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Airline Affiliate Programs

15 Best Airline Affiliate Programs in 2024 (Based on Data)

By Irene Lopez · Updated Jan 3, 2024

Despite some of the long-drawn-out after-effects of the pandemic, travel is steadily starting to pick up. And how!

Spending so much time indoors has meant that more American travelers are looking not just to spend but splurge on their travel plans this year.

According to Expedia's travel trends report for 2022:

  • 59% of travelers planned for wholly domestic trips this year, but 37% had plans to go both domestic and international.
  • 15% of travelers are willing to spend on luxurious experiences, 16% on upgrading rooms and flights, and 32% on visiting bucket-list destinations.
  • A whopping 80% of travelers between the ages of 18 and 34 are the most likely to go 'big' on their spending.

If you are a content creator or marketer focused on travel experiences, explore the following list of best airline affiliate programs. The sky is literally the limit in terms of what you can earn if you're passionate about traveling!

But first, how we selected these programs.

How we compiled this list

To compile this list, we analyzed 25 of the most popular flying and travel hacking blogs to discover which affiliate programs they promoted most often, using our Affiliate Link Scanner.

We then categorized them into the most linked-to affiliate programs on top blogs in the airline niche. After all, if a blog or website links to the same merchant hundreds of times, there's a good chance it's because it converts.

The result is a data-backed list of airline affiliate programs based on what's working for top sites in the niche. All based on publicly available data.

Airline Affiliate Programs

The airline affiliate programs below include direct bookings through popular airlines, flight and ticket alert newsletters, and flight metasearch engines.

Do note, there's a fair amount of overlap with the credit card niche, but for the sake of this article we've excluded credit card affiliate programs.

Here are the best airline affiliate programs to promote in 2024:

Skyscanner

Skyscanner Affiliate Program

Skyscanner is a metasearch engine and travel agency based out of Scotland with average site visits of over 100 million people per month. The site specializes in helping travelers search, choose, and book from a wide variety of flight, hotel, and car hire deals from over 1,200 travel providers. The website is also available in 35 languages across 60 countries.

Skyscanner is an easy sell, given its brand recognition and how trusted it is among regular travelers. The company’s airline affiliate program currently provides commissions on sales of flights and hotel bookings. The pay-outs are a share of the commissions offered to Skyscanner by their travel partners. Expect to earn in the region of 20% commissions for bookings.

You have three different ways to sell Skyscanner’s products:

  • Embed widgets on your website.
  • Use the company’s text links or banners or generate your own unique referral link.
  • Create an innovative travel website or app by connecting to Skyscanner’s Flights API.

Overall, Skyscanner is a reliable choice for travel deals and a superior inventory of travel products.

KAYAK

KAYAK Affiliate Program
  • Program name: KAYAK Affiliate Program
  • Network / Software: KAYAK, CJ Affiliate
      Integrated in Affilimate
    , FlexOffers
      Integrated in Affilimate
    , TradeTracker
      Integrated in Affilimate
  • Commission: 0-50% (KAYAK), $0.08-$1.90 per sale depending on the types of product and clickout (desktop, mobile) (CJ Affiliate), £0.11-£0.33 per sale depending on the types of product and clickout (desktop, mobile) (CJ Affiliate), $0.08-$0.66 per sale depending on the types of product and clickout (desktop, mobile) (CJ Affiliate), $0.07-$0.61 per sale depending on the types of product and clickout (desktop, mobile) (FlexOffers), 0.06-0.83% per sale depending on the types of product and clickout (desktop, mobile) (FlexOffers), £0.28 per click on flights, hotel and car searches (TradeTracker)
  • Cookie duration: Not listed (KAYAK, CJ Affiliate, FlexOffers, TradeTracker), 30 days (CJ Affiliate, FlexOffers)
  • Markets: Global (KAYAK), US (CJ Affiliate), UK (CJ Affiliate), CA (CJ Affiliate), CA (FlexOffers), US (FlexOffers), CH, DE, ES, FR, IT, NL, PL, UK (TradeTracker)

KAYAK is a popular metasearch engine and online travel agency from the United States. The company offers a wide range of travel products, including flights, stays, car rentals, and experiences. From a branding perspective, the KAYAK website accounts for more than 6 million searches annually, and affiliates have already earned over US$76 million in sales.

