Tripdash vs Avoya Travel: how the Avoya host agency compares on fees, leads and training

Avoya Travel's host agency, the Avoya Travel Network, charges $495 or less in initial fees, $79 a month and a $150 annual renewal. It requires its own certification course and sends leads through its Live Leads program. It doesn't publish its commission split. Tripdash says advisors keep 80%+ and that it includes training and leads.

Both hosts promise to help you find clients, so this is a lead-model comparison as much as a fee one. Below: what Avoya offers, what Tripdash offers, a side-by-side table, a first-year cost example, who each fits, and what to ask any host that sends leads.

How this comparison was built

Every Avoya fact comes from Avoya's own advisor-recruiting site, the Avoya Network, read on October 21, 2026. No review sites or forums were used. Where Avoya doesn't publish a term on the pages checked, the cell says Not published. That means "ask", not "missing".

Tripdash facts come only from Tripdash's own advisor page. Tripdash doesn't publish its fees or contract terms yet, so its cells say so. Terms change. Get each host's current terms in writing before you sign.

What is the Avoya Travel host agency?

Avoya Travel runs a host network for home-based travel businesses called the Avoya Travel Network. You join as an Independent Agency that affiliates with Avoya, not as an Avoya employee. Avoya says how, where, and when you work, sell travel and manage your agency is up to you, as long as it's done with what it calls Integrity and Professionalism.

Avoya describes itself as a marketing and technology company with more than 60 years in travel, which began as a small tour operator in Hawaii. It says affiliates can also tap into the resources that Travel Leaders Network provides. Its home page invites you to join 2,200+ travel professionals.

Avoya also says it does not sell directly to consumers. Its stated focus is matching travelers with the agencies in its network.

Independent agency vs employee. As an independent agency you run your own business, set your hours and carry your own costs. The IRS decides worker status on behavioral control, financial control and the type of relationship, not on the label in a contract. For the wider choice, see host agency vs independent.

How much does Avoya cost to join?

Avoya publishes its fees. Its cost comparison page lists:

• Initial fees of $495 or less, monthly fees of $79 and annual renewal fees of $150.
• $0 for the Live Leads program, marketing, training and booking fees, and $0 franchise royalty.
• $120 for adding associates.

The FAQ calls the $79 a monthly license fee and the $495 the initial affiliation setup. Veterans and veteran spouses can get $100 off the affiliation fee.

There is also a required course. Avoya says completion of the TAEC is required to join. TAEC is its Travel Agent Education Certification. The cost page lists training at $0, so read that line as the training you get after you join, not the entry course.

What does the Avoya certification require?

The Travel Agent Education Certification is an online, self-paced course and exam. Avoya publishes these terms on its education page:

One detail doesn't match. The same page says you'll have access to the platform for 90 days in one answer and 100 days in another. Confirm your deadline before you pay.

How do Avoya Live Leads work?

Live Leads is Avoya's program for sending new clients to its agencies. Avoya says the leads arrive via phone, web, and mobile app, are matched to your specialties, and are included in your affiliation.

Four published details matter most:

1. No lead fee, a share of the sale instead. Avoya says it does not charge a fee for leads; instead we share in the commissions of that sale. It doesn't publish what share.
2. One agency per lead. Avoya says its leads are sent to you and only you. A December 2022 Avoya blog post adds that once that lead becomes your client, they'll always be sent back to you for any repeat bookings. The current program pages checked don't repeat that detail, so confirm it.
3. Matched by specialty. Leads are matched to your travel specialty based on their vacation interest through its Agent Power technology.
4. Optional. Avoya offers paths for advisors who want leads, who own their own clients, or both.

Avoya reports over 245,000 leads for the Network in 2023. That is a network-wide figure. It doesn't tell you how many leads one new agency receives, so ask.

What else does Avoya include?

Avoya bundles tools and support into the affiliation. From its own pages:

• Technology. Agent Power includes a CRM, a search and book engine, accounting and commission reports, a dashboard and a calendar.
• Marketing. A Marketing Resource Center with email templates, social assets, postcards and a co-branded website.
• Support. Avoya says it has one support staff member for every 10 Independent Agencies, available seven days a week, plus weekly webinars and a community forum.
• Ongoing education. Avoya University and first-year Sales Development Coach sessions. Avoya describes its programs as optional and included in your affiliation.
• Commission timing. Agencies can get paid weekly (as received by suppliers) via direct deposit. An opt-in Instant Commission program pays out soon after a qualified booking.
• Contract length. A one-year initial agreement, then a one-year renewal. The cost page lists the agreement as non-exclusive.

What does Tripdash offer advisors?

Tripdash describes itself as a host agency platform that certifies travel advisors, sends qualified leads, automates follow-ups and includes flight and hotel booking systems. Advisors keep 80%+ of every booking, with IATA accreditation, E&O insurance, and supplier access. Training is listed as full IATA-level training and Tripdash certification, included.

Tripdash doesn't publish its fees, contract length, payout timing or how leads affect the split yet. Ask for those in writing, the same as you would with Avoya.

Tripdash vs Avoya: side by side

All Avoya cells are from Avoya's own pages, checked October 2026. Tripdash cells are from Tripdash's advisor page.

