Become A Travel Agent Asta
Become A Travel Agent Asta
Become A Travel Agent Asta
Travel Agent
Resources for becoming
a travel agent
Proudly sponsored by Sabre
Copyright 2012
ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents)
1101 King Street, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314, USA
All rights reserved. No part of this report may
be reproduced or utilized in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from ASTA.
GRO U P
VIRTUAL CAMPUS
Participants will use a Learning Management System (LMS) for a blended learning
PLACEMENT
Travel Leaders Group wholly owned, franchised and member-based agencies
are looking for travel agents and Independent Contractors. Completion of the
program does not guarantee job placement, but it is our intent to place as many
qualified graduates as possible.
TUITION
There are 4 core modules of $450 each for a total of $1800.
Textbooks and Travel Agent Proficiency Testing (TAP) fee are $225.
Table of Contents
WHATISASTA?..............................................................................................................................................................3
WHATISNACTA?...........................................................................................................................................................3
WHATISATRAVELAGENT?...........................................................................................................................................4
THEROLEOFTHETRAVELAGENT.................................................................................................................................4
WHATMAKESAGOODTRAVELAGENT?.......................................................................................................................4
TRAVELAGENCYINDUSTRYBUSINESSMODELS............................................................................................................6
THERETAIL(TRADITIONAL)TRAVELAGENCY.......................................................................................................6
THETRAVELMANAGEMENTCOMPANY(TMC)..................................................................................................6
THEONLINETRAVELAGENCY(OTA).....................................................................................................................7
THEINDEPENDENTAGENT...................................................................................................................................7
U.S.TRAVELAGENCYINDUSTRY....................................................................................................................................8
MARKETSIZEANDSCOPE....................................................................................................................................8
HOWTRAVELAGENCIESMAKEMONEY........................................................................................................................8
WHATTRAVELAGENTSEARN......................................................................................................................................10
GETTINGSTARTED.......................................................................................................................................................10
FINDINGATRAININGPROGRAM.................................................................................................................................10
FUTURETRAVELPROFESSIONALSCLUB......................................................................................................................11
SCHOLARSHIPS.............................................................................................................................................................11
SEEKINGEMPLOYMENTASATRAVELAGENT.............................................................................................................12
TRAVELAGENTTESTING&CERTIFICATIONS...............................................................................................................12
THETAP(TRAVELAGENTPROFICIENCY)TEST....................................................................................................12
CERTIFIEDTRAVELASSOCIATE(CTA)DESIGNATION...........................................................................................13
CERTIFIEDTRAVELCOUNSELOR(CTC)DESIGNATION.........................................................................................13
TRAVELAGENCYBUSINESSNUMBERS........................................................................................................................13
AIRLINEACCREDITATIONTHEAIRLINESREPORTINGCORPORATION..........................................................14
OBTAININGANARCAIRLINEAPPOINTMENT...................................................................................................14
NONAIRBUSINESSNUMBERS............................................................................................................................14
CREDENTIALS/IDCARDS.............................................................................................................................................15
FRAUDULENTCREDENTIALSCARDMILLS.................................................................................................................15
STATESTHATREGULATETRAVELSELLERS...................................................................................................................16
TRAVELDISTRIBUTIONSYSTEMS.................................................................................................................................16
RESOURCES..................................................................................................................................................................17
ISTHISTHECAREERFORYOU?....................................................................................................................................17
GLOSSARYOFCOMMONTRAVELAGENCYTERMS......................................................................................................18
BecomingaTravelAgent
WHAT IS ASTA?
TheAmericanSocietyofTravelAgents(ASTA),establishedin1931,istheworldslargest
andmostinfluentialtravelagencytradeassociation,representingmorethan8,000
membersinmorethan140countries.ASTAiscommittedtoupholdingthe
professionalismandprofitabilityofitsmembers.Inaddition,ASTApromotesethicalbusinesspractices
througheffectiverepresentationinindustryandgovernmentaffairs,educationandtraining,andby
identifyingandmeetingtheneedsofthetravelingpublic.Membersincludetravelagenciesandagents,
suppliers,touroperators,hotels,carrentalfirms,travelschoolsandfuturetravelprofessionals.
WHAT IS NACTA?
TheNationalAssociationofCareerTravelAgents(NACTA),establishedin1986,isawholly
ownedsubsidiaryofASTA.NACTAisdedicatedtoprovidingthefinesteducation,training
andnetworkinginsupportoftheindependenttravelprofessional.NACTAsmembers
includeindependenttravelprofessionals,hostagenciesandindustrysuppliers.
