IATAN Travel Benefits

Section 9 - TA TAN
-1T"HPAP
07/02
TRAVEL BENEFITS
Your eligibility to receive and participate in the travel benefits offered by
the many travel industry vendors isgovernedby the eligibility rules
established by these vendors and not ITH .
Information regarding eligibility for reduced rate travel benefits is fisted
below :
REGISTRATION FORM - IATAN: STARS members interested in eligibility for
reduced rate travel benefits for both domestic and international travel must
first complete, and return to the ITH agency manager, the IATAN PERSONNEL REGISTRATION FORM (found in the back of this section) .
Upon receipt of the partially completed form, the ITH agency manager will
complete the remaining sections as stipulated by IATAN, and forward the
registration form to IATAN for processing . A thirty - (30) daytime frame
should be allowed for processing .
Please be advised that you may still not be eligible for reduced rate travel
even with receipt of the completed form from IA TAN, as additional
requirements must be met .
THE IATANTRAVEL AGENT ID CARD : You may also
wish to purchase an IATAN
Travel Agent ID Card . This card is a picture ID, which many of the airlines
and car and hotel companies are requesting as proof of your employment in
the travel industry . The current price is $15 .00. To request this card; check
the applicable box on your IATAN Personnel Registration Form and attach
your check for $15 .00 . In order to qualify you must earn at least $5000 .00
per year in commissions and work a minimum of 20 hours per week in the
business of selling travel . Be certain that you have checked the appropriate
boxes of your IATAN Personnel Registration Form .
Page 9
NETWORK May/June 2002
Important News About the IATAN
w
ith automation becoming even more
prevalent in the way we conduct business, it has become necessary for the
IATAN ID Card to change and evolve as well .
So to ensure a greater degree of integrity and to
facilitate easier verification of bona fide travel
agency personnel, IATAN has slightly amended
the data, which appears on its Travel Agent I D
Card .
The 10-digit Verification number. which previously appeared at the bottom of the IATAN ID
Card, has now replaced the alpha numeric Travel
Counselor Identification Number (TCIN) . In addition, the Verification number is now highlighted
on the Card . The Verification number is being
used by the current CheekAC:ode Service offered to
suppliers by IATAN . The changes to the ID Card will
make it faster and easier for suppliers to determine
Agent
ID Card
TRAVEL :
AGENT
CARD
arr,a€
naves
,
w
IATA
A
Numeric Code
.r
r-
.vT.Y
.I
;5z:T" ,
. t,
\ ER-/I0000000000
-
Verification
Number
~dr,~,
000 0 .1O'D
e , , a .--
IATA
Travel Agent's
E=mployment Date
Code for Travel
Duties
Hours
Card
Expiration Date
Photo of
Cardholder
Agent Position
.
.
Travel
V'/h eckACode .com
IATAN Launches New Website,
www.CheckACode .coni, .to
Facilitate Verification of Travel
Agency Personnel
h eckACode .co m is a new Website launched in
April 2002 that allows suppliers and vendors
J to quickly verify all IATA/IATAN travel agency
personnel .
The service, which is free of charge, was developed
jointly by IATA!IATAN in response to the need for a
fast and more accurate method of determining the :
C
• Validity of an individual 1.AEAIIATAN ID Cardholder
• Validity of an IATA Numeric/Industry Code
• Status of IATAN registered personnel
The supplier or vendor simply enters an identification
number into the corresponding search field on the site
and receives an instant response as to the validity of that
number .
eligibility for granting industry concessions when they use
this new service .
