First it was Expedia. Then Google. Now it's AI. Every few years, something new is supposedly coming for the travel advisor's job.

Asia Lantz has heard it all. She's the founder of Travel with Asia, ASTA's 2025 Travel Advisor of the Year, and a TravelPulse 40 Under 40 honoree with 11 years in the industry. On a recent episode of The Lounge by Travefy, she shared a story that flips the AI fear on its head.

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The chat that ended with "Is there a travel agent who can help?"

In September, a couple came to Asia wanting a full month in Taiwan and Thailand for their belated honeymoon. They were leaving in November, their budget was $45,000, and they wanted top-of-the-line everything.

They'd started planning on their own in ChatGPT. But the more they asked, the more options piled up, until they were too overwhelmed to move forward.

So they typed one more question into that same chat: was there a travel agent who could help? Asia's name came up and she ended up booking their entire trip.

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AI is a doorway, not a threat

Asia's take is simple: "I don't think as travel advisors we should be scared of AI."

The people who'll book everything themselves with AI were never using advisors in the first place. What she's actually seeing is a new kind of client:

• They arrive researched. They've already explored ideas and know they want something beyond the classic Venice, Florence, Rome loop.
• They arrive overwhelmed. AI gives them endless information but no confidence in what to choose.
• They want a person. That's the moment they turn to an advisor.
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AI can generate a hundred itineraries but it can't make a couple feel like their honeymoon is handled. That part is still the advisor's job.

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Where AI actually earns its keep: behind the scenes

Asia books complex, fully custom FIT trips, often piecing together every component herself. That's a lot of data entry. Here's where technology quietly gives her time back:

• Confirmations in, itinerary out. She forwards flight confirmations into Travefy and uses Smart Import to build them into the itinerary in about two minutes, with layovers and pre-booked seats included. For tours booked through Project Expedition, she drops in a link and Travefy pulls the photos, tour details and operator name. In her words: "That alone saves me hours of work, and that's AI doing work for me."
  
  
• Delay alerts before the airline. Her travelers often get flight notifications from Travefy before the airline announces a delay. She lived it herself flying home from Milwaukee recently when her flight slid to 6 a.m. the next day, the alert gave her time to rebook and get home that night.
  
  
• An inbox that sorts itself. Every morning, Gemini moves supplier promo emails into a separate folder and stars updates from the suppliers she books most. The important news surfaces and the extra noise waits.
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What advisors can take from this

1. Expect clients to arrive with research, and welcome it. Your value is turning a pile of options into one confident plan.
2. Let AI handle the busywork, and keep the judgment. Data entry, sorting and tracking are fair game. Curation, relationships and problem-solving are yours.
3. Start with one small automation this week. Sort your supplier promos or use Smart Import in the Travefy itinerary. Those small wins add up to hours.
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The bottom line

AI isn't replacing advisors. For Asia, it's sending her clients and handing back her time, so she can spend more of it on the work only she can do.

Hear the full conversation, including Asia's take on mentorship, group travel and her "CEO day," on The Lounge by Travefy. Watch or listen the full episode →

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