It’s no secret that winter can be stressful. If you travel by air or car during the cold season, you can count on more delays than you’d experience in the summer. Once bad weather appears during the peak times for air travel, we end up with the lengthiest flight delays, cancellations and missed connections of the year.  On the other hand, road travel has its share of annoyances and risks. There may be road closings, slower speeds due to snow or sleet, traffic accidents and other obstacles to throw you off track. However, don’t let the winter travel season make you blue. Become a smarter and happier traveler for your next winter vacations — use TravelSense’s winter travel tips to make life easier as you journey to and from your destination.

Earn points with the freedom to redeem for cash back or other rewards. The ASTA Platinum Plus® MasterCard® credit card with WorldPoints® rewards gives you the flexibility to choose from different types of rewards – cash, travel, gift certificates, merchandise and much more. Reward yourself and apply securely online today. For information about rates, fees, other costs and benefits associated with the use of this credit card, click here and refer to the disclosures that accompany the online credit card application. This credit card program is issued and administered by FIA Card Services, N.A.

Purchase your roundtrip ticket to Lima, or any city in Peru before Jan. 31, 2012, and travel between Feb. 22 and March 11, 2012, and receive a 35-percent discount, including flights to LAN gateway on LAN code-share carriers. Prices, including discount, start at $558 roundtrip, including taxes/fees, based on departure from Miami. Prices vary based upon departure city, date of travel and available inventory. Plus, take advantage of discounted flights within Peru for your pre- and post-tours, which average a $100 savings per flight. LAN Airlines is the official airline of the ASTA International Destination Expo in Peru.

Thanks in part to an updated TravelSense.org profile, SoCalASTA member Nathan DePetris, owner and COO of PRIDE Travel in Long Beach, made a $40,000 sale. (Read more in Travel Market Report–”Agent Nabs $40,000 Booking With ASTA’s Travelsense.”])TravelSense.org’s “Find a Travel Agent” directory is just one of the ways in which ASTA promotes its members to the traveling public. Through the directory, consumers can search for a travel agent who specializes in a particular niche or destination or lives in a certain area. This is effortless advertising for your business and allows consumers from all over the world to find you, 24/7. That’s why it is important for you to establish a robust profile and keep it up-to-date. Want more info on how to update your profile? ASTA.org has many videos to help you understand how to use the “Find a Travel Agent Directory.” All ASTA travel agent members automatically have a basic profile, you should enhance it to help you reach out to consumers and attract more business. Check out this great resource here on ASTA.org and start reaching consumers today. The second tool, Trip Assist, lets consumers post their trip desires. You can check their postings and submit bids in return.

Feb. 1, 2012, 2:00 p.m. Eastern/11:00 a.m. Pacific

Eighty-eight percent of agencies charge service fees. And while the fees have generally been increasing over time, there is great pressure on suppliers to cut costs. In this presentation, Melissa Teates, ASTA’s director of Research, will examine agencies’ revenue from service fees as a percent of total revenue, consumer attitudes towards fees, and the percentage of agencies that also have consultation fees.

Click here to reserve your Webinar seat.

Jan. 25, 2012, 2:00 p.m. Eastern/11:00 a.m. Pacific

Join Laura Mandala, managing director of Mandala Research, for this in-depth look at Hispanic travelers and their travel behaviors. You’ll learn about what they are looking for in a travel experience as well as how they research their travel and make their bookings. Space is limited.

Click here to reserve your Webinar seat.

Each and every day the travel agency industry is faced with intense external and internal pressures, be they access to ancillary fees, the ongoing struggle with non-commissionable fees or hotel occupancy taxes. Regardless of the issue, each brings with it a very real threat that could directly and negatively impact your bottom line. Travel agents need someone fighting on their behalf if they are to survive and prosper. ASTA has not only heard that call for action, but heeded it. ASTA is the only industry organization that has the leadership, the staff, the resources, the connections and the alliances to effectively defend your interests as travel agencies. Join host Stuart Cohen as he welcomes ASTA CEO Tony Gonchar on Jan. 10 at 4:00 pm EDT, and learn more about the most critical issues threatening our industry, the vital work ASTA is doing on your behalf and what steps you need to take today to protect your business and industry.  You’ll hear why ASTA is the only organization that can effectively speak out on travel agents’ behalf; what the most critical issues are threatening your business and what you can do about them; and what ASTA is doing on behalf of the industry.

To participate, click here.

Travel insurance can protect you from substantial losses that result from a variety of situations, including canceled trips, lost baggage, medical emergencies, defaults, as well as other unforeseen circumstances. There are several types of travel insurance available, and the coverage and limitations will vary depending on the insurance company issuing the policy. When planning your travels, your ASTA travel agent can assist you in obtaining insurance to cover many eventualities.

ASTA Marketing Services Inc. is pleased to partner with VATit, an international VAT tax reclaim specialist company that provides services to more than 11,500 clients from 25 offices around the world. All registered companies, including tour operators booking accommodation packages in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Italy, are eligible to have all VAT taxes paid on expenses incurred overseas refunded. These expenses would include international travel to Europe, the UK, Australia and Japan; and attendance to exhibitions and conferences within the EU and the UK. Any service-related expenses incurred abroad, VAT is charged and this VAT is claimable. VATit does not charge upfront fees; they only charge a percentage of the VAT savings when the refund is paid out. VATit is offering ASTA members a five-percent discount on their standard fee. With VATit, you’ll have an army of foreign tax and legal experts at your disposal to help you reclaim VAT as quickly as possible — wherever you are.

Difficult economic times may present a challenge to travel industry suppliers, including commercial airlines. It is important that agents stay informed of airlines’ economic health and take steps to protect their customers and businesses. Within the ASTA.org E-library, ASTA provides the Travel Agents’ Guide to Supplier Bankruptcies, which provides valuable tips for protecting customer payments as well as ways to minimize your agency’s risk in the event of airline default. And because airlines may continue to operate after filing for bankruptcy protection, ASTA offers tips for purchasing tickets on a bankrupt carrier. For more information, including a Sample Supplier Waiver form, see ASTA’s Travel Agents’ Guide to Supplier Bankruptcies.