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Travel MLMs: What You Need to Know

We’re about to get a little bit controversial here and chat up on travel MLMs (multi-level marketing) businesses.

Before I launch in, I want to say that this not a “host travel agency vs. MLM face-off” or anything of the like. No way. We’re all about peace, puppies, totality, and trumpets over in our neck of the woods. If you want to go with a travel MLM and you know what you're getting into, go for it.

Every so often an aspiring travel agent stumbles into a travel MLM thinking it functions like a host travel agency. But that’s just not the case.

But every so often an aspiring travel agent stumbles into a travel MLM thinking it functions like a host travel agency . But that’s just not the case. Host agencies and MLMs are two different types of businesses. I'd say they're like apples and oranges, but it's really more like apples and elephants.

We want to help agents differentiate between full-service travel companies like host agencies (which support agents to sell travel) and travel MLMs (which tend to emphasize selling memberships). Here's the key takeaways:

⭐️ HAR ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS: ⭐️

• What is an MLM? An MLM, short for Multi-Level Marketing, is a business model that relies on recruiting others to sell products rather than just selling products yourself. You make money by getting commissions on your sales, but also on the sales of the people you recruit (your "downline"). >>> Jump to section
• What is an MLM Travel Agency, Specifically? It's a business model that focuses on recruitment over booking travel. Unlike traditional travel agents, income from travel MLMs comes mainly from selling memberships to build a sales team, not commissions from booking trips. >>> Jump to section
• The Truth About Travel MLMs (An Infographic) Travel MLMs are opaque when it comes to documenting earnings and success rate. This infographic offers a look at travel MLMs in a visual nutshell! It magnifies the "fine print," showing data from income disclosure statements, offering a list of travel MLMs, and more. >>> Jump to section
• A Note on Travel MLM Income Disclosures & Compensation Structures : A review of what travel MLM income disclosures and compensation structures include and conceal with real-life examples. >>> Jump to section
• The Coded Language of Travel MLMs : How do you know if you're in MLM danger zone? Check out these real-life examples of travel MLM lingo. >>> Jump to section
• The Travel MLM Hybrid/ MLM-Affiliated Model : Some companies affiliated with an MLM marketing arm distance themselves given the bad reputation of pyramid schemes. Read more about this model of "hybrid" travel MLMs. >>> Jump to section
• How Did Travel MLMs Start Getting a Bad Rap (An Origin Story)? Travel MLMs started with YTB, Your Travel Business. Here's a rundown on how the emergence of YTB soured the travel industry for the travel MLMs of today. >>> Jump to section
• How Is a Travel MLM Different from a Host Agency? What makes a host agency different from a travel MLM? A lot. This section takes a big-picture look at these differences including how HAR flags travel MLMs and MLM hybrids on their site. >>> Jump to section

What Is An MLM?

In a nutshell, an MLM, short for Multi-Level Marketing, is a business model that relies on recruiting others to sell products rather than just selling products yourself . You make money by getting commissions on your sales, but also on the sales of the people you recruit (your "downline"). MLM marketing is also called “network marketing” and “direct sales,” so if you see a website throwing around that terminology, they’re probably talking about an MLM business model.

MLM expert, Robert FitzPatrick, published a 2008 study that covered ten publicly traded MLMs at its time—including the now-defunct travel MLM Your Travel Business (YTB). What did he find? In short this: ". . . 99% of all [MLM] participants received less than $10 a week in commissions, before all expenses ." 1

We love academic papers, but this fictionalized explanation from The Office is arguably (or factually?) more fun.

With the exception of YTB, FitzPatrick's study take didn't offer a deep-dive on how travel MLMs, in particular, operate. Moving on, we'll focus on how MLM travel agencies are unique. Why? Because travel is a very different product than, say, herbs, vitamins, makeup, or leggings.

But one thing travel MLMs have in common with more conventional MLMs is the high rate of failure. Let's dig in and chat travel MLMs specifically.

What Is an MLM Travel Agency?

In travel MLMs, the dominant revenue stream is from selling memberships to recruits, not commissions from selling travel.

What is an MLM travel agency? It's a business model that focuses on recruitment over booking travel. Unlike traditional travel agents, income from travel MLMs comes mainly from selling memberships to build a sales team, not commissions from booking trips.

Like any other MLM, travel MLMs have two revenue streams for their members:

• Commissions from selling a product (in this case, travel) directly to clients.
• Commissions, overrides, or kickbacks on membership sales from recruiting others into the organization.

In travel MLMs, the dominant revenue stream is from selling memberships to recruits, not commissions from selling travel. Travel MLMs will try to entice you with promises that residual (or passive) income will trickle down from the upper echelon of the downline. (*cough* pyramid scheme.) 

What makes a travel MLM different from other MLMs (like Amway, LuLaRoe, Herbalife, etc.) is that reps don’t have to buy any product to sell like leggings, makeup, or vitamins. ( However, oddly enough, some travel MLMs do also try to push selling vitamins and energy boosters!) In some ways, not having to buy products makes a travel MLM less risky in terms of financial investment (but not without risk).

Travel MLMs are opaque regarding their success rate. Many travel MLMs are not required to publicize their income disclosure statements (they're not publicly traded). Those that do share their disclosures (in the name of transparency) present a pretty grim picture when it comes to income potential. 

You know how in most sales situations, you make the bulk of the commission on the product? Well, with MLMs, the people above you are the ones raking in the dough. (*cough* pyramid scheme). Here's a visual of how MLMs operate, using real-life MLM income disclosures as an example.

Here's a closer look at the three Travel MLM income disclosures mentioned in the infographic.

1. Dream Trips (formerly WorldVentures)

For example, travel MLM Dream Trips (formerly WorldVentures) reported in 2019 ( the most recent disclosures available ) that 14.6% of all Representatives earned a commission or a bonus. 85.4% earned nothing or operated at a loss. The average commission and bonus earnings of all reps was $354.31, including the ones who made $0.

If you take out the group who made nothing (or operated at a loss), you get an average of $2,425.55 and a median of $50.00. But the annual cost to join Dream Trips is a minimum of $769.89 in its first year ( source for annual fees ). (It may not come as a surprise to our perceptive readers that WorldVentures has declared bankruptcy, attempted an acquisition, and rebranded as Dream Trips, all since 2019.)

2. Incruises

Travel MLM Incruises is one of the world's largest subscription-based travel companies whose majority of income-earning "partners" (reps) bring in less than $10,000 annually. 705 Partners earned more than 10,000 dollars in a 12-month period, which is only 2.21% of all "active" reps (what they mean by "active" is clear as mud, which we'll address later).

They actually state quite plainly in their April 2024 disclosure that: "most Partners will not reach the highest levels...where a substantial income can be achieved." The number that does, in fact, is 97 people total. (Friends, that's 0.30%.) 2 . YIKES.

Travel MLM MWR has a unique income disclosure in that they do not tell you:

1. the overall average income

2. how many members are a part of their network

What this means is that we can't tell you what percent of members earn zero income. But the numbers are no less dismal. Most of their membership base, 73%, are among the worst-performing tier. This group (entering pyramid scheme territory) earned an $18 annual average (and no, that is not a typo).

A Note on Travel MLM Income Disclosures

You've have a peek behind the when it comes to income disclosures and compensation structures. Looking at an income disclosure can leave you with more questions than answers. If a travel MLM does provides an income disclosure (they are not required by law unless the travel MLM is publicly traded), you can typically find out:

• the average earnings for active reps at different tiers
• the period in which income was earned
• the percentage who earned some and/or no income during that period

These income disclosures are in stark opposition to the implications of all the residual income and free trips these travel MLMs focus on in their marketing.

But there's a lot that an income disclosure doesn't tell you. Many income disclosures will not include information such as: 

• Churn Rate & Attrition:  How quickly reps turnover and leave the MLM. The data may only include the number of reps who are still signed on with them at the end of the disclosure period, and do not account for the number of reps who left within that time frame. 
• Total Number of Distributors at Different Levels of the Organization:  This masks the total number of reps and distributors in general, then further obscures the data by not revealing how many reps sell at what level. How does this affect things? It skews the average income of the typical rep since the income spread between the bottom and top of a pyramid scheme can be significant (hundreds of thousands or even a million).
• How Much Income is from Travel Commissions:  The data also does not disclose what percentage of the income earned is from actual travel commissions (vs. residual income from referrals).
• Definition of "Active" Distributor:  Is active defined as someone that has sales during that period? Or any distributor paying fees? We have no idea. 

What this means is that if you're interested in aligning yourself with a travel MLM, you'll want to arm yourself with curiosity. The FTC published a pdf chapter from Jon M. Taylor, PhD, 2011 book, "The Case For (and Against) Multi-Level Marketing." Here, Dr. Taylor cautions those interested in MLMs to ask about attrition (dropout) rates. Here's what he says:

" Prospects should ask their recruiter to furnish the company’s attrition (dropout) rate; i.e., the percentage of recruits who sign up only to drop out within a year — and over a five or ten-year period. If they can’t or won’t furnish it, you can assume that it exceeds the minimum of 50% per year . . . Over a five-year period, at least 95% typically have left the company; and usually after ten years, nearly all but those at or near the top of their respective pyramids will have dropped out." Source (pg. 6)

Herein lies the illusion of transparency when it comes to a travel MLM's income disclosure : As bad as the disclosures look already, it gets even worse. The info included does not (and is not required to) offer to a complete picture of earning potential of MLMs, which can further mask losses. 

And this is really just the tip of the iceberg. There's a ton of other juicy information that many MLMs (not just travel MLMs) conceal in these types of statements. 3

The Coded Language of Travel MLMs

In general, travel MLMs get real shady when they make more money by recruiting other sales reps into the organization than they do actually selling a product (in this case, travel). This is entering serious pyramid scheme territory. And that’s a major DANGER ZONE folks.

But how do you know if you're entering the travel MLM danger zone before it's too late? Marketing language is one key! Travel MLMs use their own jargon for their travel agent members. They actually use this wording to make their offer more attractive. Be your own boss! Work independently! A travel MLM will more likely refer to its participants with terms like: representatives (PlanNet Marketing), builders (Surge365), referring travel agent (YTB) . . . you get the gist.

Alternately, with a host agency, it's 99% likely that they'll refer to you as an " independent contractor, " travel business , or travel advisor .

The TV show Schitt's Creek nails the jargon for their fictional MLM, Allez Vous.

But you don't need to rely on fiction, you can see it in action. This "Your Travelution" promotional video clip outlines some of the misleading and manipulating marketing strategies travel MLMs will use to try and recruit members:

Halfway through the TraVerus video below, it attempts to sell you on a nutritional supplement (another MLM product), which reps, in turn, would sell to others—verging from its original appeal and trying to woo you with promises of feeling and looking great while you lounge on the beach. 

The MLM Hybrid/ MLM-Affiliated Model

[Editor’s note: This section was added Oct. 12, 2018 and updated April 18th, 2024.]

The HAR desk often gets inquiries about InteleTravel host agency. I didn’t want to go too deep into InteleTravel when I first wrote this because I knew I’d already be kicking a hornet’s nest. But here I go now, about to take a swing at it.

While InteleTravel is not an MLM, anyone who wants to sign up with them must go through their MLM marketing arm, PlanNet Marketing

While InteleTravel is not an MLM, per se, anyone who wants to sign up with them must go through their MLM marketing arm, PlanNet Marketing, in order to sign on. And this is where it gets a little sticky.

