Travel Commission Calculator
Work out what a booking is actually worth to you once commission and your planning fee are both counted, and what that comes to per hour of your time.
Typical published rates, not a quote. Your real commission comes from your host agency or supplier agreement, and it is paid after your client travels rather than when they book.
Learn how advisors get paidHow travel advisors actually get paid
There are two income streams and you need both. Commission comes from the supplier, as a share of what the client spends. Planning fees come from the client, for the work of designing the trip. Advisors who rely on commission alone tend to be busy and underpaid, because the two are not related to each other in the way you would hope.
- Commission varies by what you book. Cruises, tours and packages generally pay best. Airlines pay little or nothing on most fares, which is why a flight-heavy trip can be the least profitable thing on your desk.
- Commission is paid late. Usually after the client travels, which can be many months after they book. Your booked month and your paid month are different months, and planning around that is a survival skill.
- Effort and commission are unrelated. A complicated multi-stop trip on a modest budget can take three times the work of a simple expensive one and pay less.
- Planning fees close the gap. They are charged for the work rather than the booking, so they are paid whether or not the client books, and they price the trips commission ignores.
Set the planning fee to zero above and look at the per-hour figure. That number is the argument for a fee schedule, and it is more persuasive than any paragraph here.
Travel commission calculator FAQs
How much commission do travel advisors earn?
It depends entirely on what you book and who you book it through. Cruises, tours and packages generally pay the most, hotels somewhat less, and airlines pay little or nothing on most fares. Your actual rate comes from your host agency or supplier agreement, so treat the defaults here as a starting point and check your own.
When do travel advisors get paid commission?
Usually after the client travels, not when they book. That gap can be months, and it is the single biggest cash-flow surprise for new advisors. A trip booked in January for August travel is generally not paid until after August.
Should I charge a planning fee as well as earning commission?
Most established advisors do. Commission does not reflect how long a trip took to plan, and some of the most time-consuming work, such as flight-only bookings and points redemptions, pays almost nothing. Set the planning fee to zero in this calculator and look at the hourly figure to see why.
Is this travel commission calculator free?
Yes, completely free with no sign-up. For the full picture, including how to set a fee schedule and present it without apologizing for it, see the courses.
