Airline Affiliate Programs: How to Choose the Best One
Affiliate marketing is one of the most effective methods for monetizing a blog, and if you run a travel blog, it should be one of your top priorities.
This article is going to focus exclusively on the best airline affiliate programs that you can join and promote to your audience. There are a lot of fantastic affiliate programs that you can promote as a travel blogger, but we’re going to focus on the top airline affiliate programs here.
People that browse the internet for ideas on travel and locations are typically willing to spend money, and typically a significant amount of it as well. In point of fact, the value of leisure travel to global destinations is greater than 2 trillion US dollars. Isn’t that nice? Because of this, one might potentially make a lot of money through travel affiliate networks.
Affiliate programs offered by airlines are an absolute must-have for practically any travel blogger. The majority of people who go on vacation choose to fly to their destinations since it is typically the most convenient and cost-effective option to go to other countries. Because of this, it is a no-brainer to include airline affiliate links in your content. After all, if you recommend a beautiful location to your audience, they will also need to organize how they will get there. If you include these links in your content, you can earn a commission on any sales that result.
The Top 21 Affiliate Programs for Airlines That You Should Join
You can promote these affiliate programs inside the content you create, on your social media channels, to the people on your email list, and even more places.
When you promote these airline affiliate programs, you will not only be able to earn a commission for yourself, but you will also be providing value to your audience. You will be able to demonstrate to them how they can easily book the vacation of their dreams with a reliable airline, which is a service that will be of great benefit to them.
It’s possible to make money while flying by participating in airline affiliate programs, which is exactly how many individuals market these deals to their audiences, and it’s a good method to make money.
1. ETIHAD AIRWAYS
Etihad Airways is a well-known global airline that is renowned for the high quality of service it provides and the professionalism of both its workers and crew. Etihad Airways is a global airline that has its headquarters in Abu Dhabi and provides service to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America.
Every nation’s bloggers have the opportunity to participate in the Etihad Airways affiliate program. Affiliates have the opportunity to sign up with several different affiliate networks, such as AWIN and CJ Affiliate. Etihad provides a 2% commission on all bookings, and the cookie is valid for a period of 30 days.
• Cookie lifetime is thirty days
• Commission rate is two percent
2. DOLLAR FLIGHT CLUB
The Dollar Flight Club is a membership subscription service that allows anyone to sign up for the club and immediately begin saving significant sums of money on flights.
The way it works is that it notifies members whenever cheap flights to their favourite destinations become available. This allows members to book the flights at the discounted rate and take advantage of the savings. Members of the Dollar Flight Club are eligible for discounts ranging from 60 to 90 percent on their airfare, with an average savings of $500 per ticket purchased.
The Dollar Flight Club has an excellent affiliate network, through which participants can earn a commission of up to fifty percent for each new member they bring in. Because of this, you have the potential to earn up to $35 for each new paying member that you refer.
• Commission: fifty percent of each reference fee, up to thirty-five dollars for each referral
• The lifetime of a cookie is ninety days
3. TRAVEL PAYOUTS
Affiliate networks are becoming increasingly popular, and Travel Payouts is one that caters exclusively to the travel sector. Within the platform, there are more than ninety and a half travel affiliate programs that you can join, each of which has exclusive offers that you may advertise to your audience.
You’ll have access to some of the most lucrative affiliate programs available for airlines, as well as other travel-related programs, such as those offered by car rental and hotel booking firms, when you sign up for Travel Payouts.
Every month, they hand out payments totaling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to those who have joined their affiliate program. In point of fact, their top-performing affiliate made just a hair under $200,000 in revenue over the previous month!
• Commission: Typically ranges from 1% to 5% but might be higher depending on the brand.
• The lifetime of a cookie is 30 days
4. JET RADAR (JET-R)
Users of Jet Radar’s flight search engine are assisted in locating the most advantageous hotel and travel offers currently on the market. It displays flights to all of the most popular vacation spots across the world, which means that regardless of where you want to go for your trip, you should be able to find a decent price on airfare here.
Because the Travel Payouts affiliate network is responsible for running this flight affiliate program, it is very simple to sign up for and manage all of your affiliate programs in a single location.
• Commission: 5%
• The lifetime of a cookie is 30 days
5. SKYSCANNER
Skyscanner is a well-known flight search engine that gives users the ability to compare prices for a variety of travel-related services, including flights, car rentals, and hotels. They provide an affiliate program that gives participants the opportunity to earn a revenue share of twenty percent of any and all traffic that is directed to Skyscanner through the use of affiliate links.