BecomingaTravelAgent
BecomingaTravelAgent
BASICJOBREQUIREMENTS
Everyprofessionrequiresbasiccoreskillsandthetravelagencyprofessionisnoexception.The
followingarethebasicskillseverytravelagentneeds:
SalesandMarketingYoumusthaveanunderstandingoftheprinciplesandmethodsforshowing,
promoting,andsellingproductsandservices.
Reading,WritingandOralComprehensionBeingatravelagentrequiresconstantinteraction
withconsumers;itiscriticalthatyouhavetheabilitytoreceiveandconveyinformationeffectively.
AnalyticalDecisionMakingYoumusthavethecapacitytohelpcustomersunderstandthe
relativecostsandthecomparativebenefitsofvariousproductsandservices.
ComplexProblemSolvingItsimportantthatyoucanidentifyproblems,evaluateoptionsand
implementsolutionswhenthingsgowrong.
CustomerServiceAswithanyconsumerfocusedprofession,youmusthavesuperiorcustomer
serviceskills.
GeographyExtensiveknowledgeofcities,countries,geographicfeaturesandgeopolitical
boundariesiscritical.
TechnologyItisessentialthatyouhaveanunderstandingofbasiccomputerskillsandindustry
tools,suchasaGlobalDistributionSystem(GDS),whichareusedtoreserve,recordandinvoice
traveltransactions.
ProductKnowledgeYoumusthaveasolidunderstandingoftravelsupplierproducts,servicesand
policies.
AdministrativeThesalesprocessoftenrequiresfollowupwithvendorsandcustomers,andalso
requiresthecollectionandprocessingofpayments,thereforeitisimperativethatyouhavestrong
administrativeandclericalskills,suchaswordprocessingandaccountmanagement.
BecomingaTravelAgent
BecomingaTravelAgent
THEONLINETRAVELAGENCY(OTA)
Whileseveralonlinetravelagencieshavecometodominatetheonlinetravelagencyspace,thereare
stillmanysmallertravelagenciesthathavebecomeactiveinthisspace,too.Thisisespeciallytrueof
agentsthatarenichetravelexpertsthatofferspecializedservicesand/orproducts.
Onlineagencieshirearangeofskilledtalent,fromskilledITworkerstoexperttravelagentswhohandle
themorecomplexitinerariesthatrequireamorepersonaltouch.Whileefficienciescanbegainedby
offeringconsumersarobustonlineshoppingexperience,thereoftencomesapointinthebuying
processwhentheonlinebuyerneedspersonalassistancetocompletethetransaction.
THEINDEPENDENTAGENT
Theindependentagentistypicallydefinedasaselfemployedtravelagent.Simplyput,anindependent
agentisaonepersonindependenttravelagency.Andasanindependentbusiness,theseagencieshave
theirownuniquebusinessnamesandcomplywithallapplicablelocalandstateregistration
requirements,similartoatraditionaltravelagency.Itistheselfemployeddesignationthatsetsthe
independentagentapartfromthetraditionalagencymodel.Travelagentswhoworkforatraditional,
TMCorOTAtravelagencyareconsideredemployeesofthebusinesstheyworkfor,eveniftheyare
homebased,whereasindependentagentsareconsideredselfemployed.
Ofallthebusinessmodelsdescribed,theindependentmodelisperhapsthemostdifficultmodeltofully
define,astheseagentsarediverseandtheirsalesaredifficulttoquantifysincenearlyhalfprocesstheir
salesthroughahostagency.Most(87percent)independentagentsworkfromhome,althoughafew
rentdesksfromtheirhostagency.Mostworkparttime.Somehavecorporateclients,yetmost(60
percent)focusoncruises.Therearealsosomewhofocussolelyongroupsornichemarkets.
Therearetwoprimarytypesofindependentagentsthosewhoareaffiliatedwithahostagency(46%),
whicharereferredtoashostedindependentagents,andthosewhoaretrulyindependent.
Theprimarydifferencebetweenthetwoisthatthehostedindependentagentcontractswithahost
travelagency,sometimesreferredtoasahostorhostagency,forcertainservices.Thehosted
independentagentisalsoreferredtoasindependentcontractor.
WhatisaHostAgency?
Ahostagencyisatravelagencythatistypicallyairline(ARC)accredited,andmayalsohaveaCLIA
number.Someindependentagentscontractwithahostagencyforservicesthatmayinclude:1)useof
thehostsbusiness(e.g.ARC,CLIAorIATAN)numberforcommissiontrackingpurposes;2)accesstothe
hostsGlobalDistributionSystem(GDS);3)suppliercommissionoverrides;4)qualitycontrol;and,5)
7
BecomingaTravelAgent
administrativesupport.Inreturnforprovidingtheseservices,theindependentagentpaysafee,either
intheformofamonthlysubscriptionfeeorasapercentageoftheagentscommission.
