The Travel Agent's Complete Desk Reference

Created specifically for home-based travel agents, this one-source refernce includes airport and airline codes, supplier Web sites and toll-free numbers, sources of US, Canadian and international tourist information, passport and visa requirements, and a glossary of over 3,700 travel-related terms and abbreviations.

This book grew out of my efforts to learn the travel business as an outside
sales rep and independent contractor. There were numerous codes to learn so
I could decipher itineraries and make reservations more efficiently. There
were unfamiliar terms and jargon to master so I could converse fluently
with reservationists and suppliers. There was information to gather so I
could serve my growing list of clients better.
While the learning process is always enjoyable, I found myself frequently

frustrated by the time it took to put my hands on just the piece of
information I needed. I searched through the growing pile of industry
references in my office. I spent time on the phone tracking down numbers
and addresses. I launched myself into cyberspace to get my questions
answered. If only there was a handy, one-stop reference that would give me
the information I needed quickly, when I needed it.
If necessity is the mother of invention, then frustration is its midwife.
Out of my annoyance grew the book you now hold in your hands. Sally Scanlon
and I have designed it to help you avoid the glitches that I experienced
when I first started out and to save you time as you begin to navigate the
exciting world of selling travel.
The Travel Agent's Complete Desk Reference is conceived primarily as a
companion piece to my book, Home-Based Travel Agent: How To Succeed In Your
Own Travel Marketing Business. That means it is dedicated to the beginner.
However, even experienced travel agents will find this a handy guide to
have on their desk, near the desktop PC and the phone, ready to provide the
code to that out-of-the-way destination or the toll-free number of an
unfamiliar supplier. The book should also offer those who experience the
travel industry as customers a window into this exciting world. It will
allow them to decipher the gibberish on their airline tickets and
itineraries and help them better understand the special terms and jargon
used in brochures and in the ever-present fine print. Not incidentally, it
will assist them as they make their own travel arrangements electronically
via the Internet.
The Travel Agent's Complete Desk Reference is, like Caesar's Gaul, divided
into three parts. The first is dedicated to the codes that make researching
fares and schedules a breeze. If you decide to automate, you will need to
become familiar with these codes to make the most efficient use of your
CRS. Even if you do not use a CRS, you will find these codes coming in
handy as you work with consolidators and the growing number of research and
booking tools available on the Internet.
Part Two presents a cornucopia of toll-free phone numbers which give you
access to both travel industry suppliers and a wealth of free travel
information. Also included are listings of travel industry organizations,
consortiums, and web sites.
The reference section, Part Three, will help answer frequently asked
questions by deciphering industry jargon, acronyms, and frequently used CRS
abbreviations. Also here you will find an extensive bibliography pointing
you towards additional sources of information that can deepen your
knowledge of both the travel industry and the many exciting destinations it
serves.