This indicates that the affiliate will get twenty percent of the profit that Skyscanner receives from a flight booking, which amounts to two dollars if Skyscanner receives a commission of ten dollars.
• Cookie lifetime is 30 days
• Commission rate is twenty percent of revenue share
6. MOMONDO
Momondo is a travel search engine that allows users access to the most recent bargains on flights, hotels, package holidays, activities, and more (you’ll probably also be interested in discovering if their competitor Hopper is legitimate), so if you’re looking to save money on your next trip, check it out.
Only flights are eligible for participation in their airline affiliate program. Affiliates can earn between $0.45 and $0.65 for each click-out on their flight search page by participating in this program, which is one of the best rates available in the sector.
You can become a member of their affiliate program by going to CJ.com; alternatively, if you have more than 200,000 monthly visits, you can contact them directly at affiliate [@] momondo.com. CJ.com is one of the ways you can join their affiliate network.
• Cost-per-acquisition commission rate of $0.45 for mobile devices and $0.65 for desktop and tablet devices
• Cookie’s lifespan is not specified.
7. BRITISH AIRWAYS
The United Kingdom is home to the world’s second-largest flying carrier, British Airways. Because of the airline’s stellar reputation for providing outstanding customer care and luxurious aircraft, passengers flying to and from the UK frequently select it as their carrier of choice.
Because in addition to providing flights, British Airways also provides customers with a diverse selection of vacation packages, car rentals, hotel bookings, and other activities, this airline is an excellent brand for travel bloggers to promote.
Cookie lifetime is a closely guarded secret. Commission rates are subject to change depending on the item being sold.
8. EMIRATES
Emirates is an international airline with its headquarters in Dubai. They are well-known for their diversified personnel as well as their award-winning customer service, both of which contribute to the company’s popularity as a choice for long-distance international flights.
Their affiliate program provides market-leading compensation rates on airfares, which range anywhere from 1.25 percent to 2.5 percent depending on the destination. Affiliates are provided with access to a specialized affiliate support team, as well as all of the creative materials and links that are necessary for them to successfully market the program.
• Commission: 1.25% – 2.5%
• The length of time a cookie is valid is a secret.
9. The website CHEAPOAIR.COM
CheapOair is a flight and travel search engine that aims to assist travelers in finding the greatest bargains on a variety of travel-related services, including flights, hotels, and more. Because of the incredible deals that are currently being offered, this is an excellent choice for travel bloggers whose primary goal is discovering the world on a shoestring budget.
A number of different affiliate networks, including as CJ Affiliate, Rakuten Linkshare, and Impact Radius, are all acceptable entry points for influencers interested in participating in the CheapOair affiliate program.
The commission rates offered through their affiliate program are among the most competitive in the industry. As a result of the fact that affiliates can earn anywhere from $5 to $35 per booking depending on the product, this is an extremely lucrative affiliate program for travel bloggers to sign up for. They also have a very generous cookie length of ninety days, which raises the possibility of receiving a commission on a sale.
• Commission: $5 – $35 each sale
• Cookie Duration: 90-days
10. SOUTHWEST VACATIONS
The provider of vacation packages for Southwest Airlines is referred to as Southwest Vacations. Because the discounts that are offered on the website are not offered anywhere else, the site has the potential to have excellent conversion rates for its affiliates.
Because the Southwest Vacations affiliate program is managed by CJ Affiliate, it is quite simple to join up for and you may begin generating money very immediately after doing so. They give a beginning commission on all sales of 0.50%, with the chance to earn more if more sales are made. Affiliates can generate approximately $6.50 in revenue off of each sale, with the typical sale amounting to $1,300.
• Commission rates beginning at 0.50 percent
• The lifetime of a cookie is 30 days
11. KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is the national airline of the Netherlands and also serves as the country’s flag carrier. Because it operates out of Amsterdam Airport as its primary hub, this airline is a good option for passengers going to or coming from the Netherlands.
They offer a successful affiliate network that enables travel bloggers and other opinion leaders to generate revenue by endorsing their products and services. The base commission rate for short-haul flights is 1% of revenue, while the base commission rate for long-haul flights is 1.5% of revenue. They also provide a generous monitoring cookie that lasts for 30 days and has global tracking capabilities, which increases the likelihood of you receiving a commission.