As is typical of an MLM, earnings from PlanNet Marketing do not compensate for the level of investment required . Here’s the cliff notes in their own words: "During the period January 2023 to December 2023, 20.92% of all IRs earned a commission or override, while 79.08% did not."

For PlanNet marketing's "Rep" level (the entry point), the average annual income reported was $41.64. 4 . This lowest-earning segment is 93% of PlanNet marketing's membership.

But how does PlanNet link in with InteleTravel? Inteletravel uses PlanNet marketing for marketing. To be very clear, someone can join Inteletravel without joining PlanNet Marketing. Borrowing from PlanNet Marketing's terminology, this means that Inteletravel agents are not required to sell ITAs ("independent travel agencies"). But again, the caveats:

1. If you want to join Inteletravel, you must go through a PlanNet Marketing Rep. You cannot sign up directly with them. What does mean? It means you will be a part of someone's downline whether you engage in recruiting or not.

If one wants to steer clear of the the MLM and sign up for InteleTravel only, they may be pressured (depending on the rep they purchased their agency through) to also sell ITAs (InteleTravel travel agencies) through PlanNet Marketing. A PlanNet Marketing rep will send you their personal page to sign up. This is a huge red flag.

2. PlanNet Marketing strategy draws hoards of advisor to Inteletravel. In July 2023, InteleTravel reported having "more than 90,000 independent home-based advisors." For perspective, if you add the total number of travel advisors all 197 of HAR's host agencies report, the total is 76,298, and the average number of ICs is 387.

It looks like this: 

The small print (on the image above) also indicates you can only enroll through the PlanNet Marketing rep account first if you're interested in joining InteleTravel.

Several InteleTravel agents I spoke with (who I will not name for privacy purposes) have reported that an InteleTravel agent is not required to sign up for PlanNet Marketing to sell ITAs . The important thing to know is that when you sign up for InteleTravel, you'll be a part of someone's downline whether you personally participate in the MLM side of things or not. When host agencies rely on these MLM marketing arms, we call them "MLM hybrids."

Though InteleTravel is not technically an MLM,  for us there are red flags with InteleTravel due to their reliance on PlanNet Marketing's MLM branch.  

This might be more information than you ever wanted to know. However, InteleTravel is one of a handful of host agencies that partner with MLM marketing branches in the same way and we want you to be informed! (Archer Travel, who affiliates through Evolution's MLM marketing branch is another.)

Do you know of other travel MLMs or MLM hybrids that are not mentioned in this article or infographic? Drop a comment below!

How Did Travel MLMs Start Getting a Bad Rap?

The shady reputation of MLMs certainly is not limited to the travel industry, but when it comes to travel MLMs in particular, it was the rise and fall of YTB (Your Travel Business) that really left a bad taste in the mouth of the travel industry.

Long story short: founded in 2001, YTB was modeled after a typical pyramid scheme structure that preyed on hopes of those who were economically vulnerable with promises of get-rich-quick schemes that required little time and relatively low financial investment. In 2008, California's then-Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr., won the lawsuit he filed against YTB to halt their operations.

85% of YTB’s revenue was from selling memberships and materials for marketing courses to new recruits rather than travel sales. This from a company that had claimed you were a travel agent!

And there’s more … guess how much the average YTB rep earned each year? The average annual commission paid to a YTB rep was $44.29. Sounds bad, right? Well it gets worse, because 81% of all YTB reps earned no money at all, and 4% of YTB reps (those at the top of the upline) received 96% of all commissions paid to the company.

And the travel MLMs' habit of primarily booking personal travel (rather than travel for consumers) is something vendors noticed. Vendors felt that non-professionals were exploiting travel agent benefits (such as FAM trips) for personal gain. So much so, that many travel vendors severed ties with YTB.

TW image sources here , here and here .

YTB was subject to lawsuits from CA, IL, as well as a class-action lawsuit and eventually went bankrupt. But the vestiges of YTB exist today in modern-day travel MLMs. The founder of YTB (J. Lloyd “Coach” Tomer) is now the Chief Visionary Officer for Surge365 (one of the companies featured in our infographic earlier).

David E. Manning was president of now-defunct Travelworks International, Inc. and is currently the president of Paycation (which now shows up as TraVerus, over which he also presides) and he is also the chairman of XStream travel. All of these are travel MLMs.  5

MLMs will often run strong for a few years, but implode once they get too big to sustain themselves. The MLM may close its doors, possibly reemerging if its founders will start a new one, or rebrand and operate under another name. 

And The Oscar Goes to . . . A Travel MLM Mashup!

Steph put together a great travel MLM mashup video to illustrate exactly how MLMs and their reps operate by preying on vulnerabilities, making big promises with zero info to back them up, and how they eventually become saturated and collapse (yes, it's essentially a more entertaining version of what I just wrote 🙂)

If you're still not convinced, and you want to give MLMs a shot, the FTC has a resource page with some great questions to ask your sponsor before signing on with an MLM. 

How Is a Travel MLM Different from a Host Agency?

At its most basic, the major difference between a travel MLM and host agency is what comprises their primary revenue streams. Host agencies don't earn money unless you sell travel (not so with a travel MLM, that makes more money from membership sales). This means that hosts are motivated to support you to sell as much travel as possible.

But there's many differences beyond revenue channels. Here's some more:

How you book travel

Some travel MLMs such as WorldVentures (which filed for bankruptcy in Dec. 2020) do not allow their reps to book directly with vendors . Rather, vendors require that travel bookings are made through a designated MLM HQ, where the MLM permanent staff (not any of its members) make the actual booking for agents.

This may sound nice but the downside is that you're not in control of your reservation. This is problematic if you sign on believing you’ll be able use vendors’ travel agent portals, call in direct to the travel agent support lines, and build a relationship with the sales reps.

With a host agency, you are able to connect with suppliers either directly or through the hosts proprietary booking portal (or both!)

Transparency

Travel MLMs and MLM hybrids offered little to no concrete information about commissions, backend support, Seller of Travel  (which you need if you’re selling travel in certain states), E&O insurance —not even basic information about joining without signing onto their email listserv or participating in a sizzle call.

Heck, many of these sites don't even include profiles of people who run the business. So if the only way to get support for your agency is to send an email to an address with no name or employee attached to it, I'd be wary. By and large, they offered a lot of promises without any information to back it up. 

The host agency profiles on HAR's site (and on host's websites) are very clear about this information from accreditation, licensing, technology, IC volume, sales and more. Here are just a few of the other differences between a host agency and a travel MLM.

Travel Advisor Volume

Host agencies will typically have much lower volumes of travel advisors compared to travel MLMs. These days, most MLM income disclosure refer to their member volume.

What we do know is that MLM hybrid InteleTravel reported 90k advisors. With InCruises reporting 31.73% of their members are membership free, we can extrapolate they have ~32,067 members. Most other travel MLM don't disclose their volume.

Host agencies, which do no focus recruitment, have a much lower IC volumes. At the time of writing this, 197 host agencies averaged 387 ICs.

In fact, if you want to become a travel agent with a focus on creating a client base, receiving a constant travel education, building relationships with suppliers, and providing great customer service over recruiting other sellers, I’d steer you (far) away from an MLM and direct you to a host agency.

If you're a travel agent or an aspiring travel agent who wants to earn money planning trips and selling travel, we here at HAR do NOT think a travel MLM is a good option for you. No sirree. Not by a long shot.

The HAR crew has mind-melded on the travel MLM issue. Originally, when this article was first published, we didn't even list MLMs on the site. Since then, we decided it's important to list them because our whole purpose is for travel agents to make informed choices. So here's the drill: if you see an MLM or an MLM hybrid (more on hybrids soon), you'll notice an alert on their profile.

Why do we advise such caution? It's our opinion that MLM travel business models use deceptive advertising, prey on people who are at an economic disadvantage and do not provide adequate support to serious travel agents.

Want to Become a Travel Agent Without Joining a Travel MLM?

If you're interested in becoming a travel agent without falling into the costly trap of a travel MLM, Host Agency Review's 7DS Accelerator course can help you breeze through your travel agency setup process. Whether you want to sell travel part time or build it into a full-fledged dream career, the course ensures that you will align with legitimate host agencies, franchises, or accrediting organizations who are not highly regarded by travel suppliers.

The course gets you off the ground faster so you can start earning commissions faster. That right, earning a solid income from selling travel . . . not recruiting people. Check it out!

Travel MLMs were something of an uncharted territory for me. So when I started by digging into the Google-verse, I was surprised to find how little concrete information was provided about joining a travel MLM organization on their site.

Heck, many of these sites don't even include profiles of people who run the business. So if the only way to get support for your agency is to send an email to an address with no name or employee attached to it, I'd be wary. By and large, they offered a lot of promises without any information to back it up.

Travel MLMs have gotten shiftier. No longer will they make promises of how much income you can earn in a month (because, according to the FTC, they need to be able to provide support of any income claims 6 ). Rather, they make appeals to lifestyle and promises of free or discounted travel. 

Ultimately, I was just really confused. I was left with more questions than answers. Which I interpreted as “proceed with extreme caution" and I hope you will too!

*Editor's Note: This post was updated April 26th to update the infographic. "World Ventures" reorganized and co-branded as "Dream Vacations" in 2022, "with Verona International Holdings as a plan of reorganization sponsor under the bankruptcy code." ( Source )

• Source: PlanNet Marketing Income Disclosure for 2023 (plannetnow.com) ↩
• Source: FTC : ↩

About the Author

Mary Stein has been working as a writer and editor for Host Agency Reviews since 2016. She loves supporting travel advisors on their entrepreneurial journey and is inspired by their passion, tenacity, and creativity. Mary is also a mom, dog lover, fiction writer, hiker, and a Great British Bake Off superfan.

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Want to be an instant travel agent? Beware!

"BE A PART OF AMERICA'S FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRY — Earn thousands of dollars a month — from your home — selling travel!!!!"

You can find ads like that everywhere from the telephone pole on your corner to your grocery store bulletin board to your daily newspaper.

While you may find these ads appealing, especially if you can't work outside your home, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises. As a matter of fact, most don't. And that's especially true in travel.

In the past, the "standard" get-rich-quick schemes involved stuffing envelopes, assembling crafts, or medical billing. But today, it seems that travel opportunities are fast climbing to the top of the list.

Three years ago, I wrote a column on travel scams and "Becoming A Travel Agent" was in the top five. Unfortunately, things have not changed.

Each month, I get 10 or 12 emails inviting me to participate in some new travel scheme. Very few, if any, are legitimate. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.

Some are "travel clubs" where you pay a membership fee for "discounted" travel, but I would like to focus on the new scourge of the industry — the "Business Opportunity."

Most of these "opportunities" are nothing more than Multi Level Marketing (MLM) which, as an industry, has very few success stories. They are reminiscent of Pyramid and Ponzi schemes where only the initial investors will make any substantial money. They claim that you can become a "credentialed" travel agent as soon as the check clears the bank. They promise upgrades, discounted air, free travel, and discounted travel for your friends and family. They claim you will be selling travel and earning a slice of the worldwide $525 billion dollar pie. (World Tourism Organization, 2003)

In reality, most times, you are buying a sub-site on a larger Web site and pressured to recruit more travel agents under you. There is very little travel sold by these "instant" agents. When you go to one of these sites like YTB , the focus is on joining the ranks and reaping the benefits. Notice the small link to actually book travel? These travel requests are not handled by the "agent" but by a call center. So, the consumer is once again duped. You think you're working with an agent or someone you know, but in reality it's a minimally-trained, cubicle-dwelling, order taker in a call center.

