Before you complete your Atlas Coast application, create a brand new email address that is dedicated entirely to your travel agent business. A free Gmail account works perfectly. Something like yourname.travels@gmail.com or yournametravel@gmail.com.

This email will be your professional identity as a travel agent. Use it for everything: your Atlas portal login, every supplier registration, every client communication, every travel industry account you create. Never mix it with your personal inbox.

Check your email immediately after signing up. You will receive an identity verification request, which is a quick two-minute process where you upload a photo of your government-issued ID. Complete it right away. Your access to the Atlas portal is held until this step is complete.

Once your identity is verified, you will receive your portal login credentials. Log in and begin your onboarding track.

Track A is for new agents. If you are brand new to the travel industry, this is your path. It walks you through choosing your niche, establishing your business name and brand, setting up your professional email, and registering with your first travel suppliers. Sessions run daily and are designed to get you from zero to booking-ready quickly.

Track B is for converting agents. If you are moving to Atlas Coast from another host agency, this track is built for you. You already know how to be a travel agent. This track skips the basics and focuses on learning the Atlas platform, understanding the commission structure, and managing any existing bookings you are bringing with you.

Not sure which applies to you? An Agent Success Coach will help you decide on your first call.

After you complete your onboarding track, you will schedule a one-on-one video call with an Agent Success Coach. On this call, your coach walks you through the Atlas Booking Platform, explains how commission tracking and payouts work, and confirms you are genuinely ready to make your first booking.

Completely normal. There is a lot of new information when you first join and feeling lost in the first few weeks is one of the most common experiences agents have. You do not need to learn everything at once.

The fastest path through overwhelm: follow the onboarding sequence in your portal before trying to do anything else. The sequence exists for a reason. Follow it and the pieces come together.

If you are stuck on something specific, email agentsupport@atlascoasttravel.com. That is exactly what the support team is there for.

Most agents are ready to book within 7 to 10 days of signing up. The two things most in your control are how quickly you complete identity verification (do it the same day you sign up) and how soon you schedule your Ready-to-Book coach call. Everything else flows from those two steps.

A host agency is an established, accredited travel agency that lets independent agents operate under its umbrella. You bring your own clients and run your own travel business. The host agency provides the infrastructure you would otherwise spend years and tens of thousands of dollars building yourself.

To earn commissions from major cruise lines, resorts, and tour operators, you need to be recognized as a legitimate travel agency. That recognition requires formal accreditation — specifically CLIA and IATAN credentials. Getting those on your own requires proof of sales history, a physical business address, state licensing in multiple states, liability insurance, and significant ongoing fees. It can take two to three years and real money to build from scratch.

Atlas Coast has already done all of that. When you join, you access all of it immediately under our umbrella for $40 per month.

Atlas Coast holds one set of agency credentials: one CLIA number (00810443), one IATAN accreditation, one set of supplier agreements. Every agent who joins Atlas Coast operates under those same credentials.

This is standard practice across the entire host agency industry. It is not a limitation. It is the model. To a cruise line or resort, you are an agent of "Atlas Coast Travel Group." That is what gives you access to their booking portals, their commission structures, and their preferred agent programs from day one, without any prior history.

Because Atlas Coast has thousands of agents all sharing the same agency CLIA number, suppliers cannot tell individual agents apart by credentials. Your email address is the only thing that uniquely identifies you as an individual within our shared-credential system.

If your email address in the Atlas Booking Platform is different from the email you used at a supplier, Atlas has no reliable way to match your supplier records to your portal records. Commissions can get lost. This is why the very first instruction in this guide is to create a dedicated TA email before you sign up. Use that one email for everything, forever.

Every booking you make must be entered into the Atlas Booking Platform within 60 days of the date you made the booking. Bookings not entered within 60 days are not eligible for commission reconciliation, and the commission is forfeited.

Both. Atlas Coast earns two ways: the $40 monthly membership fee from each active agent, and the 10% commission override retained from booking commissions. This means our interests are aligned with yours. When you book more, we earn more. The 90/10 split is set to be the best in the industry while still funding the infrastructure that makes your business possible.

Go to atlascoasttravel.com and click the member login in the top navigation. Sign in with your dedicated TA email address. If you have forgotten your password, click Forgot Password on the login page. Bookmark your portal. You will use it daily.

Email agentsupport@atlascoasttravel.com immediately with your name, your old email address, and the new email address you want to use.

