Familiarization trips for IATA travel agents have to be one of the main reasons many of us decide to become travel agents; As a young male with more dreams than dollars, the idea of flying halfway around the world for less than three hundred dollars certainly appealed to me. I’ll never forget the first trip where I was able to get a fam rate (industry term for travel agent discounts); a four-star hotel in New Orleans, just outside the French Quarter, usually cost more than three hundred dollars; I got it for $79. Needless to say, I was smiling all the way to the lobby…
So how did I achieve that? It was very easy: all I had to do was spend thirty dollars to get certified by IATA (International Association of Travel Agents) and take a test with Marriott to qualify as one of their sales professionals. All told, it probably took me an hour and a half, and I saved over $1,600 that week.
This is how you secure the best familiarization trips for travel agents:
1. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Sign up for family rates with several different providers; where one may have a blackout period (just like my trip to New Orleans), you can always check with your backup provider. At a minimum, you must sign up with Marriott, Hilton, Avis, and Hertz. Ask around your office to see who their biggest providers are; these are the ones most likely to give you familiarization trips.
2. Never turn down a discount opportunity. With your IATA card in hand, get in the habit of requesting a discount about five seconds after you show up. You’ll be amazed at the deals on offer: swamp tours, booze cruises, German dinners, rodeos, and more. Your name, they discount it.
3. Add frequent flyer numbers to all familiarization trips. While this may or may not work with your provider, it’s certainly worth a try (didn’t you read point number two?). Combine these two for a discount today and a free gift tomorrow.
Familiarization trips for IATA travel agents are a win-win: you get quality service at a discount, and suppliers get great personal recommendations from the people who sell their products.