KAYAK also has one of the most advanced and rewarding airline affiliate programs:

  • Earn 50% commissions from clicks, bookings, and ad revenue for flights, hotels, cars, and packages.
  • Easily customize your website for marketing with deep links, widgets, search boxes, white labeling, and API. You can even customize the solution to your needs.
  • Dedicated affiliate support includes technical setup and assistance for scaling up.
  • Track your earnings and performance on your very own affiliate portal.

Sign up to the KAYAK affiliate network directly on their website. Alternatively, you’ll also find the affiliate program listed on CJ Affiliate, FlexOffers, and TradeTracker.

Momondo

Momondo Affiliate Program

Momondo is a travel fare metasearch engine and aggregator owned by KAYAK. Similar to KAYAK, Momondo searches and displays cheap fares for tickets, stays, car rentals, and experiences.

The good news about Momondo’s affiliate program is that they’re open to even smaller blogs. So, if you’re just starting out as an affiliate, this might be a great opportunity. They’re open to content sites, established travel sites, and even email as long as the email content has been pre-approved by the company.

All you need to do is sign up on any of the associate affiliate network partners, receive your link and embed it to your website. You have the potential to earn US$0.65 per click on desktops and tablets and US$0.45 per click on mobile searches. Right now, the affiliate product is available for flights only. Also, reach out to the brand directly for additional support and exclusive deals if you have more than 200,000 unique site visitors a month.

CheapTickets.com

CheapTickets.com Affiliate Program

An Expedia product, CheapTickets offers everything you could possibly want for your travel needs - flights, cars, stays, packages, and experiences. They’ve even got event tickets and a dedicated travel hub for students. The CheapTickets website clocks an impressive 60 million hits every month and is one of the world’s leading travel sites today. Simply sign up for the program, and add their links to your website to start earning commissions on sales.

CheapTickets has a lot to offer for travelers, so you won’t have to work too hard to sell their products (cheers to that!):

Superior inventory and exclusive rates as the brand deals directly with its suppliers.

Income generation potential from Day 1. Earn commissions for every single qualifying transaction.

Extensive marketing support in the form of tools, data feeds, and storefronts.

Potential for high conversion rates given CheapTickets’ high market credibility and brand recognition.

Commission structures vary based on the platform. So, for example, earn up to 6% on CJ Affiliate and up to €15.00 on TradeTracker.

Kiwi.com

Kiwi.com Affiliate Program

Kiwi.com is a metasearch engine and fare aggregator, this time from the Czech Republic. A relatively recent entrant to the travel space, the decade-old Kiwi.com specializes in flights, stays, and ground transportation in the form of cars.

Kiwi.com’s affiliate program is pretty simple. Earn 3% on everything you sell through your travel website! As an affiliate, you’ll have access to ready-to-use marketing tools, deeplinks, and brandable widgets. You’ll also be able to access performance bonuses and dedicated support. Aside from all of this, Kiwi.com also has high conversion rates, which makes this brand a complete no-brainer for affiliates for new and experienced marketers.

Kiwi.com has a 30-day cookie duration for its affiliate program.

Scott's Cheap Flights

Scott's cheap flights Affiliate Program

Scott’s Cheap Flights keeps it simple and fuss-free, making it a very appealing choice for frequent flyers and travelers always looking for great deals!

All you have to do is sign up to be a member, select the domestic or international airports you’re interested in, and the team will start sending the latest flight deals to your inbox. Deals are usually 40–90% off regular prices, but that doesn’t mean you’re losing out on quality. You’ll still be able to pick and choose from some of the best airlines operating at your preferred airports.

The affiliate program is just as simple. You get a flat US$3.00 for every new member email signup verification. Simply apply to their program on their website and include a link to your social media account, blog, or website. You’ll receive your unique referral link when approved by the company.

Aside from the commission, you also have access to the following as an affiliate:

  • High-quality images and photographs to use for your marketing
  • Detailed reports on your affiliate performance
  • VIP newsletter with travel tips
  • Additional incentives to earn more cash
  • One aspect that affiliates should particularly note is the cookie duration is 7 days only.