Although production of the new ID card was effective
on February 2 ! . 2002 . it will take a near for the old cards
to be completely removed from circulation . The change
will be implemented over the next year as each card comes
up for renewal . Suppliers have been notified about the
changes to the IATAN lI) Card in a special broadcast fax
that was sent out in March 2002 . For more information on
these changes . go to wwwiaran .o ;- or call the Fax Back"
Service at I -800-224-2826 and retrieve document ‚ 131In order to apply for an TATAN ID Card- an agent must
be registered on the ( AT.A N Personnel List . To apply [or
a new card, new employees or independent contractors .
or all those who have not been registered with an IATAN
two €ears . must be registered
endorsed agency in the past
with FATAN for at least six (6) months prior to Application
for the card- Applicants should always check vv ith their
manager to ascertain if they have been properly registered
with IATAN . Once you have received your IATAN ID
Card . it is valid for one full vear, and must be rcni4v, cd
annually .
As an IATAN Travel Agent ID Cardholder . you also
automatically receive $35,000 in insurance eovcraCe,
which is provided free of charge by the Universal Air
Travel Plan ( UATP) .
Join the thousands of travel professionals who enloy the
benefits of the IATAN Travel Agent ID Card today! For
more information about the IATAN IL) Card and how to
apply, retrieve documents #127 and .r4 128 from IATA N's
Website at nv au .ictt(m,on) or by calling the lax Hack'
Service at 1-800-224-2826 • 11
Section 9 - IATAN
-2ITHP&P
07/02
MIINIMUM REQUIREMENTS -WORK EXPERIENCE IN THEINDUSTRY: The minimum
general eligibility rules for ARC and IATAN are as follows :
All ARC airlines require the agent to have a minimum of six (6) months
industry work experience prior to receiving travel benefits . Some ARC
carriers require a full year (12 Months) of work experience .
IATAN airlines require a minimum of twelve (12) months industry work
experience for reduced rate air benefits . The normal workweek would
consist of a minimum of 20 hours .
The above work experience rules will normally apply to all agents who request
to use the reduced rate (75% off Y class fares) AD75 vouchers . ARC and
IA TAN furnish these vouchers (mainly for International travel) to each fully
appointed travel agency. The number of vouchers received is based on the
air travel volume produced the prior calendar year .
The vouchers are not tickets and cannot be used as flight coupons . The
vouchers are exchanged for actual flight coupons or electronic ticketing .
ITH personnel will assist in directing you for ticketing compliance with your
air carrier of choice .
Experience has shown us that tour operator, some
airline, and/or government sponsored familiarization programs allow agency
personnel to travel without meeting the full six or twelve month work
experience qualification . If the agency is producing sufficient revenue for
that supplier, minor eligibility questions are often waived and policies
modified .
Exceptions to the rule :
Your STARS agreement does not require you to meet any
sales goals to be eligible to participate in the STARS program . However,
ARC and IATAN airlines reserve the right to limit or deny reduced rate
travel benefits for those individuals not earning minimum annual commissions
or salary of $5,000 (Refer to Question 2 on the IATAN REGISTRATION
FORM) .
SALESVOLUME:
Section 9 - IATAN
-3ITNP&P
07102
ARC and IA TAN have the right to request either a W-2 or a 1099-MISC
form from the reduced rate traveler, to verify the income the traveler
received for sales activity .
GENERAL INFORMATION : If you have a specific destination that you would
like to visit, contact ITH . ITH personnel may have some suggestions on
which suppliers you could call to inquire about upcoming familiarization tips .
It is virtually impossible to obtain any type of discount during holiday and
peak travel time ; most discount travel is stand-by, not confirmed space .
As a general rule, any seminar or fam trip that ITH sponsors will be open to
all STARS participants with the following exceptions : (1) fam sponsor or
airline imposes restrictions and/or requirements thereby disqualifying some
STARS participants, i .e. "top 5 producers only", (2) fam sponsor or airline
offers only a limited number of slots, (3) the STARS participant's account
with ITH is not current.
HOTEL AND CAR DISCOUNTS
For hotel and rental car travel agent discounts, call the hotel or car
companies direct . Be certain to inquire what type of documentation they
need .
