I spent 6 months vetting various host agencies, and without a doubt, I know I have made the right decision not just for my business, but for my future, by joining Travel Edge as an IC.
The level of support and the team spirit are first class, but it's the constant drive to innovate that ultimately reminds me I work with the best in the industry.
Their investment in technology - while not always perfect - is testament to their committment to this innovation. Coming from brick & mortar to work from home, I felt like I'd been working in the dark ages once I took ADx for a run! LOL
If you're looking for a host agency with great support and technology, you'll find a good home at Travel Edge.
I joined Travel Edge during the pandemic and I could not be any happier. The management team is incredibly supportive of every travel advisor. I am proud to be on the Travel Edge team and feel free to reach out to me if you are considering changing host agencies. My business is Luxury focused and they align with my philosophy and my goals. I could not ask for anything else.
I joined Travel Edge Network (TEN) in January 2019 as a new to the industry advisor. I joined at a time of rapid expansion and acquisition of mostly established agents, and TEN didn't have a robust program for onboarding newer agents. This was discussed when I joined, so my expectations were properly managed. However, it was a hard first year. Followed by a pandemic. However, I am so proud to be working with TEN and have seen their investments in ADX (our proprietary booking software) and training pay off for me in large ways. While the programs were not in place when I joined, Ken Neibaur and Michelle Leal were always available to troubleshoot a problem I was facing or provide me opportunities to grow my business.
Going into my 4th year as an advisor, I am approaching $1M in annual sales and my business continues to grow by offering my clients great experiences through TEN negotiated partners and beyond.
I actually joined the Travel Edge network as an affiliate agent of one of the core agencies that makes up the former WorldView Travel network from years and years ago, which is now Travel Edge/Trip Arc/Ensemble family. I'm a GDS agent Sabre access to manage our bookings since we are all "old school" at my agency and I didn't want to put down an ARC bond and sign contracts with either Sabre or Worldspan, so this agency was referred to me by a friend whom we do media work with (blogger/national news referrals, etc). We liked the net fares & commissions at WVT, however it was a manual process and we had a PDF guide of about 100 pages with all the contracts, commission info, and ticketing entries .
In 2018 we were told about the ADX system and have been using it in conjunction with Sabre and its been a treat. The GUI is great for non-GDS agents with multiple search options and abilities, including access the Sabre Emulator with Sabre-generated bookings (that way you can cancel, void, make minor changes without bugging support). The system displays our preferred airlines, commission levels, and makes shopping easy. Most sales are instantaneous, but complex items are handled by the support team. The hotel engine is nice, has a few kinks, but also helpful. There's no cruise booking engine in ADX, but Ensemble has one (we have a separate login for that system). Car rentals are on your own, but we do them in Sabre as a GDS agent.
TE provides plenty of communication & training for agents, as well as an awesome intranet that makes information easy to find (eg: those 150 pages of contracts are now organized on the intranet, so we know exactly where to go when we do any GDS bookings). The reporting system is nice, and I just can't say enough good things about TE. I really enjoy the flexibility of having BOTH Sabre GDS and the ADX GUI.
I have been with Travel Edge since 2021, initially as an employee and now as an IC.
Travel Edge's technology and commitment to evolving/streamlining the booking, invoicing and tracking process for Advisors is second-to-none, and the reason I stayed on as an IC after I resigned.
Leaving Virtuoso was a challenge for the agency and I feel like TE has pivoted well in a very short time.
There is still a long way to go, but I do see the progress and commitment to continue to do better/be better.
The motto "fail fast, learn fast" definitely applies here, and there have been a lot of failures and a steep learning curve. That said, I see the forward progress.
No host agency is the right fit for every Advisor. As with finding the perfect hotel room, you need to put the right head on the right bed.
Travel Edge works for me because of my experience and because I have been with several other agencies and know what I'm getting vs. what I am giving up.
ADX is a very powerful tool and makes my job easier .. I make more money because of ADX, and Travel Edge is completely committed to enhancing and improving this tool.
