Okay. I need to take a deep breath because IATA—International Air Transport Association—is, quite frankly, the behemoth when it comes to accreditation options. I mean HUGE. They’re the Visa of the travel agency accreditation world, and their certification number is accepted globally.
When it comes to certification options, they’ve got a little something for everyone:
- IATA (International, w/ air ticketing)
- IATA’s TIDS (international, no air)
- IATAN (U.S. version of IATA w/ air ticketing)
- IATAN’s non-ticketing (U.S.-based)
Wait, wait. Why the ‘N’ after IATA?!? IATAN (ticketing and non-ticketing) is essentially a U.S.-branded version of IATA. When you see an ‘N’ in IATA, think US-based agencies. At the end of the day, IATAN comes wrapped up in a different package than IATA, but the contents are essentially the same. Same global recognition, same-looking accreditation numbers, same services. In fact, it’s so similar that when it comes to travel agency accreditation numbers, many US agents will use IATA# and IATAN# interchangeably.
For the purposes of this article, I won’t go into as much depth on IATA because eligibility, fees and the application process is different for EVERY country. Yowzers. So if you have questions about an IATA application for a specific country, the best thing is to contact IATA directly.
Okay. Put on your SCUBA gear folks, we’re diving in.
- Who is it for? IATAN is US specific, and includes accredited ticketing locations. It’s for any travel professional (see below)—CTD, meeting planner, host agency, or storefront agency—with 2+ years experience in the industry. And if you remember from our ARC talk earlier, ARC processes all the money for ticketing in the US, so any applicant must be ARC-accredited.
- Countries Applicants Accepted From: United States only
- Travel Agency Accreditation Cost: $195 application fee (for a travel agency), $85 annual service fee.
- Experience Needed? Actively selling travel 2 out last 3 years.
- Application Requirements:
- Notification Time: 4-6 weeks
- Number of Agencies IATAN Accredited: 11,000+ IATAN Accredited Ticketing Locations in the U.S.
- Click Here for More Info!
IATAN Sound Bite: Learn about the program directly from IATA!
- Who is it for? IATAN-non ticketing is an accrediting option available to any U.S.-based travel agency—home-based, storefront, meeting-planner entity, or Corporate Travel Department—with 2+ years experience in the industry. Financial criteria is $10,000 invested in the business (see more below!)
- Countries Applicants Accepted From: United States only
- Travel Agency Accreditation Cost: Application fee is $195. Annual service fee is $85.
- Experience Needed? Actively selling travel 2 out last 3 years.
- Application Requirements?
- Financial Criteria:
- Travel Agent: $10,000 financial capital
- Meeting Planner: $20,000 in Gross Travel Income or $200,000 in Annual Gross Sales
- Corporate Travel Department: $200,000 in annual travel expenses
- Proof of 2 years of experience
- Proof of Business License
- Proof of Business ownership
- Agencies based in California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa and Washington need proof SOT
- Proof of Bank Account
- Proof of E&O OR 5 years of experience in the industry
- Two letters of recommendation from either
- IATAN Accredited Agency (with IATA #)
- National or International travel industry supplier
- Certified Travel Associate/ Counselor (CTA or CTC), Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certification in Meeting Management (CMM), CSEP (Certified Special Event Professional)
- Notification Time: 4-6 weeks
- Number of Agencies IATAN Accredited: 7,000+ IATAN Accredited non-ticketing locations in the U.S.
IATAN Sound Bite: Learn about the program directly from IATA!
- Who is it for? IATA is for agencies outside the United States who’d like to book air and receive global recognition from suppliers.
- Countries Applicants Accepted From: Everywhere except United States.
- Number of Agencies IATAN Accredited: IATA has over 100,000 agents internationally accredited under its organization.
- Who is it for? IATA’s TIDS is a non-air ticketing option for agents outside the United States.
- Countries Applicants Accepted From: Everywhere except United States.
- Number of Agencies IATAN Accredited: IATA has over 100,000 agents internationally accredited under its organization.
