I recently ran into an old friend at the grocery store, and as old friends do, we spent a few minutes excitedly catching up with one another. I told Christy about my upcoming book projects, Charles’ battle with Dupuytren’s and the new additions to our flock; while she updated me about her now-teen daughters, her husband’s new job and her growing catering business. As we were saying our good-byes she added, “Oh yeah, I’m a travel agent now. I signed up last week. I write a travel blog, and people always ask me for advice, so I figured I may as well get paid to help them out now. I might even venture into disabled travel, and if I do I’ll hit you up for advice on that for sure. Catch ya later.” As Christy walked away I just stood there in a state of shock. I mean, how much travel agent training could she get in a week?

I have a number of good friends who have been travel agents for over 30 years, and I know how hard they work, and how much training they have. Is it really possible for Christy to just sign on the dotted line and become a travel agent – with absolutely no training? This especially concerned me because of her comment about accessible travel – a growing travel niche for sure. So I decided to do a little digging to find more about travel agent training.

Travel Agent 101

For a little primer on travel agent training. I had several discussions with long-time travel agents — those with several decades of experience under their belts. These folks are not only intimately familiar with all aspects of the business side of things, but they are also well versed in the training that new agents may or may not receive.

First and foremost, there’s no national licensing or training requirement for travel agents in the U.S. That said, some states require travel agents to post a surety bond or obtain a sellers permit in order to do business in that state. There are however several business models for travel agents.

The most common business model is an agency owner, who can have independent contractors working for them. In this case the agency, often called a host agency, trains the contracted agents and sometimes provides them with errors and omissions insurance. The independent agents book clients through the host agency and the host agency pays them a commission. A big advantage to this business model is that the host agency has agreements with preferred suppliers and consortiums, who offer extra perks for the agency’s clients. The downside is that the agent training really depends on the host agency – some provide a good deal of training, while others offer minimal support.

Another business model — the employer travel agency model — is much like the independent contractor model. The big difference is that employer travel agents are paid a flat wage and are subject to agency rules and oversight. Like the host agency the employer agency also has agreements with preferred suppliers and usually provides ongoing training to their agents. Examples of employer travel agencies are American Express and AAA.

Franchises and MLMs

Another business model is where experienced travel agents buy into a national franchise. It’s not a cheap investment, so these travel agents — now franchise owners — are usually committed to providing their clients with a high standard of service. Like the host agency business model, franchise owners also have access to preferred suppliers for extra client perks. The other advantage to this model is that the franchise owners benefit from the name brand and advertising reach of the national franchise. Some examples of franchises are Cruise Planners and Dream Vacations (formerly Cruise One). Generally speaking franchise owners undergo a large amount of travel agent training.

At the bottom of the food chain in travel agent land is the Multi Level Marketing (MLM) business model. In order to join a MLM, you need to fill out a few forms and pay a fee. Travel agents in this business model receive minimal training — usually in the form of webinars — and in fact their main focus is on building their downline (recruiting more agents) or earning prizes and free trips instead of actively booking travel.

The MLMs recruit new agents by promising free or discounted travel, and in some cases the agents don’t even actively seek out clients. And as my experienced travel agent friends told me, many long time travel agents feel that the MLM agents give them a bad name, because of their narrow focus, little experience and lack of real training.

Travel Agent Training and Professional Memberships

Although there’s no license required to become a travel agent, there are a number of training courses and designations that give travel professionals the extra knowledge and expertise needed to deal with a wide variety of travel-related issues.

At the top of the list are the Certified Travel Associate (CTA), Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) and Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE) designations available through the Travel Institute. Although any travel agent can become a rank-and-file member of the Travel Institute and take advantage of their continuing education webinars, travel agents are required to have at least one year of experience in order to attain CTA status. CTC and CTIE designations require at least five years experience in the industry. All of the designations require a significant time and financial investment. In short, if your travel agent has any of these designations, you know you are dealing with a seasoned professional.

Many travel agents also boast about their memberships in trade associations such as the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). These trade associations are open to both both independent contractor and employee travel agents. CLIA requires members to generate at least $5000 in commissions every year, and offers a number of advanced designations, from Certified Cruise Counselor to Elite Cruise Counselor. ASTA Membership, on the other hand, is open to any travel agent who is an employee or independent contractor for an employer agency or host agency who is ASTA member.

At the bottom of the travel agent credential list are certifications from destinations, tourist boards, resorts and cruise lines. Agents can obtain these by attending short informational presentations or longer webinars, training sessions and multi-day conferences. And although product knowledge is good thing, be wary of agents that are “specialists” in everything.

How to Spot a Pro

In the end, certifications and professional memberships can be key elements in travel agent training. That said, dedication, professionalism and product knowledge also come into play. Just because you like to travel doesn’t mean you can just pop into a travel agency, sign on the dotted line, and magically be transformed into a competent travel agent. In short, it’s a package deal – hard work, the right certifications and ongoing training will yield the desired outcome. That said, it’s more than an alphabet soup of professional initials on a business card – it’s also about how travel agents conduct their business. With that in mind, here are a few ways to spot a real pro.

First off, your prospective travel agent should ask a lot of questions – about your travel style, budget and general expectations. In travel-agent parlance this is known as “qualifying” a client, and it’s essential, so that clients get what they want, not what the travel agent happens to personally like. This is one thing that legitimate travel agents do, as they realize that the same vacation isn’t right for anybody.

This is especially important for accessible travel, as it’s not a cookie-cutter niche. All disabilities are not alike, and even individuals that have the same disability may have different access needs. For example, one power wheelchair-user may require a roll-in shower, while another person with the exact same disability may need a tub/shower combination with a shower chair. Qualifying a client with a disability takes even longer, because the agent needs to ask a lot of access-related – and sometimes personal – questions. If your prospective travel agent doesn’t spend much time on this, then you are perhaps dealing with someone who lacks the appropriate training.

Knowledge and Experience

Destination knowledge also factors into the travel agent training process, and this knowledge comes with experience and repetition. After all, when you book one type of travel day-in and day-out you learn the top attractions, the preferred suppliers and insider secrets. So it only goes to follow that an agency that specializes in a particular type of travel probably has better trained agents than an agency that has no specialty.

Again, that’s because these agents book the same type of travel again and again, and this repetition helps when it comes to training new agents. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to ask a prospective travel agent about their experience with booking your preferred type of travel. Going one step further, it wouldn’t be out of line to ask a prospective cruise agent how many cruises they have taken. After all, a good travel agent should be intimately familiar with their product.

Last, but certainly not least, longevity in the business is also the sign of a real professional, as that experience builds good connections that give clients better offerings. Longevity leads to building a network, and it also leads to knowing what to do – and who to contact – when things go wrong. The real professionals don’t tweet about lost luggage or a delayed flight – they know who to contact on the inside to remedy that problem. And that only comes with experience.

Bottom Line – a properly trained and experienced travel agent can help you find a vacation that suits your tastes, budget and access needs; so make sure and take the time to fully research any travel professional, before you sign on the dotted line.