Do you have a passion for travel? We do, too!
Our love of travel is what created TierOne Travel in the first place – that and our passion for people and ensuring they have the most incredible, memorable travel experiences possible.
At TierOne Travel we are also passionate about our independent travel consultants and agencies. We value the trust they put in us and, in turn, we offer them top-tier support and commissions. Our travel agents are recognized by our industry partners as the utmost accomplished professionals, and our brand is recognized as one of the best host agencies in the business.
If you are an experienced travel specialist seeking new opportunities, you’ve come to the right place. Joining TierOne Travel will move you to another tier of freedom and fun. Working at your own pace and in your preferred environment – at home, on the beach or in an office provided by us – you will discover what you’ve been missing.
We have what you’re looking for.
As the original Host Agency in Western Canada since 1994,
we continue to rank among the Top 10 Travel Agencies in Canada.
Join the best.
We remain 100% Canadian owned and operated and, as a boutique host agency, have respected relationships with some of the best suppliers worldwide. We provide top revenue earning potential, the highest support to agent ratio, an enthusiastic marketing team, dedicated ticketing and airline contract support, and we offer exclusive TierOne training and incentives.
Become part of the TierOne Travel Team and you will have access to all that you need to provide your customers with excellent service and delivery. Our entire support network is dedicated to working for you. With TierOne Travel, you will have the freedom to do what you do best, while leaving the rest to us.
Please note that we currently cannot accept consultants from the US, Quebec and Ontario.
What are you waiting for?
Let’s get started!
“I’ve enjoyed my best 4 years in my travel career with Tier One. I joined Tier One with a big smile and I’m still smiling. Covid only affected my income, but not my gratitude and joy to be part of the Tier One family. I’m looking forward to 2021 and many more years with Tier One.”
– Joanne Hopkins, TierOne Travel Consultant
PROGRAM
Overview
TierOne Travel is a dedicated host agency committed to supporting the needs of experienced and passionate travel professionals while rewarding them through competitive commission splits.
Over a billion dollars in sales and hundreds of thousands of clients later, we are just as diligent as ever in creating a supportive environment for our professional travel agents. We know that supporting them will result in remarkable experiences for the clients they serve.
TierOne Travel boasts the highest consultant-support ratio in Canada. We are not so big that our travel specialists become just a number, and we’re not so small that we can’t provide all the supports you would expect from a larger host agency. We are just right!
Our head office is located in Calgary, Alberta, with regional offices in Edmonton, Alberta and Victoria, British Columbia. Tier One’s strong executive team is led by Shelley Ewing, President / Director, and supported by General Manager Shelley Parry and Finance Manager Randa Nemish. Together, they have many years of experience, expertise, and enthusiasm to share.
Complementing the executive team is our highly experienced support team, providing administrative assistance, IT support, airline contract and ticketing guidance, a dynamic marketing team and an excellent finance department. When you join TierOne Travel, you get all the backing you need with the care and attention you deserve.
Ask any one of our travel specialists and they can tell you why they joined TierOne Travel and why they chose to stay. We are a family and we support one another to be happy and successful within the travel industry.
Read our Consultant Testimonials here
Collaboration
Even though TierOne Travel caters to the independent travel agent, we are a team. Our consultants have decades of experience and are willing to share their knowledge with you, along with an online TierOne Travel social group that connects you with other consultants across Western Canada.
With TierOne Travel you will also have the advantage of being part of the Ensemble Travel Group. As a shareholder with this group for more than 25 years, we know the value of this partnership. Being associated with an esteemed consortium of approximately 700 top-tier, independent travel agencies is invaluable, and it affords us even more opportunities for training, preferred supplier connections and marketing strategies.
Consortium Affiliations
- Ensemble Travel Group
- Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) – membership included.
- Benefits of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)
- International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- Air Canada Circle of Excellence
Commissions
TierOne Travel has a variety of competitive and generous contract opportunities suited to your specific business model.
