Travel agencies add and remove staff securely through a clear, consistent process: new starters get exactly the access they need on day one and no more, and leavers lose every account and access route promptly, including remote and overseas access. For a fast-moving, global travel team this keeps people productive and keeps client, crew and payment data safe, and it is part of managed IT that usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month.
Travel teams change quickly and often across several countries, so each joiner and leaver is a moment where access can be granted too widely or removed too slowly. A managed process closes that gap. Here is what good looks like.
A proper joiner process
A new starter should arrive to a ready, secure account: access to the booking systems, hosted desktops and Microsoft 365 their role needs, a managed and encrypted device, and multi-factor authentication switched on. Granting only what the role requires, rather than copying a colleague’s broad access, keeps sensitive data contained and gets the new consultant productive from the first morning.
A prompt, complete leaver process
The riskiest moment is when someone leaves, especially overseas. Every account, mailbox, remote-access route and saved password must be disabled promptly, and their device returned, wiped or reissued. A documented checklist means nothing is missed, so a departed employee, or anyone who later compromises a forgotten account, cannot reach your data or payments.
Least privilege across a global team
Access should follow least privilege, people get what they need and no more, with extra care around payment systems and sensitive client and crew data. Applied consistently across every office and time zone, this limits the damage any single compromised account can do, wherever in the world it is.
Manage shared and system accounts
Shared logins for portals and systems are a common weak spot, because when someone leaves, no one is sure who still knows the password. Proper management of these accounts, ideally with a password manager and individual access where possible, removes that blind spot and keeps access under control as the team changes.
Keep an audit trail
A simple record of who has access to what, and of joiner and leaver actions, turns access control from memory into something you can prove, exactly what insurers, partners and any audit will want to see. It also makes regular access reviews quick rather than a guessing game.
What to ask a provider
A specialist for travel agencies should be able to answer:
- Have you supported travel agencies, hosted desktops and systems like Amadeus, Navitas, FareXpert or TRAMS before?
- How do you give office, remote and overseas staff secure, reliable access in any time zone?
- How do you protect us from invoice, supplier and crew payment fraud, and help with PCI DSS?
- What is your response time when a booking or payment is at risk, out of hours?
- Is the price clear and per user, with security included rather than charged separately?
Where to start
If you are not sure where your agency stands, a short review is the quickest way to find out: confirm multi-factor authentication is on for every account including overseas machines, check that booking systems and backups are managed and test-restored, confirm a strict bank-detail verification process is followed every time, and make sure only approved software can run. Those few steps remove most of the risk and show where a travel-aware managed setup pays off.
The bottom line
When a travel agency’s IT is right, the business simply runs: people in every office and time zone reach the same fast systems, payments go where they should, threats are caught early, and travellers get answers whatever the hour. The technology fades into the background and the team gets on with looking after clients and crew.
That dependability comes from a setup designed, secured and actively managed for how travel actually works, not a generic contract. For a business that runs long hours, handles money and depends on a few specialist systems, a predictable per-user cost for that reliability is far cheaper than the downtime, fraud or lost productivity an ad-hoc setup eventually causes.
Why travel agencies choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including travel agencies and travel management companies, and we understand the systems a travel desk runs on: Amadeus, Navitas, FareXpert and TRAMS, delivered securely over hosted desktops, alongside Microsoft 365. We support travel businesses based in Essex, Hertfordshire and London with teams working worldwide. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we have been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including teams working internationally.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want IT that keeps pace with your travel business? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT.