarter task search across the app.(25:46) Groups Subtrip Syncing: Beta progress update, including the new ability to opt existing trips into syncing behavior and controls that let advisors edit individual subtrip fields independently.(29:27) What's Coming in Two Weeks: Tern Pro AI usage limits go live July 1, more agency back-office features shipping shortly after, and continued itinerary improvements. Show Highlights:AI chat can now pull photos directly from your library by folder name and metadataWriting style preferences can be saved mid-conversation and applied to future chatsUnclaimed commission claiming is coming to beta, with approval workflow and email notifications built inYear-over-year reporting comparisons now replace month-over-month KPIsTask search now covers title, description, trip, and contact, and is significantly fasterGroup subtrip syncing beta is expanding with opt-in for existing trips and independent field editing
June 19 · 42 min
Agency Payout Rules That Actually Fit How You Work
Episode Overview: Brad Turner (Head of Design) and Molly Johnson (Head of Product) host this week's episode, joined by Spencer, one of Tern's lead engineers on AI. With David traveling back from a team offsite in Singapore, the three dig into a packed week of shipping: agency supplier payout rules, a wave of AI chat improvements, and a long list of quality-of-life fixes. Spencer pulls back the curtain on how Tern builds and evaluates its AI features, including how advisors can get more out of chat today. Q3 planning is underway, and there's plenty on the horizon for both advisors and agencies. Episode Topics: (00:00) Week in Review Brad, Molly, and Spencer share what the first post-webinar week looked like, from shipping payout rules to thinking through what comes next for chat. (06:52) Agency Supplier Payout Rules Molly walks through the new ability to set commission payout eligibility rules by supplier type, so agency owners spend less time manually adjusting dates and advisors get cleaner expected commission reports. (11:13) AI Chat: Publish Trips and Reliability Fixes Spencer covers two chat updates shipped this week: the ability to publish trips directly from chat, and under-the-hood reliability improvements so chats handle deploys and errors more gracefully. (17:30) Quality-of-Life Updates Brad and Molly run through a full list of fixes and polish, including AI reconciliation line item deletion, year-over-year KPI comparisons, confirmation number visibility for unauthenticated clients, and a mobile chat submit button fix. (25:00) How to Get More Out of AI Chat Spencer breaks down how Tern optimizes chat behind the scenes and shares practical tips: use the light model for simple tasks, open chat from the trip you're working on, and start new chats more often instead of letting one run forever. (39:34) What's Coming Next Spencer is focused on search infrastructure improvements starting with tasks. Molly is deep in Q3 planning, with new advisor and agency features on the way. Brad is preparing for the Tern Pro upgrade rollout and a new booking import integration. Show Highlights: Agency owners can now set commission payout rules by supplier type, with the ability to override per specific supplier Expected commission dates now calculate automatically, so advisors no longer have to guess or do manual math Trips can now be published directly from AI chat Starting fresh chats per task, instead of one long-running chat, extends usage and improves output quality Opening chat from inside a trip eliminates the need for the AI to search, saving tokens and time Year-over-year KPI comparisons now available, replacing month-over-month which wasn't useful for travel's seasonal patterns Library search is on the way: Spencer recommends naming your photos well now so the AI can find them later
June 12 · 42 min
What Agentic AI Actually Does for Your Advisory Business
Episode Overview: Fresh off their biggest webinar yet, David Shull, Molly Johnson, and Brad Turner sit down for the behind-the-scenes debrief. This episode unpacks what didn't get enough airtime during the live event: how agentic AI works differently from regular chat AI, why a single email demo moment stopped the webinar chat cold, and what it means for advisors that personalization no longer requires manual context-loading. The team also walks through group subtrip syncing in detail, the new mark-as-booked AI workflow for agents who just need to get paid, and a candid conversation about AI usage costs and what Tern is absorbing to make this accessible. Next week brings a special guest while David heads to Singapore. Episode Topics: (00:00) Post-webinar check-in: energy levels and webinar-week survival (05:37) Behind the scenes: what almost broke during the live AI demos (09:13) The email demo moment that hit home for advisors everywhere (11:31) Webinar highlights: what each host remembered most (15:20) Group subtrip syncing: a deep-dive demo of the beta feature (22:00) Packing lists and destination guides, now fully personalized by AI (26:18) Mark as booked via AI: how new agents