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Your Home-Based Travel Agency
Succeeding as a home-based travel agency means using "guerilla tactics" to beat out the glitzy storefront agency down on Main Street. And what better way to do that than to bring the "travel agency" to your customers' homes instead of forcing them to come see you in your "office". For many home-based travel agents this is the kind of "differentiator" that wins them loyal customers.
You may want to use your home to host a "cruise night" when you are promoting cruises or have a Hawaiian-theme party to promote great deals on a vacation in the islands.
The travel industry is a "$4 trillion dollar industry" and you can be part of that. People are making real money in this industry. Whether you want to work part time you can earn as much as $500 (or more) on every sale. That's not pocket change, that's a serious commission. Full-timers are supporting themselves and their families. A lot of them are seeing more of the world that they every dreamed of seeing before. A few of them are making very good money indeed, over $50,000 or more! Even the "American Society of Travel Age (ASTA) recognizes that home-based travel agents are the wave of the future.
Becoming a home-based travel agency is easy. The problem is knowing what kind of home based travel agency to be. There are probably many ways of being a home-based travel agency and no one does it exactly the same.
Booking Agents
Are usually attracted to the idea of becoming home-based travel agency because they love getting involved in all the details of planning wonderful trips, across the country or around the world. Or perhaps they have developed some expertise in a particular destination or type of vacation or mode of travel, calling it "niche" marketing yourself.
Anyone who is halfway serious about pursuing a career as a full-fledge home-based travel agency -- even on a part time basis -- will very quickly qualify for the "IATAN card". This is the Rolls-Royce of travel agent photo ID cards and it can be used to get all the discounts and privileges world wide to all agents meeting the earned income commission.
One of the greatest things about the opportunities available to home-based travel agencies is that this is not a one-size-fits-all or all-or-nothing proposition.
Booking Agents can:
- Work only occasionally to find great deals for themselves and a small circle of friends
- Work just enough to earn themselves one or two great vacations every year
- Work as home-based travel agency on the side, in addition to their regular jobs
- Work part time basis to earn a respectable second income
Whether you work just occasionally or put in a 60-hour week exactly how you work is totally up to you. You are completely free to concentrate on the destinations, activities or modes of travel that excite you. There's no one to tell you what to sell, where to sell it, to whom to sell it or how to sell it!
The key concept is that you are independent.
Think about that a moment. It means that you are your own boss. No one can tell you what to do or how to do it. You control your own destiny. Your success (or failure) is entirely your responsibility.
If that scares . Well, maybe this isn't for you.
If that excites you, congratulations! You have what it takes to be a success as a home-based travel agency!
Although you are independent and on your own, you are never alone as a home-based travel agency. You must constantly work with others to provide service to your clients. Virtually, every home-based travel agency must form a relationship with a host agency. The host agency must be ARC approved with affiliations with a consortia and other travel industry organizations.
As a home-based travel agency you will need:
A host ARC approved agency that offers the ICON for your desktop
A contract with your host agency
Understand the nature of your relationship with your host agency
What you will receive:
- IATAN card with your earned commissions
- Get the travel industry discounts and benefits to which you are entitled
- Take tax-deductible cruises while you learn the business
- Receive FREE training and seminars from travel industry
- Enjoy tax benefits of a home office
Benefits You'll Receive with the Home-Based
Ongoing Telephone and E-mail Support
We'll provide you with ongoing telephone support to answer your questions and help you through any problems you might have. One of our agents will be personally assigned to your account to assist you.
Apollo Icon
With the Apollo system, you're equipped with a comprehensive set of tools that help you manage every aspect of your business. The people of Apollo are committed to providing you with support and help your agency needs. Have access to your own United Airlines Apollo reservation system Icon on your own computer.
Ticket Printing Services
ATC will print your airline tickets for you so you don't need expensive ticket printing computers and software
Enrollment Terms and Conditions
Any questions or problems concerning this school which have not been satisfactorily answered or resolved please contact Dianne Tuttle, CTC school administrator.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM
• SABRE Computer Reservation System CD-ROM The Graphic View
• 10 weeks program. Each class 2 hours twice a week plus 30 hours of lab time
• Course fee US $1295.00
Excused Absences
Absences will be excused for illness, death or birth in the immediate family or for valid reasons stated in writing, at the discretion of the school.
Unexcused Absences
Each class session you miss will be considered as one unexcused absence. No makeup sessions will be allowed.
Tardiness
Late arrival to class will be considered as one unexcused absence.
Unsatisfactory Attendance
If you have three (2) or more unexcused absences in any class, you will receive written notification of probation and the third unexcused absence will result in termination of the course and no refund will be made.
Make up Work
At the discretion of the school, make-up work may be allowed but will not be accepted as hours of class attendance.
Leave of Absence
Written requests for a leave of absence will be considered by the school and granted at the discretion of the school administrator or director.
Note: You are expected to attend classes as scheduled. However, you are cautioned that the refund policy is effected as cited in this catalog whether or not you attend as scheduled.
Student Conduct
At the discretion of the school, the administrator may dismiss you from school for a serious or repeated incident of unethical or immoral behavior.
Student Services
Students may make an appointment with school administrator. They may make an appointment for counseling for their career, go over test scores, discuss the curriculum, use the library or make use of the school environment with a potential client.