Interested in creating your own team? We offer Associate Agent contracts as well.
Find out more about our Commissions structure under BENEFITS, below.
Sales and Marketing
TierOne Travel engages a dedicated Marketing Department to guide you through the maze of marketing options. Find out more about our amazing marketing supports and tools here.
Staff to Agent Ratio
TierOne Travel boasts the highest consultant-support ratio in Canada, working with you and your individual needs to ensure your success. Our support team has walked in your shoes, boasting many years of combined travel experience, and are there to help you in any way they can with any situation you may encounter.
Lead Vetting
“Vetting” is the process of investigating an individual or company before making a decision to move ahead with any business. TierOne Travel’s administrative staff is fantastic when it comes to the vetting of travel leads that arrive to TierOne Travel online or by telephone. Our staff ensures that booking inquiries that we pass on to our travel consultants are high-quality leads, and not “tire kickers” who are “just shopping around” without an intention to purchase.
When we pass travel leads on to our travel consultants, they can be confident they are spending their valuable time responding to potential clients who are actually interested in booking a trip with a travel consultant. This results in not only commission earned for the travel consultant, but often also a long-term client for the travel consultant who will return time and time again with future travel bookings. Each and every lead is made aware of a professional fee that will be charged prior to accessing a consultant’s time.
Still struggling to earn more revenue?
We can make that a distant memory.
BENEFITS
Overview
Flexible Work Schedule
At TierOne Travel, we understand the value living life to the fullest. Time flies by and we know how important it is to spend it with family and friends, as well, the value of travel in our own lives.
When you join TierOne Travel, you can rest assured that our business model and structure creates the flexibility for you to set your own schedule, chose your own clients, and decide where you want to work. You choose your preferred lifestyle and fit work around it. Not the other way around!
Commissions
TierOne Travel has aligned with only the best in the industry – exceptional supplier partners and a dedicated consortia, Ensemble, which provides you the opportunity to earn top tier commissions.
Contracts
TierOne Travel has a variety of competitive and generous contract opportunities suited to your business model. Let’s sit down and discuss which option works best for you.
Have you always wanted to develop your own team? TierOne also has Associate contracts, where you have the potential to enhance your advantage by creating your own team of travel consultants.
Technology
We have the technology that enables you to work anywhere, anytime. We provide the IT support to set you up for success in the office, at home, on the road or at the beach. If you prefer to work in an office or want to meet with clients in a professional setting, we can provide that for you as well. You choose.
Welcome to the world
of increased income and reduced costs.
Travel Benefits
We are passionate about travel and we know you are too! We want you to be able to pursue this passion by travelling to as many places as possible, as often as you can. After all, we know your experiences will turn into stories you can share with clients.
- No limits on ‘Familiarization Trips’ aka Educational Seminars.
- Access to numerous airlines, cruise, and hotel discounts.
- Opportunity to earn free and discounted travel through our preferred supplier initiatives.
- Discounted travel with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Travel Agent card (after six months of industry travel).
Access to Group Health Benefits
When you join TierOne Travel you have access to our group health benefits. We have an excellent plan that provides coverage for health expenses not covered by your provincial plan, such as prescriptions, dental, supplementary health and wellness needs, along with short and long-term disability.
Recognition
TierOne Travel recognizes our top performers with our annual TOT Awards. These awards are presented to our highest supporters of Air Canada, WestJet, and our Top 10 preferred suppliers.
Conference and Other Events
- TierOne Travel Conference in Calgary is our opportunity to invite our esteemed travel consultants and preferred suppliers, every other year, for a weekend of fun, collaboration and learning. These fun events, include keynote speakers, a supplier trade show, team building activities, followed by a gala evening and dance.
- Our consultants can take advantage of TierOne Travel’s exclusive ‘Educational Seminar’ hosted in a different destination every other year, providing our consultants with the opportunity for travel, networking, destination education & fun!
- We celebrate our Top 10 Ensemble ranking annually with our various office locations (Calgary, Edmonton, and Victoria) every summer.
