16 highest converting travel affiliate programs and networks

Many bloggers consider travel affiliate marketing a wonderful opportunity to monetize their websites, as it’s easy to join and enables you to get passive income while remaining employed or in charge of your business. To make it work, it’s important to carefully choose affiliate offers that will appeal to your audience’s interests, be on-trend and convert well. Below, you’ll find some of the best travel affiliate programs available on the market today that are very profitable for bloggers and are easy to join.

What is affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a partnership between an advertiser and an affiliate marketer (also known as a publisher), aimed at promoting the advertiser’s product on the affiliate marketer’s website. To promote an offer, affiliates place links and widgets, like a search widget, for example, on their websites, and provide relevant context so the link doesn’t look like a mere advertisement. When visitors click on such a link, they are directed to the advertiser’s website, and affiliates are rewarded with a commission for each sale made through their referral links.

Affiliate marketing is beneficial for both advertisers and publishers. The former receives an opportunity to cover a wider and, most likely, niche-specific audience, while the latter generates income without the necessity to engage in manufacturing challenges. As easy as it sounds, there is still some work to be done. Bloggers are supposed to have a decent webpage, most likely, a website with high-quality original content relevant to the topic in order to drive traffic to the page with the affiliate link.

Best flight affiliate programs

Today, the abundance of travel affiliate programs could confuse anyone, but not all of them provide a good conversion rate and stable income for publishers. Below, you’ll find the best affiliate programs in the travel niche, which is a very popular and profitable market these days.

Travelpayouts

Travelpayouts is a travel affiliate network, combining multiple offers in the travel niche: flight tickets, accommodation, car rental companies, travel insurance, tours and activities and more. Travelpayouts partners with huge brands such as Booking.com, Jetradar.com, KAYAK, Agoda, as well as local service providers in different countries, but the main product is Jetradar.com. If you join the network, you can subscribe to a few offers at once, manage them in a single interface and get all the support you need.

As an affiliate, you’ll receive up to 70% of the revenue share, depending on the offer. For example, if you promote flight tickets, a reward might be ~$12 for a $400 purchase in general. Note that payouts differ for every campaign and niche:

The payouts are sent once a month after you reach the minimum amount. The good thing is that you don’t need a website to start earning, just place promotional tools on your social media page. Travelpayouts provides affiliates with the following tools:

• Widgets
• Text links
• Banners
• White Label
• API
• SDK
• WordPress plugin

Pros:

• You can sign up for several offers in one interface
• A wide range of travel products
• 70% revenue share
• Great support service
• No website is required to join the network

Cons

• You share revenue with the network
• High minimum payout for bank accounts ($500)

Join the Travelpayouts affiliate network.

Skyscanner

Skyscanner is one of the most popular search engines for cheap flights, hotels and car rentals, and is available in 22 languages. However, it is not easy to join the Skyscanner affiliate program. Small travel affiliate websites should sign up via affiliate networks that have their own requirements for webmasters first, while bigger projects can apply for the direct partnership to access Skyscanner API if they are approved.

As Skyscanner states, it provides affiliates with a 50% revenue share, paying half of the profit it makes on each booking. Marketers also receive real-time reports, exclusive deals and promotions, fast and regular payouts and more. Pay attention to which traffic sources and activities are permitted and which are not. Affiliates are provided with the following tools:

• Widgets
• Text links (with generator)
• White Label
• API (for selected partners)

Pros:

• Perfect for websites with high traffic
• One of the most popular meta-search engines for flights
• Detailed reference system, easy to get started
• White Label solutions
• Real-time statistics

Cons:

• API is only available to selected partners with large projects
• Small businesses can only join the program through affiliate networks

Join the Skyscanner affiliate program.

Momondo

Momondo is a price comparison website for flight tickets, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages, deals and more. It serves over 30 markets worldwide, inspiring people to travel better and cheaper. Momondo has been featured in Times, The Financial Times and The Telegraph to name a few. It is managed by KAYAK.

Affiliates can earn from $0.45 to $0.65 for each user clickout from the flight search results page. Every once in a while, there are promotions for affiliates to help them earn more. Despite a wide range of products presented on the platform, only flight deals are rewarded. Momondo accepts content sites, travel-related blogs and email marketing, whether you have a small blog or a large travel project. However, the Momondo affiliate program is available via affiliate networks only. The following promotional tools are provided:

• Banners
• Text links
• Deep links
• HTML links

Pros:

• A strong, well-known brand
• Great commissions
• Suitable for both small and large travel websites

Cons:

• Flight tickets only
• Small choice of affiliate tools
• Statistics are not shown in real-time

Join the Momondo affiliate program.