Itisthehostagencysbusinessnumberthatidentifiestheagencywithanindustrysuppliersothat
commissionpaymentscanbeprocessedandpaid.Sincecommissionsarepaiddirectlytothehost,the
hostisobligatedthroughtheindependentcontractoragreementtoforwardpaymenttothe
independentagentasstipulatedintheagreement.Mostoften,compensationpaidbythehosttothe
independentcontractorisexpressedasapercentageofcommissionsonbasefares.Commonsplits
betweenanindependentcontractorandthehostagencyare70/30,80/20or50/50.So,forexample,if
thesplitis70/30,thehostmayretain30percentofcompensationearnedbytheindependent
contractorandforwardtheremaining70percenttotheagent.Thepercentagesplitanindependent
contractorisabletonegotiatedependsontheexperience,educationandknowledgetheindependent
agentbringstothetable.
Therearealsoindependentagentsthathavetheirownbusinessnumbersanddonotworkthrougha
hostagency.Theseareoftenagentswhohavemovedtheirtraditionaltravelagencybusinessestotheir
homes.Manyoftheseagentshavegivenuptheirairlineaccreditationinlieuofoneofthethreenonair
travelagencybusinessnumbers,whicharediscussedlaterinthispaper.
BecomingaTravelAgent
Whilealmostallagenciesearnrevenuefrombothsources,itistheagencysbusinessmodelthatoften
dictatestheagencysprimarysourcesofrevenues.Forexample,travelagenciesthatfocusonselling
leisuretraveltypicallyreceivemostoftheirrevenuesfromsuppliersthroughcommissions/overrides.
Travelagenciesthatfocussolelyoncorporatetravelandairlineticketingareverydependenton
customerpaidfees,oftencalledtransactionorservicefees.
Thereisathirdmodel,calledtheconsultancyfeemodel,whichisgainingtraction.Withthismodel,the
agentactsasaconsultant,likeanattorneyoraccountant,andchargesaprofessionalfeeforhis/her
services,andatthesametimemayalsocollectcommissionfromsuppliers.Leisureagentsfocusedon
sellingluxurytravelareoftenattractedtothismodel.
Thefollowingchartsbreakouttravelagencyrevenuesbytypeandsource.Thefirstchartrevealsthat
leisuretravelagenciesaredependentonsupplierpaidrevenue.Thesecondchartshowsthatcorporate
agencies,whichprimarilyprocessairtransactions,receivethebulkoftheirrevenuefromcustomerpaid
transaction/servicefees,althoughcommissionsandoverridesareimportantwithhotelandcarrental
bookings.
LEISURETRAVELAGENCYREVENUESOURCES
%ShareofAverageRevenueByTypeofRevenue
Cruise
Tour
Commissions/Overrides
81%
79%
Transactions/ServiceFees
12%
18%
ConsultingFees
1%
1%
GDSIncentives/Fees
1%
0%
OtherRevenue
5%
1%
Source:ASTA2011FinancialBenchmarkingReport
CORPORATETRAVELAGENCYREVENUESOURCES
%ShareofAverageRevenueByTypeofRevenue
Hotel
Car
Commissions/Overrides
27%
74%
84%
Transactions/ServiceFees
63%
18%
14%
GDSIncentives/Fees
8%
6%
2%
OtherRevenue
2%
2%
0%
Source:ASTA2011FinancialBenchmarkingReport
Air
BecomingaTravelAgent
$43,163corporate
$29,531leisure
$31,457combinedcorporate/leisure
$39,556managerial
$21,080startingwithlimitedexperience
Note:theseareonlyaverages;thehighend
includessomeearningover$100,000
Case Study
After college Ryan McGredy, a
graduate from the University of
California at Davis in 2000 with a
degree in Sociology and
Organizational Studies, became
involved in Moraga Travel
(Moraga, Calif.) as a minority
owner. He later bought a majority
stake in the company and is now
Howagentsarepaid
60%salaryalone
28%salaryandcommission
12%commissiononly
GETTING STARTED
Thereisnorightorwrongwaytostartoutinthisindustry,
andthereiscertainlynolimittowhenyoucanstartyour
career.Therearemanytravelagentsthatstartrightoutof
college,yettherearealsomanythatstartlaterinlifeafteroneormorecareers.
10
BecomingaTravelAgent
Youshouldalsokeepthesepointsinmindwhenevaluatingapotentialtravelschool:
Doestheschooloffertravelcoursesin:geography,fares/ticketing/tariffs,industryformsand
procedures,automation,sales,marketingandtravelindustryoperations?
