by Eric Bowman
Last updated: 7:00 PM ET, Sun September 17, 2023
Last month, ASTA sent a release about suppliers who pay timely commissions.
We surveyed top travel advisors in the industry to find out which suppliers truly deliver big when it comes to commissions.
It’s important to note that not every single travel advisor makes the exact same commission as their peers in the industry.
More seasoned and experienced advisors with bigger books of business are surely going to have higher commission numbers.
Additionally, some advisors receive higher earnings with their host agency and are not able to publicly comment on how much they get in commission. Because of this, a few advisors asked to remain anonymous.
Allianz Global Assistance
Allianz Partners’ commissions for their most popular product “Classic,” pays 25% and their “Premier” product with higher coverages pays 35%. Commissions may be higher with a consortium.
“Allianz actually pays me 36% commission, I love them,” said one travel advisor who asked to remain anonymous.
ALG Vacations
The brand offers up to 15% with Funjet Vacations, Apple Vacations & up to 16% with Travel Impressions.
Also, with the “Get Paid to Upgrade” program, ALGV pays 17% and 18% on the entire land base. As for air, it’s up to 5% commission on bulk scheduled air, published fares, and full commission for Exclusive Nonstop Vacation Flights (risk air seats). Additionally, advisors can earn commission on transfers, tours, insurance, car rental and other features.
ALGV also has:
- Tactical bonus commission incentives on select hotels and airlines for additional earning opportunities.
- Earnings based on revenue levels by brand with preferred consortia agreements.
- More cash can be earned through the Waves reward program on every booking, and advisors receive this via a virtual Visa card. There are also bonus-earning opportunities every month.
- And finally, a United Vacations Seat Incentive, where advisors earn a $250 air voucher for every $50k in revenue they book (valid on bookings with Travel Protection Plus)
“When comparing earning opportunities, travel advisors should really compare total compensation, not just commission,” said Jacki Marks, ALG Vacations Executive Vice President. “ALG Vacations gives advisors the chance to earn more through commission incentives, preferred agreements with many host networks and consortia, and even cash rewards via our Waves program. Between our investment in the travel advisor community, our breadth of products and our many brands, we think ALG Vacations is the best choice for advisors to maximize their earnings and for their clients to have amazing vacations.”
Karisma Hotels & Resorts
If you are a Karisma GIVC agent, they pay up to 21% commission. Advisors can then get this 21% commission either directly with Karisma Reservations or with tour operators like Travel Impressions, Funjet Vacations, Delta Vacations, and more.
Sandals & Beaches Resorts
Advisors can earn between 17-20% depending on the room level (Luxury level vs. Concierge or Club level vs. Butler Level), as well as an extra 1% if you book using their online agency portal rather than over the phone with reservations.
BedsOnline
Several advisors we spoke with mentioned BedsOnline as a great company to work with, offering them 20% commission.
Virgin Voyages
Many advisors mentioned how cruise lines are better at paying commissions to advisors compared to hotels and tour operators.
“One that comes to mind immediately is Virgin Voyages,” said Devin Hansen, Owner and President of Sunflower Travel, a TRAVELSAVERS affiliate. “They pay 16% on everything. A lot of other cruise lines have NCF – non-commissionable fees that are backed out and we don’t get paid on those. Virgin doesn’t do that.”
Explora Journeys
The new cruise brand offers advisors commissions of up to 18%, no NCFs, rolling commission payments and up to 10% commission paid for add-ons.
“We are offering our travel advisors very healthy commissions, up to 18%, with no NCFs, the industry’s first Rolling Commission Payment Program travel advisors can earn commission now on the receipt of deposit funds or when a guest pays in full. We also pay the balance of the advisor’s commission within 21 days of the receipt of final payment funds—150 or 90 days prior to guest embarkation,” said Chris Austin, Explora’s Chief Sales Officer.
AmaWaterways
In the river cruise category, AmaWaterways was consistently mentioned as the top, offering 18% for some travel advisors we spoke with.
“AmaWaterways is by far the best in the river cruise sector with 18% commission for me,” said one advisor who asked to remain anonymous.
Collette
The tour operator offers up to 15% commission some advisors said, noting that they also pay upfront well too.
“Collette Vacations pays $100 per person at time of booking and deposit and then remaining commissions when people travel,” said Hansen.
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