ARC Documents $99.00 Prerequisite courses: Air Reservations and Air Fares Here is your ticketing course. Your air traveler will need a ticket and boarding pass to board the aircraft at departure time. The airline tickets used for air travel in the United States are issued, controlled and processed through an Area Settlement Plan administered by the Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC). Here you will cover the ticketing types, forms, policies and procedures per the ARC as well as forms of payment, refunds and exchanges. Air Fares $99.00 Prerequisite course: Air Reservations Learn the air fare terms, codes, fare construction principles and fare application rules necessary to find, interpret and apply the lowest applicable fare to your clients’ air itinerary. Practice the interpretation of the multiple air transportation taxes and fees applicable to air travel. Air fares are historically difficult to interpret and apply. This course presents the basics in a simple format with many applications to allow you to become proficient. Air Reservations $99.00 Gain the product knowledge and skills (with the exception of automated reservations) needed to research, plan and book air travel. You will learn the terminology, the policies and the procedures of airline travel and airline reservations. While the sale of air travel is no longer the major revenue producer for travel professionals, it is a vital part of the travel industry as the most used mode of transportation to business destinations and highly used mode to vacation/leisure destinations. Therefore, becoming an expert on the product, airline policies and procedures as well as reservations policies and procedures is essential to your success. Automated Air Fares and Tickets $99.00 Prerequisite course: Automated Air Reservations You will learn to find the lowest applicable fare for your client as you utilize the Computer Reservation System (CRS) Sabre® to display fares between city pairs and the Sabre® pricing system to calculate the total fare, including fees and taxed for the simplest and most complex domestic air itineraries. You will be using RTS©, a hands on Computer Reservation System (CRS) simulation of Sabre® in conjunction with the online tutorial. Each lesson combines selections from a proven Sabre® text with helpful hints and instruction to most effectively use the realistic simulator, RTS© Sabre®. You will learn and practice the basic functions of Sabre® as used by travel professionals pricing air travel. Exercises and drills will improve your proficiency and speed. You will master the skills necessary to quote fares and price automated travel reservations. Note: Each course requires a new software download. RTS© is only Windows compatible but may be utilized on a Mac using Virtual PC. Automated Air Reservations $99.00 You will learn to book air reservations using RTS©, a hands on Computer Reservation System (CRS) simulation of Sabre® in conjunction with the online tutorial. Each lesson combines selections from a proven Sabre® text with helpful hints and instruction to most effectively use the realistic simulator, RTS© Sabre®. You will learn and practice the basic functions of Sabre® as used by travel professionals planning and booking air travel. Exercises and drills will improve your proficiency and speed. You will master the skills necessary to make, maintain, change, and cancel automated travel reservations. Note: Each course requires a new software download. RTS© is only Windows compatible but may be utilized on a Mac using Virtual PC. Automated Car Rental and Hotel Accommodations $99.00 Prerequisite course: Automated Air Reservations You will learn to research, select and book car rentals and hotel rooms using RTS©, a hands on Computer Reservation System (CRS) simulation of Sabre® in conjunction with the online tutorial. Each lesson combines selections from a proven Sabre® text with helpful hints and instruction to most effectively use the realistic simulator, RTS© Sabre®. You will learn and practice the basic functions of Sabre® as used by travel professionals booking car and hotel arrangements. Exercises and drills will improve your proficiency and speed. You will master the skills necessary to make, maintain, change, and cancel automated car and hotel reservations. Note: Each course requires a new software download. RTS© is only Windows compatible but may be utilized on a Mac using Virtual PC. Destination Geography $99.00 This course presents the travel and tourism destinations that are regularly top sellers, according to the American Society of Travel Agents. These are the states of Florida, Nevada, New York, Hawaii, California, Washington D.C., Alaska and Illinois; the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec in Canada; and the countries of England, France, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Australia. Maps are presented with an orientation to location of each destination. The course treats physical, locational and cultural geography as a travel sales product. A good world atlas can greatly aid you in your study of Destination Geography. Developing Specialty Vacation Packages - Specialist Course $99.00 This specialist course will help you, the travel professional, in putting together the components of a sellable niche market vacation package. Think about the possibilities when you can provide your clients with a specially developed product that will help them live out their dreams and restore their mind, body and spirit. Think about how much fun designing a vacation package can be, especially when you have a passion for the destination. This course will provide you with the information and