If you are organized, accurate, professional, detail oriented and courteous, why not learn how to become a travel agent Kansas? Besides these qualities, there are several other requirements that you will find on this page.

Many people decide to become travel agents because of the discounted and sometimes free travel. What they are not aware of is that it usually takes a while before a company allows you to travel at a discount. First you need to prove yourself by successfully selling travel for at least 6 months. Once you get to that point where you are allowed to travel, your discounts can be up to 80 percent off the regular price. http://www.travelagenttrainingcenter.com/Travel%20Industry%20Benefits.htm http://www.times10travel.com/Articles/agentbenefits.htm

Travel websites like Expedia.com, Travelocity.com and Priceline.com offer package deals where people can book a flight, hotel stay and rental car with the click of a button. One basically becomes their own travel agent. Because of this, travel agents have to make sure they become experts when it comes to travel. They have to outdo the Internet by providing clients with information that they cannot find themselves. A good reason to use a travel agent is that they often have access to deals and promotions that are not available to the general public. Also, many travel agents are well traveled and can speak from their personal experience when trying to arrange a trip.

When you become a travel agent you can choose to specialize in a certain area. There are agents that specialize in everything from cruises and trips targeted toward a certain demographic to honeymoons and business trips. It is estimated that the job outlook for travel agents specializing in a certain area is very good. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm

EDUCATION: As with any occupation, there are certain requirements you have to meet in order to be considered for the job. If you want to become a travel agent, it's required that you at least have a high school diploma or the equivalent. Once you have your diploma it's a good idea to look into vocational school. Travel companies' employers usually hire people who have training targeted towards becoming a travel agent. Some schools in Kansas that provide courses that might be beneficial include Butler Community College, Central Pennsylvania College, Penn Foster Career School, Strayer University Online, and Stratford Career Institute. You can find both physical schools and online schools. Some people even prefer to go to college and get a masters or bachelor's degree in tourism and travel. When looking for additional courses to follow, try going for world history, foreign languages, [[geography] and computer science. They will all be beneficial when you are a travel agent.

COMPENSATION: Travel agents get a 10 - 20 percent commission on most of their sales. Keep in mind that most travel agents need to build a client base before they can start selling travel. It might take a while to make commissions. The 2010 base annual salary for a travel agent in Kansas is $27,982.00. If you started your own company and sell travel independently, the amount of money you make depends on how much you work. http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?op=salswz_psr&jobfamilycode=23&txtKeyword=travel+agent&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Materials+Management&hdZipCode=&hdOmniTotalJobsFound=20&pagefrom=selectjob&hdJobCategory=AR02&hdGeoLocation=Wichita%2C+KS+67202&countertype=1&totaljoblistnum=2&joblevelcode=&hdCurrentPage=1&hdNarrowDesc=Hotel%2C+Gaming%2C+Leisure%2C+and+Travel&hdLocationOption=1&hdViewAllRecords=0&hdJobTitle=Travel+Clerk&hdSearchByOption=0&hdKeyword=travel+agent&rdbSearchByOption=0&hdStateMetro=195&jobcounter=8&hdSortBy=0&hdJobCode=OF13000058&hdJSBoolDisplayAdvertisement=&hdAjaxKeyword=travel+agent&hdAjaxKeywordWithOR=%23travel%23+OR+%23agent%23&hdAjaxDisplaySection1=0&hdAjaxDisplaySection2=1

LICENSE: To become a travel agent, there is no need to obtain a license. There is no state administered test that you need to pass. You don't need a license or certificate of any kind. Anyone can basically become a travel agent. The only state that requires a license is Rhode Island. If you start your own business as a travel agent you might want to become part of the "Travel Seller's" registration programs that many states carry. A financial contribution is usually required. You can register with the following companies ICTA, ASTA, ARC or CLIA. If you just print business cards saying that you are a travel agent, without registering, you will not be recognized by suppliers as a legit entity. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/FAQ.htm

WATCH OUT FOR SCAMS: When looking for work as a travel agent in Kansas, you might come across one of the many advertisements recruiting affiliates to sell travel. There are companies that are legitimately seeking affiliates, but there are also many companies that are just after your money. You can recognize these scams because they promise you the opportunity to sell travel right from home. You will get free and/or discounted travel. They might also ask you to recruit new affiliates and often they will ask for a few hundred dollars to get you started. Whenever you are dealing with the Internet, make sure to check that the company you are dealing with is reputable. http://www.homebasedtravelagent.com/scams.htm

Another way to check if becoming a travel agent is for you, is by going over the various tasks that are required of you. This way you can get an idea if you will be any good at the tasks. Travel agents execute the following tasks:

• ■ A Kansas travel agent will spend a lot of time behind a computer, researching various rates, promotions and deals. Your clients expect you to be able to provide what they want. They can tell you where they want to go and have you provide the flight information, accommodations, rental car and such. Of course you want to make sure to provide favorable prices. Some negotiating might also be required here.
• ■ If you are starting your own business, keep in mind that travel agents only make commission and service fees. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos124.htm
• ■ Providing brochures and publications to the customer about their chosen destination is another task for a travel agent. Additional information regarding local customs, points of interest, necessary travel documents, vaccinations or foreign country regulations should also be provided.
• ■ If you work for a tour operator you might also have to promote, develop, arrange and sell the company's own travel services and package tours. Usually this is done through direct mail, presentations and the Internet.
• ■ As a travel agent you are responsible for booking hotel reservations and transportation either by using their telephone or terminal.
• ■ Another task at hand is calculating costs of the fares, hotel stay, transportation and quoting various travel package prices.