Doestheschoolprovideforinternships?
Examinetheavailableairlinecomputertraining.Itshouldteachbothdomesticandinternational
reservationsaswellasaccessingtheairlineavailability,pricing,selling,creatingapassengername
record(PNR)andbookinghotel,carrentalandrailreservations.
Howlonghastheschoolbeeninoperation?
AskiftheschoolisamemberofASTAorNACTA.
Askagenciesinyourareafortheiropinionofthetravelschoolsyouareconsidering.
Doestheschoolofferplacementassistanceforgraduates?Ifso,whatistheirsuccessratio?
Askifthereareanygraduatesoftheschoolwhoareworkingintheareathatyoucancontact.
Askworkinggraduatesfortheirevaluationoftheprogram.
Tofindatravelschoolinyourarea,visitasta.organdselecttheEducation/Careerssectionandthe
headingASTAMemberTravelSchoolorclickon:http://www.asta.org/education/travelschools.
SCHOLARSHIPS
ASTAandASTAChaptersfundmanyundergraduateandgraduatescholarshipsandinternshipstoselect
travelagencystudents.TourismCaresmanagesASTAscholarshipprogram,aswellastheirowngrants,
scholarshipsandinternshipprograms.FormoreinformationabouttheTourismCaresGrantsand
ScholarshipPrograms,visitwww.tourismcares.organdclickontheStudentResourcestab.
11
BecomingaTravelAgent
Ifyouareconsideringacareerinthetravelindustry,wesuggestyou
setupinformationalinterviewswithtravelagenciesinyourarea.
Whendoingthis,speaktothemanagerofthetravelagencyoffice
andexplaintothemyourinterestinbeginningacareerintravel.
Youwillhavetoaccommodatetheirscheduleandaskthemtocarve
out30to60minutesoftheirtime.Youmightwanttoconsider
93percentoftravelagents
arehappywiththeirchosen
profession.
ASTA2012MemberSurvey
meetingthemforcoffeesoyoucanbeassuredofkeepingtheir
attentionoutsideoftheofficewhileyoudiscusscareeroptionswith
them.
Duringaninformationalinterview,youalsowanttomakesurethatbecomingatravelagentisthe
careerforyou.Asktheagentabouttheirtypicalday,whatkindofhourstheywork,whatperksthey
receiveandwhatthepotentialisforacareerinyourarea.Ifyoufeelthismaybetherightpathforyou,
discusstheoptionsforinterningattheagency.Thisisagreatwaytofindoutifthiscareerisrightfor
you.
BecomingaTravelAgent
CERTIFIEDTRAVELASSOCIATE(CTA)DESIGNATION
TheTravelInstitutesfirstlevelofprofessionalcertificationfocusesonthecoreknowledgeandpractical
skillsrequiredforsuccess.TheCTAdesignationrepresents40percentofthestudyrequiredtoearnthe
CertifiedTravelCounselor(CTC)designation.Topicsincludecommunications&technology,geography,
sales&serviceandthetravelindustry.
OnceenrolledintheCTAcertificationprocess,youwillhaveoneyeartocompleteyourstudiesand
registerfortheCTAexam.Theexamiscomprisedofasetofobjectivemultiplechoicequestionsforeach
coreskillareaandaseriesofshortessayscoveringelectivesandapplicationofcourseconceptsinthe
workenvironment.AllCTAexamsareadministeredbyaCTC,agencyowner,manager,traineror
supervisor.TheTravelInstitutesponsoredtestsitesarelocatedacrossthecountryandexamsare
scheduledinconjunctionwithindustryeventsthroughouttheyear.
CERTIFIEDTRAVELCOUNSELOR(CTC)DESIGNATION
TheCertifiedTravelCounselor(CTC)programisthepinnacleoftravelindustryprofessionalismformore
than40yearsandisdesignedforseasonedtravelprofessionalswhoareinterestedinadvancingtheir
career.TheCTCcurriculumcovers10topicsofstudy,whichisdesignedtoteachownersandmanagers
howtoanalyzenewbusinessopportunities,developmarketingstrategies,andnegotiate.Increaseyour
knowledge,growyourbusiness,andearnwidelyrecognizedindustrycredentials.
Tolearnmoreaboutthesetestsanddesignations,visitTheTravelInstituteat
www.thetravelinstitute.com.
13
BecomingaTravelAgent
AIRLINEACCREDITATIONTHEAIRLINESREPORTINGCORPORATION
TheAirlinesReportingCorp.(ARC)isanairlineownedcompanyprovidingthetravelindustrywith
financialservices,dataproductsandservices,ticketdistributionandfinancialsettlementintheUnited
States,PuertoRico,theU.S.VirginIslands,andAmericanSamoa.