For more hosts in one table, see Tripdash vs other host agencies. For a host with month-to-month terms and no startup fee, see Tripdash vs Outside Agents.

What does Avoya cost in year one? A worked example

This example uses only Avoya's published prices. It counts fixed costs, not earnings, because Avoya doesn't publish a split to calculate earnings from.

Assumptions: you buy the $399 Certification Package, pass the exam, affiliate at the $395 rate, and pay the $79 monthly fee for 12 months. Taxes, state registration and your own marketing are left out.

In year two, the published costs are the $150 renewal plus $948 in monthly fees, or $1,098. A veteran discount of $100 off the affiliation fee would lower year one.

What this means for you: fixed costs are paid whether you sell or not. To judge a lead program, you also need the split on lead sales, which Avoya doesn't publish. Ask for it before you compare totals. The commission split models guide shows how to find a break-even point once you have it.

Who each host fits

This is practical guidance from the published terms above, not a ranking.

Avoya may fit you better if:

• You want a host that publishes its fee schedule today, so you can budget year one to the dollar.
• You want a structured course and exam before you start, and don't mind paying for it separately.
• You plan to sell the vacation types its leads are matched to, and like that only one agency is offered each lead.
• You want a short commitment with a published length, one year at a time.
• You value a published support ratio and published weekly commission timing.

Tripdash may fit you better if:

• You want a published 80%+ split as a starting point for your numbers.
• You want E&O insurance, IATA accreditation and supplier access named as included.
• You want training included rather than bought as a separate package.
• You want flight and hotel booking tools in the same platform as your leads and follow-ups.

Either way: if you already have a full book of clients, lead programs matter less, and your split and fees matter more. If you're starting from zero, the lead terms may matter most.

What to ask any host that promises leads

Both hosts say they send leads. That makes the lead terms the part to read most closely. Ask these before you pay anything:

1. What split applies to a lead you supply, and to a client I bring? Get both in writing. Avoya says it shares in commission on lead sales but doesn't publish the share.
2. How are leads assigned? By specialty, by rotation, by sales rank? Can a lead go to more than one advisor at once?
3. What does a new advisor typically receive in the first 90 days? A network-wide total doesn't answer this. Ask for a range for agencies like yours, and how it's measured.
4. Who owns the client after the first trip? Avoya's 2022 blog post says repeat bookings come back to the agency that won the lead. Ask whether that still applies, and what happens if you leave.
5. Is the lead program optional? Can you turn it off and keep your full split on your own clients?
6. What do you expect back? Response times, conversion targets, or minimum sales to stay in the program.
7. What happens to pending commission when you leave? The switching host agencies guide covers this.

Why this matters. The FTC's Business Opportunity Rule covers an arrangement where a seller solicits you to start a new business and you make a required payment. The seller must also say it will provide something, such as outlets, accounts, or customers. The same rule defines an earnings claim as any statement of a specific level or range of actual or potential sales, or gross or net income. Whether a given host program falls under the rule is a legal question. As a buyer, you can still ask any host to back up a sales or income figure in writing. This is a summary, not legal advice.

Once leads arrive, speed and follow-up decide what they're worth. The CRM for travel agents guide covers what to track.

How to check what you're told

Host websites are sales pages. Avoya's and Tripdash's are no exception, and this article quotes both. Before you sign:

• Ask for the full affiliation agreement, not a summary, and read the commission and termination sections.
• Check that every number in a sales call also appears in the contract.
• Talk to current advisors you find yourself, not only references the host picks. The host agency reviews guide covers where to look and what to trust.

For the full launch plan, start with how to start a travel agency and what a host agency is.

How Tripdash supports new advisors

Tripdash is a host agency platform that certifies travel advisors, sends qualified leads and automates follow-ups. Advisors keep 80%+ of every booking, with IATA accreditation, E&O insurance, and supplier access. See the Tripdash advisor program.

Sources

1. Avoya Travel Network. Network cost comparison, checked October 21, 2026.
2. Avoya Travel Network. Frequently asked questions, checked October 21, 2026.
3. Avoya Travel Network. Travel Agent Education Certification, checked October 21, 2026.
4. Avoya Travel Network. Live Leads, checked October 21, 2026.
5. Avoya Travel. Are travel lead programs too good to be true?, December 16, 2022.
6. Avoya Travel Network. Experienced vacation planners, checked October 21, 2026.
7. Avoya Travel Network. Agency support, checked October 21, 2026.
8. Avoya Travel Network. Agent Power SaaS technology, checked October 21, 2026.
9. Avoya Travel Network. Marketing, checked October 21, 2026.
10. Avoya Travel Network. Professional development and education, checked October 21, 2026.
11. Avoya Travel Network. Additional benefits, checked October 21, 2026.
12. Avoya Travel Network. Our company and home page, checked October 21, 2026.
13. US Federal Trade Commission. 16 CFR Part 437, Business Opportunity Rule, eCFR, up to date as of October 20, 2026.
14. IRS. Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee?, updated May 19, 2026.
15. Tripdash. Advisor program page, draft copy, October 2026.