- 7
- Episodes
- 3
- Ratings
- Weekly
- Cadence
- 2026
- First episode
About Charting The Course
Charting the Course is a travel-industry podcast creating space for honest conversations about where our industry has been, where it is now, and where we go from here. Through conversations with travel agents, suppliers, partners, technology leaders, Legato team members, and other industry voices, the podcast will explore what it means to build a stronger travel profession and a healthier industry.
- Publisher
- Legato
- Category
- business
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 1 Oct 2026
- Latest episode
- 11 Nov 2026
Latest episodes
7 episodes in the feed.
11 Nov 2026
Travel Agents: Your Black Friday Plan Needs More Than Sale Graphics
Does your travel business have a Black Friday plan beyond posting supplier promotions? In this episode of Charting the Course, Jonathan Morris and Kelli Hayes Smith discuss how travel agents can approach Black Friday marketing, follow up with past clients, and prepare for inquiries without giving up their entire holiday weekend. They talk about choosing promotions that fit your clients, explaining your recommendations, and putting a process behind the interest your marketing creates. They also share their own experiences with working after hours, setting boundaries, and building systems that leave room for life outside the business. In This Episode • How to decide which Black Friday offers deserve your attention • Why your perspective belongs in promotional content • Where past clients fit into your Black Friday marketing plan • What happens after someone responds to your post or email • How to communicate holiday hours and inquiry deadlines • Why new inquiries and support for traveling clients need different processes • What answering quote requests at 11 p.m. teaches your clients • How reviewing your business now can help you prepare for 2027 Join The Year-End Reset for Your Travel Business Join Jonathan on December 1 at 6 p.m. Mountain / 8 p.m. Eastern for a free live business audit, open to travel agents across the industry. Registration includes the audit guide and replay. https://legatohost.com/year-end-business-audit-travel-agents/ (https://legatohost.com/year-end-business-audit-travel-agents/) Resources and Links Download the Foundation for a Successful Travel Business Guide: https://legatohost.com/successful-travel-business-guide/ (https://legatohost.com/successful-travel-business-guide/) Visit Legato®: https://legatohost.com/ (https://legatohost.com/) Schedule a Call With Our Team: https://calendly.com/d/cyfn-zdq-5w7/learn-about-legato?hide_gdpr_banner=1 (https://calendly.com/d/cyfn-zdq-5w7/learn-about-legato?hide_gdpr_banner=1) Connect With Jonathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmorris1893 (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmorris1893) Follow Kelli: https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith/ (https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith/) Follow Legato: https://www.instagram.com/legatohost/ (https://www.instagram.com/legatohost/) https://www.facebook.com/legatohost (https://www.facebook.com/legatohost) https://www.linkedin.com/company/legato-travel/ (https://www.linkedin.com/company/legato-travel/) Watch Charting the Course: https://www.youtube.com/@legatohost (https://www.youtube.com/@legatohost)
4 Nov 2026
Travel Agents: Bigger Bookings Start With Better Questions
Increasing your average booking value starts with understanding what your clients want from their trip. A room upgrade, a longer itinerary, or a thoughtfully chosen excursion should connect to something they’ve told you matters. In this episode of Charting the Course, Jonathan Morris and Kelli Hayes Smith continue the profitability conversation with practical ways travel agents can grow business with their existing clients. They discuss personalized recommendations, loyalty marketing, and the questions that help you understand the experience behind a client’s request. In This Episode Practical ways to increase average booking value with existing clients How to recommend upgrades that fit the client’s priorities and budget Why add-ons deserve a conversation before clients arrive at their destination Including travel protection in the planning conversation Where automation helps and where personal follow-up matters Using past trips and client preferences to make future marketing more relevant Why a client’s job title doesn’t tell you their travel budget What to ask beyond “Where do you want to go?” How questions about past vacations, daily preferences, and beach time can reveal what clients value Building relationships that give clients a reason to return Questions Worth Asking What did you love about your last trip? What would you change? How do you want to feel when you come home? And how do you actually use the beach? The answers help you explain why you’re recommending a particular room, resort, itinerary, or experience. That’s where your knowledge becomes valuable to the person planning the trip. Join the Conversation What question helps you understand your clients better? Share it with us on Instagram. Legato® agents can also join the conversation in the Activity Stream. Resources and Links Download the Foundation for a Successful Travel Business Guide (https://legatohost.com/successful-travel-business-guide/) Visit the Legato Website (https://legatohost.com/) Book a Call With Our Team (https://calendly.com/d/cyfn-zdq-5w7/learn-about-legato?hide_gdpr_banner=1) Connect With the Hosts Jonathan Morris on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmorris1893) Kelli Hayes Smith on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith/) Follow Legato® Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/legatohost/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/legatohost) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@legatohost/featured) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/legato-travel/) Travel insurance benefits, exclusions, eligibility, and coverage vary by policy. Consult the insurance provider for details.
