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In this episode of the Flight Path Podcast, Tern CEO David Shull is joined by Molly Johnson (Head of Product) and Brad Turner (Head of Design) for a transparent and action-packed recap of the week in product. They cover a recent email bug incident, the long-awaited launch of multi-contact forms, a wave of text editor rollouts, and mobile app upgrades that are making things smoother and more branded for travelers. The team also shares what’s coming next, from relationship tracking in forms to their first-ever in-person onboarding.
Key Topics:
(00:00) Intro and Welcome:
David kicks off the episode with an overview of the week’s topics, setting the stage for a deep dive into product updates, process improvements, and team milestones.
(00:47) Week in Review:
Brad shares reflections from visiting a host agency in person and reconnecting with the in-office travel advisor experience. Molly recounts an emotional conversation with a nonprofit using Tern to help families with serious illnesses travel together. Meanwhile, David checks in from GTM North America and talks about the intense schedule advisors manage at industry conferences.
(05:57) Transparency Around an Email Bug:
The team breaks down a recent incident involving duplicate birthday emails sent to clients. Molly explains what caused the issue, how a quick fix unintentionally expanded its impact, and how Tern’s engineering and support teams responded in real time. They walk through the internal retrospective process and the communication improvements underway to ensure advisors are informed and supported during future incidents. David emphasizes why support is always the best place to report issues and how the team is evolving its workflows to scale better.
(13:40) New Feature: Multi-Contact Forms:
Molly and Brad walk through the release of a highly requested feature: the ability to collect information for multiple travelers within a single form. They explain how the new contact section works, how it fits alongside trip request forms, and what to consider when using it. The conversation also touches on form field logic, page layout, and use cases where the classic single-contact form might still be best.
(19:21) Text Editor Rollout Expands:
Brad gives an update on the new text editor rollout, now live across terms and conditions, forms, tasks, and agency supplier documentation. Molly shares what's coming next, including final testing for itineraries and activity support and a plan to roll the editor into messaging. The improved experience mirrors tools like Google Docs and helps advisors create and format content with ease.
(22:48) Mobile App Improvements:
Molly previews the newest updates to the mobile app, including visual polish like black buttons for better alignment with advisor branding and a more modern look for trip previews. Navigation improvements will also make it easier for travelers to toggle between upcoming and past trips. These are the first of many “juicy” upgrades aimed at making the client experience feel more seamless and professional.
(25:27) Quality of Life Fixes:
Brad highlights two recent updates that may fly under the radar but make a big difference. Advisors are now prompted to include a confirmation number when marking bookings as booked, helping agencies reconcile commissions more accurately. A bug affecting date entry in insurance quote forms has also been fixed, making the workflow smoother for everyone.
(27:21) Team Update: In-Person Onboarding and Travel Simulation:
David shares plans for Tern’s first in-person onboarding, happening next week in Plymouth, Michigan. New hires will participate in a full travel planning simulation, with team members role-playing as advisors, suppliers, and travelers. It’s all designed to build deeper empathy for the advisor experience and foster stronger collaboration across teams.
(30:04) Looking Ahead:
Brad offers a preview of upcoming enhancements to how relationships are tracked within forms. Travelers submitted in the same form will now be linked as related contacts automatically, reducing duplicate records and streamlining contact management. Molly discusses how these changes also support integrations and compliance, especially for agencies working with families or groups. She also shares updates on new empty state designs that will guide first-time users through key pages with more clarity and confidence.
Flight Path is your weekly window into product updates, company culture, and the future of travel advisor tech. Subscribe wherever you listen to stay up to speed with the team behind Tern.
Keywords:
Tern, Flight Path Podcast, travel advisor software, travel CRM, trip planning tools, group travel planning, mobile travel app, text editor, multi-contact forms, advisor onboarding, email automation, client communications, support transparency, user feedback, product updates, commission reconciliation, travel technology, travel industry podcast
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