I really like that this follow-up actually changed your mind in places without becoming a walk-back. As access and technology get easier to replicate, it seems like the advisor’s value increasingly has to come from judgment, curation and how well they actually know the client.
Thanks Joe, I definitely asked Paul a lot of pointed questions when we sat down together, because I do truly like seeing agencies that push the industry to adapt.
One of the most balanced pieces I’ve read on Fora, Anne Marie. Thank you for following up instead of just landing the hot take.
I’ll add a view from the other side of the Atlantic. I’m a Fora Pro, based in Europe, and the platform genuinely solves a lot. But your line on Errors and Omissions is exactly where my doubts sit, and it’s sharper here than in the US.
In Europe the sale of travel is heavily regulated. The Package Travel Directive can turn an advisor who combines a couple of components into the legal “organiser” of a package, with liability for the whole trip and a mandatory insolvency-protection obligation on top. That’s a different risk profile than an IATA number covers.
So my open questions as a Pro over here: does Fora’s E&O actually extend to European advisors and European clients, and under which law? And how does it sit alongside the Directive’s organiser liability and bonding requirements?
The tech is the best in the industry. I just think the American model meets a very different legal reality once it crosses into the EU, and insurance is where that gap shows first.
Thank you for including me in this update on your Fora piece, Anne Marie, as well as going out of your way for the interview at VTW. I love a follow up article - every story is alway to be continued! Cheers to you for doing the work! :)
Have been waiting for this follow up! It may have changed, but when I first joined Fora you could access Virtuoso rates, amenities, and preferred status before hitting pro.
I too would be curious how far they let people push the self bookings before they get bumped out of Fora. Or the fact that people could book for themselves under their spouse’s name. They are always working to make their product better though 🙂
Yeah that was my original concern, but according to Paul, they’ve restricted Virtuoso rates, amenities, and preferred status to Pro level and above now.
I’m also very interested in the second part as well!
Wow, what a read Anne-Marie. You may have been an investigative journalist in a former life. Superb breakdown of pretty much everything everyone wants to know about how this agency approaches things.
I really like that this follow-up actually changed your mind in places without becoming a walk-back. As access and technology get easier to replicate, it seems like the advisor’s value increasingly has to come from judgment, curation and how well they actually know the client.
Thanks Joe, I definitely asked Paul a lot of pointed questions when we sat down together, because I do truly like seeing agencies that push the industry to adapt.
One of the most balanced pieces I’ve read on Fora, Anne Marie. Thank you for following up instead of just landing the hot take.
I’ll add a view from the other side of the Atlantic. I’m a Fora Pro, based in Europe, and the platform genuinely solves a lot. But your line on Errors and Omissions is exactly where my doubts sit, and it’s sharper here than in the US.
In Europe the sale of travel is heavily regulated. The Package Travel Directive can turn an advisor who combines a couple of components into the legal “organiser” of a package, with liability for the whole trip and a mandatory insolvency-protection obligation on top. That’s a different risk profile than an IATA number covers.
So my open questions as a Pro over here: does Fora’s E&O actually extend to European advisors and European clients, and under which law? And how does it sit alongside the Directive’s organiser liability and bonding requirements?
The tech is the best in the industry. I just think the American model meets a very different legal reality once it crosses into the EU, and insurance is where that gap shows first.
Thank you for including me in this update on your Fora piece, Anne Marie, as well as going out of your way for the interview at VTW. I love a follow up article - every story is alway to be continued! Cheers to you for doing the work! :)
Have been waiting for this follow up! It may have changed, but when I first joined Fora you could access Virtuoso rates, amenities, and preferred status before hitting pro.
I too would be curious how far they let people push the self bookings before they get bumped out of Fora. Or the fact that people could book for themselves under their spouse’s name. They are always working to make their product better though 🙂
Yeah that was my original concern, but according to Paul, they’ve restricted Virtuoso rates, amenities, and preferred status to Pro level and above now.
I’m also very interested in the second part as well!
Wow, what a read Anne-Marie. You may have been an investigative journalist in a former life. Superb breakdown of pretty much everything everyone wants to know about how this agency approaches things.
Thanks Jacques! That may be one of the best compliments I’ve received on Substack ❤️
Support flows both ways!
Thank you for mentioning me in this! So glad to read that the CRO of Fora took the time to answer the questions you have
Thanks for weighing in with your experience on my last piece!
Appreciate you including me. The advisor side gets the headlines, but the hotel-side economics are half the story.
This was very interesting, thanks for doing the follow up and sharing Paul's responses.