If you love to travel, becoming a travel agent is one of the best ways to indulge your passion. Typically, there are two primary ways to do this. First, you can work with a dedicated travel agency. This option means you only work for one company, and you often have to meet quotas and work certain hours per week.
Second, you can be an independent travel agent. Independence means setting your own hours and workload, but you still need a travel agent host agency to gain access to special deals and vendors. These days, there are many host agencies to choose from, but how can you be sure you’re picking the right one?
We’ve compiled a list of the six steps you should take when choosing a host agency so you know you’re making the right choice for yourself and your travel career.
What is a Travel Agent Host Agency?
A travel agent host agency is an agency that provides vendor and booking access to independent travel agents. Usually, these agencies have access to better deals and discounts that are not available to the public. You can utilize these booking options to entice more clients to book with you, ensuring you earn more money from commissions.
Some host agencies operate entirely online, while others may have offices. Regardless of the agency you work with, you’ll have to become a member of the agency to access its vendor network and discounts. Some agencies charge a monthly or annual fee, while others only charge a one-time fee when signing up.
How to Choose a Travel Host Agency in 6 Steps
With multiple host agencies available, choosing one can seem a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, we’ve broken the process down into six steps so you can make an informed decision that will shape the future of your travel agent business.
Step One: Determine the Type of Travel Agent You Want to Be
Not all travel agents are identical, and neither are travel agent host agencies. Some of these companies cater to full-time agents, while others offer a more flexible alternative. Also, some agencies may have exclusive deals with specific vendor partners, such as Hilton, Disney, and others.
So, before you can pick an agency, you have to determine what kind of agent you want to be. Some options include:
- All-In-One – These agents help any and all clients book their travel accommodations, regardless of the destination, trip type, or number of travelers. While being an all-in-one agent means you can advertise to practically anyone, it’s often better to pick a niche. This way, you can stand out and find new clients more easily.
- Family Vacation – Families love to go on vacation, and booking travel accommodations can be overwhelming for most busy parents. As a vacation agent, it’s your job to ensure that everyone in the family has a great time from start to finish. This option works well if you want to work with vendors like Disney and Universal, as they are very family-friendly and often have high demand regardless of the season.
- Business Agent – As a business agent, you’ll work with top-level professionals and businesses to handle travel arrangements. For example, you may assist with booking an executive retreat, or you may book accommodations for a single high-profile person. Typically, this kind of work can be steadier but may require more hours and tighter deadlines.
- Cruise Agent – Cruises are a unique form of travel because they are typically all-inclusive. So, rather than booking separate hotels and attractions, you can simply book a single package that goes to one or more destinations. As a cruise agent, you’ll specialize in helping your clients find the best cruises at the best rates.
Knowing which type of agent you want to be allows you to focus your attention on host agencies that cater to that kind of clientele. Also, consider how your workload may change over the long term, especially as you add more clients to your roster.
Step Two: Determine Your Ideal Workload and Schedule
Some travel agent host agencies require agents to maintain a minimum number of hours per week or month. If you don’t maintain that workload, you may lose your membership and access to the agency’s network and booking systems.
Other agencies, like Boardwalk Travel, allow you to work as little or as much as you like. For example, you may decide to sign up and work as a travel agent as a side hustle. Over time, as you book more clients, you may turn your side hustle into a full-time career. This kind of flexibility eliminates the pressure of mandatory time minimums.
Also, consider where you want to work. Will you mostly book trips from a home office, or will you rent space to meet with clients? Working with a remote agency allows you to earn money while traveling for the ultimate win-win situation.
Step Three: Look at Commission Rates and Payout Speeds
Travel agent commissions are paid the same way regardless of agency you sign with. The way commissions work is that you receive your money after the client has taken the trip, not before. Even if the client pays for the trip in advance, you still receive your commission only after completion.
The reason for this commission system is that the vendors pay the commissions, not the travel agency. Since guests can cancel or reschedule their trips for various reasons, vendors don’t want to pay a commission until they’re sure nothing will change.
That said, while the system is the same for all travel agencies, there are some critical differences to pay attention to, including:
- Commission Rates – The standard travel agent commission rate is around 10 to 15 percent. Some agencies, like Boardwalk Travel, pay up to 70 percent. Earning such a high commission gives you even more flexibility. Now, you can focus more time and energy on each client to provide the best service possible. Also, because the vendors provide these payouts, you can earn commissions on your own travel accommodations. Think of it as getting money back for going on vacation.
- Payout Speed – Some host agencies have a lot of overhead expenses, such as office space, utilities, and management teams. Because of the high overhead, these agencies are slow to pay commissions (since they have to pay their own bills first). Online agencies (like Boardwalk) are much leaner, so they can pay commissions faster. There’s also more flexibility about when you can get paid instead of waiting for a particular day of the month.
Step Four: Consider Short-Term and Long-Term Training Options
If you’ve never been a travel agent before, you’ll need training to learn how to use the agency’s vendor network and booking systems. Some agencies only offer a one-time training period when you first sign up. While you may be able to ask questions later on, you won’t necessarily receive updated training when a new vendor comes in, or the system gets updated or changed.
Instead, you want to work with a host agency that offers ongoing lifetime support. This way, whether you need help immediately or several years from now, you can still access the same training materials. Plus, being able to train yourself at your own pace ensures better success. This way, you can redo sections and refer to them whenever you encounter an obstacle.
Step Five: Look at Membership Fees and Ongoing Expenses
One critical factor to pay attention to when choosing a travel agent host agency is how much it charges for you to be a member. Typically, these agencies charge an upfront fee along with monthly or annual fees to remain a member. For example, some companies may charge a “desk fee” for you to use their system, even though you’re working remotely.
These expenses can add up, particularly when you’re still building your client network. Ideally, you’d only have to pay one membership fee for lifetime access. This way, there’s less pressure to book clients immediately, giving you more flexibility with onboarding and booking your first few packages.
Boardwalk Travel Agency only charges one membership fee for lifetime access. You can start your agency immediately or go at your own pace. You’ll never be charged regularly for access to the network.
Step Six: Determine How You Want to Build Your Travel Agency
While high commission rates and a flexible schedule are massive perks, you also want to work with an agency that makes it easy to scale your business. Realistically, you’ll start by booking trips for close friends and family members. Once you have a few bookings under your belt, you can start promoting your services to strangers and expand your network.
So, you want an agency that has a very user-friendly system that empowers you to be as busy as you like. Some seasons are busier than others, and you need to make sure the system won’t experience outages or slow down when you need it the most. As an agent, your reputation means everything, as much of your business will come from word-of-mouth recommendations.
Overall, make sure you sign up with an agency with a proven track record of success. A good indication is whether the agency works with the largest travel vendors. If you can’t access brands like Disney, Universal, Marriott, or Carnival, that could be a bad sign.
The Bottom Line: Let Boardwalk Travel Be Your Travel Agent Host Agency
Are you ready to start your travel agency business? Boardwalk Travel Agency makes it so easy to follow your passion that you can sign up today and start booking trips immediately and is consistently considered a best host agency for travel agents. Plus, when you get access to our vendor network, you can use exclusive discounts and deals for yourself, your friends, and your family.
Do you love Disney vacations? What about Universal Studios? You can book trips at Disney and Universal resorts through our vendor network. Best of all, you can receive commissions on your own trips, so there’s more of an incentive to travel more often.
Sign up with Boardwalk Travel today and see how easy it is to put the world at your fingertips!
