PHOTO: Marxen: "Our new AirSelect Central booking engine is unique in that it offers commissionable air booking capabilities to all agencies." (Photo by James Shillinglaw)
CCRA Travel Solutions' new web-based air booking engine, called CCRA AirSelect Central, has officially gone live. The product was first unveiled at the Home Based Travel Agent Forum in Las Vegas in June.
CCRA AirSelect Central allows travel agents to book airline tickets and receive commissions with CCRA's more than 30 preferred international airline partners. Bookings can be made online by home-based travel agencies and non-GDS agencies. The new service complements the existing CCRA AirSelect Direct program, designed for ARC ticket reporting agencies that book air via a GDS.
Using CCRA AirSelect Central, agents can book international airlines 24/7 and receive commissions as high as 25 percent for qualifying reservations from CCRA preferred international airline partners. Agents get 80 percent of the total air commissions earned per booking (the rest is CCRA's fee for the service). Commissionable airlines are identified during the online booking process through a "CCRA Preferred" icon. CCRA AirSelect Central also allows travel agencies to add their own service fee.
CCRA handles ticket fulfillment and will reconcile air carrier commission payments and service fees to travel agencies, which will be paid every other week. Travel agencies can access online reporting at any time to receive up-to-date information on commissions and service fees owed, tickets issued, traveler information, and confirmed or cancelled bookings.
"Similar to our well-known hotel booking portal, our new AirSelect Central booking engine is unique in that it offers commissionable air booking capabilities to all agencies, including home-based travel agencies and non-GDS agencies," said Dic Marxen, CCRA Travel Solutions' president and CEO. "Our Air Partner Solutions Division has already established more than 30 preferred partner contracts with leading airlines around the world. APS will continue to negotiate with international airlines that will provide agencies with commissionable booking opportunities."
Travel agents that regularly check the CCRA Air Partner Solutions webpage and the CCRA Travel Agent Blog can access airline news, promotions, specials, educational webinars and podcasts. In addition, they can get access to familiarization trips on CCRA's Preferred International Airline Partners and Preferred Hotel Partners.
The CCRA AirSelect Central booking engine is available to qualified travel agencies and travel agents who are members of OSSN, TRUE, ARC, CLIA or IATA. There is no annual registration fee to use the new online booking portal for those agents who meet CCRA's registration criteria
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