Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways for a travel writer to monetize his or her blog.
As a travel blogger, you can join and promote a variety of excellent affiliate programs. Still, in this post, we’ll focus on the finest airline affiliate programs that you can join and promote to your audience.
People surfing the Internet for travel and destination ideas are typically willing to spend a substantial amount of cash.
In reality, global leisure travel expenditures exceed two trillion dollars. Nice, correct? This suggests that commissions from travel affiliate networks can be substantial.
Airline affiliate programs are a must for nearly every travel blogger. Since air travel is typically the most convenient and cost-effective means to visit foreign destinations, it is a popular option among vacationers.
Because of this, it is a no-brainer to include airline affiliate links in your content; after all, if you’re proposing a gorgeous location to your audience, they’ll also need to arrange transportation.
Content Outline
Top 15 + Airline Affiliate Programs To Join
1. Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways is a popular airline that operates globally, offering top-notch service and skilled staff. They fly to many destinations worldwide from their main base in Abu Dhabi, including the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America.
They have an affiliate program where bloggers from around the world can join. Affiliates can sign up through affiliate networks like CJ and AWINAffiliate. This means bloggers can earn money by promoting Etihad Airways on their websites.
Commission: 2%
Cookie Duration: 30 days
2. Dollar Flight Club
Dollar Flight Club is a membership service where people can save a lot of money on flights. They let members know when there are cheap flights to the places they want to go. Members save an average of $500 per ticket.
It’s also an affiliate network, which means you can earn money by referring new members. You could get up to a fifty percent commission for each person you refer. That could mean up to $35 for every new member who signs up and pays.
Commission: 50% of each referral fee (up to $35 per referral)
Cookie Duration: 90-days
3. Travel Payouts
Travel Payouts is a network for affiliates who focus on travel. They have over 90 different affiliate programs with special deals that you can promote to your audience.
They offer some of the best airline affiliate programs and other travel-related ones like car rentals and hotel bookings.
Every month, they pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars to their affiliates. In fact, their highest-earning affiliate made almost $200,000 last month!
Commission: varies according to the brand, usually between 1% and 5%
Cookie Duration: 30-days
4. Jet Radar
Jet Radar is a search engine for flights that helps people find the best deals on hotels and tickets. It shows flights to many popular travel destinations worldwide, so you can find good deals no matter where you want to go.
Their affiliate program, which is run by the Travel Payouts affiliate network, is easy to join. It allows you to manage all your affiliate programs in one place.
Commission: 5%
Cookie Duration: 30-days
5. Skyscanner
Skyscanner is a well-known travel search engine that compares the best costs for flights, car rentals, and hotels. Affiliates can earn 20% of all traffic referred to Skyscanner through affiliate links.
This means that if Skyscanner receives a commission of $10 per flight reservation, the affiliate will receive 20% of that amount, or $2.
Commission: 20% of revenue
Cookie Duration: 30-days
6. Momondo
Momondo is a travel search engine that provides users with access to the most recent savings on flights, hotels, vacation packages, and other travel-related services.
Their affiliate program is limited to flights only. The scheme pays affiliates between $0.45 and $0.65 for each click-out on their flight search page, one of the highest prices on the market.
You can join their affiliate program via CJ.com, or you can contact them directly at affiliate [@] momondo.com if you receive over 200,000 monthly visits.
Commission rate: $0.45 per mobile click; $0.65 per desktop click
Cookie Duration: N/A
7. British Airways
British Airways is the second-largest airline in the United Kingdom. It’s known for its comfortable planes and great customer service, which makes it a top choice for people flying to or from the UK.
Besides flights, British Airways also offers vacation packages, car rentals, hotel bookings, and activities. This makes them a great brand for travel bloggers to talk about and recommend to their readers.
Commission: Variable depending on the product
Cookie Duration: Undisclosed
8. EMIRATES
Emirates is an airline that operates internationally and is headquartered in Dubai. They’re well-known for their excellent customer service and diverse team, making them a popular choice for long-distance flights around the world.
Their affiliate program offers some of the best commission rates in the market, ranging from 1.25% to 2.5%, depending on the flight route. Affiliates also get support from a dedicated team and access to all the materials and links needed to promote the program effectively.
Commission: 1.25% – 2.5%
Cookie Duration: Undisclosed
9. CheapOair.com
CheapOair is a travel search engine where travelers can find great deals on flights, hotels, and other travel expenses. It’s especially good for people who are looking to travel on a budget.
Travel bloggers who want to join the CheapOair affiliate program can do so through affiliate networks like Rakuten Linkshare, CJ Affiliate, and Impact Radius.