Corporate Tools
- Airline Contracts – TierOne Travel maintains lucrative airline contracts offering you a competitive edge.
- Corporate Reporting – A variety of corporate reporting tools are available to meet the requirements of your clients.
- Proposal Writing Assistance and Templates – We extend support with proposal creation to help you secure corporate accounts.
- Joint Sales Calls – TierOne executives are more than willing to assist you on joint sales calls with potential clients.
Additional Perks
- Dedicated Global Distribution System (GDS) support – Our knowledgeable support staff are here to provide assistance and guidance when it comes to either Sabre or Travelport technology and processes.
- Dedicated Airline Contract Support – TierOne has the best support in the industry when it comes to deciphering airline contracts and how to take advantage them.
- TierOne Travel Ticketing Department – Don’t want to be bothered with the complexities of ticketing airline tickets? Not to worry – TierOne Travel offers our own in-house ticketing department.
- Accounting Support – TierOne Travel’s accounting department is eager to assist in any accounting questions you may have as well as providing for the needs of your clients, such as customized client reports.
- Go Program – Our Go Program is TierOne Travel’s proprietary software designed for your group business. It eliminates the challenges of group business accounting by providing a program that allows you to communicate, collect data and provide invoicing for all your group clients no matter how large or small.
Do you like the commission from Group Travel but avoid due to the overwhelming data collection?
TierOne Travel has the answer to relieve that headache!
MARKETING
TierOne Travel provides customized materials with our logo, but your phone number, email address, website, and social media links.
We can also help set you up on social media and teach you how to use it to market yourself to the fullest.
Our Marketing Team is also a whiz at direct mail and email campaigns that will also increase your reach.
Don’t have a website?
You can link to the main TierOne Travel site, or we can help you create your own personalized Tier One Travel consultant website!
We’re pleased to offer our consultants two different website options to choose from:
the Personalized Travel Website which uses our TierOne Travel website template, see beth.tieronetravel.ca as an example or the Deluxe Customized Travel Website which is a completely unique website developed just for you, see maggie.tieronetravel.ca as an example.
Pricing + What’s Included:
Personalized Travel Website: $500 Flat-Rate
- Using our Tier One Travel template: beth.tieronetravel.ca, personalized with your own content and photos
- Includes current and updated Travel Promotions, Blogs, Travel Styles Content Pages, etc. (more info below)
- Optional: Softvoyage Booking Engine offering Flights, Hotel, Vacation Packages, etc. (additional monthly fee $$)
Deluxe Customized Travel Website: TBD based on features – $50/hour
- Includes everything from the Personalized Travel Website, above, plus….
- When choosing the Deluxe Customized Travel Website, a completely unique website will be designed for you, matching your travel niche and areas of focus.
- For example, see Maggie’s completely customized Destination Wedding website: maggie.tieronetravel.ca
- Our marketing team will design a completely unique website for you, with extra website pages and features as you’d like. The sky’s the limit – you dream it, we can make it a reality!
- Cost: $50/hour
- The amount of time required to design and develop your unique website will depend heavily on your preferences and features, but a rough estimate would be anywhere from 10-20 hours for something the size of Maggie’s wedding site:
- Have a set budget in mind? We can propose a design + website features to fit within that budget.
- Let’s talk about your vision and we can provide you with a quote and go from there!
INCLUDED WITH ALL TIER ONE TRAVEL WEBSITES:
- Agent Bio Page
- Testimonials Section
- Awards + Accolades Section
- Supplier Promotions (updated weekly by TierOne Travel)
- Travel Blog Posts (updated weekly by TierOne Travel)
- Partner Content Section (of your choice)
- 10 Travel Styles Content Pages
- 10 Travel Destinations Content Pages
- Tours Listings (with G Adventures)
- Email Newsletter Signup
- Ensemble Award-Winning eMagazines
- Contact Me Forms
- Softvoyage Booking Engine offering Flights, Hotel, Vacation Packages, etc. (additional monthly fee $$)
We have an amazing Marketing Team
enhancing our brand and reputation.