On several occasions, on a public travel forum , an advocate of the MLM business has argued the validity of his business. To me, all of the points seemed very Jim Jones-esque. When asked about the professionalism of these so-called agents, the reply was, "Who cares if they are "professionals" — people buy donuts from a donut shop."

On the "credentials," the reply was "Once the Affiliate Travel Agent or Platinum Travel Club Member creates the California minimum of $1,500 in travel sales, that person will receive our own official company issued Travel Seller ID Card that they may present to any travel vendor that will accept it." So, the credential is their own — and not that of professional organizations such as IATA , ARC , OSSN , CLIA , ARTA , or any of the other recognized travel industry associations.

When asked about the benefits of being involved with a MLM scheme, the response was very typical of those that are falling hard for the pitch:

"The best of all! Someone can become a Travel Agent instantly for anywhere from $99 a year to thousands of dollars — just depends — but — indeed, they are instantly a travel agent. No tests — no classes — no internships — nothing but paying a fee. Then they just need to get the word out and start booking travel. In the meantime, while waiting for customers to arrive — they can access Fam Trips and show their ID Card to Disney World and get in free. They can get upgrades at 4 and 5 star hotels by showing their ID card. The wonderful world of travel."

Um, Mr. Jones, can I please have another glass of that purple Kool-Aid? As a legitimate travel agent and a consumer, I am not feeling too comfortable with this philosophy. Are you?

Still not convinced? Take a look at this YouTube production from a pair of YTB travel agents. I am not rushing to the post office to mail them a check!

While travel certainly has some perks, most of them are going the way of the dinosaur. I am sure my pharmacist has some perks, but I don't see any "clubs" or "become a pharmacist" ads. Maybe travel is an easy target. Maybe the MLM outfits feel there are more gullible people that have an interest. Most true professionals are in the business for the love of the business. Ask anyone who has been around for more than a few years.

While these schemes pop up all the time and disappear as quickly as they appear, two of the biggest current offenders are YTB (Your Travel Biz) and World Ventures. Apparently, there is another "club" with an "insta-agent" option launching in October called eTrips Network.

All profess to offer wonderful discounts and perks that, in most instances, will never materialize. In addition they claim to provide "identification" cards that will reap steep discounts on personal travel. I have yet to speak with someone that can convincingly verify any of their claims. As my mother has always said, "If it's too good to be true, it probably is." For more enlightenment, visit the Web site scam.com and do a search for "travel opportunities."

That is not to say that one can't earn a living selling travel from home. There are thousands out there that do it every single day. With the growth of online sales and the reduction in brick-and-mortar storefronts, many of these displaced agents have gone home. You can, too.

There are many legitimate "hosts" that will facilitate this and work with you to achieve your goals. They will not fill you with false promises and inflated numbers. They are interested in selling travel. They work with the suppliers to build their collective businesses and relationships. Yes, they take some money from you, but you need to review the programs and decide what is best for you.

Some of the reputable host agencies are America's Vacations Center , Magellan 360 , Cruise Planners , Nexion , GTM Travel Group and Travel Planners International . But realistically, if you want to make any money in any industry, you must be willing to work at it. Period. If you want a good list of reputable companies to begin a career in travel, check out the list maintained by the industry trade publication Travel Trade .

12 Questions to ask before joining up for any travel opportunity:

• What is the initial fee?
• What is my bottom-line monthly cost?
• How often will I be paid?
• What percentage of my sales do you retain?
• How long have you been a host agency?
• Can you give me five members to contact for a reference?
• What professional affiliations do you hold as a host?
• What training do you offer? In house? Online? Phone? Mail?
• How long is the contract?
• Do I actually sell travel?
• Do I need my own insurance or am I covered under yours?
• Will you put these claims in writing?

No. 12 is the most important one.

You also might want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state attorney general and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live. These organizations can tell you whether they have received complaints about the work-at-home program that interests you.

But be wary: the absence of complaints doesn't necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection. I know of one company that was a refrigeration company before becoming a travel company.

And to the naysayers out there, I challenge you. If you can prove the claims of the riches promised, I will publicly eat crow in a future column. Just e-mail me some redacted documents — bank statements, monthly commission checks, etc. Go on, I dare you. I double-dog dare you! The ball is in your court.

But until then, my advice to the consumer and someone looking to get into this business can be summed up in one word: BEWARE!

John Frenaye is the president of JVE Group, Inc., a diversified company based in Annapolis, Md. With nearly ten years as a senior executive in the retail travel industry and a background in business management, he writes about the travel industry as an insider with an outsider's perspective. or visit his . Want to sound off about one of his columns? Try visiting

MLM Travel Companies: Unveiling Top Picks and Their Operations

Multi-level marketing (MLM) travel companies are businesses that operate within the travel industry using a specific marketing and distribution model.

These companies rely on individual representatives, or travel agents, to sell travel packages, accommodations, and other related services directly to consumers.

MLM travel companies offer their agents the opportunity to earn commissions not only on their own sales, but also on the sales made by the representatives they recruit into the organization, creating a multi-tiered structure of income potential.

In this article, we will look at every aspect of the world of MLM travel companies. Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Key takeaways.

• MLM travel companies rely on individual representatives to sell travel packages and services directly to consumers
• These companies offer training, exclusive travel discounts, and incentives for reaching sales milestones.
• Success in MLM travel companies requires dedication, network-building, and a passion for travel

What Are MLM Travel Companies?

Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) is a business model where companies sell their products or services through person-to-person sales.

As an independent distributor, you are selling directly to other people, which may be done through various channels, such as from your home, a customer’s home, or online.

The structure of the compensation plan in MLMs allows you to earn income not only from your own sales but also from the sales of those you recruit into the business, creating a network or downline of distributors.

Travel Industry and MLM

In the context of the travel industry, MLM companies operate by offering travel-related products and services, such as booking accommodations, flights, cruises, or vacation packages.

As a distributor for an MLM travel company, your primary responsibility is to promote and sell these travel services to your network and recruit new members to join the business.

By building a downline of other distributors and customers, you can earn commissions on their sales and bookings, in addition to your own.

As you explore opportunities in the MLM travel industry, it’s important to carefully evaluate each company and choose one with a solid reputation, competitive pricing, and sufficient support for their distributors.

Some of the best MLM travel companies have a track record of success, offer extensive training resources, and provide access to exclusive travel discounts and benefits for their members.

How MLM Travel Companies Work

Let’s take a closer look at the recruitment process, commission structure, and travel rewards system.

Recruitment Process

In MLM travel companies, you join as an independent distributor, participant, or contractor. Your primary task is to recruit new members into the network. The more people you recruit, the more your network, or “downline,” grows.

It’s essential to understand that your success in an MLM travel company depends on your ability to build and manage your downline effectively.

Commission Structure

The commission structure in MLM travel companies is typically based on two ways of earning money:

• Direct sales : You can earn commissions by selling travel products or services directly to retail customers who are not involved in the MLM. This can include selling travel packages, memberships, or discounts.
• Recruitment commissions : You can also earn money by recruiting new distributors and receiving commissions based on their purchases and sales to retail customers. This means that as your downline grows, your potential for earning commissions increases, based on your recruits’ performance.

Remember that the actual commission rates and payment structure may vary from one MLM travel company to another.

Travel Discounts and Rewards

As a participant in an MLM travel company, you may have access to special discounts and rewards on travel service s like flights, hotels, and vacations. These discounts can be used for personal travel or can be offered to customers through your booking portal.

Additionally, some MLM travel companies offer incentives for reaching specific recruitment or sales milestones , such as free trips, upgraded memberships, or bonuses. These benefits and rewards are designed to motivate and reward distributors for their hard work and dedication to the MLM travel company.

Remember to thoroughly research prospective MLM travel companies to ensure they are reputable and well-established before joining. It’s essential to understand the ins and outs of the business model and weigh any potential benefits against the potential risks and downsides.

Best MLM Travel Companies

Among the best network marketing companies in the world , what are the top MLM travel companies?

These companies have established reputations in the industry and offer various opportunities for people looking to join travel-related MLMs.

Here are our picks.

InteleTravel

InteleTravel has been in the business for over 25 years, making it one of the more experienced and established travel MLM companies.

As an InteleTravel agent, your main responsibility is to promote and sell travel packages, which can range from cruises to all-inclusive vacations.

InteleTravel also offers an extensive training program for its agents, which covers topics such as marketing, product knowledge, and customer satisfaction. This training can be valuable in helping you establish a successful MLM career with them.

Here you can find their website .

PlanNet Marketing

PlanNet Marketing is an MLM company that partners with InteleTravel. Their primary focus is to recruit new representatives and help them build teams of travel agents.

As a PlanNet Marketing representative, your earnings are based on a commission structure that rewards both personal sales and team sales. By combining your efforts with InteleTravel, you can create a varied income stream from selling travel packages and building your team of agents.

Evolution Travel

Evolution Travel is another option for those looking to join the travel MLM industry. Their main product is the membership, and to become a travel agent, one must purchase a Professional Travel Agent (PTA) package.

The upfront cost is $30, with a retail price of $299. As an Evolution Travel agent, you can earn rewards and commissions, gain access to training materials, and enjoy discounted travel opportunities for yourself.

WorldVentures (closed)

WorldVentures was a well-known travel-based MLM company. Founded in 2005 by Wayne Nugent and Mike Aczue, it has a strong focus on travelers in Southeast Asia, collaborating with a variety of hotels and homesteads that may not be found on mainstream sites.

The company has been closed and the business will probably not be continued in the future.

As a WorldVentures representative, you had the opportunity to sell travel packages, earn bonuses, and even enjoy discounted trips for yourself.

NOTE – Keep in mind that, as with any MLM opportunity, it’s crucial to research the company, understand their compensation plan, and evaluate the potential for success before making a decision to join. This will help you make an informed decision and set yourself up for the best possible experience in the MLM travel industry.

Pros and Cons of Joining MLM Travel Companies

Let’s now delve into the advantages and disadvantages of these companies with reference to earnings, work flexibility, and challenges to overcome in the MLM world.

Potential Earnings

Joining an MLM travel company can offer you an opportunity to earn potential income by selling travel-related products and services.

Your earnings directly depend on your performance in selling, as well as your ability to recruit and manage a team of other sellers. However, this potential income may not be substantial, as most MLM participants struggle to make a significant profit.

Flexibility and Entrepreneurship

One of the advantages of joining an MLM travel company is the flexibility it offers. You can work when you want, where you want.

This allows you to maintain a work-life balance and take charge of your schedule. Moreover, you have the chance to explore your entrepreneurial spirit by building your own network of travel sellers and guiding them toward success.

Challenges and Controversies

There are numerous challenges and controversies associated with MLM travel companies. Joining an MLM may seem like an attractive way to make money while traveling, but it’s essential to be aware of the potential downsides:

• Lack of Support and Resources : Unlike traditional travel agencies, MLMs often focus on gaining members rather than providing you with the necessary support and resources to sell travel effectively.
• Reputation in the Travel Industry : Many travel professionals do not view MLMs positively, which may hinder your success in establishing credibility and building a strong network.
• Expenses : To succeed in an MLM, you may need to spend money on various costs such as meals, fuel, hotel accommodations, and more. These costs can add up and negatively impact your earnings.
• Difficulty in Sales : Achieving consistent sales success in an MLM can be challenging, especially with travel products, as the emphasis is often on recruitment rather than product quality or value.