ARCcoordinatesthreeprimaryfunctionsthataddefficiencytothemannerinwhichairlinesandtravel
agenciesdealwitheachother.Theseinclude:
1. Accreditation.ARCprovidesamechanismthatairlinesmayusetoaccreditandappointTicket
ReportingAgencies(TRA).
2. TicketIssuance.TRAagenciesareentitledtoissueelectronictrafficdocumentsonairlinesthat
participateinARCsAreaSettlementPlan(ASP).
3. TicketReconciliationandSettlement.TheARCASPisaclearinghouseforweeklyreconciliationof
sales,refunds,exchangesandpaymentofcompensation,includingtravelagencyservicefees(ifthe
agentelectstoprocesstheirfeesthroughARC).TheASPenablesagenciestoreportandremitall
transactionstoallairlineswithoneweeklyreportandcheckdraft.
OBTAININGANARCAIRLINEAPPOINTMENT
RequirementsforestablishinganARCaccreditedTRAagencycanbefoundonlineat:
https://www.arccorp.com/join/applyaccreditation.jsp.Youwillberequiredtoobtainandmaintaina
bondorirrevocableletterofcreditasaconditionforbeingappointedorretainedasanARClistedtravel
agency.Theminimumamountrequiredis$20,000forthefirsttwoyears.Travelagencybondsorletters
ofcreditdonotprotectconsumersmonies.Instead,thesesecurityinstrumentsarepayableonlytoARC
whenanagencydefaultsandhasoutstandingdebts.
IfyoudecidetobecomeanewARCaccreditedagency,youwillfirstneedtoorderanewapplicationkit
fromARC.Thenonrefundablefeeforthekitis$1,600.OnceatravelagencyobtainsanARCTRA
number,itisgenerallyrecognizedbyallotherindustrysuppliers.Nootherbusinessnumberisneeded.
NONAIRBUSINESSNUMBERS
Ifyouplantostartyourowntravelagencybusinessanddonotwanttogothroughthecostandfinancial
obligationofbecomingairlineaccredited,youwillneedtoobtainabusinessnumberfromanother
source.Onceyouhavethisnumber,hotels,cruiselines,tourcompaniesandotherindustrysuppliers
mayallowyoutobooktheirproductforyourclients.Pleasenote:Ifyouplantoworkasanemployeeof
anagency,youwillusethebusinessnumber(s)establishedbyyouremployer.Likewise,ifyouplanto
workasanindependentagentwithahostagency,youwillusethebusinessnumberprovidedtoyouby
yourhostagency.
14
BecomingaTravelAgent
Therearethreetypesofbusinessnumbersfortravelsellersofnonairproducts.TheseareARCVerified
TravelConsultant(VTC),IATANnonairnumber(formerlyreferredtoasaTravelServiceIntermediary
(TSI)number)andCLIA.ObtaininganARCVTC,IATANorCLIAnumberisthefirststepinbuilding
relationshipswithsupplierssothatyourbusinessisrecognizedforyoutoactasanagentor
authorizedrepresentative.
Topreventduplication,ARCandIATANsourcetheirnumbersdirectlyfromasinglepoolofnumbers
controlledbyIATA.Likewise,CLIAusesablockofnumbersthatIATAnolongeruses.Mostsupplierswill
acceptoneofthesenumbers.Youdonotneedtoobtainallthree.
Eachnonairbusinessnumberingprogramhasitsownfinancialandbusinessrequirements.Complete
detailsforeachprogramcanbefoundonlineat:
ARCVTCwww.arccorp.com/joinvtc/
CLIAwww.cruising.org
IATANwww.iatan.org
CREDENTIALS / ID CARDS
IATANprovidestheagencycommunitywiththeprimarypersonnelregistrationserviceintheindustry
forthepurposeofissuingtravelagentIDcardsthatmanysuppliersrecognizeforthepurposeof
providingreducedrateprivileges.CLIAalsoadministeratravelagentIDcardprogram.Toreviewthe
eligibilityrequirements,visitwww.IATAN.organdwww.cruising.org.
BecomingaTravelAgent
throughwrittenscriptsandaudiotapesusedinwordofmouthsolicitation)bymakingexaggerated
claimsaboutthediscountsorpriceadvantagesthatsocalledindependentagentsorconsultants
mayobtainthroughuseofthecard.
