How to Become a Travel Agent in 24 Hours

The travel industry has been going through some significant changes over the last few years. Mom and Pop travel agencies are quickly being replaced by online booking engines like Orbitz or Travelocity.

But there is one problem: 80% of all vacations are taken at the recommendation of a friend. Now of course this is a good thing, except that Orbitz and Travelocity don't have very many friends.

The travel industry came up with a good hybrid solution: give the consumer a chance to partner with these big booking engines and become a travel agent themselves, with all the benefits and none of the drawbacks, so they can refer their friends and family and everyone wins. This new type of travel agent is known as an Associate Travel Agent or ATA for short.

ATA's get all the benefits of a normal travel agent, such as commissions, free upgrades and discounts, and FAM Trips (more on FAM Trips in a minute, they're fabulous!). But ATA's don't work at a traditional travel agency, don't work set hours, and don't have to go to years of expensive schooling to get their credentials. You can literally become an ATA in a single day, and you still get the same IATA and CLIA ID card that gets you all the same benefits.

There are lots of books and websites on how to become a travel agent, and they are well worth looking into. The benefits are absolutely incredible, not the least of which are lots of vacations and a good income.

I'm going to start with my favorite benefit: FAM Trips. These are "familiarization trips" that are hosted and subsidized by tour operators, government tourist boards, and private resorts at a fraction of the normal cost. They want you to come on the trip and have such a good time that you go home raving about it and send all of your friends, family, and clients back at the normal rate (remember, 80% of all travel occurs exactly that way).

In a word, FAM Trips are unbelievable. Consider this one from FAM News: 10 days in China, including all accommodations, transfers, flights, an English speaking guide, most meals, and the royal treatment, all for $666! The airfare alone costs over $1,000. And because they want you to send your friends and clients on the same trip, it isn't a stripped down, no frills excursion at rat-infested motels. They pull out all the stops to make sure you have a great time and get back home raving about it to all your friends.

There are thousands of FAM's going on at any given time, all over the world. Some are simple, like a weekend ski trip in Colorado including 2 days of skiing and rentals, a 2 hour lesson, meals, 3 nights in a nice lodge, and entertainment for only $199, and some go all out, like 11 days in Morrocco for $1,400.

FAM Trips aren't the only benefit of being a travel agent. You can also earn big commissions on travel that you book, and you're given a website to send people to so that when they order their travel you get the same commission as if you'd booked it yourself. You can also refer someone who can become an ATA themselves and you earn a $40 bonus, and can earn bonuses and commissions on what they produce, kind of like building your own virtual travel agency.

Everyone who likes to travel and could use a little more money should look into the opportunity of becoming an Associate Travel Agent provides. For many people its the ideal lifestyle, combining the perfect blend of freedom and travel with money and business.

Rate Article

Related Videos
Play Video Comparison Between Travel Agents and Online Travel Booking	Play Video Easy Ways to Plan Vacations Online #2 - Cheap Flight and Hotel Packages	Play Video How to Take Advantage of Off Season Travel	Play Video The Difference Between Escorted and Independent Travel	Play Video How to Understand Travel Insurance

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Travel And Leisure" article category.

People interested in the above article "How to Become a Travel Agent in 24 Hours" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 

Kerala Unlimited - Kerala Travekl Packages, Kerala Culture...

Serene Backwaters, sun-drenched beaches, rippling waves, green hills, there is no other state in the India that can present so much enthusiasm for life as it is visible in Kerala. This small State in the southern tip of the Indian peninsula is an easy winner owning to its great mind-blowing landscape and infinity of intriguing customs, high-intensity cultural life and educated public so often dressed in white. The pure fun of lazing on the golden palm fringed beaches and riding the motorboats are unparallel experiences. Combine all these factors and you would know why Keralites consider their state as God's Own Country.

There Are No Limits When it Comes to Selecting Great Barrier Reef Tours

The Great Barrier Reef is so much more than simply a habitat, but a living thing on its own, each and every day is different. When you take advantage of the knowledge and experience of a trained tour guide, you are certain to spot wonders that you never expected.

Menorca Holidays Look Bright For 2010

It's not been a good year for the Spanish holiday islands, the number of visiting holidaymakers has dropped sharply and family favourite Menorca hasn't been spared from the economic downturn. And it's not just the overall economy and worry about job security and future prospects that have hit Menorca and the other Spanish holiday islands hard this year - the British pound has slipped again in value against the Euro, sometimes coming close to parity.

Future Prospects of Travel Companies

Travel agencies have an awesome future as everyone has to travel in his life. A person may travel for attending a meeting, he or she might want to visit somebody, or may be that person is going abroad for a job. In this way each and every one has to travel.

What You Will See At Everest Base Camp

Ever wondered what the world looks like from Everest Base Camp? In the last sixty years only a few thousand people have been able to look down on the world from Everest's peak, but access to the camp below is not restricted only to Sherpas and mountaineers with ambitions of reaching the summit. Adventurous holidaymakers can visit this historic staging area at the climax of the classic Everest Base Camp Trek through Nepal.

Exploring the Red Sea From the Resort of Hurghada

Located on the coast of the Red Sea, the resort of Hurghada is not only popular with European travellers on their holidays in Egypt, but with Egyptian holidaymakers too. Founded in the twentieth century and renowned for its warm waters and aquatic adventures, the city has developed into a captivating gateway to several uninhabited offshore islands and reefs.

Morocco’s Famous Friends

From politicians to authors to actors, Morocco has been a favourite haunt of the rich and famous for many years. Celebrities seem particularly drawn to the magical mystique of Marrakech; whether they come to relax in the spa at La Mamounia or to shop in the souks at Jemma el Fna, the illustrious have always been particularly fond of Morocco.