Keep these pros and cons in mind when considering joining an MLM travel company, and always conduct thorough research before making a decision.

Alternatives to MLM Travel Companies

So? What are the alternatives for earning in the travel industry for those who do not trust network marketing?

1. Traditional Travel Agencies

Traditional travel agencies still play an important role in the travel industry. Unlike MLM travel companies, they don’t require you to recruit others or sell products to friends and family.

As a travel agent in a traditional agency, you can use your knowledge and skills to help clients plan their perfect trips, providing personalized recommendations and handling all the travel arrangements.

You’ll earn a commission from travel suppliers based on the bookings you make, and your success will depend on your customer service skills and ability to build a loyal client base.

2. Online Travel Platforms

Online travel platforms can be a convenient option for those who prefer to manage their own travel bookings, while still offering a commission-based opportunity for those looking to work in the travel industry.

Websites like Expedia, Booking.com, and Airbnb provide complete control over searching, comparing, and booking flights, accommodations, car rentals, and experiences.

As an affiliate partner of online travel platforms, you can earn commissions for driving traffic and sales to their website. This can be done through blogging, social media, or creating your own travel booking site that leverages their technology.

Becoming an affiliate partner of online travel platforms typically doesn’t require any upfront investment or the need to join a complex network of recruiters and downlines.

You can focus on promoting travel bookings and engaging with your audience, without the pitfalls of MLM business models.

In understanding MLM travel companies, it’s crucial to know what they are and how they function. These companies use a multi-level marketing model to offer you travel-related products and services while providing an opportunity to earn income.

By becoming a part of their network, you can generate revenue through commissions, bonuses, and incentives based on your sales and the sales of those you recruit underneath you.

When choosing the best MLM travel company for you, it’s essential to research their credibility and track record.

Companies like iBuumerang and XStream Travel are other examples of reputable businesses that have generated interest in the MLM travel industry. However, keep in mind that not all MLM travel companies are equal, and there may be mixed success stories across the board.

As you consider joining an MLM travel company, be aware of the potential risks and challenges you might face, such as unrealistic income expectations or the possibility of joining an illegal pyramid scheme .

What are the top MLM travel companies?

There are several MLM travel companies out there, and it’s essential to choose the right one for you. Some of the top MLM travel companies include Evolution Travel, InteleTravel, and PlanNet Marketing. Research their history, success rate, and the income potential they offer before deciding which one suits your needs best.

How do MLM travel companies operate?

MLM travel companies work by recruiting independent distributors or agents who earn commissions on travel bookings and product sales. In addition to earning from their sales, agents can also receive compensation from the sales and recruitment of their downline. This multi-level structure is what allows for potential income growth as your network expands. Remember to evaluate the company’s business model and compensation plan thoroughly.

Can you do business with non-MLM travel agencies?

Yes, you can do business with many non-MLM travel agencies in the industry. These agencies typically focus on providing curated travel experiences and personalized services to clients, without the need for a network of independent distributors. If you prefer dealing with customers directly and have a passion for travel planning, working for a traditional travel agency might be a better fit for you.

What is the income potential for MLM travel agents?

The income potential for MLM travel agents varies greatly depending on the company, compensation plan, and the individual’s efforts in both sales and recruitment. It is essential to manage your expectations when joining an MLM travel company and remember that success often requires hard work and dedication. While some agents might earn a substantial income, others may find it challenging to make a profit.

Are MLM travel companies successful?

Success rates among MLM travel companies can vary, with some seeing significant growth and others struggling to maintain momentum. As an individual looking to join an MLM travel company, it’s crucial to research each company’s history and reputation thoroughly.

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iBuumerang Review: Legit MLM Opportunity or Just a Travel-Based Pyramid Scheme?

• November 3, 2020
• MLM (Multi-Level Marketing)
• 16 Comments

Let me guess…

Very recently, you got pitched with iBuumerang’s MLM business opportunity.

Frankly, the whole concept sounded rather interesting.

However, before blindly jumping in, you’d like to figure out more about the company’s legitimacy, background, owner, compensation plan, etc.

If I guessed correctly, then you’re definitely in the right place.

iBuumerang is an MLM company that was launched in 2019 by Holton Buggs and operates within the travel industry. The company’s business opportunity revolves around earning commissions by promoting travel discounts and is not a pyramid scheme although it displays a few characteristics of one.

In this iBuumerang Review , I’m going to share with you all the information you might possibly need to fully understand whether iBuumerang’s MLM opportunity is really worth the investment of your time, energy, and money or not.

Let’s get started!

iBuumerang Overview

Increase your chances of reaching success in multi-level marketing by following a dedicated MLM course .

What is iBuumerang All About?

iBuumerang is a newly-founded MLM company that operates within the travel industry.

The company was first launched in March 2019 by Holton Buggs and is based in Houston, Texas.

Holton is considered a very successful network marketer, with 25+ years of experience in the direct sales and network marketing business models.

According to iBuumerang’s website, over the last 10 years, Holton has

• built a network of over 3 million distributors
• generated over $3 billion in sales
• mentored over 45 millionaires 

It is said that Holton had his first contact with network marketing at the age of 14 when he started buying candy in bulk and then recruited other kids to sell it for him so that he wouldn’t have to do all the work by himself.

Nonetheless, Holton didn’t really join an MLM company until the age of 30, after the very first business he had launched back in 1996 that revolved around selling furniture tanked.

However, the vast majority of MLMs Holton became involved with turned out to be pyramid schemes (more on that later on).

Holton eventually decided to launch his very own MLM company, and that’s how iBuumerang came about.

The rest of iBuumerang’s leadership team is comprised as follows:

• David Manning – CEO and President at Xstream Travel
• Terrence Gray  – VP of Business Development
• Mark Kithcart – VP of Marketing
• Peter Hirsch – Chief Giving Officer of the Büüm Foundation
• Edwin Haynes – Global Master Ambassador
• Lori Speers – Director of Travel Services

How Does iBuumerang Work?

iBuumerang is a service-based MLM that offers massive (up to 70%) discounts on travel services such as hotel bookings, flights, car rentals, and group cruises that are booked through a travel booking platform called “ iGo “ .

iGo is owned by a 3rd-party travel agency called “Xstream Travel”,  and according to iBuumerang, it offers much higher discounts than any regular booking platform such as booking.com and TripAdvisor.

Some of the travel agencies iBuumerang and Xstream Travel are currently cooperating with include:

• Carnival Cruise Lines
• Funjet Vacations
• GOGO Vacations
• Trafalgar Tours
• Royal Caribbean

…until you’ve taken a good look at these shocking MLM statistics .

How to Make Money With iBuumerang

iBuumerang’s MLM business opportunity revolves around earning commissions for getting other people to use iGo to book travel services at discounted prices, by handing them out “buumerangs” .

A buumerang is basically a login portal that can be used to access iGo.

Buumerangs are free to give out. 

Every time someone uses a buumerang you gave them to access iGo and book a hotel, flight, car, etc through the platform, you’ll pocket a percentage of the total amount of money on the discount they got.

Let me demonstrate an example…

Let’s assume that you have joined iBuumerang as a TSA (Travel Savings Ambassador).

Your best friend is about to book a hotel for her upcoming 5-day vacation in Barcelona through booking.com for $700.

However, once you hand her over a buumerang, she accesses iGo and books that same room, in that same hotel, for those same 5 days but with a 50% discount.

That $350 she managed to save off of her hotel booking after using your buumerang lands right into your pocket.

The maximum number of buumerangs a TSA is able to hand out depends on the enrollment kit they purchase.

• Standby Affiliate: up to 5 buumerangs
• Coach Class: up to 10 buumerangs
• Business Class: up to 25 buumerangs
• First Class: up to 50 buumerangs

If you run out of buumerangs you can purchase more through your personal TSA back office.

If all this sounds somewhat complicated to you right now, worry not.

Upon joining iBuumerang you’ll get your hands on a lot of training videos that’ll help you get a more solid grasp of the entire process.

iBuumerang Compensation Plan

Handing out buumerangs is just the tip of the iceberg regarding earning money with iBuumerang.

As a matter of fact, iBuumerang compensates its TSAs in 6 different ways…

• Referred Travel Bonus
• Travel Savings Bonus
• Fast Start Bonus
• Dual Team Bonus
• Unilevel Commissions
• Leadership Development Bonus

1 • Referred Travel Bonus

Earn a 25% commission when you refer a group or organization that is looking to book a

• block of hotel rooms
• destination wedding
• group cruise 
• a conference

to Xstream Travel (the travel agency behind iBuumerang and iGo).

In order to receive credit for referring the group to Xstream Travel, you’ll have to send an email to [email protected] with the following information:

• Your name and Distributor ID
• Your email address and phone number
• The customer’s name and contact information (email address and phone number)
• Details about the trip

Xstream Travel will then pay you 25% of the total money paid by the group within 60 to 90 days.

2 • Travel Savings Bonus

The Travel Saving Bonus pays you a percentage of the total discount a person received on the travel services they booked through iGo after using your buumerang.

The actual percentage of the commissions you’ll get paid by The Travel Saving Bonus could range from 50% to 100% depending on the enrollment kit you purchased during your signup as a TSA.

• Standby Affiliate: Not eligible for the Travel Saving Bonus
• Coach Class: Receive 50% of the total money your referrals saved on hotels, rental cars & cruises
• Business Class: Receive 100% of the total money your referrals saved on hotels, rental cars & cruises
• First Class: Receive 100% of the total money your referrals saved on all eligible travel services & activities

3 • Fast Start Bonus

Receive a fixed commission based on the enrollment kit your personal recruited TSAs purchase upon their signup to iBuumerang.

• Standby Affiliate: No commission
• Coach Class: $20 commission
• Business Class: $40 commission
• First Class: $80 commission

4 • Dual Team Bonus

The Dual Team Bonus is paid weekly based on the CV (Commission Volume) generated by the TSAs in your downline through a binary compensation structure …

A binary structure places you at the top of your team with one team on your left (left leg) and one team on your right (right leg).

Each leg can consist of an unlimited amount of TSAs recruited either by you or by other TSAs in your downline.

The leg that generates the higher CV is considered your power leg and the leg that generates the smaller CV is considered your weak leg .

This Dual Team Bonus pays you 10% to 20% of the total CV of your weaker leg depending on the iBuumerang rank you’ve reached (see below).

• Up to $1000 per week
• 10% of your weaker leg’s CV
• Up to $1500 per week
• 12% of your weaker leg’s CV

Executive:  

• Up to $2000 per week

Senior Executive:  

• Up to $2500 per week

Sapphire : 

• Up to $3000 per week
• 15% of your weaker leg’s CV
• Up to $5000 per week
• 16% of your weaker leg’s CV
• Up to $10.000 per week
• 17% of your weaker leg’s CV
• Up to $20.000 per week
• 18% of your weaker leg’s CV

Blue Diamond:  

• Up to $30.000 per week
• 19% of your weaker leg’s CV

Black Diamond:

• Up to $50.000 per week
• 20% of your weaker leg’s CV

Presidential Diamond:  

• Up to $100.000 per week

Crown Diamond:  

• Up to $150.000 per week

Double Crown Diamond:  

• Up to $200.000 per week

Triple Crown Diamond:  

• Up to $250.000 per week

Please note that in order to become eligible for the Dual Team Bonus you need to meet all the following requirements:

• Personally recruit two TSAs and place one on your left leg and one on your right leg
• Both of those TSAs need to be active
• Have at least 500CV on your week leg

5 • Unilevel Commissions

iBuumerang’s Unilevel Commissions pay you a percentage of the GV (Group Volume) generated by TSAs up to 7 Levels deep in your downline.