Inaddition,somecardmillsemphasizethepurchasersopportunityreminiscentofclassicpyramid
andotherillegalmultilevelmarketingschemestorecruitotheragentsandearnfeesforeach
recruitaswellaseachtimetherecruitbookstravel.Inallcases,theprimarythemeandmessageoftheir
promotionsisthatthepurchasercanenjoyallthebenefitsandfinancialrewardsofprofessionaltravel
agentswithnoworry,nohassleand,aboveall,nowork.
OnceyoubecomeamemberofASTA,youcanobtainaccesstodetailedresourcesthatwillguideyou
throughtheregulatoryprocess.
BecomingaTravelAgent
Travelport(WorldspanandGalileo):http://travelport.com
VAXVacationAccesshttp://www.vaxvacationaccess.com/
RESOURCES
ThefollowingWebsitescontainadditionalinformationaboutthetravelagencyindustry.Weencourage
youtoreviewthesesitesfornewsandinformationaboutthecurrentstateoftheindustry.
ASTASmartBriefwww.smartbrief.com/asta/
BusinessTravelNewsOnlinewww.btnmag.com
TravelAgentwww.travelagentcentral.com
TravelWeeklywww.travelweekly.com
TravelMarketReporthttp://travelmarketreport.com
Regardlessofwhereyoustartyourcareer,rememberASTAand
NACTAofferresourcestohelpsupportyoueverystepofyourcareer.
LearnmoreatASTA.organdNACTA.org.
17
BecomingaTravelAgent
18
BecomingaTravelAgent
C
CDW/LDWCollisionDamageWaiver/LossDamageWaiverinsurancefordamagetoarentedvehicle.
ChurningRepetitiveorexcessivebookingandcancelingofareservationinaGDStoachieve
productivitycreditortocircumventticketingrestrictions.
CityguideThetourguideofacitytour,usuallyalocalresident.
CitypairTheoriginanddestinationairports.
CitytourAguidedsightseeingtripthroughacity.
CoachclassOftenusedtodescribethecabinoreconomysectionofanairplane.
CodeSharingAnagreementwherebyoneairlinemarketsandsellstheservicesofanotherairline.The
marketingcarriersnamemayappearontheticket,howevertheserviceisactuallyprovidedbya
separateoperatingcarrier.
ComputerReservationSystem(CRS)seeGlobalDistribution
ComputerReservationTerminal(CRT)Acomputerdisplayterminalusedtomaketravelreservations.
ConsumerProtectionPlan(CPP)Atouroperatorprovidedpolicythatprovidescompensationincase
ofatouroperatorbankruptcy.
ContinentalBreakfastHotelstayincludingbreakfast,typicallyconsistingofbread,rolls,butter,jam
andteaorcoffee.
ContinentalUSAAllareasinthe48contiguousstatesandtheDistrictofColumbia.
CRSPriortothemid1990s,commonlyusedtorefertoairlineownedcomputerreservationsystems
usedbytravelagencies.Today,travelagencycomputerreservationsystemsarereferredtoasGlobal
DistributionSystems(GDS)andtheacronymCRSoftenreferstoavendorshostorCentral
ReservationSystem.
CruiseLineInternationalAssociation(CLIA)Thetradeassociationofthecruiselines.CLIAalsoisa
marketingassociationthatpromotescruisevacationsdistributedthroughtravelagencies.
19
BecomingaTravelAgent
CulturalTourAtourfocusedoninteractingwithandexploringaspecificculture.
CVBConventionandVisitorsBureau.
D
DeregulationAnActofCongresswhichtookeffectin1978throughwhichtheformerCivilAeronautics
Boardlostdirectresponsibilityforoverseeingandassigningroutes,frequenciesandfaresforthe
nationsairlines.
DirectAccessAtermusedbyglobaldistributionsystemstodescribethemodeofreservation
processinginwhichthesuppliersreservationsystemprovidesaconfirmationnumberwithinseven
secondsofcompletionofthebookingrequests,andpriortothetravelagentendingthebooking
transaction.
DoubleOccupancyRateThepricebasedontwopersonssharingaroom.
DRS(DirectReferenceSystem)Thesectionofeachglobaldistributionsystemcontainingspecific
supplierpoliciesandadescriptivelistofsupplierservices.
DynamicPackagingAnonlinebookingtoolthatcancombinemultipletravelcomponents(typicallyair,
carandhotel)inrealtimeintoasingle,fullypricedpackage(hidingthepricingoftheindividual
components).
E
EcotourAtourdesignedtohighlighttheconservationoftheenvironment.
EscortedTourAtourpackagethatisleadbyatourdirector.
F
FamiliarizationTourAcomplimentaryorreducedratetripfortravelagentsand/orairlineemployees
thatisdesignedtoeducatethemonhotelsordestinationswiththepurposeofincreasingsalesforthat
product.ThisisfrequentlyreferredtoasaFAMorfamtrip.
