28 Best Airline Affiliate Programs for Travel Blogs

While the travel industry and its affiliates took a hit in 2019 and 2020, it’s back and booming. While hotel affiliate programs can be lucrative, airline travel affiliate programs are a lucrative way to ensure your business takes off. (See what I did there?) From Southwest Airlines to Expedia, there is something for everyone searching for an airline affiliate program that works best for you. Check out this list of the best airline affiliate programs I could find.

This list of the best airline affiliate programs was compiled by reviewing popular brand offerings, affiliate network opportunities, payment structures, commission amounts, and other criteria. From the best international carriers to budget airlines, this list has something for everyone looking to boost their commissions and earnings. It’s only sometimes that major airlines that pay the most.

If you have a travel blog, you can upsell vacation packages, a car rental, flight insurance, and hotel bookings to make more commissions on the various affiliate programs included in this list.

I’ve included a list of definitions related to affiliate marketing at the bottom of this article. Another important point I’d like to direct you to is that some airlines only pay on international flights rather than domestic flights.

1) Skyscanner Affiliate Program

Unlike your traditional airline affiliate programs (air, insurance, and points), Skyscanner offers a powerful search engine and direct booking capabilities with the best deals on domestic flight tickets and international destinations. Skyscanner allows affiliates to promote the company’s products and services through tracking links, banners, text links, and other widgets.

While not an online travel agency specifically, the Skyscanner affiliate program offers an attractive commission structure with a mix of both fixed and variable fees.

When approved with the Skyscanner affiliate program, managed by Impact, you can earn a base commission of 20%. The program offers a 30-day referral window, a last-click model, unique promo code tracking, and deep linking and is open to influencers.

2) Omio Affiliate Program

Omio is a flight, train, and bus travel search engine. It offers an extensive selection of carriers worldwide, including budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet. The affiliate program is managed by Impact and permits product catalogs, unique coupon code tracking, pixel piggybacking, deep linking, and being open to placements and influencers.

The commission is based on the location of the person making the purchase. Standard commission rates range from 2% to 8%.

3) Alaska Mileage Plan

Alaska Airlines’ frequent flyer program partners with Points to sell Mileage Plan miles through its membership, whether members need more to plan an award flight or prepare for future trips. Frequent bonus/discount offers are an extra incentive to buy miles.

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan affiliate program, managed by Impact, allows affiliates to make money by referring customers to the program. Affiliates earn a 2.5% commission for qualified referrals and purchases made through their referral link.

4) Southwest Airlines Reward Program

As an approved partner of the Southwest Airlines affiliate program within the Impact affiliate network, you can earn a base commission of 2.5% for referrals to the Reward program that offers amazing deals. The program permits unique coupon code tracking, pixel piggybacking, and deep linking. It offers a 15-day referral window and a last-click model.

5) Korean Air

The Korean Air affiliate program offers commissions on flights booked from the Americas to Asia. You can apply to the program via the Impact affiliate network, and the base commission is 2%. The program permits deep linking and incentivizes affiliates with bonus commissions for performance. The referral window is ten days, and it’s a last-click model. While the EPC is low, the commissions can still add up. Flights will cost in the ballpark of $1000 – $6000.

6) CheapOair Airline Affiliate Program

You will make little per referral with the CheapOair affiliate program. The travel affiliate program offers $8.00 for referrals that purchase airline tickets and $5.00 for air insurance purchases. However, bonus tiers of commissions are available and higher rates for hotel and vacation package purchases. The program also permits unique promo code tracking, deep linking and provides product catalogs. It offers a 30-day referral window with a last-click affiliate model.

7) Scott’s Cheap Flights

Consider Scott’s Cheap Flights a mailing list of the best deals on airfare. Paying subscribers to get emails about flights up to 40% cheaper than usual for a particular route. These cheap airline tickets change regularly, so subscribers are urged to book quickly.

The Scott’s Cheap Flights affiliate program is managed by Impact and only pays $3.00 for email signup and nothing for other conversions. Normally, I wouldn’t include an affiliate program like this on my list, but pay-per-lead programs can be beneficial.

If you can promote airline affiliate programs and drive converting traffic to Scott’s Cheap Flights email list, the $3.00 per lead can add up. See more details at Impact.