Log into your portal, click your name in the upper right corner, and select Subscriptions. Under your active plan you will see a link to update your payment card.

Cancellation requires 30 days written notice per your ITA agreement. Submit your request through the Membership Cancellation form in the portal. Do not simply stop paying. Your membership and access continue through the full 30-day notice period.

In your portal, go to your Profile and confirm your communication preferences are enabled. Then check that emails from atlascoasttravel.com are not landing in spam or promotions and add us to your contacts. Training updates, supplier alerts, commission notices, and policy changes all come through email. Staying subscribed is not optional.

Your $40 per month covers all of the following at no additional cost:

• CLIA and IATAN agency credentials to book professionally and access supplier portals
• E&O (Errors and Omissions) insurance covering you under the Atlas Coast agency policy
• Atlas University, the in-house training program built by university educators
• The Atlas Content Vault, a library of licensed travel photos, video, templates, and social content
• Your own custom website and links page, set up during onboarding
• Access to the Atlas agent community inside Kajabi
• Access to Agent Success Coaches for guidance and support
• Eligibility for the one-time agent referral bonus

No startup fees. No annual contracts. No transaction fees deducted from your commission. No surprise add-ons.

Atlas University is the in-house training program built by university educators and included in your membership. It covers how the travel industry works, how commissions are structured, how to use booking systems, how to find clients, and how to run your business professionally. It is self-paced, available 24/7, and lives inside your portal under the Training section.

The Atlas Content Vault is a library of licensed travel photos, videos, social media templates, and copy created by Melissa and made available to all active Atlas agents. Access it inside your portal under Resources. Content in the Vault is licensed for use by active Atlas agents only and may not be used after your membership ends.

Every Atlas agent gets a custom website included in membership — a mobile-friendly links page that serves as your professional home base online. Setup is part of onboarding and you will be walked through it step by step. We recommend also purchasing a custom domain name for about $3 to $10 for the first year.

To update your site after setup, use the Agent Profile Update form in your portal.

The Atlas agent community lives inside Kajabi, the same platform as your portal. Access it through the Community section. It is private, professionally moderated, and integrated with your training and resources.

Yes. If you refer someone to Atlas Coast, they join and remain an active member for six months, you receive a one-time cash bonus based on their booking activity during that window. One payment. No ongoing percentages, no downline tracking, no monthly cuts of their membership or commission. Atlas Coast is not an MLM and the referral structure is designed to not look like one even from a distance. Your unique referral link and bonus tier details are inside your portal.

When you register with travel suppliers, they ask for your agency's identifying information. Always use Atlas Coast's credentials, never your personal home address or information.

CLIA stands for Cruise Lines International Association. It is the major accreditation body for travel agencies in the cruise industry.

The agency CLIA number (00810443): This is Atlas Coast's accreditation number. You use it when registering with suppliers and entering bookings.

A personal CLIA membership card: An individual ID card available at cruising.org for a separate annual fee that Atlas Coast does not cover. It is used as proof of agent status to access travel agent discounts on your own personal travel. You do not need it to book for clients.

IATAN stands for International Airlines Travel Agent Network. It is the other major accreditation body for travel agencies, particularly recognized by airlines and a wide range of non-cruise suppliers. Atlas Coast holds IATAN accreditation, which means you benefit from it automatically as an Atlas agent.

Florida requires agents operating under a host agency to register individually as an Independent Travel Agent With A Host. This registration costs $50 per year and is paid to the state, not to Atlas Coast. Instructions and forms are in your portal under the Florida Residents section. Contact support if you need help completing it.

No. California-resident agents are covered under Atlas Coast's California Seller of Travel registration, provided you do not handle client funds directly. We report all active agents to the state each year as required.

Hawaii has no independent contractor exemption, which means every agent who books Hawaii travel must be individually registered with the state regardless of host agency affiliation. If you are a Hawaii resident or regularly book Hawaii travel for clients, you need your own Hawaii Seller of Travel registration. Contact support for guidance on completing this.

Washington state typically requires a $60 per year individual registration if you are marketing your travel business under your own brand name rather than exclusively as Atlas Coast Travel Group. Contact support if you are unsure whether this applies to how you are operating.

Yes. Atlas Coast affiliate information must appear on your website and all print marketing materials including business cards. For clients in Florida and California, our Seller of Travel information must also be displayed. Approved logo files and the required disclosure language are in your portal resource library. Use those versions exactly.