FITFlexibleIndependentTravel(FIT)referstocustomizedindependenttravel,domesticor
international.Historically,FITreferredtoForeignIndependentTravel.
20
BecomingaTravelAgent
Fly/DriveApackagethatincludesanairticketandarentalcar.
FrequentTravelerProgramAplanofferedbysometravelvendorstoawardbonuses,suchasfreeor
upgradedaccommodation,tocustomersinordertoencouragerepeatuseandbuildbrandloyalty.
FrontOfficeSystemsTravelagencyreservationsystemscommonlyreferredtoasGDSorCRS.
FullboardHotelstayincludingthreemeals(breakfast,lunchanddinner).
G
GalileoAGDSundertheTravelportportfolio.
GlobalBusinessTravelAssociation(GBTA)Thetradegrouprepresentingcorporatetravelmanagers.
GlobalDistributionSystem(GDS)Anautomatedreservationssystemthattravelprofessionalsuseto
performavarietyoftravelfunctionsincludingair,hotelandcarrentalreservations.GDSissometimes
referredtoasaComputerReservationsSystem(CRS).SeveralGDSprovidetheirservicestousers
worldwide(e.g.,Amadeus,Travelport,SABRE),whileothersprovideregionalornationalcoverage.
GovernmentTravelRequest(GTR)Aformofpaymentusedbysomegovernmentagenciestopayfor
officialgovernmentairtravel.
H
HalfBoardHotelstayincludingbreakfast,andeitherlunchordinner.
HighSeasonSupplementAdditionalchargethatappliesduringhighseason.
HostedtourAgrouptourmetatthedestinationbyarepresentativeofthetouroperator.
I
IAR(InteractiveAgentReporting)InteractiveAgentReporting(IAR)istheelectronicsalesreporting
systemfromtheAirlinesReportingCorp.(ARC).
IATANumberThemembershipidentificationnumberassignedtoaccreditedtravelagencieslocated
outsideoftheUnitedStates.IATAnumbersidentifyatravelagencytohotelsandcarrentalcompanies
21
BecomingaTravelAgent
sothatapplicablebookingcommissionsarepaid.TravelagenciesintheUnitedStatesareaccreditedby
theAirlinesReportingCorp.,whichissuesasimilarnumber.
InboundOperatorAnoperatorthathandlestravelarrangementsatadestination.Alsoknowasa
receptiveoperator.
InternationalAirTransportAssociation(IATA)Thetradeassociationofdomesticandinternational
airlines.IATAoperatesasasupranationalorganizationproposingrates,conditionofservice,safety
standards,andprovidesthemechanismwhichmakestheunifiedsystemofairtransportationpossible.
IATAappointsretailtravelagentsandoperatestheticketsettlementsystemfortravelagencieslocated
outsidetheUnitedStates.
InternationalAirlinesTravelAgentNetwork(IATAN)AwhollyownedsubsidiaryoftheInternational
AirTransportAssociation.IATANoffersatravelagencyIDcardtoaccreditedtravelagencymembersin
theUnitedStates.
L
LocalHostArepresentativeofthetouroperatorwhoprovidesassistanceatadestination.
M
MCO(MiscellaneousChargesOrder)AnelectronicARCformthatcanbeusedtoprocesstour
paymentswithsometouroperators.MCOsaregenerallyusedtoprocesscashsalesthroughtheagents
ARCreport.
MeetandGreetServiceAservicethatassiststravelersuponarrivalwithentranceformalities,baggage
handling,transportationandorientation.
ModifiedAmericanPlan(MAP)Hotelstayincludingbreakfastanddinner.
N
NegotiatedRateAtermusedtodescriberatesnegotiatedbyahotelcompanywithaspecificclient.
NetRateAwholesalerateexclusiveofcommissions.
22
BecomingaTravelAgent
O
OfficialAirlineGuide(OAG)Alistingofairlineflightsandschedulesproducedandpublishedbythe
ReedTravelGroup.
OpenJawAtriangularitinerarywhereonlytwolegsareticketed.
OtherSupplementalInformation(OSI)APNRfieldusedtoprovideadditionalpassengerinformation
totheairline.
OverbookingAconditionthatexistswhenavendorsellsmoreinventory(e.g.air,hotel,car,etc.)than
isavailable.
OverrideAdditionalcommissionpaidtoagentsasabonusforproductivityand/orvolume.
P
PackageAnycombinationofmorethanonecomponent,suchasahotelroomandanairticket,which
issoldasoneproduct.
PassengerNameRecord(PNR)TheGDSfilethatcontainsinformationaboutapassengerstravelplans,
includingname,contactinformation,flightitinerary,hotelbookingsegments,carrentalbooking
segments,andrelateddetails.
