AMERICA'S
VACATION CENTER, an American Express Travel
Representative, began offering health insurance packages to its
home-based independent contractors. Brad Anderson, AVC
co-president, said agents can choose which products they want.
Offerings include major medical, limited medical, life insurance,
dental and vision insurance, accident/short-term disability
insurance and prescription discount card. Participating insurers
include AIG, Genworth and Assurity. Agents interested in
affiliating with AVC can call (800) 521-2597 or visit www.JoinAVC.com.
THE OUTSIDE
SALES SUPPORT NETWORK relaunched its Web site [at www.ossn.com], which now
has more than 5,500 individual pages designed to meet the needs of
home-based travel agents. OSSN, which represents more than 6,000
retailers, and Primary Hub, its Web developer, invested nine months
in the site's upgrade. Gary Fee, OSSN's president and founder, said
the new site has an online version of the OSSN Member Manual. The
new site also provides an online WelcomeCenter with links to OSSN's
most requested aids and tools. "In the past, our agents were forced
to call OSSN headquarters for these materials, and we sent them out
via regular mail," Fee said.
TOUR
DESK: Travel Impressions launched a booking engine on its
Web site called Quest for Agents, which gives retailers several
expanded capabilities, including the ability to add travel agency
surcharges to invoices. Details are at www.travelimpressions.com.
FAM OF THE
WEEK
Fiji
Trip: Two nights at the Sonaisali resort,
located near Nadi Town on the main island of Fiji, followed by a
three-night stay at Castaway Island Resort in Mamanuca.
Departure: Nov. 14 from Los Angeles to Nadi
via Air Pacific.
Length: Five nights.
Sponsor: Pacific Holidays, New
York.
Cost: $895 per person, double. Includes
roundtrip air, accommodations, most meals, transfers and
sightseeing.
Noteworthy: The companion rate is $1,395
per person.
Contact: (800) 355-8025 or (212) 629-3888;
fax: (212) 629-8882; e-mail: [email protected].
Home-Based
Agent Editor:
Donna
Tunney
Phone: (508) 221-3674
[email protected]
For promotional
opportunities in the E-letters, contact [email protected].