President's Message
We’re expecting a big anniversary in January 2008.

TRUE, Behind the Scenes
By OSSN President Gary Fee

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This month, though, I’d like to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how TRUE operates.

More than 2,000 agents around the country have now received for their own TRUE numbers. That process begins when they submit an official application to OSSN Headquarters. That application includes confirmation that the agents comply with their states’ seller of travel laws and proof of a business bank account in the name of the home-based agency on the application, along with other information. We collect this data to insure that TRUE agents meet the minimum standards required for agents around the world who have booking numbers issued through the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

In North America, we work with IATA’s affiliate, the International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN). Once we’ve checked the applications for new TRUE agents -- including renewals, as well as brand-new applicants -- we send those requests to IATAN’s offices for processing. Within a few weeks, IATAN will issue a new TRUE number to first-time applicants or confirm existing numbers for renewers. (If you fail to renew your TRUE number when it’s due, this explains why you may be given a different number when you miss the deadline. That’s why it’s important to renew on time!)

In turn, we send confirmations of new and renewed TRUE numbers to the applying agents.

The process doesn’t stop there, though. Melody and I spend a lot of time throughout the year explaining the TRUE system to suppliers and following up on OSSN agents’ complaints when individual suppliers claim they don’t accept TRUE numbers. In many cases, the supplier does indeed accept TRUE bookings as a policy, but that word hasn’t spread down to the front-line reservations workers.

With other suppliers -- especially companies that advertise with OSSN or take part in the trade shows OSSN supports -- we’ve met one-on-one to explain TRUE or we’ve asked them to put TRUE as an option on their booking forms before they start their ads. If OSSN agents tell us about suppliers who’ve balked at taking the TRUE number, we contact those suppliers directly to find out what’s going on.

To the best of our knowledge, only one major supplier that sells through agents -- Marriott -- refuses outright to accept the TRUE number (or any other agent-directed booking number system). With every other major non-air supplier that sells through agents, we’ve had great success persuading those companies to work with our home-based agents. (And, if you want to sell Marriott and earn commissions, you can work through avenues such as CCRA International!)

If you truly operate your own home-based travel agency, working directly with suppliers, then you need your own TRUE number! Go to the TRUE page at OSSN.com for more details.

(Credit: OSSN)