The Atlas Booking Platform is the software system where you run your travel business behind the scenes. It is where you:

• Enter every trip you book for a client
• Track your clients and their travel history
• Record what commissions you are owed and when they are expected to arrive
• Generate reports on your bookings and earnings

Atlas Coast provides access to this platform as part of your membership. An Agent Success Coach walks you through how it works during your Ready-to-Book call.

In most cases, clients pay the supplier directly — either the supplier sends your client a secure payment link they complete themselves, or you enter the client's payment details into the supplier's booking system on their behalf. When you are entering a client's payment information on their behalf, you must have a signed credit card authorization form from them before doing so.

As a travel agent, you are not collecting money or holding funds. The money flows from client to supplier to agency to you.

Annual travel insurance policies cover a traveler for an entire year. When entering one in the booking platform, use the date of sale as the trip start date and 30 days later as the trip end date.

Example: Policy sold July 15. Enter July 15 as trip start, August 15 as trip end.

First, confirm that at least 90 days have passed since the trip ended. Many suppliers, especially hotels, do not release commission until 90 days after checkout. This is standard across the industry.

If 90 days have passed and you have not been paid, submit a Where Is My Commission form through your portal. Include your booking reference number, the supplier name, travel dates, and your client's name.

When a supplier pays a commission on a booking you made, Atlas Coast receives that payment. Atlas Coast keeps 10% and pays you 90%. No transaction fees. No per-payout charges. No deductions from your share. This split applies from your very first booking and never changes based on volume or time.

Example: A cruise line pays $500 in commission on your booking. You receive $450. Atlas Coast keeps $50.

Commissions are paid on the 1st and 15th of every month, based on supplier funds received during that period. We do not advance commissions that have not yet been received from suppliers. Balances under $25 roll to the next cycle automatically and never expire.

After your Ready-to-Book coach call is marked complete, you will receive an email invitation from Dots, the platform Atlas Coast uses to deposit commission payments directly into your bank account. Follow the steps in that invitation to connect your bank account and submit your W-9 form electronically.

Yes. If you earn $600 or more in commissions in a calendar year, Atlas Coast will issue a 1099-NEC to you automatically. Everything is handled through Dots using the W-9 you submitted at setup. Atlas Coast does not provide tax advice. Consult a tax professional about how to handle self-employment income.

You are not required to form an LLC. Many agents start as sole proprietors and that is perfectly fine, especially early on. An LLC can offer liability protection and potential tax benefits depending on your situation. Consult a CPA or tax professional who works with self-employed clients before deciding.

Confirm that at least 90 days have passed since the trip ended. If 90 days have passed and you have not been paid, submit a Where Is My Commission form through your portal with your booking reference number, the supplier name, travel dates, and client name.

A travel supplier is any company that provides the actual travel product: cruise lines, hotels, resorts, tour operators, vacation packages, car rental companies, travel insurance providers, and so on.

To book on behalf of a client and earn commission, you create an agent account with each supplier you plan to use. That account connects you as an Atlas Coast agent to their booking portal, establishes your commission rate, and tells the supplier where to send payment when your client travels.

Your dedicated TA email address, the same one you used to sign up for Atlas Coast. Use it everywhere: every supplier registration, every booking confirmation, every industry account. Consistency across all accounts is what makes the reconciliation system described in Section 2 work correctly.

Start supplier registration after completing your onboarding track. When filling out registration forms, use Atlas Coast's agency credentials (name, address, CLIA number), not your personal information. Step-by-step registration guides for the most commonly used suppliers are in your portal under Supplier Resources.

BDM stands for Business Development Manager — the dedicated representative assigned by a cruise line, resort, or tour operator to support travel agents in a specific region. Your BDM can help you get a quote reviewed, understand a promotion, escalate a client service issue, access agent training, and get on the list for ship inspections and FAM trips.

BDMs exist specifically to help agents sell more of their product. As an Atlas agent booking under our CLIA credentials, suppliers recognize you as part of an accredited agency — that opens BDM relationships that solo agents without a host simply do not have access to.

Most major suppliers offer free online training academies for travel agents: Royal Caribbean University, Disney College of Knowledge, Sandals Academy, and dozens more. Complete at least two certifications in your niche early on.