• Commission rates range from 1 to 1.5%
• The lifetime of a cookie is 30 days
12. JUST FLY (only)
JustFly is a website that allows users to compare different airlines and flight options in order to discover the best bargains on available flights. With more than 160,000 user evaluations and an overall rating of four stars out of five on Trustpilot, it is rapidly becoming one of the most popular websites that compares prices for flights.
JustFly maintains its very own affiliate program that is managed by CJ Affiliate. They give a fixed commission of $8 for every local flight and a flat commission of $16 for each international flight that is sold. They also have a generous cookie length of 45 days, which contributes to the fact that they are one of the top airline affiliate programs available. Affiliates will have access to a variety of dynamic banners that they can implement on the websites that they maintain.
In addition to all of this, affiliates have access to a dedicated affiliate manager who is there to assist them in maximizing the benefits that the program has to offer.
• Commission of $16 per flight for international flights and $8 per flight for domestic flights
• Cookie Duration of 45 Days
13. AIR FRANCE
Air France is the largest airline in France, providing service to more than 193 destinations located in 93 different countries.
Affiliates will have access to everything they need to successfully advertise Air France to their audience, as their affiliate program is maintained on TradeTracker, and affiliates may access TradeTracker here. They provide a tracking cookie that is valid for 30 days and offer a regular commission rate of 1.25% every sale.
• Commission: 1.25%
• The lifetime of a cookie is 30 days
14. TRAVELOCITY
The Expedia Group owns and operates the online travel service known as Travelocity. You can use the website to get the greatest discounts on flights, hotels, car rentals, holiday packages, and more of a variety of travel-related goods and services.
Because the affiliate program is managed through the Expedia affiliate hub, you will have convenient access to all of the affiliate programs offered by Expedia Group in a one location. They provide access to over 500 different airlines, in addition to offering competitive commissions across the board for all of their products.
The Travelocity affiliate program is one of the best out there since it provides its partners with access to all of the most recent affiliate tools and technologies. This consists of booking widgets that can be incorporated into your personal travel website or blog.
• Commission: varies, but is typically between 2% and 4%
• The lifespan of a cookie is forty-five days.
15. HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
Hawaiian Airlines is not only the airline that has been operating the longest in the United States, but it is also one of the largest. It is also the largest airline in Hawaii, operating flights to a variety of destinations across the world, including the Philippines, Japan, Australia, South Korea, and Oceania.
In addition to being included on a number of flight search engines like TravelPayouts and Skyscanner, Hawaiian Airlines also runs its own affiliate program. Their affiliate program provides commissions of 1.5% on all airline bookings made within a cookie window of 30 days for the duration of the window.
CJ affiliate, which allows users to gain access to a broad number of different travel affiliate programs in addition to the Hawaiian Airlines affiliate program, is a platform that may be utilized to sign up for the Hawaiian Airlines affiliate program.
• Commission: 1.5%
• The lifetime of a cookie is 30 days
16. KAYAK
The American online travel service Kayak makes it simple to reserve flights, vacations, and other types of trips through their website. It provides consumers with access to the finest bargains that are currently available and even includes an app that allows users to manage all of their travel bookings in a single location.
It displays the environmental effect of each of your potential vacation destinations, making it an excellent choice for eco-friendly travel bloggers.
Kayak maintains its own affiliate network, which is comprised of other travel-related companies like Momondo and HotelsCombined, amongst others. Affiliates are eligible for a commission of fifty percent (50%) on each sale. It is important to note that this does not represent fifty percent of the overall sale but rather fifty percent of the commission that Kayak receives from the airline.
• Commission: 50%
• The lifetime of a cookie is 30 days
17. DISCOUNTED TICKETS
CheapTickets is one of the most popular low-cost travel booking websites in the United States. You can search for affordable vacation packages, flights, accommodations, and automobile rentals on this website, among other things.
CJ Affiliate is in charge of the affiliate program that CheapTickets offers to its customers. CheapTickets is unique among the affiliate programs on this list in that it offers two different types of commission structures: a set commission and a percentage commission.
Bookings made for cruises, auto rentals, and flights are all eligible for flat commissions of up to $30 per transaction. Commissions are typically paid out as a percentage of the sale by hotels, activities, and packages. This amount can range anywhere from 1% to 8%, depending on the product.
• The commission is subject to change.
• The lifetime of a cookie is one week
18. TRIP.COM
Trip.com is an online travel service that aims to make it simple for everyone to locate the finest travel discounts; yet, the question remains as to whether or not Trip.com can be trusted.
You are able to book everything for your trip, from flights to hotels to activities for the duration of your stay, all in one convenient location thanks to the website. Users can find everything they require on this website, including access to flights offered by more than 450 different airlines and over 1.4 million different lodging alternatives to pick from.