28 Oct 2026
Before You Sell More Travel, Look at What You’re Keeping
Selling more travel is only part of building a more profitable business. Before you set a bigger sales goal for 2027, take a closer look at what it costs to run your agency and how much of that revenue you actually keep. In this episode of Charting the Course, Jonathan Morris, President and Co Owner of Legato®, and Kelli Hayes Smith, Marketing Manager, talk through the business decisions behind profitability. From overlapping subscriptions and time-consuming tasks to commission splits and paying yourself, they discuss what travel agents should review before planning for another year of growth. In This Episode How to start reviewing your travel business expenses before 2027 Where overlapping subscriptions may be costing you money Why a cheaper tool can cost more when you factor in your time How to prioritize business tools without buying everything at once Why paying yourself belongs in your business plan How delayed commission payments affect planning and cash flow What commission splits and host fees mean for the money you keep Why going fully independent requires a look at costs, time, and support Your sales goal should connect to what you want your business to provide. Start with the numbers, identify what needs to change, and build your plan from there. The discussion includes questions to take to your CPA about business expenses, business structure, and owner compensation. Decisions should be reviewed with a professional who understands your business. Resources and Links Download the Foundation for a Successful Travel Business Guide (https://legatohost.com/successful-travel-business-guide/) Legato Website (https://legatohost.com/) Book a Call (https://calendly.com/d/cyfn-zdq-5w7/learn-about-legato?hide_gdpr_banner=1) Jonathan Morris on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmorris1893) Kelli Hayes Smith on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith/) Legato on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/legatohost/) Legato on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/legatohost) Legato on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/legato-travel/) Join the Conversation How are you paying yourself, and what helped you reach that point? Send us a message on Instagram. Legato agents can also share in the Activity Stream.
21 Oct 2026
Beyond Convenience: Why Travelers Still Need Travel Agents
Are travel agents competing with AI, or is AI revealing why real travel professionals matter? In this episode of Charting the Course, Jonathan Morris and Kelli Hayes Smith look at three recent travel headlines involving AI planning errors, alleged travel fraud, and increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled scams. The conversation goes beyond whether AI gets travel information right or wrong. Jonathan and Kelli explore what happens when travel agents allow technology to replace their judgment, relationships, and responsibility to their clients. In This Episode • What AI travel-planning mistakes reveal about the value of travel agents • Why having access to information is not the same as knowing how to use it • The difference between convenience and professional discernment • Where AI should never replace the travel professional • Why agents need to be visible, transparent, and easy to verify • How a professional online presence helps establish trust • Why agents should explain their payment and booking processes • How professional systems help protect client information • How empathy, active listening, and judgment separate professionals from machines • Why travel professionals must be willing to tell a client no • What it truly means to protect a client’s travel investment The Bigger Question If anyone can access travel information, what makes someone a travel professional? Information is everywhere. The real value of a travel professional is knowing which information matters, understanding the person behind the trip, asking better questions, recognizing what is not being said, and protecting the client’s investment. AI can support the work. It should not replace the person responsible for doing it. Article Discussed AI Is Making Travel Fraud Harder to Detect (https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/AI-making-travel-fraud-harder-to-detect) AI Vacation Planning Disasters Are Fueling a Boom in Pricey IRL Travel Agents (https://nypost.com/2026/10/06/lifestyle/ai-travel-planning-fails-are-boosting-luxury-travel-advisors/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) nypost.com (https://nypost.com/2026/10/06/lifestyle/ai-travel-planning-fails-are-boosting-luxury-travel-advisors/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Camden Police Arrest Woman Who Allegedly Posed as a Travel Agent (https://www.abccolumbia.com/2026/10/13/camden-police-arrest-woman-who-allegedly-posed-as-travel-agent/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Resources and Links Build a Stronger Travel Business Download the Foundations for a Successful Travel Business Guide (https://legatohost.com/successful-travel-business-guide/) Schedule a Call to Learn More About Legato® (https://legatohost.com/) Visit the Legato® Host Agency Website (https://legatohost.com/) Connect With the Hosts Connect with Jonathan Morris on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmorris1893) Follow Kelli Hayes Smith on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith/) Follow Legato® Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/legatohost/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/legatohost) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/legato-travel) Listen to Charting the Course Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/charting-the-course/id6818526026) Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/52ZBHmzenKXuqVFgDIpA1P) YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZriVaaWaVk) New episodes of Charting the Course drop every Wednesday.