First, check that you used Atlas Coast's agency credentials when you registered, and that the email you used matches your dedicated TA email. If the problem persists, email agentsupport@atlascoasttravel.com with the supplier name, the email you used to register, and a description of the error. Do not create a second supplier account before contacting support.

Yes, with one important exception. Florida law prohibits charging a separate service fee to clients who are Florida residents. For clients in all other states, you may charge a service or planning fee at your discretion.

Yes. All Atlas Coast agents are covered under the agency Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance policy. It protects you if a client claims you made a mistake that cost them money. Coverage limits and deductible are posted in your portal. Coverage details to be updated at policy confirmation

Yes. You can identify yourself as an Atlas Coast travel agent in your bio, on your website, and in your marketing. Approved logo files are in your portal resource library. What you may not do: misrepresent yourself as an employee of Atlas Coast, use the branding in ways that imply authority you do not have, or use Atlas Coast's name after your membership ends.

Absolutely. Many agents find that family and friends are their first and best clients. Enter the booking in the Atlas Booking Platform just as you would for any other client, use a CC authorization form, and keep all documentation. The rules do not change because you know the traveler personally.

Your protection comes entirely from your paper trail. For every single booking, maintain:

• All emails and text messages with the client about the trip
• A signed credit card authorization form obtained before processing any payment
• The booking confirmation from the supplier
• Any change requests or cancellation communications, always in writing

Store everything for a minimum of 7 years.

A CC auth form is a document your client signs confirming they authorize you to process charges to their card for a specific booking. Yes. Every booking. No exceptions.

Email agentsupport@atlascoasttravel.com immediately. Gather your signed CC auth form, all booking correspondence, the supplier confirmation, and a summary of the situation. Send everything in your first email. Do not engage with the chargeback process directly or contact the credit card company yourself. The support team handles chargeback responses.

Stop. Reach out to an Agent Success Coach before proceeding with the booking. Travel fraud often involves a sense of urgency: a client who needs it booked right now, an unusual payment request, a deal that seems too good to be true. Trust your instincts. A 24-hour delay to verify something is always better than processing a fraudulent booking and dealing with the fallout.

Most suppliers require proof of agent status before granting TA rates. Your personal CLIA membership card (available at cruising.org, separate annual fee Atlas Coast does not cover) is the most widely accepted form of ID. Some suppliers also accept your agent portal credentials or a letter of affiliation. Contact support if you need a letter issued.

FAM trips (familiarization trips) are heavily discounted or complimentary travel experiences offered by suppliers to travel agents so they can experience the product firsthand. As an Atlas agent under our CLIA credentials, you are eligible to apply. They are not guaranteed and most require an active booking history with that supplier. The more you book with a particular line, the better your access becomes.

A ship inspection is when a cruise line invites travel agents to board a ship in port and tour it before it sets sail. Most ship inspections are free or very low cost and are coordinated through your cruise line BDM or supplier portal.

Yes. Beyond agent rates and FAM trips, many cruise lines have agent loyalty programs that offer points, onboard credit, Wi-Fi, upgrades, and exclusive recognitions. These typically require completing the cruise line's agent training programs and grow as your booking volume with that line increases.

Generally yes, though the commission amounts are typically modest given the sailing is complimentary. Check with the specific cruise line's agent portal or your BDM for details on a particular sailing.

Beyond Atlas University, these free resources are widely used in the industry:

• Online Travel Training: onlinetraveltraining.com
• Travel Agent University: travelagentuniversity.com
• Travel Agent Academy: travelagentacademy.com
• The Travel Institute: thetravelinstitute.com
• CLIA Agent Resources: cruising.org

Supplier academies (Royal Caribbean University, Disney College of Knowledge, Sandals Academy, and many more) are free and directly tied to earning higher commission rates with those suppliers.

Yes. Dual hosting during a transition period is common and we strongly recommend it. New bookings go under Atlas Coast from the day you join. Existing bookings already in your pipeline stay under your old agency until those commissions pay out.

Your client relationships belong to you, not to your old host agency. Send a personal email to your existing clients letting them know you have moved to Atlas Coast Travel Group. Most clients follow their agent, not the agency name on the paperwork.

You will need to re-register with suppliers under Atlas Coast's credentials. Supplier access is tied to agency affiliation, not to you personally. For most preferred suppliers, any training or certifications you have completed will carry over without starting over. Your relationships with individual BDMs and supplier reps are yours personally — they transfer with you.

