Partners In Travel has compiled the following frequently asked questions (FAQ) to help answer any potential questions and or concerns
Q. Why should an independent contractor/home-based travel agent choose your host agency over the many others out there today?
A. Partners In Travel offers individuals the opportunity to work from home as an Independent Contractor in the travel industry under All Aboard Travel, which is a Travel Leaders Leisure Group brand. That combination serves to provide the Independent Contractor with security and stability in the industry, excellent support, and an assurance in the quality of products as well as a competitive advantage. This is why Partners In Travel is one of the top choices for Independent Contractors across America.
Q. What makes your agency unique in terms of the services you offer to your independent contractors?
A. Partners In Travel offers our members an amazing array of exclusive packages that give them the opportunity to further increase their value among their customers. We negotiate with various suppliers to provide our home based agents with itineraries and prices that are difficult for the competition to beat. Additionally, we offer each contract with us a FREE consumer website. Clients can search vacations and all inquiries for quotes come directly to your e-mail!
Q. Please detail the type of training opportunities available to all of your independent contractors.
A. Partners In Travel provides our members with weekly live webinar training in addition to recorded webinars to view at their convenience covering product updates from cruise lines and tour operators, training on technology, basic computer skills, customer service, super star selling and marketing techniques. Partners In Travel also offers familiarization trips and seminar-at-sea programs. All members receive fundamental support from our staff via telephone and email for any questions they may have and new members receive detailed training material explaining all aspects of our program. Our highly anticipated annual Partners In Travel convention consists of non-stop training, a supplier trade show, supplier presentations and open forum round table discussions between all Partners.
Q. Is a significant level of experience required to be a Partner In Travel agent?
A. Partners In Travel believes that knowledge is power. Having the right information to make your business succeed is critical. We provide our members with the necessary level of training, training material, support and opportunities to further grow their business based on their own ambitions. Since we offer training to those agents who are new to the industry along with unlimited ongoing support, we do not require an initial high level of knowledge or skill to enroll in our program.
Q. Tell me what it is that you think most attracts independent contractors/home-based agents to your company?
A. There are numerous reasons why people are attracted to Partners In Travel. Home based agents know they are stable and secure with Partners In Travel; the peace-of-mind in knowing that Partners In Travel is part of Travel Leaders Leisure Group and the Travel Leaders Group, LLC reassures agents that we are reputable. Our exclusive packages also attract many Partners since they are hard for the competition to beat. Our ongoing support and experience in the home-based industry has been one of the largest key factors in our growth.
Q. What conferences do you regularly attend to improve/enhance your own level of knowledge of the home-based agent market?
A. The Partners In Travel team regularly attends seminars from a vast field of suppliers and travel industry leaders. We also actively participate in several trade shows around the country, including but not limited to the cruise3sixty Show and several Home Based Shows and Conferences.
Q. What else differentiates Partners In Travel from your competition?
A. Partners In Travel is more than simply a host agency network, we’re a family. Our Partners continually comment on our amazing personalized support, professionalism and the fact they are not just a contractor in our network, they are part of our family. Additionally, our products give our agents a competitive edge by offering exclusive cruise tour packages, escorted singles cruises, extensive group inventory and high-end commissions.
Q. Can agents in your network obtain a CLIA card?
A. Travel agent identification cards are issued by the Cruise line International Association to bona fide travel agents who fulfill their educational requirements.
Q. Can agents in your network obtain an IATAN card?
A. Travel agents identification cards are issued by the International Airlines Travel Agent Network for bona fide travel agents who achieve a minimum of $5,000 in earned commissions in a 12 month period.
Q. Do you supply "ID" cards for your agents?
A. In keeping with the ethical standards of the travel industry, we do not supply our agents with internally generated ID cards.
Q. I'm new to the industry, can you please explain what "commission split" means and how it works?
A. We offer a generous commission split to our agents. Our standard commission split is 70/30 meaning the agents receives 70% of the commission paid by a supplier, and the company retains 30%. This is necessary to cover our administration costs associated with processing your bookings such as accounting procedures and distribution of travel documents. We also offer a 100% commission program where you keep 100% of all commissions earned! See the “Commission Program” tab on our website for details on all of our commission options!
Q. Do you provide Errors & Omissions insurance?
A. Partners In Travel does not currently offer E&O Insurance for our Independent Contractors. Why? There are only a couple of insurance companies that will cover "Independent Contractor Networks" as a blanket policy and the deductible per incident is usually $5,000! This is simply not the kind of coverage we want to market and offer our agents. If another host agency offers E&O coverage, be sure to ask what the deductable is. Partners In Travel supplies the necessary information you need to obtain E&O Insurance on your own. The typical cost is about $350 annually and the deductible is usually $500 per incident. Now doesn't that make more sense?
Our preferred E&O Insurance vendor, Berkely Agency, recommends purchasing your own insurance policy so you are not sharing one general and professional liability policy limit with 30, 50, 100, or even more Independent Contractors. They want home-based travel agents to be aware that even one claim can erode the limit of liability when you are on a shared plan. Berkely offers qualifying individual home-based travel agents and independent contractors their own E&O Insurance policy, with all of its rights and privileges, including the ownership of the full policy limit, for as little as $350 annually. For more details, visit www.tavip.com.
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