I've been with Travel Edge NYC since 2018 and I've seen it go through many changes. First and foremost, I believe in what Travel Edge is doing and the innovations it has strived for and continues to make in the luxury travel space. I'm profoundly proud to be with an organization that offers great service and support to its travel advisors. I've worked hard to grow a boutique agency that offers my travel clients impeccable service and I couldn't have done that without the help of the Travel Edge Team.
My business partner and I have been in the business for over 15 years. Although we had spoken several times about making a change from our current agency we could never find the right time to do it. Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic created the perfect opportunity to reset and start the search for a new partnership. After speaking with several of my friends on the supplier side and to several host agencies we decided that TE was the perfect fit. From the technology to the people to the networking opportunities as well as their reputation within the community it was a great fit. Two years later and we couldn't be happier. Our team of eight are all incredibly happy with the move and look forward to all of the exciting things yet to come. Please feel free to reach out if you have specific questions!
I made the move to Travel Edge back in 2019 after 9 years of working under another leading host agency because I was looking for a leader in the global, luxury space as well as more robust technology tools that could accelerate my business.
Since then, I've experienced a significant increase in my overall commission margins due to TE's best-in-class/preferred commissions with every major travel supplier in the industry as well as the revolutionary functionality of Travel Edge's proprietary ADX platform which provides CRM, marketing, GDS, itinerary generation and invoicing/back office financing functionality all-in-one.
Another huge advantage of being a part of the Travel Edge network is having the best airline contracts in the industry as well the support of an experienced, in-house air team. Booking airfare for my clients is now a pleasure and a very productive revenue stream for my business as I am able to access an entire team of super experienced airline GDS experts 24/7...no more long hold times with the airlines, having to stress over Sabre/Amadeus debit memos or deal with 'customer no-service' consolidators!
Lastly, I cannot say enough about the support we receive from the TE administrative staff and leadership team. From our local office manager here in Atlanta and the amazing finance team, to the IT support dept. and all the way up to the Vice President, they work tirelessly to support our business growth and are constantly tracking unpaid commissions, providing us with direct connections to the best luxury supplier/vendors through the ongoing Limitless Conferences, advocating for innovative technology improvements, providing immediate solutions to any technical issues that come up, organizing the best FAM opportunities, and so much more.
I now have the tools and resources I need to work more efficiently and increase my revenue, a collegial, professional network of hundreds of the most experienced, luxury advisors in the business as well as the support of an entire administrative team that's hard at work to accelerate my business growth. There's not a day that goes by that I am not thankful to have switched over to the Travel Edge network.
Travel Edge is a great host agency with great technology and resources. They are also very well recognized in the industry making connecting with travel partners a lot easier. I have mostly appreciated the support as a newer to industry advisor I received from our Regional Director and fellow colleagues. It was important for me to align myself with a strong company that could provide the resources I needed to grow my business.
The only reason they aren't five star is because I do believe they need to give some consideration to their commission structure for ICs. With so many host agencies out there their model is not designed really to support the growth as an affiliate.
Travel Edge is a perfect agency to grow your travel business as an IC. I am part of their new Mentor/Mentee program. This program offers me support in many ways not only from the agency but from my mentor. One of the reasons I decided to work for Travel Edge is the adx tool they offer. I have found it so helpful with my hotel and air bookings. The support team always gets back to me quickly to help me solve any problems. The office is beautiful and the other agents in the office have been so supportive and helpful with anything I may need. I am so excited to grow my business and feel like I have endless possibilities here!
Travel Edge has 100’s of experienced travel advisors that love us and specifically love our support. Our support teams are some of the best in the industry.
We are very clear on what our systems can and cannot do. ADX is a tool for our leisure advisors. It was created to build FIT-type travel packages by including air / cruise / hotel / insurance and invoicing all in the single platform and then push it over to ClientBase for CRM purposes (adding marketing fields so your client can receive the magazines, e-blasts, etc).
It is not meant for corporate bookings and that is why we have a range of GDS platforms that can be used for corporate. In this scenario, a GDS solution was set up but not utilized and therefore the frustrations.
I encourage you to contact Travel Edge for a demo of ADX and see for yourself how powerful the platform is and how it can save time (and therefore money) for your business.