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Scope of Service:
Research destinations and products based on client preferences. Build and present proposals. Book travel components through supplier portals using Atlas Coast's agency credentials. Process or facilitate payment through supplier payment links or CC authorization forms. Provide booking confirmations and relevant documentation. Communicate with suppliers on the client's behalf when issues arise. Monitor final payment deadlines and notify clients in advance.
Credit Card Authorization:
"You will receive a secure email to complete your card authorization for your booking." Once completed, please reply to confirm your authorization. We will not accept the booking until we receive your reply email.
Only credit cards are accepted for all bookings. The credit card authorization request link and the automatic follow-up reminders are delivered via an automated email system. The sender will be hello@mail.myatlasgo.com (the host site email), not the travel agent's email address. This is expected and normal. The travel agent will never see or handle the raw card number at any point. Only the last 4 digits of the client's card number are seen. The card will only be kept for 30 days.
Travel Insurance:
Travel insurance isn't an upsell. It's a professional obligation. Every client, every booking, every time.
Insurance pays the client when something goes wrong. Supplier cancellation policies define what happens when the client or supplier cancels the booking. A client can have excellent travel insurance and still lose money under a supplier penalty schedule, or vice versa. They work together, not interchangeably.
What Travel Insurance Actually Covers:
Coverage varies by policy and provider, but most comprehensive plans include some combination of the following. Know these so you can explain them plainly when a client asks.
Trip Cancellation:
Reimburses prepaid, non-refundable trip costs if the client has to cancel before departure for a covered reason. Covered reasons typically include illness or injury to the traveler or a close family member, death in the family, job loss, a natural disaster at the destination, or a supplier going out of business. Not every reason qualifies. That distinction matters.
Trip Interruption:
Covers costs when a trip has already started and something goes wrong that forces the client to cut it short or incur extra transportation costs to get home. Often more generous than cancellation coverage because the client is already mid-trip and the costs are real and immediate.
Medical Coverage Abroad.
This one surprises clients the most: most US domestic health insurance plans provide little to no coverage outside the United States. If a client breaks an ankle on a cruise or needs surgery in Europe, they're often paying out of pocket unless they have travel medical coverage. This is one of the most important points to communicate, especially for international travel.
Emergency Evacuation:
If a client needs to be medically evacuated from a remote location or a foreign country, the cost without coverage can be staggering. This coverage pays for transport to the nearest adequate medical facility or back home. It sounds dramatic until a client needs it. Always mention this for cruises, adventure travel, and remote destinations.
Baggage and Travel Delay:
Covers lost, stolen, or damaged baggage, plus expenses incurred when a trip is delayed beyond a threshold number of hours: meals, an unexpected overnight stay, and similar costs. Smaller benefits but among the most commonly used.
Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR):
An upgrade available on many policies, purchased within a short window of the initial deposit. CFAR allows the client to cancel for literally any reason and receive a partial reimbursement. It costs more than standard cancellation coverage and typically reimburses a percentage rather than the full amount, but it removes the requirement to document a covered reason. Clients who are uncertain about their plans or who travel anxiously often find it worth the additional cost.
Annual Plans.
Many providers offer annual multi-trip plans that cover a client for all their travel over a full year for one upfront cost. For clients who travel more than once a year, this is often better value than buying per-trip coverage each time. One conversation. One decision. One policy. We cover annual plans and why they matter for your business in more detail below.
What Is Typically NOT Covered.
Knowing what is excluded is just as important as knowing what is covered. These are the most common gaps that catch clients off guard.
Common Exclusions
⚠️Pre-existing conditions without a waiver. Most standard policies exclude medical events related to a pre-existing condition unless the policy was purchased within a short window of the initial trip deposit. Miss that window and the condition is excluded.
⚠️Change of mind. Standard cancellation coverage requires a covered reason. "I decided I don't want to go" is not one. CFAR is the product for clients who want that flexibility.
⚠️Known events. If a named hurricane or a specific travel warning already exists at the time of purchase, insurance bought after the event became "known" typically won't cover it.
⚠️High-risk activities. Certain adventure activities, extreme sports, or high-altitude travel may not be covered under a standard policy. Clients booking adventure travel should specifically check or upgrade their coverage.
⚠️Destinations under government advisory. Coverage for destinations under a State Department or CDC travel advisory varies by policy and level of advisory. Always check the fine print.
⚠️Government shutdowns and supplier insolvency. A US government shutdown that disrupts federal services, passport processing, or TSA operations is not a covered reason under most standard policies. Similarly, if a supplier goes bankrupt after insurance is purchased, coverage varies significantly by policy. Check the fine print on financial default clauses before recommending any plan for high-cost bookings.
Official government sources for visa and entry requirements
Passports must be valid for six months beyond the return date, not the departure date.
Some destinations require vaccinations or have active advisories.
Minors traveling without both parents:
When a minor travels internationally without both parents, expect a notarized consent letter and check unaccompanied-minor rules with the carrier. Confirm both early and at the source.
Travel Brochures
