Visit Our Travel School

Q. What is the difference between a travel agent and a travel advisor?

A. None.

A few years ago, the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) changed its name to the American Society of Travel Advisors. The ASTA Board of Directors felt the term “Travel Advisor” was better suited to our current professional role and today’s business environment. For our part, we use both professional titles depending on our audience. Our customers have known us as “Travel Agents” for over a hundred years, and we’re not quite ready to entirely abandon that legacy.

COMPLETE THE COURSE



• Our course is a relatively quick and efficient way to start selling travel. Our introductory price is $175. Subscribers can complete the course in one sitting of several hours, or over a period of a few days; or, depending on your personal schedule, you can take as much time as you need.
• The course and the follow-up support and implementation assistance we provide will set the foundation that enables you to set up your new business and start selling travel immediately. However, as you will learn during the course, there are procedures that should be followed that will help you serve your clients well,  help you avoid common mistakes, and reduce business risk.
• The entire process for most new agents, completing the course expediently and setting up your new business, can take as little as 10-14 days.
• Once you complete the course, we will walk you through the steps you need to take to set up your travel business. You will, in effect, become a travel agency owner. Once you and we complete these initial processes, our staff is always available by phone and email to help you succeed. We only succeed when you succeed.
  

YOUR OTHER COSTS

• Upon completion of the course, you will be invited to apply for membership in LTA Central as an independent contractor. Once accepted, we will waive your first year’s membership fee of $200. If you choose to renew in future years, your annual membership fee will be scaled as determined by your previous year’s sales and commission earnings. Annual fees for the highest producers are waived. Fees for better-than-average producers are $100; fees for average and lower producers are $200.
• Other costs you will be responsible for are your own equipment, supplies, and workspace. As a minimum, you will need a desktop or laptop computer, internet access, an email account, a phone with a national calling plan, and desktop software and office supplies as you want to have on hand. Your workplace will typically be your residence, but you can also work from a commercial location. Because you will be in business for yourself as an independent contractor, federal and state regulations prevent us from providing a workplace, equipment, desktop software, office supplies, or other business assets.
• Depending on what business structure you decide upon, there may be some costs involved. If you set up as a sole proprietorship, the cost is minimal, but it carries personal financial risks, and your earnings will be added to your personal income tax return. If you elect to set up as an LLC or corporation, it will be more expensive but will reduce risk. We recommend you secure advice on business structures, business risk, and tax considerations with your professional legal and financial advisors.

WHAT WE PROVIDE

• Our core mission is to provide you with the required credentials and operational support you will need to access agent-only travel booking platforms where you can book travel products and services worldwide. While agent booking platforms are similar to consumer travel websites, you need to use our credentials to access agent platforms to earn commissions on your travel sales. While you can book with any established travel supplier, we hope you will support our preferred supplier partners. Our preferred suppliers offer world-class products for your clients and added benefits for our member agents.
• In addition to your initial training course, we provide ongoing training support and member booking assistance as needed. We manage supplier relationships, commission collections, bank transactions, commission reconciliation, problem resolution, and other business tasks required to provide you with the best possible host agency experience. Our preferred suppliers also provide booking support as needed and offer an enormous selection of in-depth destination and product training opportunities.
• We also offer, as an option, an efficient, company-managed email marketing program. We store your customer email list in our secure database, and we launch over 100 supplier email offers annually, with you being the call to action. We and our supplier partners do all the work from design to distribution. Prior to each launch, you receive advance notice from us and have the ability to opt out of a product offer if it isn’t a fit for you and your clients.

HOW YOU & WE EARN COMMISSIONS

We split commissions with member agents based on an agent’s sales of cruises, tours, resort packages, hotel bookings, and sales of other commissionable travel products. The commission split is always in your favor. A typical commission split is 70% for the agent and 30% for the host agency. LTA Central offers up to a 90% split for our top-producing agents.

TRAVEL, BUSINESS INCOME & EXPENSES, & ANNUAL CONFERENCES

• We all love to travel. Our preferred suppliers and others offer a variety of discounted travel opportunities, but be aware that some supplier offers are based on merit, and other conditions may apply. If you book travel for yourself, family, or friends, you will receive your standard split of commission on such travel.
• You will need to report your income from travel sales on your personal or business tax return. You may also be able to claim tax deductions on travel and other expenses that qualify as business expenses. Again, we recommend you consult with your tax or financial advisor before claiming such deductions.
• We host an annual conference-at-sea with one or another of our cruise line preferred partners. Many of our member agents and preferred suppliers will be in attendance. There are costs for conference participation, including our reduced cruise fare. You will also be responsible for your own transportation to the port of embarkation and disembarkation. The good news is that we supplement a portion of your cruise fare and shipboard accommodations, meals, presentation sessions, and private receptions are all included.