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First Class Airfare: How the Rich Travel
First Class Airfare: How the Rich Travel Have you ever wondered what all entails first class airfare, but never knew where to look? First class airfare can cost up to 15 times more than the regular fares for the same trip. So what do travelers...
Important Things to Remember About Hotels and Traveling when Going to Asia
When you are planning a vacation, what do you imagine? Vacations are various things to various individuals. Some like to shop around the town while quite a few others would like to pass the whole trip chilling at the hotel pool. If you are like me,...
RoomSaver.com Travelers Are Loyal to Hotel Rates, Not Brands
July 14, 2005- In a recent survey conducted this month of over a hundred RoomSaver.com Travel Club members, hotel brand preferences were investigated. Results show that the majority of respondents (34.8%) do not prefer a specific brand, instead they...
Travelling light - How to pack light travelling with toddlers
Whether you're packing to go for a walk to the park
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What you need to know about - thailand travel
Thailand is one of those destinations, which is forever teeming with tourists. The country holds an exclusive position in the hearts of all vacationers for the place has much more to offer than anyone can expect. Thailand lies in the South East Asia...
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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.
About the Author
Brian Allen is an Associate Travel Agent living in St. George, Utah. He helps others learn about becoming a travel agent and offers consulting for maximum success as a travel agent. He can be reached at http://www.TravelAgentToday.com.
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