Scott’s Cheap Flights has over 2 million active members and over 500,000 monthly website visitors right now. So, it’s a hugely popular and growing travel affiliate program to work with.

Dollar Flight Club

Dollar Flight Club Affiliate Program

Dollar Flight Club (DFC) works similarly to Scott’s Cheap Flights. Sign up, select your preferred airports, and then have the best deals sent to your inbox. Expect to get up to 90% off on all your preferred local and international destinations. DFC also works with well-known travel services partners like Nomadik, Lonely Planet, Moonlight, and TravelWifi, among others. As a member, you’ll also be eligible to get discounts on these partner services.

If you’re thinking of becoming an affiliate for DFC, here’s what’s on offer for you:

  • US$35 per sign-up to the DFC premium membership tier. According to the blurb on the site, this equates to 50% of membership costs, making it one of the most competitive commissions on this list. You also continue to earn on membership renewals.
  • Promotional assets and creatives you can share on your social media platforms or via email. Worth mentioning is that their banner ads have already been designed for maximum conversion.
  • A dedicated affiliate team to help you through any questions and concerns you have.

Although the company is open to all sites, they prefer promoters who create content regularly and have a decent following. You should also not be using exclusively social media for promoting your content.

Lastminute

Lastminute Affiliate Program

Last Minute was one of the earliest UK adopters of the internet boom in the 90s. The online travel and leisure retailer specializes in flight and hotel deals.

Last Minute’s website in itself is navigation-friendly. So, you just input your requirements, such as the number of people, destination, etc., on the website to receive a list of options. Choose the best option and book your hotel and/or flights.

Affiliates will receive commissions on sales, but the value of your commission can vary between affiliate platforms. For example, Partnerize provides 1–8% commissions, while Awin in Europe will give you €7.00–€10.00.

Air France

Air France Affiliate Program

France’s flag carrier Air France has been operating in the airline industry for over eight decades, which tells us a lot about its ability to adapt and its substantial brand value.

According to their website, the carrier sells 100 tickets every second, and the website has 7 million qualified visits every month. As of March this year, the company is close to serving 200 destinations and expects to return to pre-pandemic levels of activity — great news for loyalists of this much-loved airline brand.

What’s in it for you as an Air France affiliate?

If you have a website, the carrier promises generous commissions for every flight ticket sold from the Air France website. The exact amount of commissions is not in the public domain. Still, the airline has clarified that it can vary depending on whether the flight is short-haul, medium-haul, or long-haul.

Air France is currently running their affiliate program through TradeTracker.

KLM

KLM Affiliate Program
  • Program name: KLM Affiliate Program
  • Network / Software: Partnerize
      Integrated in Affilimate
    , FlexOffers
      Integrated in Affilimate
    , Indoleads
  • Commission: 1% of short haul flight revenue, 1.5% of long haul flight revenue (Partnerize), 0.8% medium haul flights (within Europe) and AMS flights (from any airport to Amsterdam), 1.2% long haul flights (FlexOffers), 1.6% long haul flights, 1.2% short haul flights (FlexOffers), 1% Medium Haul, 1.5% Long Haul (Indoleads)
  • Cookie duration: 30 days (Partnerize, FlexOffers, Indoleads), Not listed (FlexOffers)
  • Markets: Global (Partnerize), JP, ES, BR, UK (FlexOffers), Global (FlexOffers), Global (Indoleads)

Dutch carrier KLM Royal Dutch Airlines recently received the 2022 APEX World Class Award, the ‘highest category of global awards in the airline industry.’ The airline is known for its superior safety record, personable staff, and excellent customer service — all points worth highlighting when you promote this brand.

KLM has opened its affiliate program for all travel-related blogs, websites, and comparison sites. However, the program is not currently open for travel agencies or SEA (South East Asia) affiliates. Expect to earn 1% of the revenue for medium-haul flights and 1.5% of the revenue for long-haul flights.

