Question about becoming a travel agent

[Kellyfam5]

I hope I’m not breaking any rules, I read the thread about mentioning specific agencies, so I won’t mention the one I have researched by name just to make sure I am in compliance!

My husband and I are about to book a trip for June 2023 for our anniversary and we are booking another trip for us, my brother & his wife, and my parents and our two kids for Oct 2023.

The agency I’ve researched allows you to be an independent agent under them. You pay a fee to access the training materials and then you have to pay another fee to get your CLIA card.

On the agency website, it says you can access the benefits (discounted hotel rates, reduced ticket (1 per year), etc) after you complete the training and pay the fee to get the CLIA card. They pay 70% of the commissions they receive to the individual agent.

I want to make sure I am able to access the discount perks before I sign up. I know I’ll recoup the money spent on fees just by booking our trips in June and Oct and I will obviously be marketing my services to friends and family as well. Do I have to earn a certain amt in commissions or wait a certain amt of time before being able to do this? It doesn’t seem like it per the website but I also see where you have to earn $5k commission before getting an IATA card…but this company is accredited through CLIA.

Help!! I just want to be able to earn commission for booking our trips, access TA benefits and help others plan their trips while getting commission!

 

[lanejudy]

I want to make sure I am able to access the discount perks before I sign up.

I think you already have the answer to your question...

On the agency website, it says you can access the benefits (discounted hotel rates, reduced ticket (1 per year), etc) after you complete the training and pay the fee to get the CLIA card.

Otherwise, I suggest directing your questions to the specific agency.

 

[Mle8308]

That sounds a little too simplistic to me, if it were that easy, I think more people would be doing this. From what I understand you need to have at least $5000 in commissions before you get your own CLIA card, which is what you need to get discounts for yourself. Otherwise the agency you contract with "owns" the card. If it sounds too good to be true, usually it is. YMMV.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Do realize hotels only release extremely limited inventory for TA discounted rooms. You are literally gambling to assume such inventory will be available to you on the dates you want (in two popular months no less!). Also, they always have rules- like one reservation a year or one reservation per brand.

 

[RN2003AZ]

Every agency has different rules and requirements about commissions, CLIA, booking minimums etc. No one can answer this question specifically, you have to direct them to the agency you’re looking at.