I have been with PTN Travel since they started. I have not once even thought about going with another host company. The team at PTN is always helpful and willing to answer any questions or follow up later with an answer.
I have always felt valued and like a part of the team and not just a number on a list of worker bees.
PTN is always moving forward and working hard to make things better for us as IC's and getting us the resources we need to better ourselves and our businesses.
There really is no other host company that I would rather be with than PTN.

When I joined PTN in 2023, I was transitioning from a long corporate career and building my travel business full time. Choosing the right host agency was one of the most important decisions I would make, and PTN has exceeded my expectations every step of the way.
What I value most is the supportive and engaging culture. Whether it's leadership, support staff, preferred partners, or fellow advisors, there is a genuine sense of community and a shared desire to help one another succeed. The leadership team is accessible, responsive, and truly listens to advisors. Even as PTN continues to grow, I have never felt like just a number.
PTN has played an important role in my growth as a travel advisor. The training, resources, supplier relationships, and ongoing support have helped me build confidence, expand my knowledge, and better serve my clients. Whenever I have a question or need guidance, I know there is someone willing to help.
What has impressed me most is that PTN continues to evolve while maintaining the personal touch that made me join in the first place. I always feel supported, encouraged, and connected to a community that is genuinely invested in the success of its advisors.
If another advisor asked me about PTN, I would tell them they are joining a professional, collaborative, and supportive community that provides the tools, resources, and encouragement needed to build a successful business. I am incredibly grateful to be part of PTN and excited for what the future holds.

I’ve worked with another host before, and PTN has been a completely different experience. The 90% commission split was already strong, and now they’ve added a 95% option with no extra fees. Plus, full Virtuoso access at no additional cost.

What I appreciate most is the support. The coaching is thoughtful, the leadership is accessible, and I never feel like I’m left to figure things out on my own. The community is warm, collaborative, and always willing to help. PTN gives me the tools and confidence to grow the way I’ve always wanted to.

As I continue to grow my travel agency, I’m genuinely grateful to be partnered with PTN as my host agency. Being with a Texas-based, more intimate host just feels right to me, it’s personal, it’s warm, and it reminds me why I started this journey in the first place.

One of the things I love most is the close-knit community feel. We’re not just names on a roster, we’re part of a supportive circle where everyone wants to see each other succeed. PTN consistently rolls out weekly trainings (which you can choose to attend at your own pace), and they’re always introducing new systems and updates to help us stay ahead of the ever-changing travel industry.

The leadership truly listens. Our feedback matters, and that means a lot. Whether it’s new tools, supplier access, or learning opportunities, they’re always thinking about how to make things better for us agents. I also appreciate the growth opportunities they provide and how they encourage us to dream big, build strong businesses, and feel supported every step of the way.

If you're looking for a host agency that feels like home but still keeps its finger on the pulse of the industry,PTN is it.

Taking the leap and pursuing my career as a Travel Professional has been nothing short of amazing. The amount of training and support from the team and from Stephanie has been so helpful in allowing me to succeed. I am confident in the knowledge and information I've been taught and look forward to what else the industry has to offer!

I joined Pickles Travel Network with high hopes, especially after a warm and encouraging discovery call. The onboarding experience felt personal, and as a new advisor, I appreciated the welcoming energy and early responsiveness.

However, as I began building my business, I quickly realized the overall infrastructure didn’t align with what I needed long-term. PTN’s backend systems were extremely limited. They provided access to Travefy, which was positioned as a CRM, but in reality, it’s more of an itinerary builder — not a true client management or workflow tool. The “Supplier Portal” was simply a Google Sheets document. There was a strong push to book with Virtuoso-preferred suppliers, which works for some, but felt restrictive when trying to serve a wider range of clients.

Orientation consisted of three 1-hour Zoom sessions spread out over three months. While well-intentioned, the sessions were light on depth and actionable steps. PTN did offer some additional training sessions, but many felt generic, and most of the direction was to use Virtuoso Travel Academy. There were no shared workflows, systems, or templates provided to help you build your business. The overall message was “you’re an independent contractor, so it’s up to you to figure it out,” which can feel very isolating — especially for new advisors.