When travelers book through the affiliate program, affiliates earn commissions per completed reservation. For travel blogs, this can be very lucrative, with commissions ranging from $5 to $35 per sale. Additionally, the cookie duration is 90 days, which means affiliates can earn commissions even if the purchase is made sometime after the initial referral.
Commission: $5 – $35 per sale
Cookie Duration: 90-days
10. Southwest Vacations
Southwest Vacations is the official vacation package provider for Southwest Airlines. Because their website is unique and not widely advertised, affiliates can expect to see a lot of people making purchases after clicking their links.
The Southwest Vacations affiliate program is managed by CJ Affiliate, which makes it easy for anyone to sign up and start earning money right away. Affiliates earn a commission rate of 0.50% on all sales, with the potential to earn more. This means that for an average sale of $1,300, affiliates can make around $6.50 per sale.
Commission: Starting at 0.50%
Cookie Duration: 30-days
11. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the main airline of the Netherlands, based at Amsterdam Airport. It’s a good choice for people traveling to or from the Netherlands.
They offer an affiliate program for travel influencers and bloggers to earn money by promoting their services. Commissions start at 1% for short-haul flights and 1.5% for long-haul flights. They also provide a tracking cookie that lasts for 30 days and tracks sales globally, giving you more chances to earn commissions.
Commission: 1 – 1.5%
Cookie Duration: 30-days
12. Just Fly
JustFly is a travel comparison website where users can find great deals on flights. It’s gaining popularity with over 160,000 reviews and a high rating on Trustpilot.
CJ Affiliate manages its affiliate program. They offer a fixed payment of $16 for international flights and $8 for domestic flights that are sold through your referral link.
They also have a 45-day cookie duration, which is one of the best in the airline affiliate industry.
As an affiliate, you’ll have access to various banners to use on your website, and you’ll also get support from a dedicated affiliate manager to help you make the most of the program.
Commission: $8 for domestic flights, 16 for international flights
Cookie Duration: 45-days
13. Air France
When you sign up for the Air France affiliate program, you become eligible to earn commissions for every sale generated through your referrals.
The program offers competitive compensation based on the type of ticket booked, whether it’s for short-haul, medium-haul, or long-haul flights. When someone buys a ticket within 30 days of clicking your affiliate link, you’ll earn a commission of 1.25 percent.
Additionally, affiliates gain access to various dashboards equipped with tracking tools and analytics to monitor their sales performance effectively.
With regular peak periods throughout the year, sales openings, special operations, and promotions, affiliates can rely on consistent opportunities to earn commissions.
Overall, joining the Air France affiliate program presents a lucrative opportunity for affiliates to earn commissions while promoting Air France’s services to their audience.
Commission: 1.25%
Cookie Duration: 30-days
14. Travelocity
Travelocity is an online travel service owned by Expedia Group. The website provides access to the lowest prices on flights, hotels, car rentals, holiday packages, and other travel-related services.
The affiliate program is managed by the Expedia affiliate hub, which provides convenient access to all of the Expedia Group’s affiliate programs. They provide access to more than 500 airlines and competitive commissions on all of their products.
Affiliates participating in the Travelocity affiliate program have access to the most modern affiliate tools and technology. This includes booking widgets that may be embedded in your travel blog or website.
Commission: Varies, usually 2-4%
Cookie Duration: 45-days
15. Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines is not only the oldest airline in the United States but also one of the largest. In addition, it is the largest airline in Hawaii, operating flights to the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Oceania.
The airline offers its affiliate program in addition to being listed on search engines such as TravelPayouts and Skyscanner.
Their affiliate program pays commissions of 1.5 percent on any airline reservations made during a 30-day cookie window.
Through CJ Affiliate, users have access to a number of travel affiliate programs, including the Hawaiian Airlines affiliate program.
Commission: 1.5%
Cookie Duration: 30-days
16. Expedia
Expedia offers users access to thousands of flights, hotels, holiday packages, and other travel options. Due to Expedia’s status as a respected brand, the website receives over 60 million unique visitors per month, resulting in high conversion rates.
Affiliates can earn earnings of up to 7 percent with a 30-day cookie duration. Influencers can gain access to the Expedia affiliate program through CJ affiliate or the Expedia affiliate network, which includes all Expedia Group-owned websites.
Commission: 1% – 7%
Cookie Duration: 30-days
17. Kayak
Kayak is an American online travel agency that enables the booking of flights, vacations, and other travel arrangements. It gives users access to the greatest deals available and includes a mobile application for centralized trip booking management.
It is a wonderful option for eco-friendly travel bloggers because it illustrates the environmental impact of your trip options.