• 1st Level = the TSAs you have personally recruited
• 2nd Level = the TSAs your 1st Level TSAs have recruited
• 3rd Level = the TSAs your 2nd Level TSAs have recruited

The higher your iBuumerang rank the more levels of TSAs you can earn Unilevel Commissions from (see below).

• 10% of GV on Level 1

Director:   

• 10% of GV on Levels 1 & 2

Executive & Senior Executive:  

• 10% of GV on Levels 1, 2, &3

Sapphire:  

• 8% of GV on Level 4
• 7% of GV on Level 5
• 6% of GV on Level 6

Diamond and higher:  

• 5% of GV on Level 7

6 • Leadership Development Bonus

The Leadership Development Bonus rewards you based on the total GV generated by up to 4 Generations of TSAs within your downline.

One generation encompasses all the TSAs that exist between two TSAs who have both achieved the Sapphire rank or above.

The higher your iBuumerang rank, the more generations you can earn the Leadership Development Bonus from (see below).

• 2% of all the volume generated within the 1st Generation
• 3% of all the volume generated within the 1st and 2nd Generations
• 4% of all the volume generated within the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Generations
• 5% of all the volume generated within the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th Generations

iBuumerang hasn’t published an official PDF document of their full compensation plan yet.

Two days ago, I contacted their support team asking for a copy but they haven’t replied back to me just yet.

*Update: More than a year has passed and they still haven’t gotten back to me.

Nonetheless, the YouTube video right below sums up iBuumerang’s compensation plan pretty neatly so make sure to give it a watch before moving any further.

Please keep in mind that the video is kinda positively biased towards iBuumerang as the guy who has created it is actually a TSA who promotes iBuumerang’s business opportunity.

iBuumerang Ranks

Standby Affiliate:

• Sign up with the Standby enrollment kit
• Sign up with the Coach, Business, or First Class enrollment kit
• Generate 2500+ PV/GV per month
• No more than 50% of your GV can come from one leg
• Have at least 5 active buumerang customers
• Generate 5000+ PV/GV per month 

Senior Executive:

• Generate 10.000+ PV/GV per month 
• Generate 15.000+ GV per month or have 100+ TSAs in your downline
• No more than 40% of your GV or TSAs can come from just one leg
• Have at least 10 active buumerang customers
• Generate 40.000+ GV per month or have 200+ TSAs in your downline
• Generate 80.000+ GV per month or have 400+ TSAs in your downline
• Generate 200.000+ GV per month or have 1000+ TSAs in your downline
• Have at least 20 active buumerang customers
• Generate 500.000+ GV per month or have 2500+ TSAs in your downline
• No more than 30% of your GV or TSAs can come from just one leg

Black Diamond:  

• Generate 1.000.000+ GV per month or have 5000+ TSAs in your downline
• Generate 2.000.000+ GV per month or have 10.000+ TSAs in your downline
• Generate 5.000.000+ GV per month or have 25.000+ TSAs in your downline
• No more than 20% of your GV or TSAs can come from just one leg

Double Crown Diamond:

• Generate 7.000.000+ GV per month or have 35.000+ TSAs in your downline
• Generate 10.000.000+ GV per month or have 50.000+ TSAs in your downline

Active buumerang customer: A person who has booked travel using your buumerang during the last 30 days

PV (Personal Volume): Volume generated by travel-related sales (Travel Savings + Group Referrals to Xstream Travel)

GV (Group Volume): Volume generated by travel-related sales plus signup and membership fees paid by other TSAs in your downline

How to Join iBuumerang?

Joining iBuumerang as a TSA is pretty simple and straightforward…

All you have to do is follow the few steps right below:

• Hit “Join Now” on the top right corner of iBuumerang’s website
• Fill in your Sponsor’s first and last name or username
• Fill the signup form with the requested information (country, name, email, and telephone number)
• Click on “Start Your Enrollment”
• Fill in the 7-digit confirmation code you’ll receive on your mobile phone and hit the “Submit” button
• Select the enrollment kit you’d like to purchase and click “Add Pack”
• If you don’t want to purchase an enrollment kit, scroll down at the bottom of the page and click on “No thank you I will just stay with the Standby Pack for now.”
• Fill in your payment information and click “Continue”
• Agree to iBuumerang’s Terms & Conditions and Policies & Procedures
• Click “Checkout”

Congrats, you’ve become a TSA for iBuumerang. 

How Much Does It Cost to Join iBuumerang?

In order to join iBuumerang as a TSA, you’ll have to purchase the Standby enrollment kit for $49.95/month .

The Standby enrollment kit grants you access to:

• 1 iBuumerang replicated website
• 5 buumerangs
• 25% Xstream Travel referral commissions
• iDecide interactive presentation
• Access to a personal TSA back office

However, on top of the Standby enrollment kit, iBuumerang enables you to optionally purchase one of the three enrollment kits right below:

• Coach Class: $250 one-time fee + $49.95/month
• Business Class: $500 one-time fee + $99.95/month
• First Class: $750 one-time fee + $99.95/month

Purchasing any of those enrollment kits unlocks several additional benefits, such as:

• Personal access to iGo 
• Higher commission rates
• More buumerangs
• Commission Volume (CV)

For instance, Coach Class TSAs receive a 50% Travel Saving Bonus only on hotel, flight, and rental car bookings while First Class TSAs receive a 100% Travel Saving Bonus on the bookings of all travel services and activities.

In addition, Coach Class TSAs start with 10 buumerangs while First Class TSAs with 50.

If you’d like to qualify for the Travel Savings Bonus, you’ll have to purchase the Coach, Business, or First Class enrollment kit.

Is iBuumerang a Pyramid Scheme?

Sometimes, distinguishing between a legit MLM company and a pyramid scheme could be quite tricky.

The video right below will help you understand how to spot and avoid pyramid schemes, so I strongly suggest that you give it a watch.

The main difference between a legit MLM and a pyramid scheme is that your income potential with a legit MLM is mostly based on selling the company’s actual products or services to retail customers while your income potential with a pyramid scheme is mostly or solely based on recruiting other people into the scheme.

Not all MLMs are legitimate. If the money you make through an MLM is based on your sales to the public, it may be a legitimate one. If the money you make is based on the number of people you recruit and your sales to them, it’s not legit. It’s a pyramid scheme. Pyramid schemes are illegal, and the vast majority of their participants lose money. – Federal Trade Commission

Since iBuumerang pays its TSAs commissions for handing out buumerangs and referring customers to Xstream Travel, technically, it cannot be considered a pyramid scheme.

On the other hand, the company definitely displays some pyramid-like characteristics.

First of all, its compensation plan is mostly recruit-oriented…

The Fast Start Bonus, Unilevel Commissions, and Leadership Development Bonus are all calculated based on the enrollment kit purchases and recurring fees of other TSAs in your downline.

In addition, the main requirement for climbing ranks within iBuumerang is a larger team of recruits.

For example, in order to reach the rank of Triple Crown Diamond which is iBuumerang’s highest rank, you’ll need to have 50.000+ TSAs in your downline but ONLY 20 active buumerang customers.

Both of those instances are usually encountered in pyramid schemes or recruitment-based MLMs.

Lastly, iBuumerang encourages newly recruited TSAs to invest money in its most expensive enrollment kits by offering extra benefits, higher commissions, more buumerangs & CV, etc.

This is called  “pay-to-play”  and according to the  FTC , it’s one of the 5 Red Flags of Pyramid Schemes, or Recruiting MLM’s.

Incentivized (or “pay to play”) purchases is the practice of tying purchases of products from an MLM company as a requirement to enter the “business opportunity” or advance in the hierarchy of “distributors” who are in effect merely participants making pyramid scheme investments disguised (or laundered) as purchases.

Now, I’m not claiming that iBuumerang is a pyramid scheme… Frankly, the company seems more like a recruitment-oriented MLM.

Nonetheless, if I were you, I’d proceed with extreme caution.

iBuumerang Pros

• Exponential Growth
• Guaranteed Lowest Price
• Training & Tools
• Free Replicated Website

1 • Exponential Growth

iBuumerang seems to be experiencing some exponential growth since the very first day it got launched, whereas thousands of people joined the company as TSAs.

Furthermore, iBuumerang made $20 million in sales within its first 6 months in business.

In addition, during 2019, iBuumerang paid over $10 million in commissions to its TSAs.

Those are some outstanding numbers…

2 • NO Selling

What separates iBuumerang from every other MLM out there is that its business opportunity involves NO selling whatsoever.

Instead of getting people to spend money on a product or service, iBuumerang’s TSAs earn their commissions by helping people get massive discounts on travel-related services that they would eventually purchase anyway.

Travel is a $9 trillion-dollar industry… Virtually every single working person spends at least a couple of thousands of dollars on vacation per year.

Chances are that most people aren’t going to pass up an opportunity to keep a large chunk of that money in their pockets.

That’s why iBuumerang’s opportunity might be perfect for those who hate or suck at selling (like me).

3 • Guaranteed Lowest Price

iBuumerang offers a “110% Lowest Price Guarantee” on all hotels, rental cars, and weekly stays you or your customers book through iGo.

For example, if someone books a hotel room for $1000 through iGo, and then they find out that they could have booked this exact same hotel room for $800 through TripAdvisor, iBuumerang is going to refund them with 110% of the difference between iGo’s and TripAdvisor’s price [($1000 – $800) * 110% = $220 refund].

This basically means that if anyone books their travel with iGo, they’re guaranteed to pay the least possible money even if iGo’s prices aren’t the lowest out there.

4 • Training & Tools

Most MLMs offer very limited or no sales and recruitment training.

However, upon joining iBuumerang you’ll be able to access a lot of training modules within your personal back office.

In addition, iBuumerang’s support center consists of several more video tutorials and how-to guides that revolve around several subjects, such as:

• Setting up payments
• Accessing your personal back office
• Sending out buumerangs
• Marketing your business
• Commissions & Compensation Plan

Furthermore, YouTube is swarming with tutorials on how to effectively hand out your buumerangs, how to recruit more TSAs, how to shape your teams and downlines, etc, etc.

Lastly, as a TSA for iBuumerang, you’ll get your hands on  “iDecide” .

iDecide is a professionally-made interactive business presentation platform that you could leverage to present iBuumerang’s business opportunity to potential recruits.

This will allow you to maximize your recruits in a much simpler and painless manner…

According to iBuumerang, iDecide’s presentation has a pretty high conversion rate.

5 • Free Replicated Website

Upon joining iBuumerang as a TSA, the company provides you with a free replicated iBuumerang website.

When people sign up as TSAs through your replicated website you’ll automatically become their sponsor, and they’ll become part of your downline.

If marketed the right way, this replicated website could help you maximize your recruits and thus your income.

iBuumerang Cons

• Expensive Signup Packs
• No Income Disclosure
• Founder's Sketchy Past
• Negative Feedback

1 • Expensive Enrollment Kits

Excluding the Standby enrollment kit that costs $49.95/month, the rest of iBuumerang’s enrollment kits are rather expensive…

The Coach Class kit costs a $250 initial fee plus $49.95/month…

The Business Class kit costs a $500 initial fee plus $99.95/month…

And the First Class kit costs a $750 initial fee plus $99.95/month…

Now, in order to join iBuumerang as a TSA, you technically won’t be forced to purchase any kit besides the Standby.