Trip.com also provides its users with an app, which enables them to control and manage their accounts from their mobile devices while they are on the move. In addition to that, they provide customer assistance that is available around the clock, so you never have to worry. Users are able to get all of the benefits of working with a travel agent without having to leave the convenience of their own homes.
They provide a well-known affiliate program that enables travel bloggers to monetise their website traffic by sending that visitors to Trip.com, which in turn earns Trip.com commissions. When it comes to airfares, commissions begin at 0.5%. This number can go up based on how many items you’ve sold throughout the previous month. Affiliates have the opportunity to earn a commission of up to 7% on hotel bookings, 5% on excursions and tickets, and $1.50 on each reservation of a train ticket.
• The commission is subject to change.
• Cookie 30-days for the website, and 7-days for the app are allotted for the duration.
19. OMIO
Omio is a website that allows users to book several modes of transportation, including ferries, buses, trains, and flights, all from an one location for their convenience. Them have access to an app that allows them to keep all of the information regarding their travel bookings and tickets, making it a handy way for users to manage their travel arrangements.
Influencers have the opportunity to get revenue by advertising Omio through the use of the company’s affiliate program. Affiliates have access to a wide variety of banners and images, as well as an application programming interface (API) and booking widgets that they may install on their own websites or blogs. Depending on the location, commissions might run anywhere from 2% to 8% of each individual booking.
• Commission ranges from 2% to 8%
• The lifetime of a cookie is 30 days
20. EXPEDIA
Expedia is the most popular online travel service in the world, providing users with access to thousands of flights, vacation packages, hotels, and other types of accommodations. Over sixty million unique visitors visit the site every month, contributing to the site’s strong conversion rates. This is made possible by the fact that Expedia is a reputable brand.
Affiliates have the potential to earn commissions of up to 7%, with a cookie life of up to 30 days in length. Access to the Expedia affiliate program can be gained by influencers either through CJ affiliate or through the Expedia affiliate network, which provides coverage for all of the websites that are owned by the Expedia Group family.
• The commission ranges from 1% to 7%
• The lifetime of a cookie is 30 days
21. 12GO
The majority of South East Asia and Oceania are both serviced by 12Go’s trip booking platform, which goes by the name 12Go. Through this website, travelers in South East Asia can make reservations for flights, buses, trains, taxis, car rentals, day trips, and ferries.
The 12Go affiliate program provides participants with the opportunity to earn a commission share equal to fifty percent of the profit that 12Go obtains for each booking that is made through the site. Since Travel Payouts is in charge of the management of the affiliate program, affiliates can easily sign up for various travel and airline affiliate programs using that platform.
• Commission: a share of commission equal to fifty percent • Cookie Duration: thirty days
Strategies for Marketing Affiliate Programs Offered by Airlines
There is a wide variety of promoting options available to you to use in order to sell your audience on the top airline affiliate programs. The most essential thing to keep in mind is to provide your followers with value and to make it simple for them to book their travel by demonstrating the most effective way to accomplish these tasks.
The following are some of the most effective methods for promoting airline affiliate programs:
• In blog entries anytime you advocate a travel destination
• In top 10 lists (best airlines flying to X)
• On social media
• To your email list when special offers are available
• On a podcast that is linked to travel
• On a podcast that is unrelated to travel
The majority of the affiliate programs on our list come equipped with a search widget that you are free to incorporate into any travel-related website or blog you own. Your visitors will have an easier time searching without having to go away from the page, which can help to increase conversion rates.
You might also want to have a look at some of the best hotel affiliate programs available, given that your customers will, without a doubt, require lodging once they arrive at their destination.
Affiliates for Flights and Their Programs
There are a wide variety of excellent airline affiliate programs from which to pick, and each of these programs offers its unique set of advantages.
If you are traveling to a smaller country with fewer options for airlines to pick from, or if there is a particular offer that you wish to take advantage of, it may be more beneficial for you to use the affiliate program that is offered by the airline that you are flying with. The airline’s own affiliate program often offers higher commissions than third-party programs.
When it comes to making reservations for trips of a more broad kind, you might do better to promote a booking website such as Expedia or Kayak. Although the commission rates are marginally reduced, there is a greater potential for increased conversion rates due to the increased number of options. You will also have the opportunity to gain commissions on the other services, such as hotels and car rentals, that clients purchase in conjunction with their flight reservations. This indicates that you have a far greater potential to make money overall.