Podcast Summary

Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways

Episode: How to Start a Side Hustle as a Travel Advisor and Get Paid to Plan Trips
Hosts: Sally French and Meghan Coyle (NerdWallet Travel)
Guest: Henley Vasquez, Co-founder of Fora
Date: September 24, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores how travel enthusiasts—those who already plan vacations for friends, family, or themselves—can turn their organizational skills into a side hustle as a travel advisor. Hosts Sally French and Meghan Coyle break down the business model, earnings potential, and practicalities of getting started, with special insight from Henley Vasquez, co-founder of modern host travel agency Fora.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Credit Card & Loyalty Program Updates

• Chase Sapphire Reserve Hotel Credits:
  • Previously split into two $250 allotments per calendar half-year (02:01), now, as of 2026, the credits can be used anytime throughout the year for two eligible bookings (02:01).
  • Still a two-night minimum per booking; can use both credits in one stay if splitting reservations (02:26).
• Comparison with Amex Platinum:
  • Amex Platinum offers slightly more in hotel credits, but with its own usage rules (03:20).
• Expansion of Hotel Partner Brands:
  • New $250 Chase Sapphire Reserve credit for select hotel brands outside the main luxury collection (IHG, Montage, etc.) rolling out in 2026 (03:45).
• Capital One Transfer Partners:
  • Newly added: Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, I Prefer Hotel Rewards (05:21), bringing total partners to 22—the most of any major program (05:30).
  • Limited-time 30% bonus for transfers to Japan Airlines and bonuses to Virgin Atlantic, Flying Blue mentioned (05:37, 07:31).
• Delta’s New Routes:
  • Thanks to a customer vote, Delta will fly to Malta and Sardinia in 2026 (06:20).
• Amex Platinum Deadlines:
  • Reminder to use Q3 Lululemon ($75) and Resi Restaurant ($100) credits by September 30 (07:06).

2. How Anyone Can Become a Travel Advisor (Side Hustle Focus)

• Personal Experience Spark:

  • Most of us already plan travel for friends/family—a familiar scenario for both hosts (09:25–09:43).
  • “These guys are so lucky they have me in their family. Am I allowed to say that?” – Sally French (09:36)

• Introduction to Fora:

  • Founded 2021, Fora helps new agents enter travel planning part-time, making commissions on bookings (09:43–10:12).
  • Fora is a travel host agency: provides industry access, training, community, and essential “host” status for agent credentials (10:21).
  • Access to infrastructure (relationships, training, IATA number), vital for business and earning commission.

• Costs & Earnings:

  • Subscription to Fora: $49/month or $299/year (11:44, 34:37).
  • Commission split: new advisors start at 70% (agent)/30% (Fora); increases with sales volume up to 80/20 (11:44, 22:35).
  • Typical commission is 10-25% of trip value (12:13–12:23).
    • Booking a $1,000 hotel stay with a 10% hotel commission ($100) nets $70 for the agent at the starter level (12:23).
    • “You could book $4,300 worth of travel at a 10% commission rate, and then you would make back basically the annual fee you paid for Fora.” – Sally French (12:40)

• Who Can Succeed?

  • Fora’s community is diverse—side hustlers, career changers, retirees seeking flexible or purpose-driven income (15:05–16:06).
  • Flexible: “Do you want five clients? 50? 500? That should be your choice as a business owner.” – Henley Vasquez (18:43)
  • Some advisors manage $10M+ in annual sales (18:01).
  • Commitment: At least 10 hours/week to get started, becomes more efficient as you gain experience (18:58).

3. How Modern Host Agencies Like Fora Lower Barriers

• Traditional Barriers:

  • Required quitting full-time jobs, mandatory (and expensive) in-person training, sales minimums, delayed commissions; limited industry access (16:10).
  • “A lot of gatekeeping. We haven’t really let new people into this industry much.” – Henley Vasquez (13:59)

• What Fora Offers:

  • Abundant live & recorded training (80+ hours/month), support, community, modern tech, access to partner perks (20:16–21:29).
  • Direct comparison: like joining a real estate agency—Fora is your “broker”/host platform (20:16).
  • Tools like secure payment processing and “Price Drop” alerts built in (24:25–26:33).
    • “Our system… will now alert the advisor. So then I can go to you and say, Megan, that same room is now this price instead of this price. Do you want to rebook at that rate?… It’s all to me about building trust…” – Henley Vasquez (25:31)

• Technology & Trust:

  • Advisors see all rates (Expedia, direct, preferred, etc.) for transparency; can offer upgrades, free breakfast, perks (22:47–24:08).
  • Commissions don’t increase price to customer; often, customer receives extra perks (22:47).
  • Industry’s small share (8% of worldwide hotel sales), so growth potential is significant (24:25).