KAYAK

KAYAK is another meta-search engine for cheap flight tickets, accounting for two billion annual searches in 60 international websites. It is available in 20 languages and caters to a wide audience. Apart from offering travel options, KAYAK also performs price prediction, allowing users to understand whether they should purchase tickets now or wait for a better deal. In the latter case, consumers can subscribe to price alerts and monitor prices to find the best option.

Affiliates receive 50% of the KAYAK’s revenue on bookings made through your affiliate link. It has a particular geotargeting, including the United Kingdom, USA, Brazil, Spain, Germany and France. The affiliate program is available for content and travel-related blogs and email marketing with prior approval. The cookie lifetime is 30 minutes only. KAYAK offers the following promotional tools:

• Widgets
• Links
• Banners

Pros:

• Leading search engine for flights, hotel bookings and other travel products
• One of the highest CPAs and click-out rewards in the industry
• Available in multiple languages
• Price prediction tool

Cons:

• Specific geotargeting
• The affiliate program is only available via affiliate networks
• A rather poor selection of tools
• Short cookie lifetime

Join the KAYAK affiliate program.

Best hotel affiliate programs

What is a better way to end your day traveling than relaxing in a cozy and client-friendly hotel? If your audience is all about traveling, consider joining one or a few of the following hotel affiliate programs. These are the major booking platforms providing the lowest prices and comfortable cancellation policies, so your readers will for sure benefit from using these services.

Booking.com

Booking.com is the world’s leading hotel booking platform, targeting over 220 countries and available in more than 40 languages. It accounts for over 1.5 billion rooms booked on a daily basis. You can find different kinds of accommodations such as hostels, hotels with one to five-star ratings, apartments and more. Booking.com is famous for providing travelers with the best deals in terms of price, service and quality, as they can leave a review for every place they’ve stayed at. The booking process is really easy, so you can reserve a room in just a few clicks, with instant confirmation from the hotels.

You’ll need to apply for this program and wait for approval, as the platform selects its partners manually, but the process won’t take more than 24 hours. Booking.com offers a 4% commission on completed bookings and pays it out within 90 days after your client’s checkout. Also, you can get 50 € for each property that you refer to Booking.com. Affiliates can place the following tools on their webpages:

• Search box
• Links
• Banners
• Co-brand
• Widgets

Pros:

• Leading booking platform for hotels
• You can become an affiliate directly on the Booking.com website
• Multiple languages offered

Cons:

• Payouts are sent only after your guest checks out of the hotel
• There are many cancellations on the platform due to its loyalty policy

Join the Booking.com affiliate program.

Agoda

Agoda is another success story for the meta-search engine, providing clients with hotels, flights, airport transfers and the best deals. Most of all, it is famous for a great range of accommodation options, accounting for over 900,000 hotels and homes around the world.

With Agoda, you can earn from 4% to 7% commission on completed bookings, depending on their number. For example, a $200 reservation will bring you $10 at the 5% commission rate. The good thing is that you can sign up for the campaign directly on the company’s website.

You can start earning with Agoda by placing the following tools on your webpage:

• Hotel data file
• Text links
• Search box
• Banners

Pros:

• One of the leaders in the industry
• Tools are available in 38 languages
• Free detailed reporting
• The more bookings you provide, the higher the payout

Cons:

• Payouts are available via bank transfer only
• High minimum payouts
• Transfer fee for each payout

Join the Agoda affiliate program.

HomeAway

HomeAway is a platform listing thousands of vacation homes in 190 countries worldwide. You can book beach houses, bungalows, chalets, hotels, studios and other types of properties to make traveling easier and more comfortable. HomeAway pairs homeowners and tourists looking for a place to stay. It is a part of the Expedia family of brands.

Affiliates receive up to 3% on bookings and $20 for new listings made through their referral links. HomeAway manually selects affiliates, so you’ll need to fill in the contact form on the website and wait for the approval, or sign up for the campaign via CJ affiliate network, for instance. HomeAway provides affiliates with API. Other tools are available upon request.

Pros:

• World leader in vacation rentals: Over two million properties listed on the website
• API integration
• Real-time tracking and reporting
• A technical support team and a dedicated manager
• The more bookings you provide, the higher the commission

Cons:

• A rather small affiliate reward
• Signing up for the campaign and setting up your website is quite complicated

Join the HomeAway affiliate program.