14 Oct 2026
All Hustle, No Progress? Rethinking Productivity for Travel Agents
Are you building your travel business, or are you simply staying busy? In this episode of Charting the Course, Jonathan Morris and Kelli Hayes Smith talk about the work that actually moves a travel business forward and the tasks that keep agents busy without creating meaningful progress. They explore how better workflows, automation, marketing, business planning, and accountability can help travel agents protect their time while delivering a more consistent client experience. In This Episode How to tell the difference between being busy and being productive Why your daily work should connect to your larger business goals How workflows create consistency and prevent tasks from falling through the cracks What client communication can be automated Why your CRM should help you spend less time in the weeds How to keep clients engaged between booking and travel Why marketing should be connected to the work you already do The difference between learning and taking action How comparison and information overload can steal your time Why every travel agent needs clear, achievable goals How an accountability partner can help you follow through The Question to Ask Yourself At the end of the day, can you identify what moved your business forward? Some busy work will always be part of running a travel agency. The goal is to create systems that keep those tasks from consuming the time and energy you need for your clients, your marketing, and the future of your business. Resources and Links Build a Stronger Travel Business Download the Foundations for a Successful Travel Business Guide (https://legatohost.com/successful-travel-business-guide/) Schedule a Call to Learn More About Legato (https://calendly.com/d/cyfn-zdq-5w7/learn-about-legato?hide_gdpr_banner=1) Visit the Legato Host Agency Website (https://legatohost.com/) Connect With the Hosts Connect with Jonathan Morris on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmorris1893) Follow Kelli Hayes Smith on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith/) Follow Legato Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/legatohostagency/) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/legatohostagency) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/legato-travel/) Listen to Charting the Course Listen on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/charting-the-course/id6818526026) Listen on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/52ZBHmzenKXuqVFgDIpA1P?si=98d9a68f00b341fd) Watch on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZriVaaWaVk)
7 Oct 2026
Travel Agent Business for 2027: Better Systems, Stronger Client Relationships and Sustainable Growth
Q4 is here, which means it is time to look honestly at what worked in your travel business this year, what did not, and what needs to change before 2027. In the first full episode of Charting the Course, Kelli Hayes Smith and Jonathan Morris look beyond sales numbers to discuss the signs that reveal the real health of a travel business. They talk about repeat business and referrals, client experience, workload, systems, automation, onboarding, boundaries, and why travel agents need to define success for themselves instead of building toward someone else’s expectations. In this episode: Why sales volume is not always the best measure of business health What a quiet season can reveal about your business plan Why a lack of repeat clients and referrals should get your attention How agents build trust by showing up when travel does not go as planned Why strong travel professionals are not competing with AI What should be automated and where agents need to remain personally involved How better client onboarding can reduce your workload and improve the client experience Why most businesses are not fully using the tools and resources they already have How to define success based on the life and business you want Why looking ahead makes it easier to recognize the progress you are already making Download the Free Guide A strong travel business needs more than travel knowledge. Download The Foundation for a Successful Travel Business to explore the essential pieces that support a healthy, sustainable business. Download The Foundation for a Successful Travel Business (https://legatohost.com/successful-travel-business-guide/) Connect With Us Connect with Jonathan Morris on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanmorris1893) Follow Kelli Hayes Smith on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kellihayessmith/) Visit the Legato website (https://legatohost.com/) Follow Legato on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/legatohost/) Follow Legato on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/legatohostagency) Follow Legato on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/legato-travel/) Learn More About Legato Schedule a call to learn more (https://calendly.com/d/cyfn-zdq-5w7/learn-about-legato?hide_gdpr_banner=1)
1 Oct 2026
Welcome to Charting the Course
Our Mission Statement here : Charting the Course is a travel-industry podcast creating space for honest conversations about where our industry has been, where it is now, and where we go from here. Through conversations with travel agents, suppliers, partners, technology leaders, Legato team members, and other industry voices, the podcast will explore what it means to build a stronger travel profession and a healthier industry.
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