Avoya Travel

I was with Avoya for a year and I really wanted to love it. The leads were key to my decision to join them. But the problem is that the leads that I received were not in my area of specialty even though I was led to believe there would be many Disney leads. The majority of the leads I received were low end cruise lines.

The pros: The education opportunities and the technology is great! I did love their quote options for cruises. The format of the quote emails/invoices is very nice. Their support system is very good too. I always received timely replies when I had questions. Also it is a huge bonus to be able to book clients with American Express reward points. Finally, if you need cruise bookings to get your CLIA ACC, MCC, etc. Avoya is a great way to do that. But the commission split on these cruises that come from their leads is too low.

The cons: First the definition of lead is misleading. Anyone who goes to an Avoya site and enters their email address and clicks on ANY cruise/tour is considered a lead. There are a lot of folks just exploring who aren't really ready to book a trip out there! It was too much like "Big Brother" watching on the web for me. After I signed on I was told that if you closed 1 out of every 20 leads you were doing well. Personally that kind of return on my time investment was not worth my continuing with them.

For the few leads that were really interested in booking something, I found that the majority were just shoppers who wanted the absolute rock bottom price and then they wanted me to price match sites like Costco who offer huge OBC's.

Also, there are no opportunities to book air through Avoya except through the suppliers that offer it. But I also needed a host to ticket group air that I sell from time to time.

I've been affiliated with Avoya Travel for 2yrs and have really enjoyed it. I have no clients of my own so I rely 100% on the live lead program. The best advantage of the program is that you can sell the specific tour company, river cruise line or ocean cruise line that you really like to sell--you pick the vendors you work with. If you have experience in travel, I would strongly urge you to consider joining Avoya Travel American Express.

I have been in the travel industry for over 17 years.
I work for one company for 3 years and then I made the move to Avoya Travel.Best decision I have ever made.
Technology at best,leads ,costumer service and a great team of people that make you feel that you are really part of a big family.
Have made many good friends ,Travel at least ones a year on our national conference and other funtions.
In my opinion from A to Z Avoya is the best Host Agency

UPDATE 7/18/2015:

I have been in the travel industry for over 22 years.
since 2007 I affiliated my agency to Avoya Travel.
with my experience I was able to learn the system in no time and started selling travel right away.
Avoya is a great hot agency and it runs with integrity and professionalism at it best.
In only a year I was able to accomplish the award of Best of the Best and year after year up until 2014 I have been awarded the Best of the Best award which is at least a million dollars in gross sales in a year.For 2015 month of July my agency have sold a million plus therefore my gold is 2 million to be President club.
The live leads are amazing and easy to close if you know the products and have experience .I don’t understand how someone with 20 plus years of experience can’t close these leads and not be successful at Avoya travel.
All it takes is integrity,honesty, professionalism and knowledge
If you have these virtues there is no reason why anyone can be very successful affiliating your business with the best host agency in the industry Avoya travel.

I've been in the travel industry for 13 years. I've worked at a cruise line and for two previous American Express brick and mortar agencies. Since joining Avoya my sales have soared and I have complete control and autonomy over how and when I work. Avoya is supportive and innovative in their approach. They are always thinking outside the box to insure we are ahead of the curve, by miles. Joining the Avoya team truly changed my life, for the better and I've never had any regrets. There are so many host agencies to choose from but there really is only one choice if you want to be successful, work with professionals and have the backing of a company with integrity, Avoya.

I have just finished reading all of the reviews on this site. I don't know who Robert Kurze is but I do feel VERY sorry that he is obviously so ill-informed.

I am not going to repeat in detail what all of my other family members have mentioned. Suffice is to say all are true statements. Yes, we have 24 hour live leads, yes, we can choose our specialties be it land or sea vendors, yes we have our marketing done for us, yes we have the most innovative agent system out there and yes we strongly believe that professionalism, honesty and integrity to our clients, to each other, to our own characters and to our host agency are what sets us apart from all of the other host agencies. We are an amazing family and this is the point I would like to expound on.

I joined for the same reason most joined which is for the live leads program. But, I quickly learned that whomever phrased, " You can't teach and old dog new tricks" had never belonged to Avoya Trave/American Express. Being a part of this unique and extremely giving family has changed my life for the better 10000%. 5 stars isn't enough of a rating.

I decided to join when the "recession" was affecting most of our livelihoods and probably still is to most ( fortunately not to most of us at Avoya). From the moment you join us you are handed on a silver platter, every thing you can possibly think of to become financially successful. What's more, this is continuous in that there is absolutely no limit on how much you can succeed. It is your choice how you run your own business and what you want to attain. There is no holding you back. Avoya Travel/American Express is a huge, and I mean huge, network of professional travel advisors that beleive in giving the personal attention and service to each client just like we expect for ourselves when we are the ones in need of assistance. Our main goal is to build long lasting clientele relationships gaining repeat business and referrals. No man is an island and this is not an easy goal to attain. It involves hard work and dedication. Having am entire family of professionals and peers to stand by your side and turn to, is beyond explaining in written words.

Where else can you be a home-based agent and feel as if you are surrounded by family 24 hours 7 days a week? Not only do we help one another if we can't work, we help one another while we are working. If we need a fine restaurant in Vienna or a private guide in Dubai, no more then 5 minutes go by before we all help give you the answers to your needs. There is no competition because when we take that lead, it is your lead and no one elses to view. Where else can you pick the phone up without any reserve , and call our co-founding Presidents Brad and Van Anderson, Scott Koepf, former President of NACTA , Steve Hirshan, David and Michael Anderson and many other high profile industry leaders that are part of our family... to talk over a problem, make a suggestion, get an answer for anything you may need? You don't just join Avoya, you become part of a very close-knit. caring family.