However, the problem here is that Standby TSAs seem to be eligible only for the Referred Travel Bonus and NOT for the

• Travel Savings Bonuses
• Fast Start Bonuses
• Dual Team Commissions
• and Leadership Development Bonus

That being said, if you really want to make money as iBuumerang’s TSA you’ll inevitably have to invest in one of its most expensive kits.

2 • No Income Disclosure Statement

While US-based MLM companies aren’t really obligated to publish an Income Disclosure Statement, many major MLMs publish one anyway for the sake of transparency and trustworthiness.

Having said that, iBuumerang’s IDS which should have been published in early 2020, is still on hold.

This could be the case because iBuumerang has been operating for less than 2 years and might lack the required statistical data to put together an accurate and reliable IDS.

I guess that we’ll have to wait and see until 2021.

3 • Founder's Sketchy Past

Over the years, iBuumerang’s founder, Holton Buggs, has been involved in a number of sketchy schemes and shady situations…

As mentioned at the beginning of this iBuumerang review, the vast majority of MLMs Holton had joined until he founded iBuumerang turned out to be pyramid schemes.

The first one was a nutritional-based pyramid scheme called “CyberWize” .

After leaving CyberWize, Holton joined YTB International , a travel-based MLM company that got sued for $25 million by California Attorney General Jerry Brown for using deceptive marketing practices and operating as a pyramid scheme.

In 2013, YTB filed for bankruptcy, got sold to Jamraval, Inc., and was rebranded as “YTB Global Travel” .

After leaving YTB International, Holton joined a coffee-based MLM called “Organo Gold” whereas he was eventually promoted CVO (Chief Visionary Officer).

Fast forward a few years, around 2018, Holton got hired as the executive advisor of a cryptocurrency MLM called “IQ Chain” . 

A while later, in 2019, IQ Chain got exposed as a Ponzi scheme.

At that same time, Organo Gold and Holton were also being accused of: 

• misappropriation of trade secrets
• tortious interference with contracts
• breaches of fiduciary duty
• unjust enrichment
• and fraudulent transfer

of another MLM company AmeriSciences.

A couple of months before iBuumerang was launched, Holton and Organo Gold were both found guilty and were held jointly liable to pay a $4 million fine.

To make matters even worse, the history of Xstream Travel’s CEO, David Manning, is also quite discouraging…

Manning has been involved with dozens of other travel-based MLMs such as:

• Traverus Travel
• Yes Travelers
• Travel Works

One common thing that all those companies used to share besides being owned and/or run by David Manning is that they all failed miserably!

Furthermore, Paycation and Traverus Travel were posing as standalone travel agencies when in fact they were just affiliates of priceline.com

Becoming an affiliate for priceline.com was free and yet in order to join Paycation and Traverus Travel, you had to pay signup and membership fees.

David had basically taken an affiliate program of a third-party company that was free to join, created an MLM company of his own around it, and charged people to use it.

That’s sneaky.

Nonetheless, this is exactly how iBuumerang came to be – Holton took Xstream Travel’s affiliate program and booking platform and created an MLM around them.

Frankly, iBuumerang is nothing more than Xstream Travel with a slightly different compensation plan.

4 • Negative Feedback

Over the one and a half years of its existence, iBuumerang has received quite a lot of negative feedback online.

First and foremost, BBB (Better Business Bureau) has rated iBuumerang with a D+, which is a rather awful rating.

Furthermore, iBuumerang has received over a dozen complaints under its BBB profile.

To be fair, most of those complaints revolve around false charges and refunds.

Lastly, this Reddit thread called “ Escaped iBuumerang “, contains a handful of stories of former TSAs who left iBuumerang after having a pretty negative experience with the company.

Make sure to give it a read.

iBuumerang MLM Review Summary

Income potential.

Unknown income potential as there’s no Income Disclosure available.

Free replicated website, training modules, knowledge base, iDecide business presentation.

One-time payment of $250 – $750 plus $49.95 – $99.95 per month.

iBuumerang is not a pyramid scheme but its comp plan displays some pyramid-like characteristics.

Overall Rating

Is ibuumerang suggested.

Frankly, iBuumerang doesn’t seem half bad…

On the contrary, it might be one of the most promising MLM companies I have reviewed until now.

Holton might have been involved in a bunch of shady schemes in the not so distant past but nonetheless, the guy is amazingly resilient, hard-working, and talented, all of which are admirable qualities.

iBuumerang’s Travel Savings Bonus whereas you basically get paid when you help other people receive massive discounts on their travel bookings is an extremely unique and interesting concept.

Unfortunately, if you’re after building a sizeable income with iBuumerang, the majority of your efforts should be focused on recruiting a team of TSAs.

This means that despite the fact that iBuumerang’s main service basically sells itself, you’ll still have to invest tons of time, effort, and possibly money in selling its MLM business opportunity.

Thankfully, ibuumerang’s iDecide interactive business presentation is definitely going to make your recruiting efforts much easier and painless.

Having said all that, joining iBuumerang as a TSA is indeed suggested.

However, there are certain kinds of people who’ll probably be able to make the most out of such an opportunity, such as:

• Travel bloggers/vloggers
• Travel agency owners
• Experienced salespeople
• Outgoing people with large social circles
• Digital nomads
• Those with network marketing experience

If you can’t identify with anything mentioned right above, you might wanna take a look at something else .

Have any comments or questions?

Please leave a comment right below or contact me at  [email protected]

I’ll be more than happy to help you out!

Best wishes,

Harry dearboss-iquit.com

Written by:

Harry Niotis

Harry is the founder and creative director of Dear Boss I Quit . His mission is to inspire and help as many people as possible escape the 9-5 grind forever by building a passive income online just like he accomplished a few years back.

You can read more about Harry’s story right here .

16 Responses

Thank you for this! It took some digging to finally find this post – I was searching for something related to iGo as someone I know was like’ hey sign up for this and save money on your travel’ – failing to disclose they would earn a percentage when I did.

I’ve done Amway, so I get the MLM aspect of it, and this person wasn’t ‘literally’ trying to recruit me to be ‘under’ them, but that’s what it would end up being.

I KNEW something was up – I just didn’t know what.

Thanks for your time and effort in this article.

Hello Elle, I’m so happy that my article helped you gain a clearer picture of iBuumerang!

All the best,

You’ve done a very fair and just review here and I really appreciate that. Like a few others, I’m simmering on the Ibuumerang opportunity for most of the reasons you’ve outlined here. If it’s as good as it claims, it’ll still be as attractive in a few weeks or months. Thank you for the details.

Thank you for your kind words, Anna!

I am so glad that you found my iBuumerang review helpful 🙂

My best regards,

This is such a thorough and insightful post which definitely has your audience’s best interest in mind.

Scams are ALL OVER the internet and I thank you for bringing them to the light. 

So many people have lost money just trying to find something that works. 

I pray that others find their way to your site before going for any of those scams you have reviewed.

Thanks for your kind words, Lisa 🙂

My best regard to you,

Oh my my… Thank you for taking the time to put up this detailed iBuumerang review. Not so often do I come in contact with an MLM that isn’t a pyramid scheme.

I just decided to check this iBuumerang out as a recommendation from a colleague. Now that I know what it entails, I must say I would be way over my head to even think of giving it a try.

I am glad it is not an outright scam, but the money involved for one to think of attaining success is way too much for me, besides there is no guarantee I would even succeed.

I did pick an interest in your recommendations and will surely take a look at it.

Thanks for sharing…

I am happy that you found my review helpful.

And you are 100% right. The investment that you’ll need to make in order to make serious money with iBuumerang is enormous. And there’s no guarantee that you won’t lose everything whatsoever.

Which one of my suggestions are you interested in, Wealthy Affiliate or Project 24 ?

This is rather interesting… 

To be honest, this platform has got some prospects especially base on the niche it belongs to. I don’t often see a lot of MLM travel companies. 

Hence the chances of making money here seem pretty good. However, I’m not convinced enough that I can make enough money with this platform. Besides, the platform might close down anytime since it is not fully established yet. 

Thanks so much for this review though. I will keep my fingers crossed on iBuumerang.

Thanks for sharing your point of view, Mattias.

I couldn’t agree with you more.

However, despite the fact that I am not that fond of MLMs in general, if I were to join one I would go for iBuumerang hands down.

No matter how unique an MLM system might be, I have had two bad experiences with them and so I cannot go through it again.

I am part of that over 50% who did not get anything out off joining MLM programs. 

iBuumerang might seem cool and all but it’s not something I’d like to venture into because apparently, there are other better ways that one can make one instead of joining an MLM program. 

Nice in-depth review though and good analysis on MLM companies in general.

I am glad that you found this review helpful and I am sorry to hear that you had bad experiences with other MLMs.

Have you considered building and running your own online business as I suggest?

It’s definitely much safer and cheaper than participating in MLM schemes.

This post is very informative.

I personally haven’t had the best of luck in pyramid networks. 

They take forever to mature and for you to receive any real income. 

You have to always be promoting something and that can annoy alot of people. 

In my experience, I just gave off because of the consistent promoting to different people who didn’t want to buy.

I am glad you found that helpful…

iBuumerang is definitely not a pyramid scheme though… It’s just a normal MLM.

Also, there’s no promoting.

You are just offering travel discounts to people who would travel anyway so you are basically doing them a favor. And you earn your money based on the discounts they get.

It’s a whole new concept.

I can understand though if you are not interested in MLMs anymore. As I mentioned in the statistics I came across, 75% of people who have joined an MLM in the past state that they would never join another one again.

If this is the case with you, make sure to check out Wealthy Affiliate and/or Project 24 .

They have nothing to do with MLMs.

They focus on teaching you how to create your very own online business from scratch even if you have zero experience.

Hello Harry,

I enjoyed reading this iBuumerang review. I have been looking for a way to get into MLM and this company seems perfect as I know a lot of people who travel a lot and would be interested in this kind of discount services.

I love that iBumeraang is a new company and I can take advantage of the growth before it gets saturated.

I have heard of Wealthy Affiliate before and it seems like a great way to start the online business I want. I would love to know if Project 24 offers monthly subscriptions as well.

Everyone on the planet travels at least once a year so they are certainly tons of people who could use those discounts iBuumerang offers.

Unfortunately, Project 24 doesn’t offer a monthly payment plan. You have to pay for the whole year upfront. 

However, there are ways to test-drive the platform before investing your money in it.

You can read more about them on my Project 24 review .

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February 7, 2022

iBuumerang Review: 2022 MLM Pyramid Scheme Scam or Easy Opportunity?

If you're new here, take this  quick make money online quiz  to discover what route is the best one for  you . 

You’re probably looking for an iBuumerang review to explain whether the MLM company is legit or just another scam.

Most people believe that working from home is just a pipe dream that only certain people with special skills are able to do.

Then iBuumerang pops up into your life and offers you this amazing opportunity.

This unbiased iBuumerang review, with videos, will show you everything you need to know about the company and the MLM program.

