1st Step to Become a Travel Agent About This Page:

[Princessdreamer]

I am about to embark on the journey of becoming a home based travel agent. I mainly want to do it for some extra play money, and I want to only do Disney. I have read that several travel agents recommend Kelly Monaghan's site. I have read his information online and I love the honesty he shares, and I think it will be great to use before signing with a host, or making big business decisions. I just do not know if it will be enough information for me, since I have no booking experience.

My question is, what would you all recommend a computer online course like Penn and Foster, or Kelly Monaghan's course, for a person wanting to become a travel agent? I am 37 and have been away from the work force for a while, so I want to make sure I take the course that will help me the most.

Any thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks,

Melissa

[pntsmom99]

I'm a "brick and morter" or "store front" agent, and my best advice would be to chat with other home based agents in your area. How are they doing? How do they market their business? Where do they get their clients?

When I thought about getting into this business, I went to college for it (8 years ago). I'm really glad I did. I liked to travel and to plan trips and thought that was enough. In school I took destination geography, ticketing and tarrifs, computerized reservations, sales, marketing, networking and lots of business classes. I truly believe the skills I learned in school have helped me wether the "travel storms" that have come up in the years I've been doing it, and have made me a better agent all around.

I'm not sure how the home-based industry works, so I can't offer specific advice there but I believe that no matter if your working for your own business or for someone elses, the more that you bring to the business the better off it will be.

[Cam22]

I have not advice, but one of my options for after retirement from teaching is to be a Disney TA. So loads of and for achieving this goal!

[pntsmom99]

It's funny, here I am in my office and our travel insurance representative came in. We got talking about starting in this business now. He said a very wise thing..."Looking in to this business now, it looks so fun!, but little do people realize how bad it has become. Every day we come to work in a mine field, somedays we walk through it an everything is fine...then there are the other days." I love my job, really I do, but I can certainly say it is NOTHING like I expected it to be, it is alot harder than I ever thought it would be. Fares, rules, travel contracts of carriage, leagaleese, the marketing of not only the products but of myself too, it was all unexpected. I've gotten used to it over the years I've been here, but before you jump in thinking this is a great career choice, I would definatly, definatly take a second look, and talk with the experienced agents in your area.