And when you become part of the TierOne family,
your brand and reputation will also be enhanced.
Other Marketing Initiatives:
Dedicated Marketing Support – Free social media content, including: royalty-free photography, videos, travel articles, etc. that you can share with your social media audience. TierOne also provides you with a database of preferred supplier promotions that are updated daily and pre-written sample captions and photos, making it easy for you to share promos with your audience. You also are provided with the assistance and support of a marketing specialist, helping you to create, measure and optimize your marketing campaigns.
Client Newsletters – Personalized travel newsletters are available three times per month to send to your clientele as you see fit, positioning you as the expert and keeping you front of mind.
TierOne Travel Blog – Our travel blogs are fun and informative. We cover a wide range of topics with an end goal to inspire and excite readers to contact TierOne Travel for all their travel needs. We regularly write about pertinent travel topics and trends, educating our audience about enticing travel options and encouraging them to book under the TierOne Travel brand. Check out more blogs here.
We always strive to ensure blog content is timely, sensitive and appropriate, and our consultants can feel confident sharing this content with their own clients to keep them feeling inspired and informed.
Ensemble Vacations Magazine – As part of TierOne Travel, you have access to the suite of award-winning Ensemble Magazines directly mailed to your clientele, from you, such as Ensemble Vacation, ExtraOrdinary Experiences, Bon Vivant & Family Vacations which are published numerous times a year for its member agencies. These publications are an exceptional way to stay current and keep you clients focused on your services.
Here are some examples of this award-winning magazine:
Consultant Testimonials
Enjoy the perks of being your own boss
with the support you need
to focus on what you love.
Supplier Testimonials
Does running your own business seem unattainable?
With so many details to consider, let TierOne Travel show you how to make it a reality.
JOIN NOW
Enjoy the perks of being your own boss with the support you need to focus on what you love.
By joining our TierOne Travel team, you will instantly benefit from more than 25 years of experience, quality supplier relationships, top-tier commission, and everything else you need to quickly boost your bottom line.
You will become part of the TierOne family, which is made up of highly professional, talented, enthusiastic, compassionate people who love to travel and love to help others experience the joy of travel for themselves.
We understand changing host agencies or becoming an independent travel consultant can be a scary proposition. Rest assured we are here to help every step of the way.
Agents
Increase your revenue earning potential through competitive commission splits and higher-at-the-source commission earning ability. Gain more control over your life and career. With us, you will have the freedom to excel.
Whether you are a specialist in a niche travel market, a corporate consultant, wedding specialist or a jack of all trades, we can accommodate you and help you shine. Whatever your preference, we can accommodate. And being part of the global Ensemble Travel Group enables TierOne Travel to provide you with all the support you need to succeed.
Agencies
TierOne Travel will provide the tools and resources to relieve your burden and improve your success. We are able to free up your time by taking the burdensome tasks off your plate and offering you the ability to focus to do what you do best!
By transferring your existing agency into a TierOne Travel office, you will decrease your overhead and increase your earning potential. At the end of the day, you will have more money in your pocket than you did before.
Imagine being able to retain your agency ownership, name and brand, while having the support of a long-standing host agency that can provide you with the tools to operate more profitably and efficiently.
Let’s Talk
If you’re thinking of branching out on your own, give us a call. We would love to hear from you and would be happy to answer all your questions. We want you to feel comfortable with your decision and to know it’s the right one for you.
We have so many stories from our independent travel agents and agency-owners about why they are happy they joined TierOne Travel. Many say they wished they had done it sooner!
Read some of their stories here
Fill in the short online form in our Contact Us section and take the first steps toward greater freedom and more rewards as part of the TierOne Travel family.
Wanting to grow your book of business but don’t know where to start?
TierOne Travel can offer solutions!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What makes TierOne Travel different than other host agencies?