8) OneTravel

OneTravel offers the same program as CheapOAir, with commissions ranging from $5 to $25, a 30-day referral window, and a last-click model. It’s also offered through the Impact Affiliate Network.

9) KLM

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is an excellent choice for promoting an APEX award-winning airline with competitive commissions and a user-friendly affiliate program. If you have a travel blog, you can apply to the program within the FlexOffers and Partnerize networks. You’ll most likely be approved for a 30-day referral window and 1 to 1.5% commissions.

KLM affiliates can access marketing assets, product feeds, and a search widget. KLM pays based on short-haul flights, medium hauls, and long-haul flights.

10) Etihad Airways Affiliate Program: Guest – Points.com

Etihad Guest, the frequent flyer program of Etihad Airways, has partnered with Points.com to sell miles and points to its members. As an approved affiliate, you can earn 2.5% on sales. The referral window is 15 days, and it’s a last-click model. Apply with the Impact Network.

Affiliates have access to product catalogs, deep linking, and pixel piggybacking.

11) Expedia Affiliate Network

The Expedia affiliate network offers various benefits, from access to trusted brands to easy-to-use tools. With the Expedia partner program, you can drive traffic to your site and generate revenue every time someone books travel through one of our brands. Expedia consistently invests in its technology so that you can succeed as a partner.

As an affiliate, you’ll earn commissions on conversions through the Expedia site or app. The commission table on their website explains how you can earn money ranging from $2.00 to 8%, which is higher than many other travel affiliate programs.

12) Qatar Airways Privilege Club – Points.Com

Qatar Airways Privilege Club, the airline’s frequent flyer program, has partnered with Points.com to sell miles and points to its members. You can earn a 2.5% commission on sales as an approved affiliate. The referral window is 15 days, and it’s a last-click model. It also permits deep linking, pixel piggybacking, and offers product catalogs.

13) British Airways Executive Club

The British Airways Executive Club has become one of the world’s most popular frequent flyer programs. British Airways has a global program managed by The Performance Horizon Group. While commissions are not publicly listed, you can email baaffiliates@omnicommediagroup.com.

14) Dollar Flight Club (DFC)

Along with some of the other flight affiliate programs offering a membership, DFC pays per membership. It offers up to $50 per recurring premium membership. Affiliates can also earn up to $35 for each DFC customer referred.

You’ll have access to a dedicated affiliate management team along with marketing assets like banners, emails, widgets, and landing pages. Refersion manages the DFC program.

Going through any airline affiliate programs can be beneficial if you’re looking for innovative ways to monetize your blog or website. You’ll need to apply the same strategies that work for other affiliate marketers but focus them on the particular airline products and services. You may have to experiment with different offers, creative assets, and landing pages to find the best results.

While you’ll likely earn a lower commission per conversion, your efforts can pay off in high-volume referrals over time.

As a content creator and marketer, it’s important to be aware of airline affiliate programs that can provide an additional stream of revenue. With so many options available, you’re sure to find one that suits your audience’s needs and preferences. And with the right program, you can make substantial money from referrals over time. Make sure to do your research and create content tailored to a particular program to ensure the best results!

15) The Travel Payouts Affiliate Network

The Travel Payouts affiliate network is a travel booking website that helps airline partners to bring their customers the best deals and rewards. With their affiliate program, travel bloggers, influencers, and airlines can provide their customers with a seamless experience – from booking to check-in – by offering discounts, extra miles, and more through the convenience of an app or website. By taking advantage of our network, airlines can bring more value to their customers and increase brand loyalty.

Travel Payouts partners with affiliate publishers who share the rewards of helping customers make great travel decisions. Affiliates earn commissions when users book through their websites or apps and can offer extra miles and benefits to their customers. We believe in creating mutually beneficial relationships with our affiliates, enabling them to tap into a large network of travelers while earning revenue streams from direct sales.

16) Hawaiian Airlines Preferred Affiliate

Hawaiian Airlines is a U.S. airline headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii. The airline runs it’s main hub out of the Honolulu International Airport and a secondary main location out of Kahului Airport on Maui. Hawaiian Airlines has flights in and out of the contiguous United States, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Mexico.