4. Specialization and Growing as an Advisor

• Should You Specialize?
  • Most start with destinations or trip types they know but eventually become “experts” in their clients’ needs (27:13).
  • Supportive network within Fora helps cover knowledge gaps for less familiar destinations.
  • “Become an expert in your traveler… Knowing the personal preferences and the quirks… is incredibly important.” – Henley Vasquez (27:13)
• Business Building:
  • Growth comes from talking with everyone, being proactive, not just focusing on a logo or website (33:18).
    • “I just talk to everybody…in the coffee shop, in spin class… when I’m out walking my dog.” – Fora Advisor via Henley Vasquez (33:32)
  • Don't get caught up in “shiny stuff”; focus on relationships and word of mouth.

5. Industry Trends & Travel Tips

• Luxury Cruises:

  • “Cruising is not something that before was blowing up in the same way that it is right now.” – Henley Vasquez (28:45)
  • Growth in small-ship/boutique cruises (Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, etc.), bigger ships offering “ship within a ship” boutique experiences.

• Domestic & “Second City” Destinations:

  • Increasing U.S. domestic travel, especially to cities like Charleston, Nashville, Austin—easier access, vibrant food scenes, outdoor activities (30:02).
  • “You may look at Instagram and think everybody you know is in Italy… but a lot of people are adding in much more last-minute travel domestically.” – Henley Vasquez (30:10)

• Shoulder Season Strategy:

  • European coasts (e.g. Sardinia) are less crowded, more affordable in September–October, with warm weather extending into fall (31:19).
  • For Caribbean, hurricane season brings deals; know which hotels stay open and buy travel insurance (32:10).

• Hot Takeoffs:

  • Destinations to watch: Corsica (next hot Mediterranean spot), U.S. Virgin Islands (“American Caribbean”), Puerto Rico’s booming scene (35:06).
    • “My hot takes is Sardinia is in the process of happening at the moment. Corsica, just to the north, is going to be the next one.…” – Henley Vasquez (35:06)

• Name Origins:

  • Fora = plural of Forum (as in the Roman Empire), representing a place for both business and community (36:09).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On turning trip planning into profit:
  • “Did you ever have a moment where you’re like, man, someone should pay me to do this?” – Meghan Coyle (09:28)
• On industry change:
  • “There’s a real lack of technology, there’s a lot of gatekeeping, we haven’t really let new people into this industry much.” – Henley Vasquez (13:59)
• On accessibility:
  • “You want five clients? Fifty? Five hundred? That should be your choice as a business owner.” – Henley Vasquez (18:43)
• On networking:
  • “Just put it out there… I’ve been helping you anyhow. I’m doing this as a business… you do have to have a little bit of that grind in you.” – Henley Vasquez (34:05)
• On disruption:
  • “There’s a lot of space for us to grow, a lot of space to bring new people in and actually start to capture some market share away from these other channels.” – Henley Vasquez (24:25)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:01 | Chase Sapphire Reserve Hotel Credit Changes | | 05:21 | Capital One adds transfer partners; current transfer bonuses | | 06:20 | Delta’s new Malta and Sardinia routes | | 09:25 | Turning trip planning into a paid side hustle | | 10:21 | How Fora’s platform/host agency works | | 11:44 | Fora subscriptions and commission structure | | 13:32 | Interview with Henley Vasquez begins | | 16:10 | Traditional barriers to becoming a travel agent | | 18:01 | Sales volume possible for high-performing advisors | | 20:16 | Host agency explained (real estate analogy); Fora’s support | | 24:25 | Technology upgrades—price drop alerts and tech stack | | 27:13 | Should new advisors specialize? | | 28:45 | Booming trends: luxury and boutique cruises | | 30:02 | Rise in “second city” and outdoor-focused travel | | 31:19 | Shoulder season tips for Mediterranean and Caribbean | | 33:18 | How to find clients as a new travel advisor | | 35:06 | Hot Takeoffs: Next trending destinations (Corsica, Caribbean, etc.) | | 36:09 | What “Fora” means |

Language, Tone, and Style

The conversation is fast-paced, friendly, and insider-y, with a focus on sharing actionable tips in an encouraging, slightly irreverent way. Humor—often self-deprecating—and transparency about the “real talk” behind the industry make the episode welcoming and relatable for listeners curious about adding travel planning to their set of side hustles.

Final Thoughts

If you love planning trips, enjoy sharing travel knowledge, and want the flexibility of a scalable side income, this episode offers a thorough, realistic look at how modern host agencies like Fora democratize the travel advisor profession. You’ll walk away knowing the steps to get started, the commitment involved, and how tech and community are lowering the barriers in the travel industry right now.