Tuition Refunds before Classes Begin
If you choose to enroll in the payment program that is when your cancel penalty begins from your first payment, even though you have not attended any classes. Students that choose to pay on the payment program will not recieve a refund.
You may cancel enrollment within three working days following enrollment and your first payment that is received. You must notify Dianne Tuttle in writing to receive a refund.
BUYERS RIGHT TO CANCEL
Withdrawal from Course:
You have the right to withdraw from the course at any time with a written notice.If you withdraw from the course of instruction after the period allowed for cancellation of this agreement which is 3 business days following the reciept of the CD-ROM disk the school will remit a refund less a registration fee of $150 within 30 days.
All CD-ROM disks must be returned at the time of submitting refund.
Tuition Refunds after you have started the program
If you cancel enrollment after you have started the study program, you can receive the following refund based on time of written notification.
Tuition Refunds
If you cancel enrollment after you have the disk, you can receive the following refund based on time of notification and postmark:
- After 1st week and within one week .......... 50% refund
- After 2nd week and within two weeks ..... 25 % refund
- After 3rd week and third weeks .............. No refund
Travel School
- 10 Week course, twice a week for 2 hours each session
- All classes are held in Pacific Standard Time
- Call or email for schedule
- Course Objectives:
- Students will be able to:
- 1. Navigate Viewpoint to build basic PNR.
- 2. Interpret basic availability, sell, change and cancel PNR fields.
- 3. Work with domestic pricing and ticketing.
- 4. Book cars and hotels.
- 5. Build cruise and tour itineraries
Travel Agent Program includes:
- * Access to LIVE SABRE Time, instruction via virtual classroom & Book
- * Getting around in SABRE RED works space 10 week class instruction
- * $1295.00 (includes $150 non-refundable fee)
SABRE Basic Training Class Schedule
Booking tools
- SABRE Vacations
- SABRE Cruises
- Meeting Space Arrangements-Worktopia
- Religious Tours-Journey of the Spirits
- Luggage Shipping Services
- Cruise Shore Excursions
- Global Ground transportations
Community
- Agency services
- Agent Stream Community
- Travel Security & Data Suite
- Agent Appreciation Program
- SABRE Rewards Rewards Plus
Resources
- CIBT Passport & VISA Services
- Travisa Passport & VISA Services
- City Guides – W Cities
- Flight Fee Explorer
- Point & Click
- PNR Services
- Encode/Decode
- Format Finder
- Graphical Ticketing
- NetCheck Search
- Quick & PF Keys
- Scribe Scripts
- SABRE Virtually There
- Today’s Low Fares
- Travel Protection
Class 1
Introduction to SABRE red work space
Accessibility to six agent work areas and split screens - Area ABCDEF -
Sine – In – Out
Identification of keys on the keyboard
Getting around in SABRE
Class 2
Book Tools – Overview
- SABRE Vacations
- SABRE Cruises
- Meeting Space Arrangements-Worktopia
- Religious Tours-Journey of the Spirits
- Luggage Shipping Services
- Cruise Shore Excursions
- Global Ground transportations
Class 3
Community – Overview
- Agency services
- Agent Stream Community
- Travel Security & Data Suite
- Agent Appreciation Program
- SABRE Rewards Rewards Plus
Class 4
Resources – Overview
- CIBT Passport & VISA Services
- Travisa Passport & VISA Services
- City Guides – W Cities
- Flight Fee Explorer
Class 5 – Overview
- Point & Click
- PNR Services
- Encode/Decode
- Format Finder
- Graphical Ticketing
- NetCheck Search
- Quick & PF Keys
- Scribe Scripts
- SABRE Virtually There
- Today’s Low Fares
- Travel Protection
Class 6
Encode/Decode
Homework
Complete City code works sheet
Class 7
Hand in Code work sheet
SABRE Cruises – hand out cruise work sheet
Class 8
SABRE Cruises hand in work sheet
Class 9
Graphic View – building complete PNR
Hand out basic PNR homework
Class 10
Graphic View – building complete PNR
Class 11
SABRE Red works Space – Introduction to Building a complete PNR
Complete basic PNR
Mandatory fields _PRINT - Pg 7/Pg 20
Phone Field
Received Field
Itinerary Field
Name field
Ticketing Field
Class 12
SABRE Red works Space – Introduction to Building a complete PNR
Complete basic PNR Continued
Hand in basic PNR homework
Class 13
FARES and Fares Rules
City pair availability Pg8
Sell from availability\Pricing itinerary Pg 10
Seats/Seat Maps Pg 41
ARUNK Pg 12
Passengers modifications Pg 13
Insert after segment
DOCS – TSA information Pg 28
OSI/SSR Pg 25
Remarks segments Pg 23
DK number
Class 14
Booking Hotel and car segments
Virtually There
Format Finder
Class 15
International air segment
Class 16
International air segment
Class 17
Build TOR and CRU segments in DOS with accounting lines
Class 18 continued
Build TOR and CRU segments in DOS with accounting lines
Class 19
PF Keys
Quick keys
SABRE scripts
Travel Guard Insurance
Review – Questions
ARC weekly report – TRAMS
Class 20
Graduation!

