Pack Your Bags, Not Your Baggage

How Travel Agents Really Use AI to Plan Better Client Trips (and Where a Human Still Has to Step In)

Jennifer Neal — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:15:00 GMT

Ever wonder what your travel agent is doing with AI behind the scenes? Kim hosts this one and asks Jennifer and Mallory how they actually use AI in their travel businesses. They cover keeping proposals on track with weekly to-do lists, building custom destination guides for clients, and creating a week of social media posts in about 45 minutes. They also explain how their trip management software, Tern, audits itineraries for mistakes, why its secure payment process matters, and why AI complements their work instead of running it. Plus, one tip each for getting started with AI in your own work or life.

Perfect if you’re curious how travel advisors use AI, or you’re just starting to use it yourself and want ideas to try.

In this episode:

Why AI complements our business instead of running it (0:00)
How Tern keeps every trip organized, from itineraries to payment reminders (3:11)
Tern’s built-in AI trip audit and secure payment handling (4:20)
Keeping proposals on track with an AI-built weekly to-do list (7:55)
Destination overviews, AI call notes, and task lists for human assistants (9:31)
The trip enhancement playbook: Club Orange, pre-cruise hotels, and more (14:18)
Custom destination and port guides for clients (16:47)
Drafting and polishing client emails (19:32)
Mallory’s Canva + Claude weekly social media workflow (21:20)
Why a human always stays in the loop: inspect what you expect (24:08)
Planning a Christmas markets trip with AI, verified by real experience (28:03)
One tip each for getting started with AI (32:22)

Want the other side of the story? Listen to our companion episode, “Can You Trust AI to Plan Your Trip?”, for the real-life cautionary tales. And think you know what a DMC is? Tell us in the comments!

Ready to plan your own trip with people who know when to trust the tools and when not to? Reach out to Jennifer at jetsettingginny.com, Kim on Instagram @creatingmagicvacationswithkim, or Mallory on Instagram @mallorytravels_cmv. We’d love to help you book it.

Enjoyed this episode? Like and follow the show so you never miss an episode! Join the conversation with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61594219913989, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/packyourbags_pod/, and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PYBNYB

Can You Trust AI to Plan Your Trip? Real Stories From Real Travelers

Jennifer Neal — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:30:00 GMT

AI travel planning sounds convenient — until it sends you to a canyon that doesn't exist. Mallory, Jennifer, and Kim dig into real stories of travelers who leaned on AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to plan their trips, with results ranging from embarrassing to genuinely dangerous — including a rural Peru hiking mishap, an AI-hallucinated cable car in Malaysia, and a Mount Shasta climb that ended in an overnight rescue. They break down why these tools sound so confident even when they're wrong, and share the one rule they're each committing to the next time AI touches any part of their own trip planning.

Perfect if you've ever typed a travel question into ChatGPT and wondered whether you should actually trust the answer.

In this episode:

How widespread AI trip planning has become (0:03)
The hiking trail that doesn't exist — a cautionary tale from Peru (0:07)
More AI hallucinations — a fake Eiffel Tower in Beijing and an AI-generated cable car (0:13)
Why AI sounds so confident even when it's wrong (0:17)
The Mount Shasta rescue — when AI trip logistics went seriously wrong (0:20)
Our honest, balanced takeaway on using AI for travel planning (0:28)

Curious how we actually use AI in our own business? Check out the companion episode where we get into exactly that.

Ready to plan your own trip with people who know the difference between a real hiking trail and a hallucinated one? Reach out to Jennifer at jetsettingginny.com, Kim on Instagram @creatingmagicvacationswithkim, or Mallory on Instagram @mallorytravels_cmv — we'd love to help you book it.

Enjoyed this episode? Like and follow the show so you never miss an episode! Join the conversation with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2429254477826320, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/packyourbags_pod/, and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PYBNYB

Disneyland vs. Disney World, Part 2: Which One Is Right for You?

Jennifer Neal — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

Part 2 of our Disneyland versus Disney World showdown is here! This week Jennifer, Mallory, and Kim answer the question clients ask most — which park is actually right for you? — then go head-to-head ride by ride (with a special guest judge) before wrapping up with their favorite tips and tricks for both destinations.