can submit a booking in a few clicks (30:00) AI and pricing: reading, writing, and creating packages (32:08) AI usage transparency: what agentic AI actually costs and why (41:01) Scheduled agents: what David wants advisors to try first (43:19) Week ahead: payout date logic beta, unclaimed bookings, and David's Singapore trip Show Highlights: Agentic AI pulls client context automatically, so packing lists and destination guides are personalized before you type a word The email integration demo moment landed because it named a pain advisors assumed they'd always have to live with Group subtrip syncing lets advisors update 300 subtrips at once from a single group itinerary The mark-as-booked AI workflow lets new agents submit a booking with a receipt and a few approval clicks Tern blended its AI and note taker usage allocations into one pot and absorbed the added cost without raising prices Scheduled agents can now automatically draft follow-up emails based on trip returns, birthdays, and supplier promotions
June 5 · 45 min
We Redesigned the Itinerary (And Shipped 6 AI Updates)
Episode Overview: David Shull, Molly Johnson, and Brad Turner recap a packed pre-webinar week on Flight Path. The team walks through a full itinerary redesign with new header layouts and font options, six new AI chat capabilities, and a candid conversation about AI pricing, usage efficiency, and what Tern Pro means for advisors. The episode closes with quality-of-life improvements across bookings, commission reconciliation, and consortia preferences. Next up: the AI launch webinar on June 10 at 3:30 PM Eastern. Episode Topics: (00:00) Week in review The team shares a fragmented but productive week, with hiring momentum and webinar prep dominating the schedule. (04:01) Itinerary redesign Brad and Molly walk through four new header display options, three font choices, and a series of fast-follow fixes shipped within days of launch. (12:33) Bulk consortia preference updates Advisors can now filter their client list and mass-update opt-in preferences across Signature, Travel Leaders Network, and Virtuoso, replacing a clunky export process. (15:39) New AI chat capabilities Six updates: file upload in chat, voice input, automatic context from the current page, manual context pinning, pricing and payment schedule generation, and rotating AI tips. (23:30) Tern Pro and AI pricing David explains why AI costs behave differently from traditional software, and what Tern is doing to keep AI accessible while building a sustainable business. (33:47) AI efficiency improvements Two major optimizations: a light model option that uses roughly a third of the credits of premium, and caching that cuts first-message costs by 4 to 6 times. (44:01) Quality-of-life updates Accreditation selection moved earlier in the booking flow, a last-updated sort on the commission report, and significant AI reconciliation improvements for large supplier files. Show Highlights: Itinerary headers now support full-bleed images, larger images, or minimized headers, with serif, sans-serif, or standard font options AI chat now accepts file uploads, voice input, and automatic page context so advisors spend less time explaining and more time getting things done Caching reduced first-message AI costs by 4 to 6 times, launched mid-week in direct response to advisor feedback AI reconciliation now handles large supplier files and retains all line items even when a supplier match is missing Webinar: June 10, 3:30 PM Eastern
May 29 · 31 min
Plan the Surprise Your Client Will Never See Coming
Episode Overview: David, Molly, and Brad are back with a packed episode recorded live from the ASTA conference in San Diego. David joins on four hours of sleep after a booth that stopped fellow exhibitors mid-floor. This week covers two long-requested features now live, a wave of AI chat improvements, and a look ahead at group subtrip syncing, itinerary style updates, and the June 10 product launch webinar. Episode Topics: (07:14) Hide activities from travelers Advisors can now hide individual itinerary items from the client view. Canceled bookings drop off automatically. Surprise plans, future content, anything not ready for the client stays on your board, off theirs. (11:42) Insurance inside packages Manual insurance quotes can now live inside a package. Clients see accurate total pricing when they select coverage, no workarounds, no separate line items. (14:44) AI chat updates Dashboard chat panel is now opt-in from Customize. Cruise bookings can be built end to end through conversation. Contact addresses can be read, added, and updated via chat. Trip sorting by name and date is live. (23:08) Quality of life Agency supplier library gets a one-click CSV export. Supplier statements sort by most recent by default. Trip transfers auto-prompt a republish. Show Highlights: You now control exactly what travelers see on their itinerary Insurance finally works inside package pricing AI chat accessible straight from your dashboard Nine new Turn and Learn lessons live this week

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