Nevada Parent Teacher Association Charleston Blvd. Las Vegas, Nevada 89146-1127 Phone 800-782-7201 |
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| Please Consider Nevada PTA Travel as a great way to earn money for your school.
We have set up a conference call for anyone wish to get more information on this wonderful program. http://www.nevadaptatravel.org You may enter the Nevada PTA Travel Program by selecting a school from the drop down list and clicking “Go”. If you desire more information about our program or how to find services provided continue scanning on this page. Class or Group travel As educators, you have the opportunity to expand your classroom and provide a hands-on learning environment for you and your students through educational student travel. No matter what subject you teach - music, history, English, science, foreign language, etc.; club you sponsor - FBLA, student council, honor society, senior class, etc.; or program you direct - Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Talent Search, Gifted, etc. - American Destinations, Inc. will custom design an itinerary to meet your educational needs and budget. An Account Manager will create an affordable and educational tour to meet your classroom objectives. Concert package? It is time for an experience that you will never forget! Nevada PTA Travel specializes in music travel throughout North America and the Caribbean (cruises only). Unlike many companies that want you to experience "their" package, We have partnered to assists you in building a performance tour package that meets YOUR needs. An Account Manager can give you many ideas on where to go and what to do. You decide what fits best for your group and leave the rest to us. For the very best value in performance group travel
WEB SITE INFORMATION AND DIRECTORY
Since 9/11/01 airlines and other suppliers of the travel industry went out of business, filed bankruptcy, or on the verge of bankruptcy. Consumers stopped traveling and it took awhile for the industry to recover, then the situation was complicated by the increase of fuel prices. While many suppliers made significant recovery the airline industry did not. Since that recovery there have been drastic changes in the way consumers make travel arrangements. With the increase in Internet use (E-Ticketing—more than 85% of all travel bookings), baby boomers retiring, and the world’s largest industry (Travel), many travelers make their accommodations from the convenience of a computer, thus, many brick and mortar travel agencies have gone out of business. Walk-In travel stores have diminished tremendously, they charge inflated service fees, and receiving a paper ticket is expensive and almost obsolete. Airlines can no longer afford to provide wholesale tickets to travel agencies. Airlines are forced to fill their aircraft from within and this change eliminates any commissions previously afforded to travel agencies. However, air travel arranged via the Internet can be less expensive than calling the airline directly. A service fee is attached to your ticket and this is how on line travel agencies receive fees for their services. This process exists because airlines, like other major suppliers, cannot afford to hire many customer service representatives, and they acknowledge the widespread use of E-Ticketing through the Internet. The travel industry is a 7-trillion dollar a year business and is expected to double within five years.
The Internet or E-Ticketing has put the travel industry in a “turnkey” or turn over situation. Throughout the process of this attrition consumers have become today’s travel agents. All suppliers except for airlines provide commissions to travel agencies including on line agencies such as Expedia, Travelocity, Priceline, Orbitz, Hotels.com, rental car agencies, vacation tour companies, and practically all suppliers of the travel industry. Consumers are performing tasks that of a travel agent but aren’t entitled to receive any commissions for making their arrangements. On line agencies retain these commissions entirely. While these retail agencies aren’t allowed to share their commissions, there is one that can, and does. This host agency has extended its services to assist non-profit organizations such as the Nevada PTA.
The Nevada PTA is always reaching for ways to generate revenue to support our mission. Recently, we procured a host travel agency that offers the Nevada PTA a 60% return on commissions in the form of cash royalties. The Nevada PTA’s enrollment in this non-profit program allows the Nevada PTA and all schools in Nevada to retrieve travel commissions generated by supporters. Any parent, teacher, student, relative, friend, affiliate, or supporter that travels or plans to travel can tremendously help a school of their choice by utilizing the Nevada PTA Travel Program. The Nevada PTA is not expert in the travel industry, our host agency has guaranteed us the expertise needed to insure our members, affiliates, and supporters are provided assistance when making travel arrangements for an array of travel amenities. If you are planning a vacation, cruise, business trip, need a hotel, rental car, or any accommodations involving travel, please consider our travel program before finalizing any travel arrangements. Our program is just as competitive price wise or better than all major on line booking web sites. Our program is not a redemption program or credit card program that offers you a minute portion of the commissions. The Nevada PTA pays no fees or service charges to our host agency. We receive 60% of the commissions and pass on 90% of those commissions to the school of your choice. We keep 10% to help with parent enrollment fees and other administrative and operational needs provided to programs within our organization. Once you have selected your school, paid for your reservations, and have completed your travel the Passport To Giving program will forward a check to the Nevada PTA. The Nevada PTA will then forward the royalties to the school of your choice.