Not all host agencies release bookings when an agent leaves. Whether yours is required to depends on the terms of your agreement with them. If they refuse, request it in writing so you have a record. Contact Atlas support for guidance if you are navigating this situation.

Yes. Register with Atlas Coast using a fresh, dedicated TA email rather than the email you used at your previous agency. Re-register with suppliers under that new email as well. New accounts under Atlas Coast credentials create a clean break and prevent reconciliation issues.

The Booking Partner program is an application-only program for experienced, active Atlas agents who are selected to receive travel leads generated through Melissa's content platform and social media presence. It is not automatic at signup. It is not open to all agents.

When you close a sale from a Booking Partner lead, the split is 80/20: you keep 80% of the commission and Atlas Coast retains 20%. The standard split is 90/10. The 10% difference reflects the fact that the lead was sourced for you, not by you.

To be eligible to apply, you must meet all of the following:

• Minimum 6 months as an active Atlas Coast agent in good standing (waived for founding agents during Atlas Coast's first year of operation)
• Minimum 10 completed bookings where clients have traveled and commission has been received
• At least 2 supplier certifications completed
• Good standing with Atlas Coast: no unresolved client complaints, no ITA violations, no outstanding chargeback issues
• Application submitted and approved by Atlas Coast leadership

Meeting the criteria does not guarantee acceptance. Niche alignment and current lead volume are also considered.

• Respond to every assigned lead within 24 hours. No exceptions. Failure to do so results in the lead being reassigned.
• Update the lead's status in the Atlas system as they move through your pipeline.
• Do not charge any booking or planning fee to leads assigned through the program.
• Maintain active booking status and good standing with Atlas Coast.

Yes. Active Booking Partners receive an annual reimbursement for their individual CLIA membership fee from cruising.org. To claim it: pay your CLIA membership renewal, then submit your receipt through the CLIA Reimbursement form in the portal. The reimbursement is added to your next scheduled commission payment. This benefit applies only while you are an active Booking Partner.

Yes. Booking Partner status can be revoked if you repeatedly fail to respond to leads within 24 hours, fail to keep lead status updated, charge fees to Booking Partner leads, fall out of good standing with Atlas Coast, or significantly reduce your booking activity.

The ITA is your Independent Travel Agent Agreement — the contract between you and Atlas Coast that defines the terms of your affiliation. It covers your commission split and how payouts work, the 30-day written notice required to cancel your membership, Atlas Coast's right to terminate for cause, what happens to your credentials when the relationship ends, and the governing state (Florida) for any disputes.

You can review your ITA at any time at atlascoasttravel.com/ITA.

Commissions on completed trips where Atlas Coast has already received cleared funds from the supplier will be paid out in your next regular pay cycle after membership ends. If your balance is below the $25 minimum threshold, it will be paid out in full on exit regardless.

Commissions on trips that have not yet traveled, or where the supplier has not yet paid Atlas Coast, follow the normal supplier payment timeline. Canceling before your pipeline of booked trips is complete means some commissions may be delayed or forfeited depending on supplier timing.

When your membership ends, portal access is revoked. The Atlas Coast CLIA and IATAN credentials are also revoked. You may not continue using Atlas Coast's accreditation numbers after your membership ends. Training content and Content Vault resources are licensed for the duration of your active membership only.

Your clients are yours. Atlas Coast has no claim on any client relationships you built during your time with us.

No. Atlas Coast does not have a multi-level or downline structure. You cannot build a team, earn ongoing overrides on other agents' commissions, or collect a percentage of another agent's earnings. This is a foundational commitment.

There is a one-time referral bonus if you refer someone who joins and stays active for six months. One payment, clean and done.

All questions go to one address. Our team routes them to the right person internally. For most operational questions, email gets a faster response than phone.

• Monday through Friday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern
• Saturday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Eastern (limited availability)
• Sunday: Email monitored, responses the following business day

Use general support for: account questions, login issues, billing, supplier access problems, commission inquiries, and anything operational or transactional.

Use an Agent Success Coach for: guidance on building your business, help thinking through a specific client situation, strategic questions about your niche.

Email agentsupport@atlascoasttravel.com with URGENT in the subject line. For emergencies involving a client who is currently traveling and in distress: Emergency after-hours protocol to be added