Reserved for Hawaiian Airlines partners that can send $12,000.00 worth of purchases air travel tickets, Hawaiian Airlines preferred affiliate program offers travel incentives to qualified affiliates, such as the lowest available web fares and discounted baggage fees. Apply at CJ.com and earn a base commission of 1.5%.

17) Trip.com affiliates

Trip.com is a website and mobile app that provides one-stop travel booking services in 19 languages. They are a part of the Trip.com Group, a NASDAQ-listed company since 2003 (NASDAQ: TCOM) with over 30,000 employees 400 million + members, making it one of the world’s leading online travel agencies.

They also have a flight network containing over 2 million individual flight routes, connecting more than 5,000 cities around the globe.

As a Trip.com affiliate, you can earn 1% on flights, access a data feed and API, reach a dedicated affiliate management team, and work within a 30-day referral window. Apply at AWIN.

18) Alternative Airlines Affiliate Program

Alternative Airlines offers a convenient online, search engine-style flight booking experience, with access to more than 600 airlines worldwide. It offers a $2.00 base commission per sale with a 30-day referral window. Commissions are negotiable when you generate a high volume of qualified referrals.

19) Medjet Affiliate Program

MedjetAssist is a global membership organization that provides medical transport to hospitalized members more than 150 miles away from home. Their service includes arranging the transfer, and they have partnerships with hospitals worldwide so you can get where your needs may be taken care of without worry about cost or language barriers!

You can earn a base commission of 5% (caps at $75 per transaction) with a 45-day referral window as an affiliate. Apply at AWIN.

20) Kiwi.com Affiliate Program

Kiwi.com allows customers to find and book the best airfare deals quickly and easily. As an affiliate, you’ll earn a base commission of 2.8% commission for flights booked through Kiwi.com with a 30-day referral window. Apply at AWIN.

21) FlightGURU Affiliate Program

FlightGURU is another travel booking engine that allows customers to find and book the best airfare deals quickly and easily, with a wide range of destinations. As an affiliate, you can earn $5 to $11 on flight bookings with a 30-day referral window. The brand offers marketing assets and a dedicated affiliate management team. Apply at Awin.

22) Qatar US Affiliate Program

Qatar Airways is a national airline of Qatar, with its headquarters in Doha. The airline operates more than 150 aircraft to over 150 destinations worldwide. Qatar Airways is part of an elite group of airlines globally to have earned a 5-star rating from Skytrax.

As an affiliate partner of Qatar Airways, you can earn 2% commission for each completed sale (Cost per action: CPA). The average sale is $1,000, and the brand offers marketing assets, coupon codes, product catalogs, and deep linking. Apply at AWIN.

23) Emirates Affiliate Program

Emirates is a global airline based out of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The airline operates over 3,000 flights per week to more than 150 destinations in over 70 countries across six continents.

Marketers approved for the Emirates affiliate program managed by CJ Affiliate can earn commissions on qualified referrals. Affiliates can earn a base commission of 1.25% on net fares within a 30-day referral window, although higher rates are available for certain partners.

24) Swiss International Air

Swiss International Air is a high-quality airline with a global reputation. It is Switzerland’s best-known airline, with 80 worldwide destinations and 90 aircraft.

As a Swiss Airlines Affiliate, you will receive an attractive package, including a 1.5% commission when visitors to your website book through the integration on swiss.com. The program offers a 14-day tracking cookie.

25) Momondo Affiliate Program

Momondo offers a global travel search engine that compares flights, hotels, and car rentals prices. They serve travelers across more than 30 markets and offer a colorful and inspiring travel universe that provides price transparency across flights, hotels, and cars. Momondo has received recommendations from leading publications such as The Telegraph and The Financial Times. Managed by Kayak, an independently managed subsidiary of Booking Holdings Inc, Momondo is committed to opening up the world for everyone.

For those who want to be rewarded for bringing new users onto their platform, the Momondo Affiliate Program offers the perfect opportunity! When an approved member of the Momondo affiliate program, managed by the CJ.com affiliate network, refers traffic to a flight, the earnings are .21 cents to .48 cents per click-out conversion.

26) Travelocity Affiliate Program

Travelocity helps customers plan, book, and manage travel arrangements with a focus on efficient and cost-effective solutions. You can earn a base commission of $1.60 per airline booking when you join the Travelocity affiliate program with FlexOffers. The cookie duration (referral window) is seven days.