Perfect if you're a first-time Disney planner trying to choose a coast, or a Disney superfan who just wants to settle the debate once and for all.

In this episode:

Which park fits your trip — first-timers vs. repeat visitors (0:07)
Trip length & pairing Disneyland with a Southern California getaway (3:02)
Final Boarding Call: ride-by-ride showdown — Space Mountain, Tiana's Bayou, Tower of Terror vs. Guardians, Haunted Mansion, Pirates (5:02)
Character dining: Disney World vs. Disneyland (13:04)
Snack showdown (15:24)
Our best tips & tricks for both parks (25:00)

Haven't listened to Part 1 yet? Go back and catch it first — then come find out which coast is calling your name.

Ready to plan your own trip? Reach out to Jennifer at jetsettingginny.com, Kim on Instagram @creatingmagicvacationswithkim, or Mallory on Instagram @mallorytravels_cmv — we'd love to help you book it.

Disneyland vs. Disney World, Part 1: Parks, Resorts & Cost Breakdown

Jennifer Neal — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

We tried to fit Disneyland versus Disney World into one episode... and failed. There was just too much good info, so we split it into two parts — and this is round one. Jennifer, Mallory, and Kim break down the real differences between the two coasts, from park layouts and ride exclusives to resort perks and an actual head-to-head cost comparison.

Perfect if you're trying to decide which coast is the better value for your family — or just want the inside scoop before you book.

In this episode:

Disney World vs. Disneyland: the basics (2:58)
Weather & climate considerations (7:20)
Park-exclusive attractions — Cars Land, Avengers Campus, Halloween events (10:18)
Resorts: 32 options vs. 3 (13:58)
Perks of staying on property — early entry, Lightning Lane, dining windows (18:56)
Cost comparison: Disney World vs. Disneyland (25:47)

Have You Been Scammed? Here's What to Do Next

Jennifer Neal — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:49:21 GMT

If a deal feels too good to be true, it probably is — but that doesn't mean you're the problem.

Travel scams are getting more sophisticated — fake booking sites, phishing texts posing as your airline, phony "too good to be true" vacation rental listings, and scammers who now use AI to clone voices and mimic real travel agencies.

In this episode, Jennifer, Mallory, and Kim break down the most common travel scams they're seeing right now, the red flags to watch for before you book, and — most importantly — exactly what to do if you think you've already been scammed: who to contact first, how to try to recover your money, and how to protect yourself going forward. Plus, why booking through a real travel advisor is one of the best safeguards you have.

It's a practical, no-judgment conversation for anyone who's ever second-guessed a "deal" online — because it can happen to the savviest traveler, too.

We Almost Got Scammed Too

Jennifer Neal — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

All three of us have almost gotten scammed. Today we're telling those stories — including one that was unfolding as we recorded this episode

All three of us have almost gotten scammed — and honestly, none of us are careless people. This week, we're getting real about it: our own near-misses, a hiking destination in Peru that ChatGPT completely made up (two tourists paid $160 to be dropped at a random rural road chasing it), and a phone "ransom" scam happening in Paris that came to us fresh, mid-recording, from someone in our own network.

We also break down just how big this problem has actually gotten — travel fraud losses hit a record $16 billion in 2025 — and why AI is quietly making fake sites and scam messages harder to catch than ever.

This isn't a lecture. It's the stuff nobody tells you until it almost happens to you.

Part 2 next week: what to actually do about all of it, including exactly what to do if you've already been scammed.

🧳 New episodes every week — subscribe so you don't miss Part 2.
✈️ Want a trip planned by people who already know what to watch for? Links to book with each of us are in the description.