Where Does Your Money Go When You Make Travel Arrangements? Most of us don’t care as long as we get what we want. However, the Nevada PTA cares because by using our travel web site we receive a large portion of your commissionable fee (60%) and use it for significant programs, projects, equipment, and materials. How is this possible? Whether you book your travel reservations through the supplier directly, through a travel agency store, or from an on line travel agency there is a commission for services rendered provided by the supplier. 60% of those commissions are returned to the Nevada PTA and we disburse 90% of those commissions in the form of cash royalties to the school of your choice. We are eligible to receive commissions from our host agency because it operates the program under non-profit status. The Nevada PTA is a non-profit organization and our host agency provides us royalties under the IRS 501(c)3 guidelines. The Nevada PTA Board retains 10% to assist with administrative needs, and extend membership fees to parents of schools not formally in the Nevada PTA Program.
How Is It Possible For the Nevada PTA Travel Program To Be Competitive? The Global Distribution System (GDS) is the real time program used by suppliers and allows access by all authorized travel agencies, including ours. Our agency is one of the largest. We are able to compete and offer many of the same guarantees. Suppliers are not staffed to handle all of their customers. They rely on independent agencies to assist in their reservations. The suppliers do so without prejudice by keeping their price consistent so that consumers can use these independent agencies with confidence. They pay the same commissions to the independent agencies as they do their own. Independent agencies could not exist if the price offered by the supplier was less expensive when calling them directly instead of an independent travel agency. Keep in mind, major on line booking companies and travel agencies do not own the hotel, ship, rental car agency, or company that provides you with your vacation package. They help you to procure your reservations by allowing you access to the GDS when you log onto their web site.
Can Supporters Of The Nevada Schools and PTA Receive Commissions From Other On Line Agencies? No. Retail on line agencies cannot give commissions provided by suppliers. Consumers aren’t eligible to receive commissions afforded to travel agencies and their agents. On line agencies can offer you the best price and they all compete for your patronage. They use the same booking engines that access the GDS and make the same guarantees. So does the Nevada PTA Travel Program. Every purchase has a commission built in guaranteed by the supplier. For the school of your choice to receive commissions from your travel arrangements, they must be made from our travel portal or through our customer service only. Booking directly with a supplier forfeits any royalties.
How Do I Identify The School Of My Choice When I Use The Nevada PTA Travel Program? There are several ways to access the travel program. One way is directly through the Nevada PTA web site, a link that could be created for your desktop, and another is going directly to the travel portal by typing in the URL www.nevadaptatravel.org. All of these links connect you to information and directory web site that has a drop down list that will connect you to the actual booking site.
Who Can Use The Nevada PTA Travel Program? Anyone can use the travel program to raise funds for Nevada Schools and the PTA. You don’t have to be a member of the Nevada PTA to participate in this program; the school of your choice will still receive its royalties. Simply locate the school of your choice, click “go” to enter the travel portal. You must select a school. This procedure identifies the school when the reservation has been completed. When the commission check is printed it will delineate how much of the check belongs to the school you chose. Businesses can participate as well. Supporters can get their employers involved by marketing the program to management. Companies that travel on a regular basis can utilized the Nevada PTA Travel Program simply by accessing the travel portal. The only catch, they have to select a school before entering the portal like everyone else. Business partners can use the portal anytime and for all the same reasons anyone else wants to utilize the program. When businesses understand the intensions of the program they would be proud to use the program when the cost is comparable
How Do I Access The Nevada PTA Travel Web Site? To access the travel portal you must select a school from the drop down list. Select a school and click “Go”. When you do this it allows the computer to compute the travel commissions for each school once you have completed your reservations. Click here to move to the drop down list.
How Do I Find What I’m Looking For? (Menu Tabs): Including the Home Tab, there are 10 menu tabs: Most of the tabs are self-explanatory. Inside the Vacation Tab are exclusive tours and Spring Tours International along with other amenities. Inside the Extras Tab are many amenities such as the Flower & Candy program, Honeymoon Registry, Spa Finder, Outdoor Program, Your Travel Wear, Romantic Getaways, and so on. Groups Tab lists all the registered cruises under our host agency. The Help Tab has FAQs for hotels, rental cars, and cruises. Take a look to see how else it can help you.