Support was handled strictly through a ticketing system, and we were instructed not to email anyone directly. All “staff” either run their own travel agencies or work under PTN’s brand — but all are 1099 advisors, not full-time support staff. This setup often meant slow response times (several days) and a lack of personalized help. There were no free onboarding calls or check-ins — any 1:1 coaching had to be paid for separately.

There were also onboarding requirements I didn’t fully anticipate:
• You must form an LLC before joining
• You must carry your own E&O insurance, listing PTN as an additional insured

While both are good practices, I wish these requirements — and their costs — had been clearly communicated upfront.

My total investment included:
• $599 one-time startup fee
• $659 for the mandatory Virtuoso Travel Basics course
• $79/month for a 90% commission split

Commissions were tracked through Sion, which worked fine, though it’s fairly basic.

While I felt the staff and other advisors inside PTN were friendly and genuinely wanted to see you succeed, I didn’t see any clear action steps or structured support to actually help make that happen. If you’re an experienced advisor with your own systems, PTN might work. But for newer advisors or those seeking strong support, workflows, and real guidance — I would recommend looking elsewhere.

I left PTN a little under a year ago. While I still have a great deal of respect for many members of the team—and I stand by my original statement that they truly care—after experiencing another Virtuoso host that offers far more robust resources for both new and seasoned advisors, I can no longer recommend PTN or support the rest of my original review.

The biggest red flag for me during my time with PTN—and what ultimately led to my departure—was their strict limitation on which vendors advisors were allowed to partner with. What’s best for my clients should always be the top priority, not a host agency’s internal standing with Virtuoso. Their preferred partner list was extremely limited, with very few options that weren’t already Virtuoso-affiliated. Even when I’d developed meaningful relationships with non-listed partners through networking or industry events, getting approval to use those credentials was an uphill battle.

When I left, PTN had also implemented a sales minimum in order to maintain a Virtuoso profile (alternatively, advisors could pay for Virtuoso training to keep access for another year). I had joined PTN not long after they became affiliated with Virtuoso, and from the start, I heard again and again how incredible this partnership would be for us as advisors—especially those of us who were new. So to see this shift was deeply disappointing. We were told this was a Virtuoso-wide requirement, but after speaking with other host agencies during my transition, I quickly learned that wasn’t the case. That misrepresentation felt incredibly uncomfortable.

Combined with the restriction on supplier choices, these factors are what led me to revise my review. While I believe PTN still has good people at its core, I can no longer, in good conscience, recommend this host agency.

I have been with Pickles Travel Network for just over a year. I would be lost without them. They are constantly updating and tweaking to ensure their TA's have the best in what is available. They are always in contact with TA's, allowing us to voice our concerns and input. The owners are open and available should we need them. But since the staff at PTN is so amazing we really don't. Love you Stephanie and Baz. Open forums and training are there for the taking in the monthly calendars and suppliers are updated after being vetted for our own piece of mind. Could not ask for more from a host.

Pickles Travel Network is a wonderful host agency to work for. I have been with them a little over a year. I have sold way more than I ever expected to in my first year of being a travel agent. I just signed up for another year and hoping to great things in 2025 and exceed my sales in my next year. Thank You

I chose Pickles Travel Network to be my host agency in the summer of 2022, I was a brand new travel advisor and I am so thankful I chose them.

My commission split is amazing, 90/10, their commissions with the suppliers I love and use most often are high and the weekly trainings and support is seemingly endless. They have weekly live trainings that are always recorded for you to watch on your own time as well. Supplier trainings, best practices, marketing, even mindset. Any time I have submitted a support ticket for any reason I have a response quickly and my issue is solved. They also provide so many of the software tools like Travefy etc needed to be successful.

Virtuoso being Pickles consortia is the cherry on top. If you want to sell luxury travel, Virtuoso can't be matched.

Everyone at Pickles is always willing to help, offer advice as well as other advisors helping each other. I also love that they encourage charging planning fees and do not take a cut of them. You run your business the way you choose. They don't have weird things in your contract, no red flags here. I am thankful to have gotten it right the first time in selecting my host agency, they are worth it and so are you.