#TravelPodcast #TravelScams #TravelSafety #TravelTips #TravelAgent

The Complete EPCOT Deep Dive (with Special Guest Ryan Joy)

Jennifer Neal — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:00:00 GMT

EPCOT is basically two parks in one, so we split the conversation the same way the park splits itself — the longest lines, whether they're actually worth the wait, and how to beat them, plus every free air-conditioned hideout in the park (yes, even the one most people don't know about). Then we cross into World Showcase for Kidcot and the passport program, before special guest Ryan Joy joins us for a rapid-fire "best of" round: best restaurant, best drink, best snack, best festival, best show. If you've ever left EPCOT overwhelmed, this is the episode that fixes that.

The 4-Day Cruise: Worth It for a Long Weekend, or More Trouble Than It's Worth?

Jennifer Neal — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 21:44:56 GMT

You've got a 3-day school weekend and a drivable cruise port nearby — is it actually worth the packing, the drive, and the four-day turnaround, or does it cancel itself out? Jennifer, Kim, and Mallory each make the real case for their own home port (Galveston, New Orleans, and New York/New Jersey), with real ships, real drive times, and real costs. Then we get into the actual debate: is a 4-day cruise genuinely restful, or is it more work than just staying home? Spoiler — we don't all agree. Whoever's right, the answer depends more on your drive time than you'd think.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party — And the Not-So-Easy Morning After

Jennifer Neal — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:30:00 GMT

Everyone covers what to expect at Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Almost nobody covers what happens the next morning — and that's the part parents actually ask about most. We dug through parent forums and reviews to find the real questions, and the answer surprised us: overtired kids don't just crash, they get more wound up before bed. This week, we break down what the party's actually like (the good, the long lines, and the best time to arrive), why the recovery day matters as much as the party itself, and the low-stimulation moves that save both the kids and the parents. Because the real planning doesn't stop when the fireworks end.

Live from the AmaSintra: Sailing Portugal's Douro River

Jennifer Neal — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:42:36 GMT

Our episode recorded before departure was the excited "we're about to go" preview. This one's recorded live from the AmaSintra, sailing the Douro — the practical guide to everything you'd actually want to know before booking a Portugal trip yourself. City vs. river, what a river cruise even is, and who this trip is genuinely right for (hint: not everyone). If Portugal's on your radar, start here.

We're On the Douro Right Now

Jennifer Neal — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:31:43 GMT

By the time you hear this, two of us are actually in Portugal. Jennifer and Mallory are on a river cruise through the Douro Valley, and Kim's sending them off with the real reasons why — what makes a river cruise different from the ocean cruises we usually cover, and what each of them is hoping this trip gives them. Kim's not convinced Mallory's "no itinerary" plan will actually survive contact with a real vacation. Find out if she's right in a future episode.

Finding the Why: What People Really Mean When They Say They Want a Trip

Jennifer Neal — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 21:26:33 GMT

Not every trip starts with an anniversary or a milestone. Sometimes the real reason is quieter — "it's just been a while since we've all traveled together" — and it's the hardest thing for people to say out loud. This week: how we listen for the real why behind a trip, how it changes what we actually build, and the one question that gets someone to say the quiet thing. Plus our Final Boarding Call — one small, practical takeaway from each of us.

The Holiday Trip That Doesn't Wreck You

Jennifer Neal — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:40:29 GMT

Holiday family trips can feel like more work than staying home. This week we get honest about what we each build into a holiday trip just for ourselves, why it belongs on the itinerary — not just in your head — and the "trip gone sideways" stories that taught us the hard way. Plus, the one piece of advice we'd give anyone planning a family trip this season.

Why We Started This: Meet Your Hosts

Jennifer Neal — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 15:16:27 GMT

You don't need a reason to take the trip. Self-care is the reason.

Welcome to the very first episode of Pack Your Bags, Not Your Baggage! In this launch episode, hosts Jennifer, Mallory, and Kim introduce themselves — three independent travel advisors under one shared agency, each with a different specialty (Disney and family cruising, ladies' group trips and multigenerational travel, and European river cruises and wellness getaways) but one common belief: travel isn't something you earn after taking care of everyone else — it's part of your self-care routine, full stop. They share how they each landed in this industry, swap a few personal stories, and lay out exactly what to expect from the show every week. It closes with the first-ever "Final Boarding Call," where each host leaves you with one piece of advice to start packing smarter and living lighter.