Become a Travel Agent

Tools to Project a Professional Image
By: Nancy Norris

As home-based travel entrepreneurs, projecting a professional image is imperative to our success. There is no better way to do this than to provide clients with knowledgeable and accurate travel advice. Of course, developing your knowledge of the travel industry’s various products and services can take years of research and exposure. But, being relatively new to the industry, I have found a way to expedite the process.

For those of you who have been in the business for a while and worked in a brick and mortar agency, the OAG Travel Planner was most likely a staple in your office. While it is no longer available in printed format, this invaluable travel planning tool is accessible via CD or the Internet. This planning tool provides everything from worldwide flight schedules and airport information to hotel data, destination guides and car rental listings. It has definitely made my task of organizing travel for my clients fast and simple.

The comprehensive Windows-based CD is updated monthly. The flight schedule database contains complete details on over 645,000 direct and connecting flights worldwide. I can even set the software to remember my preferences. I can choose the flight time and airline that meet my clients’ needs. With over 70,000 hotels covered, I can search for hotels by name, location, quality rating, room rate, or any combination of up to 28 amenities. Through an on-screen mapping facility, I can locate hotels and points of interest on interactive maps which can be saved and printed for my clients’ use on the road. The comprehensive guide includes ground transportation options, airport maps, frequent flyer and lodging program details and destination details. Covering over 200 countries, I can easily build complex itineraries and expertly present a complete travel package to my clients. I am positive this one tool has been instrumental in exuding a confident and professional image to my clients, thereby improving my customer service and retention. For more information on the OAG Travel Planner and the host of other travel reference tools available to travel agents, you can log onto the OAG Website.