Hotels.com

Hotels.com helps to find the best hotel deals around the world and book them right on the spot. It comprises over 10,000 accommodations worldwide, from international chains to local bed and breakfasts. The platform is available in 35 languages and 85 localized websites. There is a responsive mobile application as well as an offering of over 20,000 last-minute deals. Another advantage for customers is the Price Guarantee which allows a reduction of the price on the Hotels.com website if you find the same accommodation cheaper elsewhere. And you can sign up for the Loyalty program to access exclusive deals and prices. Hotels.com is a part of Expedia Inc.

Affiliates receive commission after guest checkout. The reward varies from 4% to 6% depending on the performance. By joining the program, you’ll get access to the following high-converting tools:

• Deals widgets
• Search banners
• Data feeds
• Deep-link generator

Pros:

• Performance-based payouts
• Multiple languages and currencies
• A strong brand

Cons:

• The commission is sent after the checkout
• Available via affiliate networks only

Join Hotels.com affiliate program.

Best transportation affiliate programs

Transportation is another important element of every trip. You need to get to and from the airport or use a bus/train company for a shorter trip. Such affiliate programs are also very beneficial because most tourists face ground transportation questions sooner or later. Below, you’ll find some of the most popular transportation affiliate programs available on the market today.

Omio

Omio, formerly known as Go Europe, is a well-known search engine for bus, train and flight tickets, partnering with over 800 European service providers such as Deutsche Bahn, SNCF, Eurolines and more. It has an easy-to-use interface for comparing tickets from different companies and booking them on the platform.

The commission is fully performance-based, so the more redirects you provide, the more you earn. On average, affiliates receive 5% of the booking cost. The minimum threshold is $100, and the payment method is bank transfer only. The program is great for those who have an app, website or work as an online travel agent. Apply for the program on the Omio website, and your request will be reviewed within 14 business days. Affiliates get access to Omio promotional tools such as:

• Search API
• Search widgets
• Banners and assets
• Deeplinks

Pros:

• One of the fastest growing online travel platforms in the world
• A great choice of service providers, so you can compare bus, flight and train tickets cost in a single interface
• Performance-based commission

Cons:

• Applications are manually approved
• High minimum threshold
• One payment method only

Join the Omio affiliate program.

Kiwitaxi

Kiwitaxi is one of the world’s most popular taxi providers with a 4.7 average rating based on customer reviews. It allows you to book transfers from airports and hotels, and be sure the price won’t change in contrast to the average taxis that you catch on the street. Kiwitaxi provides English-speaking drivers who know the routes perfectly, wait at the pickup point with your nametag and help with the luggage. You can choose from 12 various vehicle classes and add extra requirements, like car seats for children and more.

The Kiwitaxi affiliate program is suitable for webmasters, travel bloggers, traffic arbitrage specialists, social media group administrators and travel agencies. Affiliates receive a 50% revenue share and sometimes the reward can be up to 80% depending on the season. The cookie lifetime is 30 days. Here are the tools that affiliates can use to promote the offer on their websites:

• WhiteLabel
• Widgets
• Text links
• Banners

Pros:

• A world leader in the niche
• Up to 80% revenue share
• Client-oriented service

Cons:

• No API
• Service is more expensive for customers than average taxis

Join the Kiwitaxi affiliate program.

12Go

12Go is a multimodal search engine for train, bus and ferry tickets, as well as transfers and flights in Asia. It accumulates offers from over 1.3K service providers in almost 1.5 billion destinations, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, China and more. The platform also provides travel guides for each destination.

12Go shares 50% of the profit with its affiliates, so you will be earning $3.13 on average from each booking made through your referral links. This affiliate program is perfect for SEO-specialists, online travel agencies and bloggers, social media community owners and more. The cookie lifetime is 30 days. Here are the tools that 12Go affiliates can use on their websites:

• Search forms
• Timetables
• Affiliate deep links
• API
• WordPress and Joomla plugins
• White label

Pros:

• API is available
• A wide choice of service providers
• An alow minimum threshold of $50

Cons:

• Not globally oriented
• Many traffic types are forbidden
• Paypal is the only payment method

Join the 12Go affiliate program.

Rail Europe

RailEurope claims to be the number one distributor for European train tickets and rail passes, partnering with over 50 train companies, such as TGV, Eurostar, Thalys and more. The platform allows users to compare prices of different service providers and book tickets in their preferred language and currency.

Affiliates receive up to 4% commission on qualifying sales made through your link. The program is available via the Rakuten affiliate network. All the affiliates are manually approved, and the process may take up to seven days. Here is a list of tools affiliates can use to promote the offer:

• Banners
• Text links
• Products feeds
• Search forms

Pros:

• One of the leading search engines for train tickets and rail passes
• Rail and activities pass
• Trip Planner tool to help users choose the best routes based on how much time they have

Cons:

• Applications are manually approved
• An affiliate program is available via the Rakuten affiliate network only

Join the Rail Europe affiliate program.

