© 2025 by LuxRally Travel LLC
CA Seller of Travel Ref. No. 2151375-70
Fla. Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST43780
WA Seller of Travel UBI No. 604-982-628
HI Seller of Travel Ref. No. TAR-7477
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Fla. Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST43780
WA Seller of Travel UBI No. 604-982-628
HI Seller of Travel Ref. No. TAR-7477
CA Seller of Travel Ref. No. 2151375-70
© 2035 by LuxRally Travel LLC
Where is this? Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel, Anguilla
"Comped stays are better than fam trips because your stay is more intimate."
Free travel is often advertised as a perk for becoming a travel agent. Yes, you can travel for free as an agent, but it is important to know how to take free trips and when it's appropriate.
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Where is this? Caruso, a Bemond Hotel, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Fam Trips and Site Visits
Fam trips, short for familiarization trips, are trips where groups of travel agents, often from multiple agencies, visit a ship or hotel to familiarize themselves with its offerings. Off the bat, this might sound like a great way to gain industry knowledge but be careful not to become associated with the wrong type of agents.
There is a subculture of agents who go from fam trip to fam trip, abusing their usage and not generating any revenue for the properties that host them. Sales managers take notice of the agents who abuse this system and generally do not take them seriously. As an agent, you want good relationships with sales managers; they are the people at a hotel that can get the most done for your clients. If you sour the relationship with a sales manager, it can diminish your leverage in the industry. The hospitality space is small, industry professionals talk, and fam trips can damage your reputation. So proceed with caution.
Not all fam trips are bad, though; inaugural cruises and first looks at new hotels are entirely legitimate reasons to participate in a fam trip.
Site visits are a different way to learn about a property, and we encourage our agents to do site visits when possible. During a site visit, you meet one-on-one with the sales manager and sometimes other key hotel staff, i.e., the revenue manager or group sales manager. You typically tour the property, grab lunch, and discuss revenue-centric strategies. This usually does not include a free stay.
Site visits are far more respected than fam trips, plus it gives you the opportunity to build a real relationship with the hotel's sales manager.
Where is this? Cap Juluca, a Belmond Hotel, Anguilla.
Comped Stays
A comped stay is when a hotel gives you a stay for free. Unlike fam trips, these are not with groups of agents. Comped stays are the way you can tastefully travel for free. Comped stays are easy to get with cruise lines off of the bat. Cruise lines typically have a list of perishables (cabins they don't expect to fill) available to agents. Hotels will comp or dramatically discount stays once you start sending them volume and/or building a reputation for having desirable clients.
If you have a reputation for high-spend clients, new hotels may invite you for a comped stay, even if you haven't sold them yet. They know that what you tell your clients has a major impact, so they want you to learn about their property. It's like being a very discreet, word-of-mouth influencer.
Comped stays are better than fam trips because your stay is more intimate. Instead of being herded around with a group of agents, you can focus on the parts of a property that will matter most to your clients. Because your time on the property will lead to revenue for the hotel, a sales manager will be happy to entertain you.
You can request comped stays; just make sure to use good judgment. Asking for a comped stay from Four Seasons when you barely sell their brand may cause you to look inexperienced. You also need to be mindful of the hotel's occupancy. It is much easier to get a comped stay in the off-season when the hotel has more empty rooms to spare.
Lastly, nothing is ever truly free. Making too many demands from a hotel can compromise your position. You don't want a hotel to have an unspoken expectation from you that could affect your clients.
Where is this? Amandari, Bali, Indonesia
Where is this? La Residencia, a Belmond Hotel, Mallorca, Spain
Tastefully Travel for Free
Being aware of these types of free trip and site visit opportunities will allow you to navigate the landscape of free travel as an agent. We know that many people in our industry promote fam trips, for example, as an entitlement. However, after many discussions with sales managers, general managers, and even global sales managers, we can assure you that it is wise to be aware of the optics. We have been in meetings with sales managers at properties over lunch and had tables of drunken agents next to us. The sales managers will generally roll their eyes and say, "You know, not a single one of these agents has tried to have a meaningful conversation with me. You guys are so refreshing."
You want people in our industry to view you as refreshing, too. You can certainly jump on every fam trip available to you off the bat, but know it can damage how professionals view you, and you will likely be stuck at all-inclusive resorts for the rest of your life. If you want a more elevated lifestyle, you will need to elevate your perspective and make intelligent business decisions. Being a travel agent is a professional career, not a travel hack for free trips.
If you want honest insights into this industry and expert guidance on how to handle all of the many opportunities and relationships within the travel sector, join our agency. We will not pretend you will be traveling for free every day and barely lifting a finger. This type of lifestyle is only tastefully available to you after years of mastering this industry and building the right book of business. We will show you how to achieve this. If you are willing to put in the work, we will train you and provide the tools you need for free.
Free travel agent travel, comps, site visits, and fam trips explained.
Last Updated:
01/17/2025
