CA Seller of Travel Ref. No. 2151375-70
Fla. Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST43780
WA Seller of Travel UBI No. 604-982-628
HI Seller of Travel Ref. No. TAR-7477
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Fla. Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST43780
WA Seller of Travel UBI No. 604-982-628
HI Seller of Travel Ref. No. TAR-7477
CA Seller of Travel Ref. No. 2151375-70
© 2025 by LuxRally Travel LLC
© 2035 by LuxRally Travel LLC
Earn More, Join LuxRally Travel
Are you thinking about becoming a travel agent in Alaska? We have you covered. We will provide your licensing, walk you through paperwork, provide in-depth training and mentorship, and it's all free to you. We don't make money until you do, and our commission split starts at a competitive 80%/20% (you keep 80%).
Joining a Host Agency Will Simplify the Process
When you join a host agency, a lot of the licensing and regulatory headaches disappear. Your host agency will provide an IATA number (which allows you to make commissionable bookings), handle your licensing, and (should) let you know if you need to file any paperwork. Your host agency's licensing will cover you unless you accept money directly from clients into your business entity or bank account.
Make sure your host travel agency has a seller of travel licenses in key states. Florida, Washington State, Hawaii, and California require seller of travel licenses to sell to their residents. We have all needed licenses to sell travel to residents in the United States and our agents can sell all destinations not listed on the OFAC list.
This article assumes you will be joining a host agency versus trying to open your own. There are various benefits to joining a host agency, i.e., access to a consortia, travel agent tools, mentorship, lower start-up costs, and so much more. Check out our guide to selecting the best host agency. We may or may not be the right match (though we probably are).
Where is this? The Sheldon Chalet, Denali, Alaska
Where is this? Casa de Sierra Nevada, a Belmond Hotel, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Travel Agent Fees Complicate the Process
If you want to charge your clients a fee, things become complicated. You will technically need your own Seller of Travel License if collecting fees into your business entity from Florida, California, Hawaii or Washington state residents (some additional states have other regulations regarding these transactions), and that gets expensive fast.
Accepting direct payments from clients for travel may require compliance with additional business, tax, and licensing regulations imposed by city, county, and/or state authorities. Be sure to review and adhere to these requirements if payments are processed through your personal or business accounts.
Fees don't just complicate your credentials; they also complicate your relationships with clients. This is something we discuss in our free travel agent training. Many travel agencies strongly recommend charging a fee. We do not. Our agents are banned from charging fees but earn more thanks to our efficient tools and comprehensive training.
Don't Accidentally Become a Tour Operator
Something else new agents may not consider is tour operator regulations. Being a tour operator requires additional credentials. You can "accidentally" become a tour operator when you try to put together a packaged trip.
For example, you may want to put together a wine package for $10,000. You charge people for "tickets" that include hotels, tours, and car services. If you accept this money directly (not through your host agency) and then pay out each supplier, you will need to become a legal tour operator and carry the risk. This is usually a not-so-profitable and high-risk endeavor. There are much easier ways for a travel agent to land large payouts. We discuss this in detail in our travel agent training.
Where is this? Maroma, a Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya, Mexico
Where is this? Aman Venice, Italy
How Licensing Works for Our Agents
We hold all of the sellers of travel licenses needed in the United States. Our agents do not accept payments from their clients to their business entities. All of their transactions run through us (the host agency). We are based in Florida, Therefore, our agents only need to file an Independent Agent Affidavit/Statement of Exemption and pay a fee of $51.50 to the State of Florida each year. This may sound intimidating, but it's not. We cover this step by step in our new agent orientation.
After that, our agents are fully credentialed and ready to legally earn commissions under our IATA.
Educational Requirements and Certifications
There is no educational requirement to become a travel agent in Alaska. However, host agencies will typically have required training or steps to access their credentials and IATA. For example, at our host travel agency, LuxRally Travel, we do background checks and require our agents to graduate from our training. We have standards, so our training is quite challenging. We want our agents to be top earners and train them from top to bottom.
Where is this? Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, Tanzania
Where is this? Shangri La Paris, France
What Comes After Becoming a Travel Agent in Alaska?
Becoming a licensed travel agent in Alaska is pretty easy. You could probably find a host agency that would give you access to their credentials and IATA in days. However, what happens after that? You need to know how to use booking tools, get clients, close deals, work with hospitality professionals, handle travel agent accounting, etc.
We cover all of this in detail during our training, provide comprehensive mentorship, and have a community of thriving agents who are constantly helping each other out. Also, we have the most advanced booking tool for travel agents (FastBook), meaning you only need to learn a few systems to start making bookings.
FastBook pulls hundreds of rates for a single hotel in 30 seconds, and our CRM has tools that automate administrative tasks, i.e., invoicing, sending client profiles to hotels, and more. No other travel agency comes close to our tech. We programmed our systems ourselves versus outsourcing the design and coding to people who do not intimately understand the needs of a travel agent.
Our Free Travel Agent Training Program
We don't make money until you do, and that builds our culture in the right direction. Our free training covers everything you need to know. You'll learn about brands, destinations, sales, working with hospitality professionals, group contract negotiations, general negotiations (i.e., what you can ask for if a client wants a large suite), how to use our booking tools, and so much more. Upon graduation, you'll have a comprehensive marketing course to bring you through your first thirty days, plus access to our weekly events, meetings, one-on-one sessions, forums, chats, and other continued education opportunities.
Where is this? Belmond La Samanna, St. Martin
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Where is this? Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel, Anguilla.