This will help you to make an informed decision about whether it is right for you or not.

iBuumerang Review

The overview and rankings

Name:   iBuumerang

Founder: Holton Buggs 

Type: Travel MLM

Products (Including Pricing): 95 out of 100

Success Stories: 5 out of 100

Price To Join MLM:  $250 to $1,000 one time fee (optional) + $49.95 to $99.95 per month (40 out of 100)

What to look for in a MLM:

• Low start-up fee   & maintenance cost
• High-quality affordable products
• You don’t have to carry inventory
• An affiliate-like system  
• Generous compensation plan
• Company is in the early momentum phase

iBuumerang Pros

• Early momentum
• Experienced owner
• Travel is very popular 
• Lowest price for travel

Jump to pros section

iBuumerang Cons

• Expensive luxury- not for everyone
• Shady owner history
• Pyramid scheme in disguise?
• Similar to previous failures
• Negative iBuumerang reviews

Jump to cons section

Make Time Online Rating:  35 out of 100 

Recommended: No

What is iBuumerang?

iBuumerang is a Multi-Level-Marketing company that offers a discount to people booking holidays.

iBuumerang was originally known as "countdown4freedom" but was later renamed iBuumerang.

This company's main goal is to offer you a travel discount using their search engine...Like any other multilevel marketing company, there are two ways to make money with iBuumerang.

The first is to sell their services to individuals and earn retail commissions. The second step is to recruit others and earn recurring fees from them.

The second is a superior choice; it is the finest approach to generating more money through iBuumerang. It is more profitable.

Here's the recruiting process in this MLM. CEO of iBuumerang. He has been involved in the web economy for over ten years and is an expert in network marketing. Throughout these years, he has engaged in a variety of businesses.

The man's name is Holton Buggs. He has previously led other MLMs and served as the chief missionary officer of the well-known MLM enterprise Organo Gold.

He also pushed the IQ CHAIN Ponzi scheme.

Now, why did I say he had a horrible background?

This is because he was involved in several pyramid schemes before coming up with the idea for Ibuumerang.

If you don't know, pyramid schemes are unlawful in the United States, and fraudsters usually manage them. If someone works for a scam, I also consider him a scammer.

It also offers everyday people the chance to earn money by promoting their travel discounts and recruiting more people into the business.

This is what their website claims:

Here at iBuumerang, you throw out good will and savings and you get rewarded with a travel savings bonus in cash!

Basically, give something away that’s good and good things will come back to you.

Like a boomerang… or karma!

The 6 minute video below explains more about the opportunity available at iBuumerang...

So all of this exciting potential commission sounds great, right?

Well, you're smart enough to recognise that video as a sales presentation. So you're probably still wondering...

Is iBuumerang a pyramid scheme?

Technically no, iBuumerang is not a pyramid scheme. 

It's possible for members to make money just from selling these discounted travel tickets. 

But the real money comes from recruiting more people into the MLM company.

This makes iBuumerang similar to a "pyramid scheme in disguise". Let me explain what I mean by that...

What is a pyramid scheme?

A company that pays its members for recruiting more people rather than selling a product or service. 

Pyramid schemes are illegal in most countries because it's impossible for everyone to make money inside this type of business model. Just see the  Wikipedia  diagram below to see why...

Most MLMs, like iBuumerang, do offer a legit service or product or discounted tickets in this case. 

However, the only way members can guarantee to avoid losing money and earn residual income is by recruiting more people. That makes iBuumerange very similar to a pyramid scheme in disguise. 

Just watch the 5 minute video below to see why...

Success is rare with iBuumerang

In fact, success is hard to find inside any MLM.

Did you know that between 72.5% and 99.9% of all MLM representatives lose money?

iBuumerang is not a public company and hasn't released an income disclosure like most MLMs do. 

However, from some simple maths you can see that it will cost at least $850 a year to become a distributor. If you can sell a $2,000 holiday package to a friend you will receive around $150 from commissions. 

That means just to break even you need to sell 6 x $2,000 holiday packages.

And this is the reason why most people end up losing money from MLMs. That's not easy to do and they often make it sound like you'll be able to do this from part time work!

Ready to make passive income online?

Hey, I'm Mike.

I created a passive income online within a year. I had no marketing skills or online experience when I started. 

Who owns iBuumerang?

You can tell a lot about a business from the owner.

So it’s a good idea to have an idea of who the boss is of any company before diving in. Their morals and work ethic can help show the direction a company will go in.

Meet Holton Buggs…

You can check out his 10 minutes “motivational speech” to see more about the man himself…

There’s no denying the man clearly has charisma. But that’s certainly not everything to look for in a business owner!

Just so you know, here are the rest of the  iBuumerang corporate team  in case you want to check them out:

• David Manning — President and CEO of Xstream Travel
• Terrance Gray “T.Gray” — VP of Business Development
• Mark Kithcart — VP of Marketing
• Peter Hirsch — Chief Giving Officer of the Büüm Foundation
• Lori Speers — Director of Travel Services

For now, let’s just dig into Buggs’ background as he’s the man running the show.

Holton Buggs History:

• Born in Florida in 1972
• Aged 14, he began cutting hair and selling candy to make some pocket money
• He figured he could make a profit by buying candy in bulk and getting his friends to sell the candy… sometimes paying them with haircuts! (sounds like an MLM already!)
• Then he attended Texas Southern University with a football scholarship… but injured his leg
• Holton created a successful furniture business but found himself in $250k debt in 1999 due to the change in the economy
• Enter MLM’s… sketchy  CyberWize  to be exact
• That one was no good so enter… Your Travel Biz aka  YTB International  (a travel MLM… hmm sound familiar?)… it turned out to be  an illegal pyramid scheme
• In 2010 he joined Orgao Gold and was making $1.3 million a month by 2013
• In 2018 Organo Gold partnered with a blockchain company  Digital SkyNet … but they were linked to a scammy cryptocurrency MLM,  IQ Chain … oh and Buggs was put in charge of the blockchain stuff!
• Buggs got out in late 2018, but his reputation took a hit (and a hefty fee in a lawsuit… keep reading this iBuumerang review to see more)
• He started iBuumerang in March 2019 and  did $20 million in  sales within the first 6 months.

If you read all of that, you probably agree he is one resilient man… surely a Buggs film will be released one day!

He’s had many setbacks and failures but he’s found a way to succeed!

You’re probably wondering how iBuumerang is any different to previous failures and pyramid schemes, like YTB.

So let’s dig in a bit more, shall we?…

How does iBuumerang Work?

These travel MLMs have existed for a very long time... Therefore, when you think about it, there is nothing novel here.

IBuumerang is a service that enables others to visit the IGo booking engine and benefit from its discounted vacation rates.

Remember Xstream Travel, the business we previously discussed? They are in charge of iGo... It is only accessible to those who have acquired subscriptions to iBuumerang.

Distributors of iBummerang can help their friends save money on travel by providing them with access to their iGo account.

The beautiful thing about iGo Boomerang is that your friends and clients may utilize it similarly to how they would use Kayak, TripAdvisor, or Expedia!

And, believe it or not, iGo provides discounts that can save you hundreds of dollars, particularly compared to the most famous travel websites!

They provide discounts on cheap flights, hotels, rental vehicles, luxury houses, cruises, and theme parks!

In addition, they offer a low-price guarantee and a full refund! However, it does not apply to flights... However, is a cheap hotel room not all that horrible?

The only way to obtain these fantastic bargains and savings is to get a boomerang from a TSA agent. A Travel Savings Ambassador is an independent iBuumerang distributor known as a TSA.

You receive a commission if someone uses your boomerang to book a vacation on the iGo website.

It's a circumstance in which both parties benefit; they save money, and you earn cash.

Isn't it easy?

However, there is a catch:

Depending on your membership level, you can only send a set number of boomerangs monthly.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The greater your membership level and the greater the amount you pay, the more boomerangs you will receive.

Suppose you have five per month... This indicates that you may have five clients per month, etc.

How can you obtain more boomerangs?

There are three main ways.

Increase your membership status.

Purchase supplemental items individually.

Recruit new members. Alright then.

It is, after all, an MLM.

The amazing thing about iBuumerang is that it includes iDecide Presentation, which simplifies recruiting.

So what is it exactly?

It is a little video produced by iBuumerang's corporate office.

But everyone despises knocking on doors, attending home parties, and being treated like a crazed salesperson as part of an MLM.

However, as a result of this brief talk, they evolved... You only need to attach it to a short SMS or email.

It is much simpler!

However, others may be skeptical and recognize it for what it is.

However, it is currently functioning for them! iBuumerang's popularity is soaring!

It’s as easy as 1,2,3…

The idea is nothing new.

You send your friends (or people) to  iGo booking engine (which is run by Xstream Travel ), they book their holiday (at a discount)… you get paid!

Simple right?

So what are the actual…

iBuumerang products

It’s again really simple.

You can send discounts for:

• Rental Cars

Some examples are below…

As you can see the price of the hotels and rental cars are pretty heavily discounted.

In fact, there is also the “lowest price guarantee” that iBuumerang offers!

That’s pretty good right?!

So you’re probably wondering…

Can you make money with iBuumerang?

It's no easy task to make money from iBuumerang. 

Here's something you won't hear on their website or from the person that introduced you to it...

Most people will lose money as a distributor. 

The few people that do make money treat this more like a full time "sales manager" position.

If you plan to make some pocket money from part time work, you will likely become one of the people that loses money (unless you know a ton of people that go on ready packaged holidays multiple times a year).

How to make money with iBuumerang

There are 3 main ways that you can get paid in iBuumerang which are:

• Referring Customers that Book Travel
• Current Team Members That Book Travel
• MLM Referral Commissions

The first one is the most obvious and I will let Denise walk you through how to do this in the 3-minute video below…

Basically you send a code to a friend and you get a commission if they book a holiday through it.

They save money. You make money.

Starting to sound quite exciting right? Now, I can almost hear your mind thinking…

How much does it cost to join iBuumerang?

You will have to pay at least $49.95 per month to become an affiliate member for iBuumerang.

That “standby” enrollment kit comes with 5 boomerangs and the iDecide Tool.

There are 3 global packages that you can also upgrade with

• Coach Class Package – This package will cost $250 and then $49.95 per month and get you 10 Boomerangs
• Business Class Package – This package will cost $500 and then $99.95 per month and get you 25 Boomerangs
• First-Class Package – This package will cost $1000 and then $99.95 per month and get you 50 Boomerangs

There are different bonuses to each package but the main one is you can receive more commission for each package you buy.

But, do you remember Denise explaining how you have a certain number of Boomerangs you can send?

Well, there are 3 ways you can get more Boomerangs:

• Upgrade to a higher membership level (as above)
• Buy more individual boomerangs (the cost isn’t listed yet)
• Recruit other iBuumerang members

This leads us nicely onto the…

iBuumerang iDecide- Online marketing software

iDecide makes iBuumerang a bit different to most MLM programs because it helps you do a few things:

• Send out iBuumerang information to more people (about the MLM business and the discounted products)
• Track who is interested and who is not interested (including when someone is watching the video)
• Add contacts to automatically send emails to people interested in joining the MLM program or become a customer

The 4-minute video below, by Mike Healy (not me!), walks you through exactly what the iDecide software does…

Seeing this video may make you realise how powerful this software could be.

So let’s dive into…

iBuumerang compensation plan

First of all… every MLM compensation plan is confusing! So I’ll keep this as simple as possible.

Remember, your first job as an iBuumerang affiliate is to help people save money on travel!

Saying that, there are 6 ways you can make money from iBuumerang:

1. Referred Travel Bonus  – The first way is to directly refer someone to Xstream Travel. You’ll receive 25% of the commission as a “referral bonus” if the customer buys something here.

