There was so much good advice at the Avoya Million Dollar Expo in Seattle last week that I guess you just had to be there to absorb it all. But here are some highlights:

You don’t have a responsibility to tell your clients about commonly known issues like COVID, says travel attorney Mark Pestronk, but if you read in the trade press (where a client would not normally be) that a supplier is having financial problems, you do have a legal responsibility to advise your customers. Have them sign a disclaimer (there are several on his website, Law Offices of Mark Pestronk, P.C. – The Travel Law Office – Legal help for Corporate Travel – Online Travel Agencies – Home Based Independent Travel Contractors). And for heaven’s sake protect your assets from disgruntled clients and the IRS with an LLC. E&O insurance in most cases covers damages but not legal expenses, which can add up to $50,000 in a case that involves death or injury. Always sign contracts in the name of the LLC and not your own—and note that if you deduct travel expenses as a business expense, you are five times more likely to be audited if you file on Schedule C than if you file as an LLC.

Grow your business by creating a simple referral program of some kind. Reach out to your Pied Pipers and incentivize them to talk about you. And don’t forget to celebrate them, perhaps on a Facebook page for only your top customers. In any case, always send an email asking for feedback and for referrals when clients return from a trip. (Travel advisor Carri Kersten, of Carri Kersten Travel Design, told me that during Covid she raffled off a $10 gift certificate to a local business to anyone who shared her Facebook posts or tagged a friend. In return for an $80 expenditure over eight weeks, her followers quadrupled, from 500 to 2,100.)

Keep two questions top of mind when meeting with suppliers: Does my client base have synergy with your product? And, can you help me develop a client base that matches your product?

Celebrity’s new round of shorter Caribbean cruises that stop at Perfect Day in CocoCay offers travel advisors a great opportunity to try the ever-improving product. While you might not think of RCCL’s private island as a perfect fit for Celebrity clients, the itineraries included have seen a high number of immediate bookings as soon as they are announced.

Need a little inspiration? Envision how other people’s lives are better because you are living your dream, says keynote motivational speaker Lucia Onieva (Life and Relationship Coach | Lucia G Onieva | Life Aligned). Write down your dream and then “bring your people into your dream” by visualizing how it will positively your family and your customers.

Don’t overlook the value of selling air. Every single day travel advisors have to prove their value to their customers, and part of that proposition is having a conversation about air. Things will go wrong and you will have to be an advocate for your customers, but you can charge the customer and also retain them by being their airline and travel document advisor.

Pack your bags for that long-awaited vacation! Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) welcomes today’s announcement that Air Tahiti Nui will begin nonstop service to Papeete, Tahiti (PPT) on October 5, 2022.

The island of Tahiti is almost mythical in its beauty, and along with the rest of French Polynesia, is one of the world’s foremost vacation destinations.

“Seattle is honored to be only the second U.S. destination for Air Tahiti Nui,” said Lance Lyttle, SEA Airport Managing Director. “We’re excited that Seattleites will now have yet another magical destination to explore, whether that’s Tahiti itself or other nearby islands like Bora Bora or Mo’orea.”

Tahiti will be Seattle’s southernmost destination and the first located in the Southern Hemisphere. Air Tahiti Nui will operate the twice-weekly route using a Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

Travelers to Tahiti can look forward to vivid turquoise lagoons, soaring lava-rock peaks, lush tropical forests, and hospitable people. These natural wonders of the islands fill the senses of all those that set foot in Tahiti. As the leading carrier to and from French Polynesia, Air Tahiti Nui’s 787-9 Dreamliner fleet and awarded service will make you feel like you are in Tahiti the moment you step onboard.

“North America is a key market for our destination. So, when we decided to open a second gateway on the West Coast, Seattle was a natural answer for us”, explained Mathieu Bechonnet, Air Tahiti Nui Managing Director. “I would like to thank our partners at Alaska Airlines and the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for their warm welcome and support in making this happen.”

“Who hasn’t dreamed of visiting Bora Bora? We’re delighted to have Air Tahiti Nui join our array of global airline partners, further connecting the West Coast to the South Pacific,” said Nat Pieper, senior vice president of fleet, finance and alliances at Alaska Airlines. “Our guests are going to love the convenience of a nonstop flight to this amazing destination on an airline that offers world-class service and amenities flying the beautiful Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.”

International Service at SEA

Travelers arriving at SEA from Tahiti will enjoy the soon-to-open new International Arrivals Facility, the most complex capital development project in the history of SEA airport. The IAF will dramatically improve connection time, efficiency, and service to millions of annual international travelers.

Air Tahiti Nui’s Tahiti service is the sixth new international service to SEA announced since 2020. Qatar-Doha, WestJet-Calgary, and Alaska-Belize City began service in 2021, while Air Canada-Montreal and Finnair-Helsinki will begin service in summer 2022.