27) Kayak Affiliate Program

With over 1.5 billion searches used to find 40 international sites, KAYAK provides travelers with the information they need to secure the right flights, hotels, rental cars, and vacation rentals. KAYAK is an independently managed subsidiary of Booking Holdings. This program offers a Session-based cookie duration.

You can earn $.06 to $.14 cents per click-out on flights with the KAYAK affiliate program managed by FlexOffers. If you are approved for the program that is managed by CJ.com instead, you can earn up to $70 per click out.

In other words, when you send a qualifying referral to Kayak, and in turn, the user clicks out to a partner site such as an airline, your click will count as a click-out. You can earn commissions on up to 5 click-outs per session.

28) Priority Pass Affiliate Program

Priority Pass offers membership options that provides access to airport lounges worldwide. Members can relax in a comfortable environment with access to snacks, drinks, Wi-Fi, and priority service for boarding and luggage. The program offers a variety of membership levels to suit different needs, and affiliates can earn a commission on sales.

Managed by the ShareASale Affiliate Network, Priority Pass pays 15% commissions on the first month the referred member pays, and 10% per eligible Priority Pass transaction. The referral window is open for 30 days.

Glossary of Terms

These are just some of the key terms used in affiliate programs. Understanding these terms is essential to getting the most out of your affiliate partnerships and making sure that you can get the maximum returns for your hard work.

Referral Window: The amount of time allotted for an affiliate link referral to convert

Last Click Model: The model in which the last affiliate link clicked before a conversion is given credit.

Affiliate Networks: Aggregators of various affiliate programs, providing one platform to manage all affiliate activity.

Deep Linking: The ability to link to a specific page or product within a website.

Incentivize: To provide motivation, typically through rewards, for completing an action.

Commission Amounts: The amount of money you receive after someone completes the desired action on your affiliate-affiliated link.

Base Commission: The commission amount you earn before performance bonuses.

EPC: The revenue generated for every 1,000 impressions.

Performance Bonuses: Additional commissions earned when surpassing a given threshold of conversions or clicks within the referral window.

Conversion: When someone clicks on an affiliate link and purchases

Unique Coupon Code Tracking: A system for tracking affiliate activity with unique coupon codes.

Pixel Piggybacking: A system for placing and tracking pixels on third-party websites. For example, a coupon site may be paid to host a brand’s pixel, allowing them to track activity from customers referred from that site.

Product Catalogues: A set of images, descriptions, links, and prices for products available to promote.

Open to Placements: When an affiliate program is open to placements (or media buys) from influencers. This means a brand will pay influencers for exposure rather than relying on organic referral traffic.

Data Feed: An aggregation of products, images, and descriptions from a merchant or vendor that affiliates can use to create product catalogs.

CPA (Cost-per-action): A marketing model in which an advertiser pays for each completed action resulting from their ad.

API: Application Program Interface, a set of protocols and tools for building software applications. APIs allow data to be shared between programs more easily.

Cost Per Click (CPC): A pricing model in which advertisers pay per click on their ads. Commonly used in search engine advertising.

Click out: When an affiliate link is clicked, the customer is directed to a referring website.

Session: A period of activity on a website or service, typically denoted by a cookie.

Tracking Cookie: A small piece of data sent from a website and stored in a user’s web browser while browsing that website. Used to track customer activity across multiple sites.

I hope this list of the best airline affiliate programs helps you find a great match for your campaigns and boosts your commissions! Remember, each program has its own set of rules and regulations, so please read all the details carefully before applying to any of these programs. Good luck, and go earn that money!

Lori Ballen Affiliate

Lori Ballen is an expert in digital marketing and affiliate programs. She has extensive experience in helping businesses maximize their online visibility through SEO, content marketing, social media, link building, email outreach, and more. Her affiliate marketing strategy combines performance-based marketing tactics with strategic partner selection to maximize return on investment. With a decade of experience in affiliate marketing and digital media, Lori is the go-to resource for businesses looking to maximize their online performance. While Lori specializes in the Saas affiliate space, she loves to travel and has established relationships with affiliates in the airline industry. With her help, you can create a tailor-made affiliate marketing strategy to generate more conversions and bigger payouts for flight deals and travel sites.