FAMILIARIZATION TRIP POLICY
The purpose of reduced rate/Fam trips is to give the travel agent an
oppbrtunity to experience a vendor's specific travel product and/or travel
destination. This experience will afford the agent first-hand knowledge and
should result in increased sales . Fams are a privilege and a benefit that will
not be abused by any agency staff or independent contractor of
International Tours of Houston_
Professional dress and conduct of all participants is expected, and prompt
attendance at all required functions is mandatory . If any one participant
should not adhere to the above policy, they may be excluded from
participating in any future agency/Fam trips .
Section 9 - IA TAN
-4ITHP&P
07/C2
All reduced rate air/cruise requests must have management approval, and
are subject to the regulations set forth by the vendor . International Tours
of Houston is not responsible for any possible damages/losses incurred while
participants are involved in familiarization trips . Refer to the sample waiver
o n the next page .
The following guidelines are for all ITH STARS who wish to participate on
reduced rate or familiarization trips :
€ STARS participants must be current on monthly HOMEPRO and
contractor service fees_
€ STARS participants must make good on any insufficient checks, and may
not have any outstanding Accounts Receivable with the agency .
€
Deposits and final payments towards FAM trips must be paid by their
dead fines . In the event of participant cancellation, any refunds will be
subject to the policies of each individual trip .
€
A valid IA TAN travel agent Ib card may be required by the
vendor/eiri i ne i n order to travel .
I ATAN
AN IATA COMPANY
Explanation of codes {position, duties, weekly hours, and yearly earnings) :
For those who have met the requirements for registration, the position, duties, weekly hours and yearly earnings
must be supplied in accordance with the following definitions and the codes appearing on the Personnel
Registration Form .
Position :
€
€
Sole Proprietor
Partner'
C
M
Stockholder*
Manager
Employee
Leased Employee
€
L
I
Independent
the single lawful owner of 100% of the travel agency, one of not more than 5 partners, each holding at least 20% ownership of the
travel agency,
own at least 20% of the stock of the travel agency ;
any person holding a management position in the travel agency ;
a person routinely and regularly working as an employee ;
a person who is leased from another legal entity, i .e . an employment agency,
but not from a commercial account or client;
a person who is working for the travel agency pursuant to a written contract or
Contractor
agreement in compliance with applicable laws and regulations .
Duties :
A
Administration
I
Inside Sales
a person who works at the travel agency processing the day to day
administrative work dealing with travel ;
a person who works within the travel agency selling travel ;
X
Outside Sales
a person who is on the travel agency payroll and/or disbursement records and
works outside the travel agency office selling travelWeekly Hours :
1
2
3
4
35
25
20
5-
Hours or over
to 34 Hours
- 24 Hours
19 Hours
a
a
a
a
person
person
person
person
who
who
who
who
works
works
works
works
for
for
for
for
the
the
the
the
travel agency 35 hours or over per week ;
travel agency 25 - 34 hours per week ;
travel agency 20 - 24 hours per week ;
travel agency 5 - 19 hours per week .
Earnings :
1
2
3
$5,000 and over
Under $5,000
Owner 20% no
earnings
a person who earns $5,000 or over per year ;
a person who earns less than $5,000 per year ;
an owner of the travel agency who does not take a salary, however, owns at
least 20% of the travel agency .
*Corporate entity - In the case where a corporate entity is listed on IATAN records as the owner of 100% of the
travel agency or any part thereof, the persons owning the corporation may not be listed unless they are working at
the travel agency location and are drawing salary or commissions . If the person is working at the travel agency
location, dependent on the position held, the correct designation should be used i .e . M = Manager, E = Employee .
EXAMPLES OF PERSONS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REGISTRATION €
€
€
€
J
a spouse, family member, or any other person working on a volunteer basis ;
a person working on a barter agreement - i .e . travel benefits in lieu of salary or commission ;
any person who is being trained but is not being paid ;
an owner working less than 5 hours .
IATAN FB 10107, €' 1999