The Travel Agent Online Training Program will teach you all you need to know to start a travel career. You'll learn about ground transportation and the airline industry, hotels and resorts, cruises, tours, international and domestic travel, reservations and pricing, and more.

This online program consists of two modules. You’ll first participate in a travel career development program, which will teach you the basics of the travel industry. This module will be followed by your choice of computer reservation system training. You'll choose which you want to learn, including SABRE, WORLDSPAN, APOLLO, GALILEO, or AMADEUS GDS systems.

Upon registering, you're given an initial six months to complete the program. Should you need more time, you may request a six-month extension at no additional charge.

By completing this program, you'll learn:

• How to identify the various types of travelers and match them to the correct travel products
• The various types of tours, from escorted to independent
• How airline computer reservation systems operate
• What documentation is needed to travel internationally and how to obtain it
• How domestic and international airfares are determined
• The ground transportation system, including rail, cars, and bus tours
• All about cruises, including how to read and understand brochures, match the client to the proper ship, and explain the value of cruising
• How hotels are rated and priced and the differences between a hotel and a resort
• The basic formats used by the airlines to book flights, price tickets, and build the passenger name record (PNR)
• How to change or cancel records
• The basics of marketing

1. Exploring the World of Travel
   1. Travel and the Travel Profession
   2. Technology
   3. Geography Basics
2. The Travel Product
   1. Domestic Air Travel
   2. International Travel
   3. Ground Travel
   4. Accommodations
   5. Cruises
   6. Tours
3. Sales and Marketing
   1. Making a Sale
   2. Specialized Sales
   3. Marketing
4. The Travel Workplace
   1. Communications
   2. Money Matters
   3. Home-based Agents
   4. Finding a Job
   5. Building a Career
5. Computer Reservation Systems

There are no specific prerequisites for this program. This program is for you if you want to enhance your travel industry knowledge or jump-start your career in the travel industry.

This program is compatible with the Windows XP and later operating systems and IE 7 and later browsers.

This course can be taken on either a Mac or a PC. Students will need to have an Internet connection and email capabilities.

Adobe Flash Player and Adobe Acrobat Reader are required for this course.
Click here to download the Acrobat Reader.
Click here to download the Flash Player.

Students will receive the following textbooks with this program:

• Travel Career Development, 8th Edition
• Travel Career Development Workbook
• Airline Reservations and Automated Fares and Ticketing in Sabre
• Airline Reservations and Automated Fares and Ticketing in Apollo
• Travel:  Viasinc Format Guide for Apollo
• Travel:  Viasinc Format Guide for Sabre

Note: Choice of Sabre or Apollo texts depends on which ticketing system you choose for the program.

Christy Champagne has been working in the travel industry for the past 14 years. She attended American Airlines travel school in 1995 and has had the opportunity to work for many great companies. Christy has a great amount of travel experience and knowledge to bring to the table. She started off working for a tour consolidator for her first job where she booked discounted international travel. About a year later with the same company she began booking travel for attendees to the Dallas Market Center. She then worked for American Express Travel booking corporate travel and continued to book corporate travel for different companies such as Carlson Wagonlit, BCD Travel, and Travelocity. Christy is back working with American Express, booking mainly leisure and luxury travel for the platinum card travel service and loves it. She works from home and feels lucky enough to work for such a great company! She is proficient on the Sabre travel system and has been working with Sabre for her entire run in the travel business, and will be able to answer any questions you may have regarding formats, questions on the course, as well as industry related questions.

Patricia Flores has been working in the travel industry over 14 years. She attended International Travel and Aviation Academy in 1991 in Arlington, TX. She has excellent qualities, strengths and outstanding customer service skills. Her career started at Cendent Travel where she specialized in booking leisure destination packages. She went on to work for World Travel BTI preparing corporate reservations for Pepsi Cola Account and other various corporate accounts. Patricia has been fortunate to work for wonderful companies such as Carlson Wagonlit Travel and Travelocity. Preparing domestic and international air, car, hotel, train and tour reservations. Patricia presently works as a home agent for American Express Platinum Travel preparing luxury travel. Patricia has a lot of knowledge in Native Sabre and Turbo Sabre Systems. She is proficient and has a lot of experience in the travel industry. Please feel free to ask her questions regarding formats, and industry related questions.

Carmen Smith is a 20+ year Travel Industry Veteran having worked in various capacities: Holiday Inn Reservations Agent and Guest Services Agent; International Flight Attendant/Interpreter with Pan American World Airways; Travel Agency Owner; Travel Technology Online Deployment Manager; and Corporate Travel Manager.

Carmen is now using her culmination of knowledge and skills to run her own company, Travel Management Consulting LLC where she partners with businesses and government entities to build or improve their global travel programs.