tools you need to grow your business as you develop your own vacation packages. Fares and Tickets International $99.00 Prerequisite courses: Air Reservations and Air Fares International air travel has expanded exponentially in the past decade and promises to continue to grow. This course will provide you with the skills required to meet the needs of your international air travelers. These skills include an understanding of the two basic international faring systems, mileage and routing as well as currency procedures, including the use of the fictitious currency, Neutral Units of Construction. You will learn to interpret all the data found in the faring and pricing information in the CRSs and as printed on international tickets. This includes international fare basis codes, base fares, taxes, surcharges, currency codes and mileage principle coding as applicable. Front Desk Agent $99.00 Participants are guided through the historical context, terminology, telephone techniques, room reservations, check-in and check-out procedures, guest inquiries, complaints, accounting administrative tasks performed by hotel front desk agents. Participants will experience the physical stamina required as a front desk agent multi tasks and trouble shoots each client contact. Ground Transportation $99.00 You will find car rental a relatively simple product to sell and book and commissions are reasonable. Some seventy percent of North Americans travel by car while vacationing. Learn the basics of the product, policies, procedures, codes, pricing and distribution. Rail travel recaptures the image of a different time and appeals to many leisure travelers. This study focuses on Amtrak, VIA Rail, BritRail and Eurail, the types of train accommodations, services and fare structure. Hotels and Lodging $99.00 Earn great commissions by booking your clients' hotel accommodations. Learn the basics of the hotel product, rate structure, property and room classifications, codes, published and automated resources and non-automated reservations procedures. Identify International Travel $99.00 International travel is becoming more and more commonplace as businesses become more global. No longer is it the seasoned travel professional that handles international travel bookings. Gain the knowledge needed to research, plan and prepare to travel internationally. You will learn the terminology, the policies and the procedures of international travel. This includes determining documentation needed, currency and exchange rates, time zones, health concerns, safety issues, and what to expect upon return. Opportunities for application of knowledge are provided throughout the course. Local Tour Guide $99.00 This course will teach you the background of local tour guiding and the many roles of a tour guide. You will create a personal file with tour commentary for a local tour destination of your choice. You will develop the ability to create files and commentary for other tour destinations. In addition you will learn the administrative tasks for a local tour and then deliver the tour commentary you've created. Selling Vacation Packages and Tours $99.00 Earn great commissions by booking vacation packages and tours, one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Learn the basics of the tour product, components of tours, tour destinations, types of vacation packages and tours, print and electronic resources and non-automated tour booking procedures. Understand the function of tour operators and wholesalers. Identify your clients' needs and preferences, and book the right vacation package for any given client. Small Group Tour Leadership - Specialist Course $99.00 Have you always dreamed of traveling the world and getting paid to do it? Or do you have specific knowledge or interests you can share with others? Put your dreams and interests to work for you! This timely course is designed to assist you, the travel professional, in becoming a small group tour leader. Determine if you have the skills, knowledge, abilities and traits you need to be an effective tour leader. Study tour leader roles and responsibilities. Learn conflict-resolution skills and prepare to manage a tour group. See how to polish your resume and market yourself to find a tour leader position within the industry and become a "Leader of the Pack." The Cruise Market $99.00 Earn great commissions by booking cruises, one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Learn the basics of the cruise product, cruise classifications, destinations, types of cruises, print resources and non-automated reservations procedures. Identify your clients' needs and preferences, learn the variables that are available in cruising and select and book the right cruise for any given client. Taking Off In Travel $99.00 This course provides an overview of the basics of the travel industry and career opportunities available. Enjoy a fun, realistic presentation of: air travel, car rentals, hotel accommodations, rail travel, tours, and cruises. Group travel, incentive travel, meetings and conventions, in-bound tourism, international travel and niche travel are also discussed. There will be opportunities for learning activities as well as exercises and thought-provoking case studies to aid in applying the principles presented. Travel Sales and Trends $99.00 Enjoy expected as well as surprising sales techniques and new approaches as you explore and practice them. Included you will find telephone business manners, listening skills, and tools for targeting the traveler. Discover successful sales steps for telephone reservations agents as well as for the travel professional working with clients one on one. Trends in