TierOne is a ‘boutique’ style host agency with a well-established reputation in the travel industry.
Our brand is recognized as one of the best host agencies in the business and our travel agents are recognized as the utmost accomplished professionals.
2. Is there a sign-up fee?
There is a one-time set up fee of $299. Monthly fees are dependent on the contract of your choice.
3. What type of contract do I need to sign?
TierOne offers a selection of contracts accommodating a variety of situations, one that will be sure to meet your needs. Our most popular is a sliding scale of commission splits.
4. How much are the monthly administrative fees?
Depending on the contract that best suits your situation, the administrative fees can be fixed or sliding.
5. What would be my overall expenditure to be set up as a TierOne Travel consultant?
Set up cost would include:
– For home agents, the cost of a computer & printer (for in house agents that would be part of your Facility Fee)
– Errors & Omission insurance
– If you choose to sell insurance in Alberta, a licensing fee would also apply.
6. Do I have the option to work from home as well as work from your physical office?
You definitely have a choice of working entirely from home or in one of our offices located in either Calgary, Edmonton, or Victoria. As a home consultant you do have the freedom of 24/7 access to your local TierOne office and use of in-office space for client meetings. An available contract option is to work in office 8 days/month and the remaining from home. TierOne is here to provide a work environment that works for you.
7. Are there sales quotas?
No, TierOne Travel does not impose a sales threshold. The desire to earn more is completely up to you.
8. What is the onboarding process like?
TierOne Travel support staff will have you up and running in no time! They will be with you every step of the way.
9. Do you offer training and/or support? What kind of back-up can I expect?
TierOne is able to provide product training, marketing training as well as GDS & airline contract support. We boast the highest support to agent ratio; our experienced support staff are here to help you with any situation you may experience to ensure your success.
10. How often does Tier One Travel pay commissions to me?
Commissions are paid monthly.
11. How much can I plan to make – how successful are TierOne Travel consultants?
TierOne consultants are some of the most successful in the industry; 6 figure incomes not uncommon.
12. Who looks after my clients if I want to take a vacation?
TierOne can provide vacation coverage at a cost, although most consultants team with colleagues (which we could help you with) or simply take their laptops with them.
Nervous about Debit Memos arising from complicated fare structures?
We have a solution that you will really like!
PRICING
Our fees are as follows:
| Home Agent | In Office | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting up your office | Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria | |
| Personal company email address including remote access | yes | yes |
| First set of business cards | yes | yes |
| Business Phone | at cost | included |
| Personalized Website page | yes | yes |
| Clientbase | yes | yes |
| Membership services of the company's affiliations eg Ensemble, ACTA, CLIA | yes | yes |
| ACTA Membership Included | yes | yes |
| IATA Card *after minimum sales threshold | at cost | at cost |
| Toll free 24 hour worldwide emergency service for clients | at cost | at cost |
| E & O Coverage | at cost | at cost |
| Access to Extended Health Benefits | yes | yes |
| Postage & courier charges | at cost | at cost |
| Access to Corporate Business Tools | yes | yes |
| Optional annual business analysis | yes | yes |
| Opportunity to add team members | yes | yes |
| Facility Fee | no | yes |
| Technology & Accounting | ||
| Choice of GDS (Sabre or Travelport) | yes | yes |
| Access to TierOne Travel Intranet | yes | yes |
| Commission Reporting Tool | yes | yes |
| Booking Builder for Sabre users (minimum monthly sales required) | yes | yes |
| Exclusive Group Travel Organizer Tool | yes | yes |
| Monthly net commissions via direct deposit | yes | yes |
| Accounting Services: track consultant sales, commissions, debit memos, corporate reports, etc. | yes | yes |
| Marketing | ||
| Social Media Support | yes | yes |
| Access to Free Social Media Content | yes | yes |
| Creation and distribution of e-newsletters | yes | yes |
| Travel Blogs | yes | yes |
| Travel Magazine Mailout | at cost | at cost |
