General Information
Will I be considered an employee of Great Southern Travel?
Will Great Southern Travel market to my clients?
What travel organizations does Great Southern Travel belong to?
Does my membership include Errors and Omission (E&O) Insurance?
What travel products will I be able to sell?
Will I be able to issue airline tickets?
Will I only be able to sell Great Southern Travel’s Preferred suppliers?
Do you have blocked group space that I can sell into?
Will I be provided with leads?
Does Great Southern Travel provide coverage when I’m ill or on vacation?
What are the hours of Great Southern Travel support personnel?
Getting Started
What equipment will I need to start my business?
What expenses will I have in setting up my own business?
Do I need to have my own credit card merchant charge account?
Do I need to be concerned about state seller of travel laws?
Will I need a local operating license?
Will I be able to use Great Southern Travel as my company name?
Do I have to incorporate my business?
Can I have brochures sent to me and/or my clients?
When I make reservations, how will vendors know I’m affiliated with Great Southern Travel?
How will I receive vendor faxes and emails?
Technology
What computer equipment do I need?
Do I have to have high speed internet access?
Will I have GDS access?
Will I be able to issue airline tickets?
Accounting and Commissions
How do I let your accounting department know that I have made a sale?
Will I receive commission reports?
What will be my share of commissions on my sales?
When will I be paid?
How often will I be paid?
Are service fees subject to the same split as commission from travel products?
Travel Benefits
Will I be eligible for free or discounted travel?
Will my participation in your program enable me to get an IATAN card?
Will I be able to take FAM trips?
Training
Does Great Southern Travel offer regularly scheduled training sessions?
What other training opportunities will be available to me?
Becoming a Great Southern Travel Independent Contractor
How do I apply?
Click on the Join Now tab of our home page. All you need to do is complete the application and hit Submit. It’s that easy.
How long does the application process take?
Allow our staff a few days to review your application. We will then contact you by phone or email to discuss your application.
What kind of work experience is required to qualify for your program?
Previous work experience as a trained travel professional is the preferred criteria to join our program. However, some of our most successful independent contractors have come to us from other professions and have had no formal travel training. What we’ve found to be essential for success is self-motivation, enthusiasm, a willingness to learn, strong sales skills, and an enjoyment in working with people to build a strong client base. Whether you’re brand new, an old hand, or a returnee to the travel business, one of our membership plans will fit your needs.
In order to join your program, do I have to sign a contractual agreement?
Yes. Our agreement is available for review as a link to our application.
What is the term of the agreement?
12 months from the time we receive your signed agreement and payment of your first annual fee.
What are your membership plans?
Level 1: for individuals who are new to the industry—up to 50% commission split
Level 2: for experienced individuals with the expectation of a minimum of $5,000 in annual earned commission—up to 70% commission split
Level 3: for experienced individuals with the expectation of a minimum of $10,000 in annual earned commission—up to 80% commission split
Does your program have productivity requirements?
While the Level 1 program does not have a productivity requirement, Level 2 and 3 do have minimum requirements for program renewal.
Can I upgrade from one plan to another?
Independent Contractors may upgrade from one level to another based on experience and commissions earned during a rolling 12 month period. To upgrade to the next level and earn higher commissions, the IC simply pays the difference in the annual program fee at the time of conversion. The new commission split will affect new, non-deposited bookings. All travel booked, but not yet traveled, will be paid at the original commission split.
Who do I contact for more information?
Program manager, Gerry Polodna, may be reached at gpolodna@greatsoutherntravel.com
Top
General Information
Will I be considered an employee of Great Southern Travel?
You will not be considered an employee. As a Great Southern Travel Independent Contractor, you will be self-employed. We will not withhold taxes from your commissions. At the end of each year, you will be issued a 1099 for tax purposes.
Will Great Southern Travel market to my clients?
NO! Your client list is yours.
What travel organizations does Great Southern Travel belong to?
We are a proud member of Ensemble travel consortium and have memberships in NACTA, ASTA, CLIA, ARC, and IATAN.
Does my membership include Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance?
Errors and Omissions insurance provides you with coverage for an error or omission on your part. Your membership does include this coverage. At this time there is no additional charge for this coverage; should there be a charge for it in the future, our members will be advised of that well before the advent of the charge.
What travel products will I be able to sell?
As Great Southern Travel is a full-service agency, you will be able to sell the full gamut of travel products, whether a cruise, tour, car, hotel, or trip cancellation insurance.
Will I be able to issue airline tickets?
Independent contractors with the necessary experience will be able to use our GDS to book and issue airline tickets as well as sell other travel products such as cars and hotels. Since airline tickets are non-commissionable, it is required that we receive the appropiate split of a service fee.
Will I only be able to sell Great Southern Travel’s preferred suppliers?
No. You will be able to sell suppliers that are not considered preferred. However, your commission structure may be lower for a non-preferred supplier.