Free Marketing: This department is reserved for the Nevada PTA and any entities that the Nevada PTA approves for large group travel tours. Only the Nevada PTA is authorized to create flyers, banners, posters, and other marketing materials through this program. If you have a planned tour and would like to create a flyer to advertise your tour contact the Nevada PTA. For example; a high school in Nevada is planning a graduation cruise and they want to post it on the their web site and the Nevada PTA web site. Passport To Giving will assist in creating the flyer (there are cookie cutter examples available). The Nevada PTA has the ability to blitz an email to all high schools or schools that might want to go on the cruise. It could be an educational tour to Galapagos or a trip to our nation’s capital where many schools might want to participate in. This is a great program and it is free. Give us a call.
Services Resources: There are service resources provided on the travel portal itself and there are important services you must call assistance for. Services that require assistance are very important because they can involve substantial amounts of revenue depending upon the destination and type of travel required:
Portal Services Resources: International Flight Search; One Way & Advanced Search; Flight Itinerary Lookup; Online Flight Check-In; Travel Insurance; Travel Health Advisories; Passport & Visa Application; Passport & Visa Requirements; Map an Address; Airport Delays; World Time Zones; and Buy Foreign Currency.
Important Services: When planning group travel for any occasion you must contact our Group Travel Representative. Vacation Packages, educational tours, cruises, hotel accommodations, or any form of travel that are for six or more people, in most instances, require special handling by our customer service agents. A commissioning claim form must be submitted by our representative to the supplier in order for us to receive credit. Booking your group travel or any travel directly with the supplier will forfeit our commission.
Group Travel: This is a very important part of the program because it has the greatest potential of all. Anyone can use the Nevada PTA Travel Program. With that in mind, if you are planning an excursion of at least six people give us a call. The Nevada PTA Travel Program is not the traditional way of raising revenue. It raises revenue by automatically recouping a major portion of the supporter’s travel commissions from their travel bookings. There isn’t any door-to-door selling, ordering lists, Christmas booklets, cookies, car washes, or stockpiling of goods. There is minimal work involved, if any, by any student, parent, or teacher. A child’s safety is not in doubt while marketing this program. Within the travel program, and as a referring travel agent under the host agency, Nevada PTA is entitled to certain perks and benefits not afforded to consumers. As a referring travel agent Nevada PTA is entitled to use the credentials of its host agency that can provide additional revenue aside from the normal commissions received from the program. Group travel is the base for any Special Fundraising programs:
Exclusive Vacations: Our host agency is one of the tops in the nation. The Nevada PTA Travel Program benefits because suppliers want the business of our host agency. They offer us exclusive deals at special prices that no other host agency can compete with. Spring Tours International offers us many tours into China and Europe under $1,400 for 9 days and 8 nights at 4 and 5 star hotels. The tours they offer also have increased commissions. Call us for more details and visit this section to see the many tours available.
Hotels: Family, alumni, and organization reunions, annual events, and seminars have a need for hotel space. Let the Nevada PTA Travel Program Group Specialists make those hotel reservations. In most instances we can negotiate a discount and receive the commission. Alumni Associations plan reunions and they need the same accommodations. It doesn’t have to be hotel reservations; it could be for a cruise, tour or excursion.
Educational Tours: We touched on this earlier but it warrants its own section. Schools and teachers planning educational tours, whether within the continental United States or abroad, know that special handling is required. In addition to district approval, certain requirements must be met; insurance, security, ground transportation, bedding, food, tour guides, and chaperones. The group travel specialist can work with the school representative and make travel arrangements a lot easier. We can negotiate a discount and/or free passage for chaperones for portions of the trip. These tours planned by schools, without our assistance, will not be afforded the commissions they are entitled to when using this travel program. That is sizable revenue, depending upon the number of travelers and tour location, which could be used to pay the way for a student(s) who otherwise couldn’t afford to go. To get started all the group travel specialist needs to know is when and where.
Cruises: More revenue can be raised through cruises than any other program available through the Nevada PTA Travel Program. In addition to the many people related to the students, the Nevada PTA in general, that book their cruise raising revenue from commissions, cruise lines offer other monetary incentives to non-profit organizations in addition to regular commissions. There is too much information to tell you about it here, but will give you the gist of the program.
