Avoya's new consumer booking engine gives advisors a commissionAvoya's new consumer booking engine gives advisors a commission
Avoya Travel Network is introducing an online consumer cruise booking engine that will hand over the sale and a commission share to its Independent Agencies (IAs).
October 17, 2024

At a Glance
- Average 32% higher commissions in 2024
- Plus, new Premier Commission program raises commission split
- Elite 100 seeks new top producers with $5k sweetener
This new Avoya Live Bookings allows IA and Avoya clients to shop and make their own purchase online — satisfying the societal shift to more online transactions — but still keeps the travel advisor involved and rewarded. Moreover, it provides the personal touch and service Avoya intends to continue.
Here's how it works: Avoya assigns the online booking (from avoyatravel.com) to an IA who's already associated with the customer or matched via an algorithm, so they can review it and talk through it with the traveler.
Steering travelers away from the cabin under the disco
'People are very capable of booking online but maybe they booked a cabin under the disco,' said Jeff Anderson, co-CEO, Avoya. The IA could then guide them to a quieter location. Plus, the IA has the opportunity to up-sell and add components like insurance.
'We will build the best cruise booking engine in the world, period,' Anderson pledged.
Since it's directly connected to partner cruise lines — and 'all the big guys are in' — Avoya affiliates don't have to worry about a third-party site going down. Plus, when cruise lines update their sites, as they frequently do, Avoya can nimbly update without having to go through a third party.
In beta testing, the booking engine has produced individual sales in excess of $10,000, with the biggest $13,000, so the commission share can be sizable.
For now, the booking engine is purely for cruises, the bulk of Avoya's business.
Premier Commission Program
In another new program, Avoya's launching a Premier Commission Program that will pay advisors up to 65% more commission on its Live Leads (highly qualified, ready to book customers Avoya generates through its marketing and provides to IAs) for bookings in 2025.
This is the first time Avoya's raised its commission split, which hasn't been as high as if the advisor sourced the customer on their own because Avoya shoulders the cost of generating the Live Leads.
According to Anderson, Live Leads in many cases provide IAs with clients who spend 75% to 100% more than those an IA sources directly, without advisors having to spend on marketing.
So even if the commission split has been lower, the pay's often higher because of the bigger sale, he said: 'What matters is how much commission ends up in pockets.'
Even so, Avoya's boosting the commission split.

Phil Cappelli, CSO of Avoya Travel, at far left, with top-producing IAs, from left, Todd Embree, Dana Dziegiel, David Locke, Cindy Locke, Shawn Power, Leo Jesudian, Tiffany Jesudian, Dave Levine and Ryan Warshaw PHOTO: AVOYA TRAVEL NETWORK
Elite 100 seeks new IAs with $5k incentive
Twelve months ago Avoya launched an Elite 100 program that's already recorded a 44% increase in commissions earned. This pays 100% on the business IAs bring to Avoya. So far, the program's just been offered internally but now the company's opening it to advisors who aren't currently affiliated.
As a sweetener, Avoya will pay a $5,000 quick-start incentive to new IAs. This is a limited-time offer seeking to attract just 60 top producers who have to meet certain qualifications.
'We know it's hard for these elites to move. We're trying to attract the best of the best,' Avoya Chief Sales Officer Phil Cappelli said.
The cost to affiliate is $399 a month, which includes access to Live Leads and Avoya's sales support team, which has handled more than 50,000 requests in 2024 so far.
IA pay rises 32% in 2024
Currently Avoya tallies more than 2,100 IAs, which Cappelli applauded, noting that while this may be smaller than some other networks, these are high-producing advisors.
And ones who serve their clients well. Net promoter scores are very high — 92 as rated by more than 150,000 Avoya travelers. (While the network gets an also high 84 NPS rating from its AIs.)
Following 2023's record payouts to IAs, the average Independent Agency in 2024 will see 32% higher commission while participants in the new Elite 100 are chalking up the higher 44% increase.
Sales clout in an election year
So far in 2024, Avoya revenues are topping $600m.
Travel sales traditionally dip in a US election year but Cappelli called bookings for 2025 'strong,' adding: 'We're pacing well ahead of last year,' a record.
And Anderson touted Avoya's October sales as 'unbelievably strong ... beyond expectations, and we're hearing from suppliers we are not the norm.'
Lines like Silversea and Oceania Cruises just yesterday opened sales for 2026, and this also helps.
'Luxury ... that's where we play,' as Cappelli put it. 'Our IAs are all over it.'
30 events in 2024
Avoya's run 30 events in 2024, double what it's done in prior years, and plans an 'aggressive' 2025 schedule in 2025, as well.
Norwegian Cruise Line hosted the network's annual conference on a recent Canada/New England cruise that was Avoya’s largest ever, with more than 550 attendees.
Norwegian Joy flew the Avoya flag from tis mast.
Next year's Avoya conference will take place on MSC Cruises' new MSC World America, Oct. 11-18.
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