What do I need to do to become a travel agent?  I want to get a valid
ARC (Airline Reporting Corporation) number and also a valid listing
with International Airline Travel Agent Network (IATAN).  Please tell
me the specific steps necessary to do this in the shortest amount of
time.  NOTE:  I want to start my own travel agency, so I want to have
my own (company's) ARC number and my own (company's) listing with
IATAN.

Dear Barry Trot, 

Let's start with the most general information on how to start or open
a travel agency. The good news that besides some training and initial
resources (which you can probably get as a loan from the bank, if
you're genuine about this issue, and not as kokotbone-ga's suggested),
you don't need much to become a travel agent, and it is - for example
- an ideal work for someone wishing to work from home.

Astanet provides information on how to become a travel agent and the
type of training/schooling that you'd usually need:
ASTANET - Becoming a Travel Agent
<http://www.astanet.com/education/edu_becoming.asp> 

eHow has some practical step-by-step information. 

eHow: "How to Become a Travel Agent" 
<http://www.ehow.com/how_11154_become-travel-agent.html> 

In other words, in order to become a *real* agent you need some
qualifications and some licensure - sometimes special one - from your
State.

The best advice - if you're serious - is not to get immidiately your
own agency but to work for one for a couple of years, gain experience
and recognition, and only then open your own.

However, if you don't work as an employee, but open your own agency -
you'll need much experience before you will be eligible for ARC or
IATAN ID cards. An employee in a travel agency is eligible to get an
ARC card after having gone through CAS training
(<http://www.arccorp.com/products/prod_tra_AST_faq.html>); the manager
of an ARC-accredited agency must have two years of experience in the
business.

In order to get ARC accreditation, besides the CAS training and the
experience required for the agency's manager, you need to meet the
requirements on section 80 of their charter:
Section 80
<http://www.arccorp.com/forms/pp/iah80_1.pdf> 

You can read the FAQ on becoming ARC accredited at : 
How do I apply for ARC Accreditation?
<http://accreditation.arccorp.com/faq_accreditation.htm> 

IATAN distinguish between agencies that represent a certain airline
(or several carriers) and those that act as a "Travel Sales
Intermediary", which means that they do not issue tickets, but sell as
an intermediary between the airline/hotel/cruise/etc. and the
customer. (Most agencies are TSI).

A small, home-based, TSI, must provide proof of $10,000 investment in
the travel business; provide bank statements; letters of
recommendation from suppliers or industry contacts; and other proofs
of being a legitimate business (business listing in the telephone
book, insurance policy, etc.). You can see the basic requierments
here:

Travel Agency Accreditation Programs
<http://www.iatan.org/pdf/112.pdf> 

Read again here:
Stadards for Accreditation as a TSI
<http://www.iatan.org/pdf/503.pdf> 

And: 
Becoming IATAN Accredited 
<http://www.iatan.org/Welcome/accreditation/becoming_endorsed.htm> 

Only after you will have been accredited as an agency, you will be
able apply for an ID Card (that, among other things, gives you
allowances).

I hope this answers your question. Please contact me if you need any
clarification on this answer before you rate it.

Thanks for the help.  I enjoyed your answer and it seems very clearly done!

It sounds like you don't have any geniune interest in selling travel
for a living, but rather only trying to obtain travel agent
credentials to obtain the industy benefits when you do personal
travel. This was actually a common scam that many people used to try
to pull off - i.e. create a "travel agency" with you as the agent in
order to try and get discount rates on flights, hotels, cruises,
vacation packages, etc. using a valid IATA number. I think IATA
actually got wise to this scam by making you show a 1099 and proving
you made at least $5,000 selling travel in a year. Here are some web
links that may be of interest:

www.papersourceonline.com/discus/messages/16583/14958.html?1088795144


http://www.outsideagentlink.com/faqs.cfm

Thank you for the rating!

politicalguru - I agree that your answer is pretty thorough for anyone
seriously considering entering the industry. The reason I made the
assumption that barry wasn't necessarily serious about selling travel
is that he seemed specifically interested in obtaining the ARC and
IATA numbers (emphasized that requirement up front) in "the shortest
amount of time". That seems to indicate he's not really too keen on
the actual training, experience, running of a business, or most
importantly selling, aspects of the industry. He may indeed be totally
serious, but the thrust of his questioned seemed to indicate the
contrary..