IATA Certification or accreditation is a certified approval to the travel agents, which is recognized worldwide. Although it is not necessary for the travel agents to become IATA-certified, having it ensures you are operating within the legal boundaries of the travel industry.
What Is IATA?
International Air Transport Association (IATA), is the trade association for the global airlines. It represents 300 airlines or 83% of total traffic. It focuses on safe, secure, and sustainable air transport. It provides a polled resource for scheduling, air traffic, service, routes, and an establishment of worldwide public service for the aviation industry. It contributes to a common platform to solve many travel trade issues. It empowers and assists travel agencies and tour operators to authorize their professional integrity in the tourism market.
Why Do Travel Agents Need IATA Certification?
Airlines recognize an IATA-certified agent and provide them with easy access to its inventory, including ticket authority, flexibility in payment, and other exclusive perks. Although it is not necessary to be accredited by IATA to be in a travel business. But having IATA certification can boost your brand value.
Requirements For IATA Accreditation / Registration
Before a travel agent applies for an IATA Certification, the agent must meet the below criteria:
- The applicant company must have qualified staff to sell international air transportation, issue electronic travel documents, and report it to the BSP.
- The applicant must have a physical business premises for the travel booking business, with a registration number.
- The applicant must be financially sound.
In India, the financial record of the applicant plays an important role in the IATA accreditation process. The financial evaluation is done on the basis of the audited account of the travel agency. These are as follows:
- Positive net equity
- The net equity divided by long-term debt and other long-term liabilities must be greater than 0.5.
- The earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, amortization, and extraordinary items must be positive (EBITDA), except in exceptional circumstances.
- EBITDA must exceed the interest payable by a factor of a minimum of two and in some cases three.
- Adjustment current assets must exceed current liabilities.
How to Register for IATA Certification
Once the travel agent meets all the required criteria, they can apply for the IATA accreditation or registration. The process is mentioned below:
- Visit the official website of IATA and click on the ‘Create a User’ button.
- Once you click, a page will appear for registration on the IATA customer portal. Here, applicants can add their details to register.
- After the registration on the IATA customer portal, the applicant must return to IATA’s website.
- Here, click on the ‘Log in’ button and log in to the IATA customer portal by entering your login credentials (email and password).
- On the IATA customer portal, click on the ‘Accreditation Application’, fill the form and submit it along with the documents.
- The applicants need to pay an Accreditation fee.
- Once your application is approved, IATA will send you the IATA Accreditation.
Documents Required for the Registration
The applicant must provide the following documents while applying for the IATA Registration.
- Company registration proof
- Bank statement of company accounts
IATA Member Benefits
- Capability to Issue E-Tickets
IATA member airlines provide IATA-certified agents with access to its inventory with a single sales agency accord. It allows you to sell both international and domestic flight tickets to your customers.
- Training To The Travel Agents
It provides multiple training in various development services to the travel agents so that they can embrace the upcoming trends and challenges.
- Boosts Credibility
An IATA certificate can boost the credibility of your travel business. It improves and simplifies your business relationship with all IATA member airlines- from sale to settlement.
Features of an IATA-Certified Agent
Once a travel agent receives a valid IATA certification, it gives them multiple features. These are mentioned below:
- It provides access to at least 250 IATA airline members using a Single Standard Sales Agency Agreement.
- It authorizes travel agents to sell international and domestic flight tickets on behalf of the airline.
- It provides travel agents with access to IATA’s Billing and Settlement plan (BSP) and BSPlink. These two together provide a single standard interface for invoicing and payment between the agent and multiple airlines and transport providers.
- An IATA-certified travel agent receives global travel industry recognition through an IATA numeric code that provides a unique identifier for the agent.
- IATA travel agents meet global travel industry standards, which is identifiable through the IATA logo. It earns them global consumer confidence.
Bottom Line
How to get an IATA certificate? Getting an IATA certificate isn’t tough if you have all required documents, financial stability, and meet all the required criteria. If you have any doubts or any queries, you can connect with Travel Portal Solution. The industry expert will assist you with your IATA certification doubts and guide you through the process.
