Hays Travel Personal Travel Consultants
The homeworking arm of Hays Travel, the UK’s largest independent agency, offering an independent commission-split route alongside leads-supported and employed academy options.
- Last reviewed 22 September 2026
- Checked against the official ABTA and CAA ATOL registers on 22 September 2026
- Company website
The facts
| Model | Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Cost to join | £295+VAT (experienced) |
| Ongoing fee | £65/mo |
| Other fees | None recorded |
| Agent keeps | 60% independent; 30–70% leads-supported |
| Financial protection | ABTA · ATOL |
| Agents in the network | 500+ |
| Founded | Homeworking for 20+ years |
| Parent or owner | Hays Travel |
| Accepts newcomers | Yes — via the New to Travel Academy |
What sets it apart
Access to Hays’ in-house tour operator, Vista, and a leads-supported model.
Who it suits
Open to newcomers — the company’s stated position is “yes — via the New to Travel Academy”.
The company mixes models, so its fees and commission terms may not line up neatly with a straight commission split.
How customers’ money is protected
This matters to you as well as to your clients: it determines who is liable if a supplier or the company itself fails.
ABTA: 34115, W7532 (head office). ABTA membership commits the company to ABTA’s code of conduct, requires it to protect customers’ money on holidays that do not include a flight, and gives customers a complaints and arbitration route.
ATOL: 5534. An ATOL licence protects the money customers pay for package holidays that include a flight, and covers getting them home if the company fails.
Hays Travel Ltd’s head-office ABTA numbers 34115 and W7532 confirmed on the official ABTA member search (branches hold further numbers). ATOL 5534 confirmed on the CAA register, where Hays Travel Ltd is also the Accredited Body whose licence covers Designer Travel.
Ownership and background
The research source describes the model as a commission-split host with two models plus employed academy routes, which is why it is grouped here as a hybrid. The £295+VAT joining fee and £65/mo come from TG#10; the 30% and 60% splits are corroborated by Hays’ own Flippingbook welcome packs. Hays Travel is the UK’s largest independent travel agency and also owns Designer Travel and Explorer Travel.