the industry include the use of the Web for a variety of travel resources as well as current information on possible careers in the industry. This is an excellent introduction to the program. Introduction to Event & Meeting Planning $99.00 This introductory course acquaints students with the common components of well executed meetings and events. Course introduces site selection, food/beverage, audio visual, contracts, industry overview and career possibilities. Food & Beverage Management $99.00 Learn a systematic approach to evaluating meeting objectives and group needs as they relate to menu design, pricing structures, guarantee strategies, negotiation items and overall information about food and beverage services. Hotel Sales & Operations $99.00 Students will be introduced to the principles and procedures of hotel sales and operations by taking part in "learn by doing" activities. Networking, building internal & external relationships and selling techniques will also be taught. ASTA Cuba Travel Specialist by Sue Wilder, CTC $99.00 The potential Cuba has to offer travel sellers, if current restrictions are ever lifted, is staggering, but only for those agents who are prepared. The best way to become prepared is to take ASTA's Cuba Travel Specialist Course. As a Cuba Travel Specialist, you can be ready to potentially capitalize on this exciting destination. This is the most extensive course on the market, covering the exotic country in depth, along with its current tourism infrastructure. With this amazing course you'll get: A comprehensive test - demonstrate that you are serious about marketing your elite services as a Cuba specialist. The destination knowledge you need to take advantage of Cuba's massive tourism potential if the day comes when you can freely promote and sell it to American travelers. If travel restrictions are lifted for Americans, the demand for Cuba will skyrocket! This high demand will make the services of Cuba travel specialists highly profitable. By learning about Cuba now, you can gain a decisive edge by being more prepared than your competitors. ASTA Family Travel Specialist by Sue Wilder, CTC 99.00 The family travel market is growing and diversifying. This course takes a focused look at the different types of families, their buying patterns and how their needs evolve as they progress through the family life cycle. Topics include: Defining the family travel marketplace Addressing the unique needs of various types of families Planning the family vacation: do's & don'ts Identifying family-oriented operators and destinations ASTA Jordan Travel Specialist by Sue Wilder, CTC $99.00 Jordan has been a popular travel destination for 10,000 years due to its biblical landmarks, lost cities carved into stone cliffs, dramatic Lawrence of Arabia setting and the salt-enriched powers of the Dead Sea. There are many ways to sell Jordan profitably and consistently to your clients—the key is having a firm understanding of each. Will your clients visit Jordan for the historical sights? Religious experience? Spa treatments? Cultural heritage tours? The only thing for certain is they will want to travel Jordan, and you will need to know everything you can to sell it efficiently, so take advantage of this comprehensive course and watch your profits soar! ASTA Mature Adult Travel Specialist By Talula Guntner, CTC, MCC $99.00 Every eight seconds someone in the United States turns 50. Mature adults (50+ years old) control 50% of discretionary spending. That's what makes this such a lucrative, growing niche. Course topics include: Expectations, demands and travel trends of mature adults Travel patterns and expenditures The different buying patterns of the senior citizen (65+) and baby boomer (50-64) markets "Hot" Buttons for upscale mature adults Unique marketing and sales strategies Companies sensitive to mature adult needs Health and the mature traveler ASTA Niche Travel Specialist by Robin Fetsch, CTC $99.00 This course examines a wide variety of special interest groups. Topics include how to conduct local research and positioning, as well as promoting and selling special interest travel. More than 100 areas of specialization are discussed including: Ecotourism Wine/Gourmet Historical/Cultural Disabled Scuba Diving Spa/Fitness Dude Ranch Spiritual/Religious Sports Gay & Lesbian ASTA North American Rail Travel Specialist by Sue Wilder, CTC $99.00 Planning travel by rail - whether in the United States on Amtrak or the American Orient Express or in Canada on Via Rail - is a challenging task, even for an experienced travel agent. Thus, by becoming a rail specialist and marketing to specific niches (or groups) within the marketplace, you, with extensive knowledge and experience in rail travel, will have carved a unique position for yourself in the travel industry, one of the surest ways today of maintaining profitability. Learn the tricks of schedules, accommodations, route guides, travelogues, example of costs, helpful hints, book suggestions, tipping and other onboard customs, as well as online rail travel web resources, vacation packages, luxury or first class services, and specialty trains. Topics include: Defining the rail travel marketplace Planning the rail vacation Niche marketing and sales techniques How to plan and package rail travel Identifying operators and destinations ASTA Travel Marketing Specialist $99.00 Essential information on how to market your business, including the importance of niche marketing in today's environment. Topics include: Fundamentals of niche marketing Understanding demographics Trend analysis Successful marketing techniques Evaluating your agency Creating a marketing plan