TravelSellers.com

NACTA   

1. Why does the industry need a company that issues tracking numbers?

First and foremost, TravelSellers.com is not under the control of the airlines or other suppliers. TravelSellers.com is dedicated to serving the needs of its primary customers – retail travel sellers.

Second, TravelSellers.com fulfills industry needs. An increasing number of ARC accredited agencies have decided to stop selling airline tickets and cancel their ARC accreditation. These sellers need an industry-recognized number with which to do business with non-airline suppliers. Additionally, nearly 4,000 non-ARC entities or individuals have Global Distribution System (GDS) terminals to book airline tickets and other travel products. The GDS's have given these independent subscribers pseudo city codes, but not a standard industry tracking number (all but Amadeus) for tracking sales productivity and to insure compliance with supplier policies and procedures. Instead, these 4,000 entities have the same "9 99... or 0 00…" pseudo ARC/IATA/TID number. Suppliers say they cannot effectively track by pseudo city code and do not have a unique number to track the sales of these non-ARC operations.

To address the issues of GDS bookings and entities dropping their ARC accreditation, companies have developed their own numbering systems. While some suppliers accept other non-ARC industry numbers such as Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) numbers, others simply will not do business with non-ARC entities. ARC has its system for identifying Reservation Service Providers (RSP) and International Airline Travel Agent Network (IATAN) has its Travel Service Intermediary (TSI) program. Non-ARC sellers using these systems continue to be controlled by the airline.

The result? Many legitimate, non-ARC travel sellers have dozens of numbers to accommodate travel suppliers for which they sell products to consumers or they continue to operate under airline control. An independent system was needed and developed, the TravelSellers.com program.  The goal being to give qualified sellers and suppliers the solution – one number, which eliminates the excess costs needed to support multiple numbering schemes, and places control in the hands of an independent entity.

2. Where does TravelSellers.com get its numbers?

TravelSellers.com receives its identification numbers through IATAN, but the number is actually issued from the worldwide database administered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). TravelSellers.com has an agreement with IATAN, which provides for IATA to notify thousands of suppliers around the world of the identify of those holding the TravelSellers.com number. Therefore, when you contact supplies about booking their product, they can verify that you are a TravelSellers.com number holder through the IATA database.

3. Who will receive TravelSellers.com numbers?

Only qualified individuals that have met the TravelSellers.com requirements will receive a number. All applicants must register and provide information on their business (i.e., location, number of employees, time in business) and qualifications to be a registered travel seller. The TravelSellers.com number will be issued to an agency which may either be a sole proprietorship, corporation or partnership. TravelSellers.com numbers are not available to businesses operating from a country other than the United States of America.

4. How long does it take to get a TravelSellers.com number?

It currently takes approximately two weeks to get a number. TravelSellers.com must review the application, insure the required documentation is included, include your information in the update to IATAN so it can issue a number, have IATAN process and send the number back, and for TravelSellers.com to send it to you. If TravelSellers.com has to call to obtain missing documentation or to clarify illegible applications, then it may take more time. Therefore, please check your documents thoroughly before you send them.

An increasing number of suppliers are Suppliers are recognizing the number everyday. A list of suppliers recognizing the TravelSellers.com number will soon be available in the TravelSellers.com Number Holders Only Web. This will be a password-protected area for TravelSellers.com number holders only. Because TravelSellers.com uses the IATA number, thousands of suppliers that receive the IATA database will be able to verify that you are a TravelSellers.com number holder. It is then up the individual supplier to decide whether and under what conditions they will do business with you. Please be advised that Marriott Corporation does not accept any numeric code other than ARC.

Under what terms and conditions suppliers will do business with you is up to the individual supplier, just as it is up to them to decide whether they will do business with ARC, IATAN or CLIA agencies. Airlines pay commissions only to the ARC or IATAN agency that issues the airline ticket, not the booking entity.