We are handed every possible opportunity to become financially sucessessful. If you need any help be it 3PM or 3AM someone is always there to help make your clients travel experience seamless as well as lower your stress level. Considering you are spending a good half of your life working, having such a giving family of agents and administrators to lean on , is an amazing attribute to say the least.

IF you are looking for a second chance on life and career, if you are looking for a place you never walk alone, if you are serious about being part of an award winning, highly innovative and much sought after host agency, well then "Greetings Pilgrim, Your Search Has Ended". Be happy to answer any questions anyone may have if what I've said isn't enough to make you realize you too can have a new lease on life.

I highly recommend Avoya Travel to anyone who is considering joining a host agency for the following reasons:

There is a support staff to help you at every step of the way. You are your own boss, so you can work as hard as you want to or as little. There is wonderful training from Avoya and many suppliers. You are affiliating yourself with a brand that is well known in the industry. I love having the ability to have all of the perks of American Express and use that to benefit my clients. The company is contantly growing and updating itself on every level. There is a very large colleagial aspect as well. For example, I am looking forward to seeing other agents at this years conference that I met last year. It is clear to me that we are there for each other. There are opportunities to participate in Fams and other learning experiences. It should be emphasized to all who want to participate in Avoya that there is definately a very ethical vibe, as there should be. I wholeheartedly recommend Avoya as an excellent host agency that you can be proud to be a part of.

I have been with Avoya four years and made the right decision . The owners are wonderful people to work for and very caring. . You have the flexibility to work and take vacation whenever you want . You get paid on a weekly basis . They will even given you an advance if you need it. There are plenty of leads for you to make plenty of money, so the choice is yours.

You are always offered to attend cruise and tour operator webinars to keep updated on the latest .
Their support staff is there for you 7 days a week! Bonus commissions and cruise give aways!!

Need I say more?? Get on board with Avoya. ,!!

Avoya Travel has made selling travel again fun and profitable! I joined in Aug 2008 after owning my own storefront agency for 10+ years and trying to make it as a home based agent with a major consortium for two more years.

Avoya is for the full time travel professionals. It is not for part timers who want to "earn a few bucks" working a few hours a week. But if selling travel is your passion and this is your business, you can't make a better choice.

From the beginning it was obvious I had made the right choice. Technical and marketing support are exceptional. I don't have to maintain my own website. I don't have to track my commissions and I have a network of fellow agents to call upon for help and support. They are always there.

The company owners are the most ethical people I have run into in business. They do business in a professional manner and expect all their independent affiliates to operate at the same ethical and professional level. Their support for their affiliates is complete.

I could tell you more about the systems they provide to run your business, the training they offer, the support they provide for your business, and much more. But the most important thing I can tell you is that affiliating your business with Avoya Travel will be the best business decision you will make.

We joined Avoya Travel in March of 2008. Prior to that we had owned a store front for more than 10 years and worked independently out of our home for another 2 years. Our business was struggling to survive with our existing customer base.

Avoya was a godsend. We no longer try to maintain a website, wonder if our marketing money is well spent, try to get new clients, chase commissions and track booking action items with yellow stickies on the folders.

Avoya embraces new technology. Their database is a powerful, effective tool. Their marketing gives me access to excellent potential customers.

Avoya's owners and officers are ethical, and expect that from their independent affiliates. Avoya offers many training opportunities, and has won numberous industry awards. I could go on, but the bottom line is that Avoya is the Best of the Best.

If we weren't affiliated with Avoya, we would no longer be in the travel business.

We have been with Avoya Travel for almost 8 years, and our income has grown every single year, including during the economic downturn.

Avoya's "live lead" program allows me to outsource my marketing and advertising to Avoya Travel. They provide the leads, and the only cost to me is the commission split if I sell them. If I don't sell them, there was no loss to me at all. I've also outsourced my promotional groups management to Avoya. I believe they reserve over 25,000 cruise cabins every year, giving me a competitive advantage. Avoya Travel's affiliation with American Express offers additional benefits to my clients - they can Pay With Points, earn extra points, enjoy Mariner Club sailings, and of course, the Amex reputation is pristine.

Besides the incredible advertising and technology, Avoya handles all my accounting and "chasing" of commissions. I can spend ALL my time doing what I do best - selling over the telephone. With all the services they provide, the commission split is so worthwhile - don't worry about the percentages, look at your bottom line! I can make MORE money in MY pocket using Avoya's lead program, than I could if I kept 100% of the commission but had to spend my time marketing, advertising, prospecting, bookkeeping...instead of just selling selling selling.

I also know that if I have a question, Avoya's expert team will be there for me. Avoya's reputation with the vendors is incredible. No matter what I need, the name "Avoya" opens doors and escalates problems until they are solved.

They are receptive to suggestions, continuously improving, and ethical beyond belief. The opportunities for learning are terrific - webinars are available both live and recorded. Vendor training, sales coaching, FAMS, a terrific annual national conference...

Avoya wants full time travel professionals. If you have only a few hours a week, this won't work for you. Our leads are nationwide and worldwide. If you make yourself available to your clients and are responsive when THEY want you, you can really make a lot of money. I have my emails going to my smartphone, and my voicemails transcribed into emails that I get on my smartphone, too. So I can be as responsive as possible. I also know that when I travel I have trusted and competent colleagues who can deal with my clients in an emergency, and who will have access to all my computer-based records.

In 2011 we made more money than ever, and also spent 48 days at sea. Who DOES that?!