PassengerSpaceRatioThenumberofgrossregisteredtonsofashipdividedbythetotalpassenger
capacity.
PassengerToCrewRatioThenumberofpassengersdividedbythetotalnumberofcrewmembersona
cruise.
PassiveSegmentAsegmentbookingenteredintheGDSforthepurposeofticketingorrecordkeeping
forwhichanidenticalbookinghasalreadybeenmadeinthecarriersreservationsystem.
PAXAtermusedbyairlineemployeestorefertoapassengerorpassengers.
PeriodEndingDate(PED)AnacronymfortheclosingdateoftheARCreportingperiod(alwaysevery
Sunday).
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BecomingaTravelAgent
PorterageBaggagehandlingservice.
PseudoCityCode(PCC)AGDSidentifierthatdistinguishesonetravelagencylocationfromanother,
generallyathreetofivecharactercode(alpha,numeric,orcombination),dependingupontheGDS.
QueueSystemComputerizedfileoraddressinGDS.GDSusers(travelagents,hotelcompanies,etc.)
areprovidedwithqueues,identifiedbyaqueueaddress,towhichmessagesaredelivered.
R
ReceptiveoperatorCompaniesengagedinthemanagementofreceptivetourservices,suchaslocal
transportation,transfersandtours.
RegionalCarrierAsdefinedbytheDOT,anairlinewithannualrevenuesoflessthan$100million.
Rule240Airlinedefinedrulesregardingpassengerrightsintheeventofascheduleirregularityorforce
majorevent.
S
Sabre(formerlytheSemiAutomatedBusinessResearchEnvironment)AGlobalDistributionSystem
operatedbyTheSABREGroupHoldings,Inc.,basedinDallas/Ft.WorthAirport.
SIFieldThespecialinformationfieldinaGDShotelreservationinwhichatravelagent
communicatesspecialrequestssuchasnonsmokingrooms,corporateratenumberandarrivaltimetoa
hotel.
SingleRoomSupplementTheadditionalamountduefornotsharingahotelroom.
SpecialServiceRequest(SSR)APNRfielddesignedtorequestspecialpassengerservicesfromthe
airlineusingcommonlyacceptedfourcharacterkeywords.
SpecialEventPackageApackagedesignedaroundaspecificevent,suchasasportingevent.These
packagestypicallyincludeatickettotheevent.
SpringBreakPackageApackagespecificallymarketedtobudgetconsciousstudentsfortravelinthe
spring.
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BecomingaTravelAgent
T
Terms&Conditions(T&C)Thetourcontractthatspecifiesthetermsandconditionsofapurchase.It
typicallycontainsatouroperatorsvoluntarycancellationandchangepolicies.
TourOperatorProgram(TOP)DevelopedbyASTAasamarketingprogramforASTAmembertour
operators.TOPtouroperatorsmustmeetrequirementssetbytheTOPprogram.
TourOperatorAcompanythatdevelops,marketsandoperatesvacationpackagesthatcontaintwoor
morecomponents(e.g.air,hotel,car,transfers,etc.)andaresoldasoneprice.
TransfersArrivalanddeparturetransportationservicethatprovidestransportationbetweenthe
airport,railstation,cruiseterminalandhotel.
TravelAgentServiceFee(TASF)AnARCprogramthattravelagentsusetoprocessservicefeesthrough
ARC.
TravelAgentSellsretailtravelservices,includingtourpackages,toconsumers.
TravelportHeadquarteredinAtlanta,TravelportistheparentcompanyofGalileoandWorldspan.
TripCancellationInsurance/TravelInsuranceOptionalinsurancethatprovidestravelersarefundin
theeventhe/shecancelsthetripforreasonscoveredwithinthepolicy.Insurancepoliciestypically
includecoverageforemergenciessuchasillness,baggageloss,andaccidentaldeath/dismemberment.
V
VoucherAdocumentissuedbythetouroperatortobeexchangedforaspecificservice(e.g.hotel,
transfer,etc.).
W
WorldTourismOrganization(WTO)FormerlytheInternationalUnionofOfficialTravelOrganizations,
nowaUnitedNationsaffiliatedorganizationofgovernmenttouristoffices.
WorldspanNowpartofTravelport,WorldspanistheAtlantabasedGDSformedbythemergerofthe
PARSandDATASIIGDSsinFebruary1991.
25
BecomingaTravelAgent
Y
YieldManagementThepracticeofcontrollingthesupplyandpriceofairline,hotelorcarrental
inventorytoachievemaximumrevenue.
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BecomingaTravelAgent
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