TravelSellers.com receives its numbers from IATA, just as ARC does, but TravelSellers.com maintains integrity in its program by requiring applicants to have certain qualifications. Also, TravelSellers.com is an independent organization, whose operations are overseen by travel agents. The airlines control the RSP program.

8. Is the TravelSellers.com ID number for the agency or the travel agent? Does each agent have to have his or her own number?

The TravelSellers.com number is for use by the agency. Individual agents do not need their own number. Suppliers will use this number to track agency activity, not individual activity, just as they do with ARC numbers.

If you do not have an ARC number, then you need to advise your GDS vendor of your TravelSellers.com number. You can easily check to see if an ARC number has been assigned to your GDS booking software. Use one of the following formats in your GDS. For SABRE, check your Travel Journal Record (TJR) using the format W/TA*(insert your Pseudo City Code). If this is a non-ARC booking location, 99 99999 9 will be shown in the ARC/IATA/TID field. For WORLDSPAN, check your Air Table using the format 4G. A pseudo ARC number will begin with 99. For Galileo/Apollo, you will see the ARC number of the booking entity in the header of a Passenger Name Record (PNR). If it is all zero's, then the booking software has no ARC number assigned. For Amadeus, check your Office Profile using the PV format. If you are a non-ARC accredited location, the CIN*IATA field will begin with 00.

If an ARC number is present, you do not need to advise the GDS vendor of your TravelSellers.com number. If no ARC number is present, and the booking location is identified with a pseudo ARC number (e.g., 99… or all zeros), then you should advise your GDS vendor of your TravelSellers.com number and ask that it take the place of the pseudo number it has provided.

No. The TravelSellers.com program is limited to the issuance of the TravelSellers.com number. TravelSellers.com does not offer industry identification.

11. How much do applicants pay?

TravelSellers.com charges an initial fee of $109.00. Each year that renewal fee will be $99.00.

Almost all suppliers recognize an ARC number and, therefore, a TravelSellers.com number is not needed. Supplier databases have you listed as an ARC agency. Adding a TravelSellers.com number may not be possible and may actually cause problems. Therefore, it is recommended that you continue to use your ARC number.

13. If I have a TravelSellers.com number do I also need a CLIA number?

The CLIA number is recognized by it's CLIA Cruise Member Lines and other select suppliers. While the TravelSellers.com number is relatively new, some suppliers have not yet learned about the number system. NACTA is in the process of seeing that wide acceptance of the TravelSellers.com number is a priority. Soon, most suppliers who you likely deal with will recognize and accept the TravelSellers.com number as a tracking tool. The cost of obtaining a CLIA number is about $400 annually. It is important to review your business costs and be sure that you are receiving the benefits from the various programs. Having the CLIA number and the TravelSellers.com number will likely ensure you booking capacity with a multitude of vendors.

Not all home-based independent agents will need to obtain a number. Remember that the TravelSellers.com number is an agency identification not an individual identification.  Many work through a hosting agency, and sales and revenue are channeled through the host. Independent agents working through a hosting agency should check with their hosting partners to determine whether they will need a number for GDS purposes. Hosting agencies offer a great number of benefits in terms of support, knowledge and beneficial commission levels. NACTA Member Host Agencies represent some of the finest hosting services available to home based agents. To learn more about these agencies visit the NACTA Host Agency Web.

Anyone interested in going out on his or her own can do so today. Whether or not this is the best business decision depends on the business direction and focus. The services provided by NACTA Host Agency Members can certainly be of great value to an independent agent. For years, Individual suppliers have been providing their own numbers. ARC, IATAN, and CLIA will issue numbers to them. TravelSellers.com is merely offering a competitive product to qualified members who operate an agency. In fact this tool will likely be invaluable to our host members who are not air sales focused and do not have an ARC number.

Yes, NACTA will notify you prior to the expiration of your TravelSellers.com number. This will give you ample to time renew and provide the necessary criteria to renew the number as well as to validate your necessary NACTA Membership.