Part of The Departure Lounge Austin host travel agency team.

Passionate About Travel Planning?

Departure Lounge is a trailblazer in the realm of luxury travel, and we have been rapidly growing due to the success our Travel Advisors have with delivering unforgettable experiences for delighted clients across the world. We’re expanding our network of advisors and are looking for travel specialists in Austin to join our luxury host travel agency.

As a member of the prestigious Virtuoso international travel network, Departure Lounge offers travel clients first-class guidance, upgrades, perks and insider experiences. Our travel advisors have global access to the highest-quality travel providers and resources, along with top status in the preferred-agency programs of the best luxury travel brands.

If you are would like to learn more about joining Departue Lounge’s advisor team of independent contractors, we would be delighted to talk with you. Though there may be many host agencies you could partner with, we set ourselves apart through innovation and unparalleled support for both our travel advisors and our clients. We are looking for professionals in the Austin area who are established sellers of luxury travel and are interested in growing, along with who are looking to start a travel advisor career.

Our compensation plan is as innovative as our business concept. For U.S.-based advisors, we offer several compensation plans: 1) commission split for individual advisors; 2) commission split for teams working under one contract; or 3) a monthly flat fee for individual advisors that lets you keep 100% of commissions for clients you have sourced. Our advisors generally have 50-100 affluent client households for which they arrange travel several times per year.

For travel advisors who are new or fairly new to selling travel but are very well-traveled and knowledgeable, Departure Lounge helps you develop strategies for finding and attracting new clients. Our agency also generates qualified leads, which are placed with our agency’s travel advisors in their respective cities.

Though you could build your practice on your own as a fully independent travel agent, working with Departure Lounge, a leading Austin host travel agency, provides you with support, leverage for exclusive deals, complimentary upgrades and unique perks for your clients, new leads, and network opportunities with our partners and other agents—while also giving you room to learn, grow, and succeed as you help others with their travel desires.

Departure Lounge Travel Advisor Keys To Success

Wanderlust & Experience Sales, Skills & Service Relationships, Connections & Kindness
Often times, travelers value working with a travel advisor who has “been there and done that.” That means your travel experience is essential hugely important, as is your experience with 4-5-star travel providers and key attractions at destinations. If you have not “been everywhere,” your experience with a region or two, or familiarity with a specific form of travel (such as safaris) can be a great starting point as a base of knowledge. Our worldwide connections through the Virtuoso network pave the way for our travel advisors to create and arrange fantastic vacations even for destinations that the travel advisor has not yet personally visited. Discussing and presenting travel options effectively and passionately is typically the simple part for a prospective travel advisor. You also need good computer skills and to be comfortable utilizing technology, online websites, forms and booking tools, along with email and texting. And you need to be thorough and strategic in working with and keeping track of details, responding quickly and communicating clearly with travel providers and clients. As your host agency, we will work to ensure you have the resources and assistance you need to help ensure your success. To succeed as a Austin luxury travel advisor, you ultimately need 50-100+ affluent households that rely regularly on you to plan their travel throughout the year. That means that you, as a prospective advisor, ideally need to have a strong personal network of affluent friends, colleagues, and family members who would trust you to plan their vacations and would be happy to recommend you to others. Departure Lounge’s culture is built on kindness and a helpful spirit, so new advisors that join our family need to demonstrate those same qualities. Our partners are professional and put people first by providing dedicated support to clients.

In The News

Our award-winning organization is recognized because of the talented agents and travel providers we work with. Each advisor is gifted with the ability to help people plan their perfect dream vacations, then helps turn those dreams into reality. We don’t just sell travel services; we create unique and unforgettable experiences by providing custom-tailored trips with exclusive benefits through partnerships with prestigious travel leaders.

Our team has received a variety of awards over time, and we have been highlighted in the news on several occasions as we strive to set and raise the bar in the travel industry.