| Direct Mail pieces | yes | yes |
| Use of the company's brand, logos etc to support marketing efforts | yes | yes |
| Advertising & promotional items | at cost | at cost |
| Learning | ||
| TierOne Exclusive Supplier Webinars | yes | yes |
| Access to Supplier training | yes | yes |
| Invitation to TierOne Travel Conference | yes | yes |
| Invitation to exclusive TierOne Travel Educational Seminar | yes | yes |
| Invitation to Regional Extraordinary Conference | yes | yes |
| Invitation to Ensemble International Conference | yes | yes |
| Benefits | ||
| Consortia Member - Ensemble | yes | yes |
| Access to Agent Rates & FAMS | yes | yes |
| Exclusively negotiated net fares and commissions | yes | yes |
| Onboarding Assistance | yes | yes |
| Access to TierOne support staff for day to day issues | yes | yes |
| In house ticketing & airline contract support | yes | yes |
| Assistance with supplier issues as required | yes | yes |
| Assistance with business development through networking and training | yes | yes |
| Travel industry manuals & publications | yes | yes |
| Expenditure | ||
| Signing Bonus | Yes | |
| Set up Fee | $299 | |
| Annual Fee | No annual fee | |
| Earning Commission Splits | from 50% to 88% | |
| Monthly Fees | sliding scale based on commission splits | |
We proudly maintain
boutique attributes and high standards
while embracing family values.
ABOUT US
During the past quarter century, TierOne has maintained our boutique attributes and high standards while embracing family values. TierOne Travel’s exceptional reputation has earned us the admiration and respect from both suppliers and customers.
Our company brings together a dedicated group of independent travel specialists who are all experts in their niches. Together, they have helped thousands of clients for more than two decades.
TierOne Travel launched the Host Agency model in western Canada over 25 years ago to which many others have followed. TierOne Travel was created to better serve independent travel consultants and agencies to become more efficient and profitable.
TierOne Travel’s President Shelley Ewing and General Manager Shelley Parry are both passionate about helping others succeed in the travel industry. Let them and their team help you to achieve great success.
Our Mission
TierOne Travel pledges to provide our consultants with the most effective tools and support to guarantee their success with reliability, initiative, and trustworthiness.
Our Values
TierOne Travel supports a culture based on values, which are demonstrated through our actions and behaviours. We provide the highest level of customer service, working together as a team, caring for one another, striving for excellence in all we do, while continuing to maintain balance in our lives. We are able to achieve this by embracing the following values:
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Respect
- Courage
- Openness
- Diversity
- Balance
Social Responsibility
At TierOne Travel, we believe in giving back…in being socially responsible. That’s why we give to make the world a better place, both at home and internationally.
We love travelling the world and understand the environmental issues currently facing our planet. TierOne also believes that charity begins at home and thus are proud to support Nature Canada, one of the oldest national nature conservation charities in Canada. For 80 years Nature Canada has helped protect over 110 million acres of parks and wildlife areas in Canada and countless species.
TierOne also believes in providing a hand up versus a handout and for years has been funding KIVA, the world’s first lending platform supporting women, entrepreneurs, students and refugees worldwide. More than 1.7 billion people around the world are unbanked and cannot access the financial services they need. Kiva is an international nonprofit with a mission to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive with 100% of every dollar going to fund loans.
Accolades
TierOne Travel is proud of the recognition we receive from our industry partners, bragging rights for the Top Tier organization we are. These include:
- Air Canada Circle of Excellence 2019
- WestJet Top Premium Air Sales 2019
- Continually ranking in the top 10 Canadian Agencies, earning TierOne Travel the Ensemble Elite Top Producer designation
- Club Med Outstanding Sales Accomplishment
YOUR NEW ADVENTURE IN THE WORLD OF SELLING TRAVEL BEGINS HERE.
We can’t wait to hear from you – let’s chat. Use the form below to contact us!
Fill out my online form.