Do you run a travel blog? If you have a travel blog and are looking to make money from it then you will want to implement an affiliate marketing strategy. This means that you partner with companies to promote their products or services, and then receive a percentage commission for sales made from clicks on your site. Some of the best travel affiliate programs include Tripadvisor, Booking.com and Skyscanner. Here our guide to the best travel affiliate programs out there…
EDreams
EDreams is an online travel agency that offers deals to users in regular, charter and low-budget flights and different hotels. They also offer dynamic packages to users. Although EDreams may not be as big of a name in the travel industry as some others on the list, they are still well-known among travellers. They offer an affiliate program through the Awin affiliate network. You can get commissions of up to $10 for flight sales and $25 for flight and hotel sales. Sometimes, they also offer a promotion campaign that can help you get even higher commissions. You get a 30-day cookie, which means any sales within 30 days of your referral will count as yours.
Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor is a well-known online platform where users can give travel recommendations and review hotels, experiences, restaurants, etc. However, they have evolved from just being a review platform to a full-time online travelling agency. They also offer an affiliate program through Commission Junction and Awin. Affiliate marketers can get at least a 50% commission from their cut of the hotel booking with a 14-day cookie. They also pay affiliates for driving traffic to their website, which is an added incentive. The minimum payment and payment method depend on which of the two affiliate network partners you choose.
Booking.com
Booking.com is another well-recognized name in the travel industry that doesn’t need any introduction. Almost every traveller uses or has used their services and it’s one of the top travel affiliate programs. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about conversion. They also have an affiliate program that anyone with a website, app or even a travel agency can join. The signup process is simple and doesn’t cost you anything. You can get commissions of 25% to 40% based on the number of stayed bookings per month. However, they pay commissions based on their cut. Their minimum payout is €100, which they pay you through PayPal.
Hotels.com
Hotels.com is one of the largest online travel platforms, where travellers can book from more than 1 million registered properties in over 200 countries. You can find properties for all price ranges on their platform. Therefore, promoting their services should be straightforward and effortless. You can sign up for their affiliate program through Commission Junction or Awin. They offer a flat commission of 4% to 8% based on consumed stays, with a cookie duration of 7 days. Their minimum payout rate is $50.
Skyscanner
Skyscanner is an all-in-one online platform for travellers. It allows travellers around the world to book flights, hotels and rental hotels. Skyscanner, founded in 2003, is a well-known name among travellers and focuses on finding budget services for customers. You can sign up for their affiliate network on their website. However, they take some time to review applications and may reject some of them. They also have strict rules on who can qualify to become an affiliate. Their commissions start from 20% and go up to 50% based on their cut of the sale.
Air BnB (new affiliate program)
One of the biggest names in the hospitality and travel industry is Airbnb. Even if you have never used their services, you probably know about them. Airbnb used to offer an affiliate program but closed it down in 2015. However, they launched their new affiliate program in 2017. The Airbnb affiliate program allows you to earn from either referring guests or new hosts to the platform. However, due to its popularity, you may find it hard to get accepted as an affiliate. If you get approved, you can earn up to $72 per referral and up to $5,000 in travel credit per account.
Amazon Associates
One name you would not expect to see on the list of the best travel affiliate programs is Amazon. Amazon isn’t exactly a travel agency like the other names on this list. However, when it comes to shopping for travelling, it’s the most trusted sources. You can find any item related to travelling, such as travel gear, clothing, bags, chargers, adapters, etc. on the platform. The commission you get from the Amazon Associate program is variable. You can get 5.5% for some travel accessories and 7% for others. The commission rate is not as high as some of the other programs, but you get a percentage of the total sales proceeds rather than a percentage of Amazon’s cut.
Cruise Direct
CruiseDirect is an online travel company that focuses on vacations on a cruise. They are one of the top names in the cruise travel market and have won several awards for their services. They also give you many different packages to choose from and promote. They have an affiliate program on Commission Junction, where they provide you with a 3% commission of their gross sales. While it may seem a small percentage, it is one of the best commission rates for a cruise travel company. They also offer a 45-day cookie, which should be more than enough for anyone.
Sandals
Sandals Resorts is a top name Caribbean resort operating company of all-exclusive resorts for couples. They have 15 award-winning resorts in different parts of the Caribbean. The company has been in business for over 30 years, which means they have more than enough expertise in the field. They have an affiliate program on the Commission Junction network. You can earn a commission 4% for every order placed by someone you refer with a massive 60-day cookie. Their rates per night for customers range between $150 to $2,000, which means you can potentially earn up to $80 every day.
Etihad Airlines
Etihad Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the world and the second-largest of the UAE, after Emirates. They have a wide range of destinations for customers to choose from and are well-known for going above and beyond when it comes to customer service. Due to their popularity for providing impeccable customer service, you can easily convert your referrals into sales. They have an affiliate program on the Awin affiliate network. You can earn a 2% commission on all non-cancelled flights whether long-haul or short-haul.
World Nomads
When travelling to a foreign country, it is always a good idea to have travel insurance. As an affiliate marketer, you can easily promote travel insurance with any other affiliate program for travellers. World Nomads is one of the few companies that offer travel insurance to residents of 140 countries. It is a well-known and respected insurance company in the travel industry. They offer you a 10% commission for every sale you help them make. They also have a 60-day cookie, which is one of the bests out there.
If you found this article on travel affiliate programs helpful you might also like to read this Udemy affiliate review or find out about these Clickbank Alternatives.