Do you have blocked group space that I can sell into?
Yes. You will be able to sell into blocked space through our Ensemble affiliation as well as into groups organized by agents of Great Southern Travel.
Will I be provided with leads?
No. From experience, we know that lead programs generally appeal to price shoppers and rarely result in a long-term, lucrative client relationship.
Does Great Southern Travel provide coverage when I’m ill or on vacation?
Yes, we are happy to assist your clients during your absence. Should we be required to make a new reservation on your behalf, it may impact your commission split; see the information provided in the Commissions section of our Program Description.
What are the hours of Great Southern Travel support personnel?
Support is available Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm. Our airport personnel are available 7 days a week, 6a-10p, for assistance with emergency travel needs.
Top
Getting Started
What equipment will I need to start my business?
At a minimum, you will need to have a computer with, preferably, high speed internet access, as well as cell or land-line telephone service. You may also find it useful to have fax and copying capabilities and other office equipment necessary to effectively operate your business.
What expenses will I have in setting up my own business?
Aside from the cost of your annual fee, you will have basic expenses that any business incurs. For example: tax advisor fees, office supplies, marketing costs, software, internet access and phone charges.
Do I need to have my own credit card merchant account?
No. Credit cards are charged through our vendors or the Great Southern Travel merchant account.
Do I need to be concerned about state seller of travel laws?
If you are a resident of a state that has a seller of travel law, you will need to abide by the requirements of that law.
Will I need a local operating license?
You will need to check with local and state government agencies for specific requirements that may apply to you.
Will I be able to use Great Southern Travel as my company name?
You will need to operate your business under your own company name. However, as a participant in our program, you may indicate that you are affiliated with Great Southern Travel.
Do I have to incorporate my business?
It is not a requirement of our program that you incorporate your business. However, we do strongly recommend that you do so in order to protect your personal and company assets from possible litigation.
Can I have brochures sent to me and/or to my clients?
Most vendors now offer their brochures online for your convenience as well at that of your clients. Should you prefer printed brochures, they can be ordered from many vendors to be shipped directly to your address. If it is necessary that brochures be sent from our office, you may be charged a small fee for that service.
When I make reservations, how will vendors know I’m affiliated with Great Southern Travel?
You will use the IATA and phone numbers of Great Southern Travel when making reservations.
How will I receive vendor faxes and emails?
Great Southern Travel support personnel forward vendor faxes and emails to you as soon as possible after receipt.
Top
Technology
What computer equipment do I need?
You will need either a PC or MAC. It is preferable that you have high speed internet access.
Do I have to have high speed internet access?
No, but it is preferred as it will speed up the online booking process. It will also make it faster and easier to communicate with Great Southern Travel.
Will I have GDS access?
GDS access is available for Independent Contractors experienced in booking airline reservations.
Will I be able to issue airlines tickets?
If you are experienced in working with a GDS, you will be able to book airline reservations and issue e-tickets.
Top
Accounting and Commissions
How do I let your accounting department know that I have made a sale?
If you are experienced in working with a GDS, you will be able to invoice your sales in a way that will interface with our accounting department by using a unique profile and ID number that will be assigned to you. If you are not experienced in working with a GDS, you will need to submit a form available on our IC web site to Great Southern Travel support personnel so they can invoice for you. All commissions will be tracked for you through your issued invoices.
Will I receive commission reports?
Yes. Great Southern Travel Independent Contractors are emailed commission reports twice a month.
What will be my share of commissions on my sales?
Your share of commissions will depend on the program level you sign up for: Level 1 is 50%, Level 2 is 70%, and Level 3 is 80%. Please see the Commissions and Fees section of our program description for details of possible exceptions to these percentages.
When will I be paid?
You will be paid the week following the end of the month in which commissions were received from our vendors. While Great Southern Travel will assist in commission collection, it is the IC’s responsibility to ensure commission has been paid to us so that we may pay you.
How often will I be paid?
Independent Contractor commissions are paid once a month.
Are service fees subject to the same split as commission from travel products?
Yes.
Top
Travel Benefits
Will I be eligible for free or discounted travel?
Many of our vendors offer discounted travel opportunities: an IATAN card may be required for eligibility.
Will my participation in your program enable me to get an IATAN card?
Yes, subject to IATAN eligibility requirements.
Will I be able to take FAM trips?
As an independent contractor, you will be advised of FAM opportunities: an IATAN card may be required for eligibility.
Top
Training
Does Great Southern Travel offer regularly scheduled training sessions?
Yes, we have weekly sales and training meetings that are open to our independent contractors via web conferencing and/or webinars.
What other training opportunities will be available to me?
Independent Contractors are notified of training opportunities offered by our vendors. Tutorials for vendor web sites and for our GDS system are also accessible to our Independent Contractors.
Top
