| Q. |
Do you provide
me with a ARC, IATA and/or CLIA number? |
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| A. |
Yes we do, as soon
as you receive your account login information you will be provided
with the host agencies identifying numbers. As an independent
contractor, you may run just your ARC business through us, or all of
your business, it is your choice. Most importantly, we do not
mandate suppliers, airlines, or vendors. You are free to do business
as you always have and retain your agency name. The outsourcing of
any business through us should be transparent to your clients. If
you are running your ticketing through us, we do all of your
reporting, allowing you the freedom to sell travel rather than be
bogged down with weekly ARC paperwork or IAR reconciliation.
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| Q. |
What are your support hours? |
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A. |
We are open Monday - Friday 9am - 9pm,
Saturday & Sundays 12noon - 6pm, EST. You receive unlimited
toll-free 800 calls to our award winning Travel Planners
International 7-day-a-week HelpDesk. |
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| Q. |
Do you offer IATAN and CLIA cards? |
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A. |
Yes we do. As soon as you meet the
requirements for either card, you will be provided with detailed
registration instructions. |
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| Q. |
Do you offer ongoing training and support? |
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A. |
Our platform is loaded with destination
specialist courses, tutorials, user guides, marketing how-to's and
many other valuable training options. In addition, we conduct weekly
conference calls. Topics include, but are not limited to: New Member
Orientation, Technology Training, Vacation & Tour Sales Training,
Advanced Cruises Sales Training and Email Training. Don't worry if
you happen to miss a conference call as they are being recorded and
archived in our Conference Call On-Demand Library. Also, we offer
periodic training seminars including Seminars-At-Sea, Group FAM
Trips and Annual Conventions.
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| Q. |
How do I receive my vendor booking confirmations? |
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A. |
As soon as the host agency receives the fax
from the vendor they will automatically forward the fax to you as an
email attachment. Once we receive the fax in our computer at
our office, it will be sent to you within 30 minutes by email.
During normal operating hours, we check the fax computer for new
incoming faxes every half hour on the hour. |
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| Q. |
If I am new to the travel industry, will this program provide me
with all the support and assistance I need to be successful? |
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A. |
Absolutely, both The Travel Zone and TPI have
years of experience supporting home based travel agents. This
program has been designed with one thought in mind, to provide all
the tools, training and support needed to operate a successful home
based travel agency. Some of our most successful agents
started out with no travel industry experience and now operate a
very profitable business. |
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| Q. |
Are there any hidden costs with this
program? |
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A. |
No hidden costs. Other costs associated with
the program may include document shipping fees, monthly fees for a
GDS (optional), and a $1.00 fee associated with each airline ticket
that is voided, refunded or exchanged. |
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| Q. |
How can I process a check payment from my client? |
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A. |
If your client wishes to pay be check or money
order they must make the check payable to Travel Planners
International. We also offer an online check processing
feature that allows you to submit your clients check information
directly to the host for processing. |
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| Q. |
What is the relationship between The Travel Zone and TPI? |
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A. |
The Travel Zone and TPI have partnered
together to provide a superior technology and fulfillment solution
for home based agents. While we are separate companies, we
work closely together to support our mutual customers. |
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| Q. |
Can I create my own custom travel invoices? |
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A. |
Yes, the integrated Booking Manager allows you
and your clients to view and print out invoices for travel
reservations. As an agent, you have the ability to dynamically
update and create invoices for your clients and brand them with your
company name. |
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| Q. |
How do I book air, car and hotel
reservations? |
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A. |
Agents can use our easy to use point and click
Amadeus system free of charge. The system offers master price
functionality which searches up to 200 low fare options for your
clients. Agents who generate a high volume of
transactions may opt for Amadeues Vista desktop product for an additional monthly fee. |
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| Q. |
What booking engines do I have access to? |
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A. |
Our platform provides access to all major
booking engines including VAX, Amadeus cruise, Consolidator Shopper,
Apple Online, GoGo and dozens more. We also provide seamless
login to many of the top booking systems on the web. This
functionality basically allows agents to automatically login to
booking engines without having to remember their user names and
passwords. |
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| Q. |
What name do I operate my home based travel
business under? |
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A. |
The choice is yours. There will be great
advantages by using the Travel Planners International brand, but you
can personalize all your marketing materials with your agency name
with TPI as your affiliated agency. Should you decide to use the TPI
name and/or logo, you must identify yourself as an Independent Agent
of TPI. Example: Wonderful Trips, an Independent Agent of TPI or
Jane Doe, an Independent Agent of TPI. |
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| Q. |
Can I hire or recruit other agents to work for me? |
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A. |
Absolutely, our system has the ability to
track and manage multiple sub agent accounts for you automatically.