Kayak has an affiliate network, which consists of Momondo, HotelsCombined, and additional travel companies. Affiliates can earn a fifty percent commission on each sale. Notably, this is not fifty percent of the wholesale but rather fifty percent of the commission that the airline pays to Kayak.
Commission: 50%
Cookie Duration: 30-days
18. Trip.com
Trip.com is an online travel service that makes it simple to locate the finest vacation offers.
The service allows you to book flights, hotels, and even activities for the duration of your stay in one location.
With access to flights from more than 450 airlines and more than 1.4 million lodging alternatives, consumers may locate whatever they require on our website.
Trip.com also has an app that allows you to control everything from your mobile device or smartphone while on the road. In addition, for your peace of mind, they provide 24-hour customer assistance. This provides people with all the advantages of utilizing a travel agent without leaving their homes.
They provide a well-known affiliate program that permits travel bloggers to monetize their content by introducing their readership to Trip.com.
Flight commissions begin at 0.5 percent. This can grow based on the total number of sales for the month. Affiliates can also earn up to 7% commission on hotel bookings, 5% commission on excursions and tickets, and $1.50 for every rail ticket reservation.
Commission: Variable
Cookie Duration: 30 days for the website, 7 days for the App
19. OMIO
Omio is a travel booking website that allows customers to reserve flights, trains, buses, and ferries from a single location. Users have access to an app where they may keep all of their travel booking information and tickets, making travel management convenient.
The affiliate program offered by Omio enables influencers to earn money by promoting the service. Affiliates get access to a variety of banners and assets, as well as embeddable API and booking widgets for their websites and blogs.
Depending on the destination, commissions range from two to eight percent per booking.
Commission: 2% – 8%
Cookie Duration: 30-days
20. 12Go
This travel booking site offers flights to Southeast Asia and Oceania. On the website, users can book flights, buses, trains, taxis, day trips, and ferries in Southeast Asia.
The 12Go affiliate program offers a commission share of fifty percent of the commission 12Go receives for any booking made via the site. Affiliates can easily join other travel and airline affiliate programs via Travel Payouts, where the affiliate program is maintained.
Commission: 50% commission share
Cookie Duration: 30-days
HOW TO PROMOTE AIRLINE AFFILIATE PROGRAMS
To promote airline affiliate programs effectively, focus on providing value to your audience and making it easy for them to book their travel. You can do this by incorporating the affiliate links into your content in various ways.
For example, suggest trip destinations in your blog posts and create top 10 lists of the best airlines for specific destinations. Additionally, leverage social media platforms to share limited-time offers and encourage followers to subscribe to your mailing list for updates.
Consider integrating affiliate search widgets into your website or blog, which allows visitors to search for flights without leaving your page, potentially boosting conversion rates.
Overall, the key is to make the booking process seamless for your audience while providing them with valuable travel insights and deals.
FAQs
❓What is an Airline Affiliate Program?
An airline affiliate program is a partnership between an individual or company and an airline, where the affiliate earns a commission for referring customers who make a purchase, such as booking a flight. These programs are a way for airlines to increase sales through the marketing efforts of affiliates, while affiliates earn money by promoting airline tickets, memberships, or services.
👀Who can join an Airline Affiliate Program?
Most airline affiliate programs are open to anyone with a platform to promote their services, including bloggers, influencers, travel agents, and website owners. However, acceptance into a program may depend on the size and relevance of your audience to the travel and airline industry.
👉Are there any costs associated with joining an Airline Affiliate Program?
Most airline affiliate programs are free to join. However, affiliates may incur costs related to their marketing efforts, such as website hosting fees, advertising, and content creation. It's important to consider these expenses when calculating your potential profits.
✅Can I promote multiple Airline Affiliate Programs at once?
Yes, you can join and promote multiple airline affiliate programs simultaneously, allowing you to offer a wider range of options to your audience and increase your earning potential. However, it's important to manage your promotions effectively and maintain the quality of your content to avoid overwhelming your audience.
Quick Links
- Best Affiliate Programs That Pay Daily
- Best Recurring Affiliate Programs
- How To Make Money With Amazon Affiliate Program
Conclusion
In conclusion, when choosing an airline affiliate program, consider the unique benefits of each option. If you’re in a country with limited airlines or there’s a special offer available, using the airline’s program might be best, as commissions are typically higher.
However, for broader vacation bookings, sites like Expedia or Kayak could be better. While their commission rates might be slightly lower, the wider range of products available could improve conversion rates.
Plus, you have the opportunity to earn commissions on additional items like hotels and car rentals, potentially leading to higher overall earnings.
