Travel is one of the biggest niches for Web Publishers and Affiliate Marketers. Travel blogs are some of the most popular content there is. Wether someone is planning an upcoming trip or just doing some armchair dreaming the numbers are there.
Go to our affiliate programs page for more program reviews.
Other products like travel insurance, travel gear, tour booking etc. can generate higher commissions per transaction. So if you are a new travel blogger it may make more sense to focus on those products.
The best part for all bloggers though is that the travel market is huge! Online sales in 2020 will exceed $800 billion!
Travel Affiliate Categories
1– Travel Agencies
2– Airlines
3– Cruises
4– Resorts
5– Review Sites
6– Luxury Travel
7– Travel Insurance
8– Travel Tours
9– White Label
10– Travel Gear & Gadgets
We also have a section on how to market travel programs. Let’s take off and explore the world of travel affiliate programs…
1 — Travel Agency Affiliate Programs
These are generally speaking all affiliate companies themselves. They get paid a commission from airlines, hotels and other travel partners when someone makes a booking. All of these companies are going to require quite a bit of traffic to be sent their way to make any serious money.
Expedia
Commission Rate: 2% – 6%
Commission Rate: 2% – 6%Cookie Length: 7 days
Affiliate Info: Expedia at CJ Affiliate
Expedia is the king of travel booking sites. That’s before even considering all the sites they control including …
The Expedia affiliate program pays between 2% and 6% depending on the product booked. Cruises pay the best at 6%. There is also an affiliate program for travel agents that pays between 3% and 11% and also offers better rates for your customers. You do need to be a US-based travel agent and they are selective.See our in-depth Expedia Affiliate Program article.
Booking.com
Commission Rate: up to 90%
Commission Rate: up to 90%Cookie Length: 30 days
Affiliate Info: Booking.com Affiliate Page
Booking.com is the the second most popular travel site after Expedia. The commission rate ranges from 25 – 40% depending on the amount of booking per month that you generate. Remember this 25% – 40% of Bookings.com’s commission — not of the transaction total.
| BOOKINGS PER MONTH | COMMISSION RATE |
|---|---|
| 0 — 50 | 25% |
| 51 — 150 | 30% |
| 151 — 500 | 35% |
| 500 or more | 40% |
See our in-depth Booking.com Affiliate Program article.
Agoda
Commission Rate: 4% – 7%
Commission Rate: 4% – 7%Cookie Length: 30 days
Affiliate Info: Agoda Affiliate Page
Agoda is a large booking company for air and hotels. They particularly strong in Asian markets. The commission rates range from 4% -7% and scales with your monthly booking quantities. They have a handy commission calculator that can give you an idea of your potential commissions.
Kayak
Commission Rate: up to 50%
Commission Rate: up to 50%Cookie Length: 30 days
Affiliate Info: Kayak Affiliate Page
Kayak was the first to provide the ability to search across lots of booking agents and direct hotel and airline companies. They have both an affiliate program paying up to 50% commissions and a white-label program that lets you integrate Kayak data to your brand. They have over 15,000 affiliates promoting their complete line of travel offerings.
SkyScanner
Commission Rate: up to 50%
Commission Rate: up to 50%Cookie Length: 30 days
Affiliate Info: Skyscanner Affiliate Page
SkyScanner is much like Kayak. A meta-search engine for the best travel deals.
The Skyscanner affiliate program is managed by CJ (Commission Junction). In addition to their commission payout for bookings they also have a CPI (Cost per Install) for their app.
See our in-depth Skyscanner Affiliate Program article.
2 — Airline Affiliate Programs
Quatar
Commission Rate: 2%
Commission Rate: 2%Cookie Length: 30 days
Affiliate Info: Qatar in-house affiliate program
Qatar is a top-tier airline with worldwide service. Their hub is in Doha with daily service to New York. They also have a strong presence in Australia and Asia.
Formed just in 1997 Qatar Airlines has jumped onto the international scene very quickly.