Thank you for contacting CCCCD and inquiring about becoming an Independent Travel Agent. We are very excited about the travel industry and the many opportunities available to people with the necessary training. In order to receive commission on sold travel products you need access to a booking number. This number is used by travel suppliers (airlines, hotels, cruise lines, etc) to help track sales and commission. There are three ways to gain access to this number as you begin your career as an Independent Travel Agent. They are:

1. Registration with the Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC). An entity that controls ticketing for all US carriers. Registration with ARC requires that a business meet several qualifications, including purchase of a business bond, retaining an employee with a minimum of two years travel experience and being given the authority to generate airline tickets. These requirements may be cost prohibitive for most individuals.

2. Registration with an independent contractor host agency. Host agencies are registered with ARC or affiliated with an ARC approved agency and provide their members with access to their IATA number. They may offer other services, including: Computer Reservations Systems (CRS) access through their personal computer, ticket printing and delivery, accounting, travel insurance, help/check support, bulk buying power, etc. for a fee.

   This fee charged by the host agency is typically a percentage (5% - 50%) of the commission of a travel product sold. (For example, if the commission on a $100 hotel room is 10%, your commission as the booking travel professional is $10. The independent contractor would charge you 50 cents to $5 of this commission for their service as your host agency.) Sample host agencies are Solo Travel, and World Travel Management. These programs allow you to easily open an agency, out of your home or office, without having to register with IATA or ARC.

3. Registration with CLIA. Most major suppliers now accept a CLIA (Cruise Lines International) number to book travel and receive commission. Most independent travel agencies qualify for a CLIA number. There are some restrictions and is a yearly fee to join. In addition you must have a business license. A discount on this fee is available to participants of the Independent Travel Agent Package. To assist the individuals or companies wanting to take advantage of this great opportunity we have created the Individual Independent Travel Agent Package and the Corporate Independent Travel Agent Package. In addition to training from TravelCampus these packages include everything needed to become a successful independent travel agent in one convenient product. The packages includes a variety of the following products designed specifically for the type of travel professional you will be:

   12 CCCCD Travel courses
   ASTA Marketing Course
   1 year Web Site creation
   1 year Web Site hosting
   IAP Member Area
   TripItineraries Site Access
   Host Agency
   Membership discounts with Partners

   Each of the participating companies have included their product in this package at a special discount. The cost of the Individual Independent Agent Package is $1,995 and includes all products, registrations and shipping. Each section of the package is designed to prepare you step-by-step for a successful career as a travel professional. Each course is between 20 - 30 hours and includes complete access to the CCCCD curriculum, exercises, qualified instructor and exams.

   Following months will include the remainder of the CCCCD courses, ASTA training, Web Site creation, Web Site hosting, IAP Membership access, TripItineraries access and your choice of World Travel Management, Solo Travel Management or CLIA registration.

   When opening an independent agency consider that the break even point is typically between $18,000 and $22,000 in commissionable sales annually. This will, on an average of 10% commission, pay you $1,800 to $2,200 a year to cover expenses. Additional sales will start to become income. In addition, to qualify for your IATAN card, the card that allows agents to qualify for special industry only discounts, you will need to work in the industry a minimum of six months or three months upon passing the TAP test (available through CCCCD).

   More information about the travel industry and the Independent Agent Packages, including companies and organizations can be found at the following web sites:

   ASTA - www.astanet.com/education/edu_becoming.asp
   NACTA - www.nacta.com/
   i Agent Support - www.iagentsupport.com
   IATAN - www.iatan.com
   The Travel Institute - www.icta.com
   Online Agency - www.onlineagency.com
   Solo Travel - www.solotravel.com
   TripItineraries - www.tripitineraries.com

   It is important to note that the requirements for selling travel differ in each state/province and you should research these with your local department of commerce prior to entering the industry.