Best vacation affiliate programs

Tours and activities is another popular niche in the tourism sector. It is an undeniable part of any vacation, and you can generate money by helping your followers find interesting excursions from reputable service providers. Here are some of the most popular companies that organize activities.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor claims to be the world’s largest travel platform, aiming at gathering reviews and opinions about airlines, accommodations, experiences, restaurants and more in order to help travelers choose the best service providers, accounting for almost 800 million reviews. TripAdvisor is also a search engine for flight tickets, hotels, cruises, tours and activities where you can compare prices and make a reservation. The platform is available in 28 languages and covers 49 markets.

Affiliates receive a 50% revenue share when partnering with TripAdvisor. There is 24/7 real-time reporting so that you can continuously monitor the campaign and a dedicated support team is available to answer any of your questions. New products are added regularly, so the range of offers is so big that it’s unlikely that you won’t find anything that would suit your followers’ needs. The program is available via CJ affiliate network. Affiliates receive access to the following promotional tools:

• Text-links
• Banners
• Content widgets
• Deep linking

Pros:

• World’s largest travel community
• Commission on both bookings and click outs
• Multiple languages and currencies
• 24/7 real-time reporting

Cons:

• Rather poor choice of tools and widgets
• Program is available only via affiliate networks

Join the TripAdvisor affiliate program.

Join

Viator

Viator is a booking platform for tours and activities around the world. It offers access to over 200K experiences, including exclusive deals and provides the lowest price guarantee. Your followers will be able to choose the activity that suits them the best from a wide range of offers available on the website, book it right on the spot and avoid standing in line later. There is 24/7 customer support service and millions of reviews to help users find what they want. Viator is a part of the TripAdvisor brand.

Affiliates receive an 8% commission on every reservation. It’s possible to track your campaign at any time in your personal account on the Viator website, and the platform sends monthly reports. Affiliates are rewarded via bank transfer only in the currency they’ve specified when registering for the program. The minimum threshold is $50, and the commission is sent the month after your customer used the service, and it never expires. Affiliates can place the following tools on their websites:

• Viator widget
• Bookable link

Pros:

• A wide range of products for every taste and budget
• Low price guarantee for your customers
• The program is available directly on the Viator website
• Generous 8% commission on bookings
• Affiliates get rewarded in the currency of their choice

Cons:

• The choice of widgets is rather small
• The commission is sent via bank transfer only

Join the Viator affiliate program.

TourRadar

TourRadar offers over 40,000 tours globally. Customers choose a destination and a date and receive a list of suggestions together with travel guides and expert 24/7 support available. They can compare prices and book the selected experience right on the website. TourRadar offers the best price guarantee and is ready to match the price if you find it lower somewhere else.

The TourRadar affiliate program is perfect for content creators in travel, lifestyle, wellness and other related niches. They can join the program via CJ or Commission Factory affiliate networks and start earning a 5% commission on bookings made through their affiliate link. There is a 90-day tracking period for your referrals. To top it all off, there are monthly contests for affiliates, so you’ll be able to win a tour for two people. Affiliates can make use of the following tools:

• Text links
• Banners
• Search widgets

Pros:

• A strong brand
• The best price guarantee for your customers
• 90-day cookie lifetime

Cons:

• It’s only possible to join the program via affiliate networks
• Not many tools

Join the TourRadar affiliate program.

CityPass

CityPass is a booking website for sightseeing in North America. It offers passes to 14 major US and Canadian cities, allowing users to save 30 to 40% of the booking cost. There are many reviews on the website to help customers find the most exciting experiences. City passes are available in various forms such as booklets, mobile tickets, vouchers and more, and you can receive them via email or order delivery of the physical card.

Affiliates receive a 6% commission on each booking originating from them. The program is available via CJ and ShareASale networks. The following tools are available for promoting the offer:

• Text links
• Banners
• Other creatives are available upon request only

Pros:

• Offer is available for major tourist destinations in the US
• It’s possible to get additional tools upon request

Cons:

• Poor selection of tools
• Not globally oriented
• You can only join the program via affiliate networks

Join the CityPass affiliate program.

How to find the best affiliate programs in travel

All in all, there are various niches in the tourism market, including flights, accommodation, ground transportation, tours and activities, to name a few. If your audience is keen on travel, you have a great opportunity to introduce them to the world’s best travel platforms and generate passive income at the same time.

The key to success is understanding your followers’ needs and offer a solution that would be beneficial for them. Try to join a few affiliate programs to provide readers with multiple options and surround your affiliate links with high quality and relevant content to build trust and credibility with your audience.