The airline has a 30-day cookie duration, mobile tracking, cross-country tracking, and short approval times on sales. They also have a great selection of marketing tools that makes promotion hassle-free such as a link generator, product feed, custom-made mobile banners, and a flight search widget.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways Affiliate Program

Qatar Airlines has been ranked number 1 airline in the world for 2022 owing to its cabin innovation initiatives, passenger service, and commitment to keep operating despite the pandemic. Aside from instant brand recognition, you also have the benefit of associating with one of the best airline brands in the world when you promote Qatar Airways.

The Qatar Airways’ affiliate program is open to all types of affiliates as long as they have an ‘online property with good traffic.’ This includes, among other subtypes, content, display, metasearch, cashback, and promo code/voucher code affiliates. The commissions you earn are dependent on the affiliate platform you’re using but expect to earn in the region of 1.6–2.8% on FlexOffers, Awin, Inrdeals, Webgains, and Skimlinks with a cookie duration of 30 days.

To earn commissions, promote Qatar Airways on your website/blog, redirect users to the Qatar Airways website, and generate sales. The more you sell, the more you earn.

Expect to hear back from the company on the status of your affiliate application within 3 working days.

Etihad Airways

Ethiad Airways Affiliate Program

While Qatar Airways earned the prized top spot on the world rankings, the environmentally-friendly Etihad Airways finished at a very respectable 3rd place. Etihad has been in the news lately for its push towards 'greener' aircraft in a bid to make its fleet and operations more sustainable.

Etihad's US$338.4 million Etihad Boeing 787-10 'Greenliner' has, according to the airline, operated the most sustainable flight in the world recently. So if protecting the environment is important to you, Etihad could be right up your alley, aside from its obvious and formidable brand equity.

The commission structure for selling Etihad's flight tickets can vary between affiliate platforms. So, for example, on INR Deals, it's 2%, while on Sovrn, it's 3%. The average cookie duration is 30 days.

Also, note that bidding on keywords that are similar to, derivatives of, or misspellings of 'Etihadairways.com' or "Etihad.com" has been strictly forbidden by the airline. Non-compliance with this rule can have you banned from the affiliate program, and your commissions declined.

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines Affiliate Program

At the ripe young age of 93, Hawaiian Airlines is Hawaii's biggest and longest-serving airline, and there are many reasons why this airline brand is an excellent pick for potential affiliate marketers:

  • On-time performance for 17 years straight up to 2020.
  • Choice of over 130 flights within the Hawaiian Islands and daily non-stop flights to 16 U.S. gateway cities.
  • It's one of the top domestic airlines serving the U.S. based on consumer surveys carried out by Travel + Leisure and TripAdvisor.
  • Winner of Condé Nast Traveler's 2021 Readers Choice Awards for the best U.S. airline.
  • Complimentary meals for all guests on transpacific routes
  • No change fees on Main Cabin and Premium Cabin seats.
  • HawaiianMiles members also enjoy flexibility with miles that never expire.

Affiliates can expect to earn up to 1.5% commissions on concluded airline bookings with a 30-day cookie duration. Like many other airline affiliate programs, Hawaiian Airlines does not permit bidding on their name, brands, or misspelling variations.

Priority Pass

priority pass affiliate program

Got an audience of luxury, business, or just frequent travelers? Priority Pass is membership that gives pass-owners access to over 1300 comfortable airport lounges around the world.

Most memberships are offered on an annual basis, and range from $89-$359 per year when discounted. At a 10% commission rate, that's $8.90-$35.90 per conversion which is definitely respectable on the upper end.

Note: On ShareASale they'll give you a 15% commission for the first month, but in all liklihood it'll take you long enough to figure out the best ways to promote the PriorityPass that you won't earn a ton during that time period.

Omio

omio affiliate programs

Omio is a one-stop-shop for booking transportation. Trains, busses, flights, and ferries can all be found on Omio's website.

So if you're explaining to readers how to reach a specific location on your travel blog (for example, "Paris to Versailles"), the Omio affiliate program could be an easy plug when it comes to trains, busses, and flights.

Just be aware that there are transportation affiliate programs which may perform better. For example, car rentals and travel tours both tend to offer higher percentage commissions on a similar order value.

But for good measure, offering several options and then measuring which ones drive clicks and conversions is always your best bet.

Irene Lopez

Irene Lopez

Irene is a content strategist and SEO Copywriter. Helping businesses boost their visibility and generate long-term profit.


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