Once you login to your account you will be given 2 sub agent account
free of charge. You may also add an additional 48 sub agent
accounts for $10 per month, per account. The maximum
number of sub agent accounts you may have is 50. |
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| Q. |
Do I need to be licensed & bonded as a home based travel agent? |
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A. |
No, one of the major advantages of working
with a reputable host agency is the fact that they eliminate the
need for you to obtain your own bonding and licensing. |
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| Q. |
What consortium do you belong to? |
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A. |
Our consortium is VACATION.COM. This
consortium offers generous commission programs and promotional
opportunities with major suppliers. As an Independent Contractor for
TPI, you are automatically a member and enjoy the same privileges
and excellent commissions at no cost to you. |
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| Q. |
Do You Offer After-Hour Assistance For Me
or My Clients, Especially My Corporate Clients? |
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A. |
Our after hour service called Reservation
Center 24 is intended to give your client a "security blanket" no
matter where in the world they travel. It can also be used to book
last minute reservations for you or your client. It is not a tool
for you to use for research. The program will book your or your
clients’ air reservations, make changes to existing reservations,
book cars and hotels and assist in any way possible. Reservation
Center is open 24-hours-a-day and you are provided with our
exclusive toll-free 800 number that you can give to your clients.
You and your clients are allowed unlimited calls to Reservation
Center. If you have demanding corporate accounts, this is the
service that will keep them loyal to your agency. And...there is no
loss of commission with this program. You still get your full 75% -
90% commission! |
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| Q. |
Do I need have to register as a seller of travel in my state? |
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A. |
You must check with your individual State with
regards to there Seller of Travel Laws. It is your
responsibility to obtain any permits or licensing that you may need
to operate a home based travel business.
Click here to
review state laws. |
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| Q. |
Does your program allow discounting? |
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A. |
Each supplier has their own policy on
discounting. If the supplier does not allow discounting, then the
full amount must be paid to the supplier. For those suppliers who
allow discounting, you must document the discount when processing
the invoice through the TPI AgentRC so that TPI does not think that
the supplier has shorted your commissions. Check with the individual
supplier for their discounting policy.
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| Q. |
Do I need my own E & O insurance policy? |
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A. |
While it is not required, we recommend that
you get you own policy for your protection. Small policies can
be obtained through Berkley Care Insurance of only about $350 per
year. Please contact: The
Berkely Group, Insurance Exclusively for the Travel Industry
300 Jericho Quadrangle, 3rd Fl., PO Box 9022, Jericho, NY 11753
Phone: (800) 797-4514, Fax: (516) 294-1821
Web: http://www.berkely.com |
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| Q. |
What GDS systems do you offer? |
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A. |
We offer access and booking capabilities on
all Amadeus booking systems. |
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| Q. |
How do inform me of important industry news and events? |
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A. |
You receive a daily email with indexed links
to all vendor promotions and industry events. Agents are
also notified important company announcements and items via the
agent web portal. |
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| Q. |
Can I realize any tax advantages from owning my home based business? |
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A. |
Absolutely, one of the best advantages of
owning your own home based business is realizing substantial tax
savings and deductions. Please check with your local
accountant or tax advisor concerning your particular home based
business. |
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| Q. |
How are my client travel documents processed and shipped? |
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A. |
All travel documents are received by the host
agency, processed and shipped either to the agent or directly to the
client. All shipping and postage costs are passed on to the
agent via a commission deduction. The
following fee structure will be used when processing documents
received by TPI and then forwarding to the agent or their clients.
We highly recommend that you choose an appropriate method of
shipping with tracking capabilities for all important travel
documents. Please be sure to select the method of shipping when
documenting your sales in our TPI AgentRC
Shipping & Handling Fees When Your Customer Is Paying
US MAIL - billed at cost
US PRIORITY MAIL - $5.00
FedEx Ground – Bill at cost
FedEx Economy (2-3 Days) - $10.00
FedEx 2-Day - $11.00
FedEx Standard Overnight - $15.00
FedEx Priority Overnight - $16.00
FedEx Saturday – Add $10.00 to Overnight fee
FedEx International - Bill at cost
Special Note: Shipping and Handling charges are automatically
deducted from your commissions and appear on your monthly Agent
Statement. Shipping and Handling charges are non-commissionable. The
above rates for Priority Mail and FedEx are based on standard
"Letter" size packaging. Actual rates may vary depending on size,
weight and shipping destination. TPI reserves the right to deduct
the actual cost of shipping and handling from Independent Contractor
commissions for charges that exceed the above pre-determined rates.
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| Q. |
Do you offer a direct mail advertising program? |
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A. |
1) Vacation.com has developed a program to
make direct marketing effortless and hassle-free. The program is
called Engagement and is designed to maximize the power and
effectiveness of your mailing lists utilizing 4-color direct
marketing pieces prepared by a supplier or Vacation.com, but
customized with your contact information. Engagement works like this
- Once you have submitted your client list (database), logo (if
applicable), completed the Vacation.com Independent Contractor
Enrollment form and signed the Vacation.com Confidentiality
Agreement, you will start receiving an email when a specific
marketing campaign is available. Some mailings will have a
reasonable charge associated with them, while other mailings may be
fully sponsored by vendors and marketing partners!