An even number of 100 cruisers (50 cabins) on a cruise that cost $500 per person will entitle the school to approximately, $4,500 from commissions and the price of three free cabins through the 15/1 program (every 15 cruisers net you one free cabin less the taxes and fees). Also, if it is decided upon, the cruise line will match $5 a person up to $40 for every a person for every $5 charged above the retail price of the cruise. Example: The cruise cost $500 a person and the price is raised to $540 by the non-profit, the cruise line will match the $40 per person giving you an additional $80 per person ($8,000, that’s $4,000 each) bringing your total commissions and incentives to $12,500. The non-profit can raise the price above retail to as much as they want but the cruise line will only match a maximum of $40 based on an eight-day cruise ($5 a day). The school receives all of the incentives; there is no revenue sharing above retail, the matching offer by the cruise line, and the free cabins from the 15/1 program. 100 cabins could net approximately $25,000. Brochures are available for this important program. Lets recap this paragraph: 100 cruisers (50 cabins) School Receives: Commissions and 15/1 program = $4,500 Matching Offer of $40 a Person = 8,000 $12,500
200 cruisers (100 cabins) $25,000
Types Of Travel & Amenities: There are many types of travel and amenities available on the Nevada PTA Travel Web Site. Below is a brief description of each:
Airfares, Hotels, Car Rentals, and Cruises: Are easily accessible on the booking engine. The booking engine is very user friendly allowing you real time accommodations from the GDS.
Vacation Packages: Like the other on line agencies we offer an array of tours to anywhere in the free world. If you want to visit any continent we have a package for you offered by the most prestigious companies in the business. There are several places on the travel portal for you to access information and make reservations. Remember if you are planning to go as a group--call us first.
Vacation Rentals: You want a personal touch to your vacation. We have a section where you can find a condo or home to stay in. Many vacationers are choosing this form of bedding that offers a home-away- from-home environment. Vacation rentals are located in all corners of the world.
Great Travel Deals: There is a section on the travel portal that offers: Vacations Under $250; All-Inclusive Resorts; Top Sellers; Popular Getaways; and Last Minute Deals.
Spas & Resorts: Locate a great spa that offers you many amenities whether it is in your city or overseas. These make great gifts especially for birthdays, anniversaries and holidays.
Excursions: If you are planning a cruise check out this site for any land excursions in conjunction with your cruise. Why just go on an Alaskan Cruise when you can add a shore excursion below market value. Practically every cruise has land excursions. If you cruise, this site is a must.
Outdoors: All sorts of Hunting & Fishing tours, kayaking, hiking to volcanoes, or the need to purchase gear, equipment and special clothing is in this section. Click this section and surprise yourself with all of the things that can be acquired for the adventurous ones.
Golf Packages: Enjoy weekend getaways to some of the most famous and luxurious golf courses in the United States and abroad. Packages include hotel accommodations, tee times, golf cart, and other entertainment off the golf course. Packages are for any number of players. Click the Golf Packages tab for more information.
Tickets and Attractions: While on vacation and you want to do all and see all visit this site to find many forms of entertainment near your location. NASCAR events, sporting events, theater & musical, concerts & shows, and attractions.
Honeymoon Registry: This section offers the bride and groom a registry where they can invite family and friends to help with Honeymoon purchases. Same idea as baby shower registries offered by department stores. This registry is free and easy to set up. Anyone may use the registry; the neighbors’ son or daughter or the friend of a friend. It’s their Honeymoon and they know what they want. Help with portion buying for airfares, tours, breakfast in bed, massages, facials, dinners, etc., etc.
Romantic Getaways: Pages and pages of planned exotic getaways at great prices. Most of these are last minute getaways so check departure locations and dates.
Flowers & Candy: This is a very popular program for any occasion or sentiment. Mother’s Day participation empties out the supply. Bouquets, gourmet and fruit baskets, wreaths, and much more in this section. This program also offers shipment for overseas locations. Check the section for all occasions and destinations.
Your Travel Wear: Need new clothes and want to shop on line. Shirts, shorts, and shoes for any occasion, vacation or tour. Shop By Brand for dresses, beach wears, handbags, hats, jewelry, and bath & body. Check it out.
For many decades, many schools await funding from city, state and federal government. Until now, many programs and projects created by organizations such as the Nevada PTA have been discontinued or never reach full growth potential because budget cuts or the lack of funding in general was slashed. Every once in awhile a program comes along that can make a difference. It isn’t expensive; there aren’t any maintenance costs or fees, many can use it, and it is accessible. This program gives us the opportunity to take the bull by the horns and do something. Even a moderate participation rate can generate revenue to supply classes and students with equipment and materials and at no additional costs afforded to the participants.
Contact Information: The Nevada PTA Travel Program is available to assist anyone that wishes to use this important program. Any questions or concerns, please call us at (760) 310-7679, or you can email us at PTATravel@aol.com. |
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This page was last updated 12/01/2008
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