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 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:
- A quick overview of this week’s episode and what’s ahead
(00:47) Week in Review:
- Brad visits a host agency in person and reflects on the in-office travel advisor experience
- Molly shares an emotional conversation with a nonprofit using Tern to help families with serious illnesses
- David checks in from GTM North America and reflects on the intensity of advisor conferences
(05:57) Transparency Around an Email Bug:
- Molly explains a bug that caused duplicate birthday emails and how a quick fix led to wider impact
- The team walks through how incidents are handled at Tern, including retrospectives, communication upgrades, and prevention planning
- Why support is the best place to report urgent bugs, and how the team is evolving its response workflows
(13:40) New Feature: Multi-Contact Forms:
- Molly and Brad detail the launch of multi-contact form elements, allowing lead travelers to submit info for multiple people in one go
- Considerations for field logic, page layout, and when not to use the new section
- How this ties into trip request forms and the broader forms product roadmap
(19:21) Text Editor Rollout Expands:
- Brad shares where the new editor is now live: terms and conditions, forms, tasks, and supplier records
- Molly previews what’s next, including mobile support, itinerary compatibility, and eventually messaging
(22:48) Mobile App Improvements:
- Black buttons, cleaner trip views, and a more branded experience for travelers
- Upcoming navigation enhancements will separate current from past trips
- Visual polish and “juicy” UI updates to make the app feel more cohesive and professional
(25:27) Quality of Life Fixes:
- Confirmation number alerts when marking bookings as booked
- Fix to insurance quote form where dates previously had to be entered twice
(27:21) Team Update: In-Person Onboarding & Travel Simulation:
- Tern’s first new hire orientation is happening next week in Michigan
- The team will run a full simulation where staff play the roles of advisor, supplier, and client to better understand user workflows
(30:04) Looking Ahead:
- Brad previews improvements to how contact relationships will be tracked from form submissions
- Molly shares why this helps reduce duplicate records and improve integrations
- More empty state design work is underway to make Tern easier for first-time users
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.