2) Our Marketing Department each month (except Dec.) has a low cost
direct mail program (Currently only $25 for up to 1000 pieces!). You
submit your list, then we print and customize the mail piece with
your contact information. It can't get any easier than that. |
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| Q. |
How and when do you pay commissions? |
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A. |
By the 15th of the month, we electronically
send your commissions earned by direct deposit (ACH). Also, on the
same day, we email your commission statement. Your commission
statement includes client names, invoice numbers, confirmation
numbers, ticket numbers, supplier, gross commission, your commission
earned, and a list of deductions, i.e. monthly fees, delivery
charges, ticketing fees, etc. Your check includes all commissions
received by the last business day of the previous month. Please keep
in mind that we pay commissions based on when we receive them from
the supplier. Cruise lines typically pay a few weeks after you have
made final payment, tour companies pay upon completion of travel,
and hotels and car rental companies pay anywhere from 30-90 days
upon completion of travel. We always encourage our agents to check
status with each supplier in case of any delays. |
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| Q. |
Do You Offer Any FREE Cruise Reservation
Software For My Home/Office Use? |
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A. |
We offer Amadeus Cruise Software for the professional agent who specializes in selling
cruises. It is user-friendly and provides real-time inventory
access for many top cruise lines. There is no longer a need to call
the cruise line to make a cruise booking. This automation offers
many convenient features like viewing schedules, checking
availability, confirming the reservation and receiving an instant
confirmation number. |
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| Q. |
Do I need to learn any complicated GDS formats? |
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A. |
Our easy to learn point and click air, car and
hotel booking system does not require learning any complicated
formats. Even beginners can use the system. However,
more experienced agents may opt to use one of the major GDS desktop
systems which require a steep learning curve. Agents who do
not have experience with these desktop systems will require
additional training before accessing. |
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| Q. |
Are there any forms that I must fax in to process bookings? |
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A. |
No, our Booking Manager completely eliminates
the need to fax in paper forms to submit your reservations.
Each of your Booking Cards contains all the information needed to
submit to our accounting system for commission tracking. |
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| Q. |
What is your policy on service fees? |
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A. |
Service Fees are at your discretion for
airline tickets. Whenever you do charge Service Fees,
we handle the invoicing, processing, accounting and pay you
according to your commission percentage. There is no mandatory
minimum service fee. If you wish to waive this service fee, your
commission will not be deducted. If your customer is
paying a service fee, you will earn your applicable
commission. Service Fees are designed to increase your commissions
on not so profitable bookings such as airline tickets, train
tickets, exchanges, refunds, use of airline discount coupons, hotel
only bookings, or car only booking’s. Service Fees are
commissionable according to your commission percentage.
Delivery / Mail Fees On Paper Tickets - There is a mandatory
Delivery/Mail Fee for NON-Electronic Tickets (paper tickets). Paper
Tickets are mailed via Federal Express for tracking purposes and you
must charge your customer for this service or you will be billed
according to the appropriate Federal Express charge. If Paper
Tickets are lost in the mail, the airlines charge up to $100.00 (per
ticket) to process a Lost Ticket Application. NOTE: Delivery/Mail
fees are non-commissionable. Electronic Tickets (E-Tickets) -
E-Tickets are mailed 1st. class postage, emailed, or faxed to
you or your client FREE of charge. |
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| Q. |
Do you offer FAM trips? |
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A. |
Yes we do. All agents are notified of
all applicable FAM trips through out the year. Also, TPI
sponsors at least 4 or 5 company wide FAM trips. |
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| Q. |
Do I receive any travel industry discounts? |
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A. |
Once you meet the requirements of IATAN and
CLIA, you will be able to obtain valid travel industry discounts.
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| Q. |
Do I need credit card merchant account? |
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A. |
No you do not. Our program is designed
to allow you to process your reservations thru the vendors directly
or via TPI. |
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| Q. |
How do I legally setup my home based business correctly? |
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A. |
Agents should check with their legal advisor
to which business structure works best. However, agents are
required to operate under their company name and should either file
a DBA and/or set their business up as a sole proprietorship or
incorporate. Agents are also required to check with their
local and state governmental agencies with regards to seller of
travel laws, occupational licenses and any other legal or business
requirements. |
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| Q. |
Can I cancel my account? |
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A. |
Yes, you may cancel your account with 30 days
written notice. |
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| Q. |
How long has The Travel Zone and TPI been in business? |
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A. |
The Travel Zone has been in business for over
10 years. We operated as a successful host agency for many
years and now function as a pure technology company.
And, with a total TPI team representing over
225 years (72 years combined for TPI owners and over 156 years for
managers and staff) of travel agency experience, you can feel secure
you’re doing business with a company that truly knows the travel
business. No other host agency can match this. In the hosting
business, experience is what counts! |
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| Q. |
Do I need to be bonded as a home based travel agent? |
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A. |
No you do not. By associating with a
reputable host agency you are not required to meet any bonding
requirements. The host agency is already bonded with all the
States that require such bonding. |
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| Q. |
How long does it take to setup my account? |
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A. |
Once we receive your application and security
documents it should only take between 24 to 48 hours before you are
able to login into your account. |
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| Q. |
What are your commission rates with the
major vendors? |
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A. |
TPI has some of the highest commission rates
in the industry. Our huge volume allows us to receive the best
deals, rates and highest commissions available. Our
commissions range from 10% up to 21% percent. |
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| Q. |
How much do you charge to void, exchange or refund tickets? |
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