2. Travel Savings Bonus (TSB)  – You earn money when you send a Boomerang and direct someone to the iGo travel portal. This can be confusing so I’m just going to use an example of referring a friend to help:

• Normal trip price = $1,000
• iGo offer = $700
• Total savings = $300
• Your friend (customer) gets 50% of the saving, meaning the total cost of the trip is $700 + (50% of $300) = $850
• If you are coach class you receive 50% of their savings = $75
• If you are Business/ First Class you receive 100% of their savings = $150

Simple right?… sort of!

3. Fast Start Bonus (aka Direct Sales Bonus) – Commission for recruiting new iBuumerang distributors ($20, $40 or $80 for a coach, business or first class recruit)

4. Dual Team Bonus (aka Residual Commission) – You earn 10-20% bonus of your “weakest leg”.

iBuumerang uses a “binary” commission structure so the people you recruit can build “teams” under them.

I told you it can get confusing!

All you need to know is you get bonuses from your team’s efforts.

5. Unilevel Commissions – Paid monthly based on your personally enrolled recruits’ earnings. You can earn an extra 5-10% on 7 “levels deep”.

6. Leadership Development Bonus – If your personal recruits achieve a higher ranking you get another bonus…

Right, it’s getting confusing now isn’t it?

Well, here’s Mike again to explain the compensation visually with the old school whiteboard!

Or you can find the full iBuumerang compensation plan here. 

How to cancel iBuumerang

You can contact iBuumerang to cancel at any time.

You do need to watch out for the loopholes though…

  Terms and Conditions :

TERM: Notice of cancellation must be received  ten business days  before your Monthly Anniversary Date in order to avoid charges for that month.

But beware!!…

SUBSCRIPTION DATE: If your join date falls between the 26th and the 31st of the month, your Subscription date will automatically become the 25th of the month even though the system may show your Subscription date as the 26th, 27th, etc., it will run on the 25th.

If you need support directly from iBuumerang you can use  their website or via email: [email protected].

Is iBuumerang a scam?

No, iBuumerang is not a scam…

There are two main ways an online course can be a scam:

• Take your money and run off into the sunset, never to be heard from again
• Provide some information but it doesn’t live up to their promises

Even though iBuumerang does provide legit products and is not a scam, it doesn’t mean the opportunity is right for everyone.

The rest of this iBuumerang review will show you the pros and cons of joining.

Just to be fully transparent with you, I am not a distributor myself and I do not endorse iBuumerang in any way.

I have researched the website, testimonials and information on the Internet to get to the bottom of what this program genuinely does. This is because I have been burnt from programs just like this in the past and I want to prevent others from making the same mistakes. If you’d like to learn how to “ Spot an Online Marketing Scam ” then click the highlighted text.

Common positive reviews

Here are some of the positive reviews we had from  Indeed about the job opportunity...

• "Love the team work. Positive people to work with. Different out look. Amazing attitude building each other everyday. CEO is a great leader. I love it."
• "Enjoy working with great and caring leaders, that care about others being successful. Love traveling, and throwing out buumerangs. Great company to work for."

Common negative reviews

And here are the common negative reviews...

• "At the end of the day, this company is no different than any other MLM company out there. To actually make the most money, you have to sell the most vacation packages. Which means at some point or another you’re going to have to beg for people to help you earn more. Because ultimately, Holton Buggs and the 1% of iBuumerang are the ones that make the lions share of the money."

Tired of MLMs? Check out how I make money online here!

What I like about iBuumerang

Here are some of the things I like about iBuumerang…

• Pyramid Scheme – recruits members via a promise for payment from referring others to the service rather than providing a product
• Affiliate Marketing- Connecting a customer to a product they are looking for and receiving a commission for doing so
• Red Flag - A warning sign

#1 Early momentum phase

iBuumerang is still in the “momentum phase” of the business. It only started in March 2019 so it won’t be oversaturated with recruiters… yet!

Here it is on Google trends compared to another  MLM review I’ve done.

This means it’s still going to grow and there’s potential to find people interested in joining before everyone jumps on the bandwagon.

#2 Owner has MLM experience

This is a big reason why iBuumerang started so well.

Holton Buggs got the company kickstarted by using his contacts and MLM connections.

He certainly knows a thing or two about MLM companies so hopefully he has learnt from his mistakes!

#3 Travel Is Popular!

Who doesn’t want to go on holiday?

And who doesn’t wasnt to find a bargain?

You should be able to find loads of people that would love to see the discounts offered by iBuumerang.

It does after all offer the…

#4 Lowest travel price

This is a huge selling point!

If you know someone who wants to go on holiday or travel with business, then you can simply say…

“I can get you the lowest price guaranteed”

It’s a bold claim with all the travel companies that now exist.

But they offer a 110% refund on the difference between a cheaper deal you find compared to theirs.

(The bit I’m not sure on and can’t find out is whether this is the “iGo price” or the final price the customer pays… remember they only get 50% of the discounted price)

What I don't like about iBuumerang

Here are some of the bad parts of iBuumerang that you should be aware of before diving in…

#1 Expensive products

Travel is still a luxury.

People may only travel once a year or maybe 3 to 5 times max. It’s not something that people do every month!

Seriously just think about how many people you think you know that could benefit from this and you are comfortable enough telling them about.

• Let’s say it’s 100 people (I know my number is less).
• So let’s just say that 70 people decide to buy through your link.
• Imagine they all happened to book a holiday worth $3,000.

Even with these outrageously generous numbers, you would be looking at a commission of around $31,500.

You wouldn’t be paid regularly for that and you need to factor in your costs to join (this is working off the first-class commission)...

Expenses: $1,000 + $99.95 x 12 = $2,199.40

That leaves you with under $30,000 profit for a year. Is that enough for you and your family to live off and allow you to work from home?

#2 Shady history of the owner

I want to believe that Holton has gained a lot of experience and lessons.

But you know what they say… a leopard doesn’t change its spots.

Holton Buggs  has been linked to  previous MLM scams  including  CyberWize  and  Your Travel Biz International .

He’s also been found guilty in 2019  of stealing trade secrets and distributors from another MLM and ordered to pay over $3 million in damages.

Do you really think he’s just packed in his sneaky techniques for good?

#3 Is iBuumerang a pyramid scheme in disguise?

Here's the truth...

You will only make good money by recruiting more people into the MLM. And when there is a focus on recruiting it always ends up looking like this...

Still don't believe me? Just look at these then...

#4 Similar to previous failures

The CEO of Xstream (who iBuumerang is partnered with) has been linked to other travel-based MLMs  in the past such as The Vacation Network, TraVerus Global, and Paycation.

They have all disappeared and failed!

Watch a bit of the clip below by David Manning…

Does Paycation seem familiar to you too?

Have these guys really learnt their lesson, or have they found a way to make a quick buck then duck out?

#5 Negative iBuumerang reviews

Online forums such as  Reddit show what people who have tried the company think about it…

As you can see there is pressure added to people to put their friends on a list and try to get them to join.

I don’t know about you, but personally I’m not a fan of abusing my trust and relationships with friends and family to try and make some money.

There’s only one thing that you’ll become known for if you try this for too long.

I've created a growing passive income online with no previous marketing skills or online experience... 

I've made a special video for you to explain exactly how I did this. 

My opinion - iBuumerang

There’s only one type of person that should even consider this as a business opportunity…

Travel bloggers.

If you get a lot of traffic to your website already then you may be able to offer the discount to “targeted and interested” people every day without having to try the “hard sell”.

Of course, you could make some commission by telling your mom and best mate about it before they book their next holiday.

But what are the chances they want to join the MLM program?

The only way to make consistent and good money from iBuumerang is to either have thousands of people every month see your discount… or to recruit many people into the MLM program.

The lowest price guarantee is great… but it’s not enough.

How I make passive income online

MLMs are not all scams or illegal. However, I'm not a fan of them because of the restrictions to the expensive products you have to promote.

Once I learnt about affiliate marketing, I realised it's a far superior business model because:

• You can promote anything you want and truly own the business
• You never need to sell to friends and family
• It's completely free to start

In 2018 I had no idea what affiliate marketing was.

But I went from a full time PE teacher to making a passive income online within one year...

If you want to discover how I did it then check out this special video I created which explains exactly how. You can also get your free 7-day bootcamp to get started.

About the Author

Mike Beatty has built a passive income online whilst working as a full-time PE teacher without any marketing or technical experience. Learn more about how he's done it here .

Mike Beatty

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It seems like there’s another MLM scheme popping up on an almost daily basis. I know some people claim to make a lot of money from these strategies, but they all seem to share one thing in common that makes them fishy, in my opinion. And that commonality is that they’re all MLMs! Combine that with the founder’s “shady history” and this is definitely something I’ll stay away from! 

So true Tucker! There are far too many red flags for me to even consider this “opportunity”. If you have a lot of friends that like to do “all-inclusive” travel holidays then you can offer them a win-win with the discount. But realistically the only way you can make money from this is if you use online marketing (and iBuumerang won’t teach you that!)

I’m Charles from WA. I have reviewed your post…. I want to reassure you that you are working in a very profitable niche. What I love in particular about your site is the clarity and layout of everything…. I’m convinced that if you could reach more people you will create a lasting impact in more lives… Tons of people out there really need to understand what is MLM.

Thanks Charles, I hope it helps a lot of people!

Hi Mike, I found your blog online because I was looking for reviews on Ibuumerang. I have a friend who introduced me to the opportunity and I have been considering it for weeks, but I have my hesitations. I have my hesitations with MLMs in general. I was part of one for a few months, but just didn’t like the recruiting part of it. Ibuumerang sounds to good to be true, right? No selling, people save money etc…I am so glad I found your blog, because think my hesitations about Ibuumerang were confirmed and my believe in WA was strengthened. I think I will stick with this until I will find success. I started out recently and so far have really enjoyed the whole process. I have my doubts here sometimes as well, but I keep getting motivated by others and their stories and definitely believe in it. Thanks for writing out such a great, unbiased and detailed review of Ibuumerang. It was super helpful for me!!

Hey Manuela,

Thanks so much, I really appreciate your kind words.

Yeah I remember feeling exactly like that when I started with WA.

Check out this post I wrote explaining exactly that and what happened to me when I actually followed the training.

I hope that helps

Glad it helped!

Comments are closed.

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"I Had 10 Minutes Until My Flight, Only To Discover..." 19 Unfortunate And Avoidable Travel Mishaps That Actually Happened To People

"It was one of the first purchases I made on Priceline back when you’d buy the airfare online, and they’d send paper tickets in the mail..."

BuzzFeed Staff

1. Travel is many things — eye-opening, magical, exhilarating, and, at times, stressful. For example, there's nothing quite like the anxiety-inducing feeling of racing through security just as your flight gate is about to close. Well, Redditor u/yankeevandal asked , "Everyone has a travel blunder; what's yours?" Here are the stories people shared.

2. "put my keys back through the airbnb letterbox, as requested. a few minutes later i realized i needed the keys to access the garage where my rental car was parked. it took an hour and a half for someone to come and let me in. i got to the airport just in time to see my plane take off.".

— u/RedundantSwine

3. "My dad once made reservations for a very nice hotel in Spain in a central location. He couldn't believe how cheap the rooms were and what a good deal it was. He and my mother went to check in, and the hotel said they didn't have any record of the booking. My dad pulled up the confirmation email to show them and realized he had somehow booked a hotel with the exact same name...but in Chile."

— u/gentlybeepingheart

4. "When I was in my early 20s, I went to a nightclub in Istanbul with my girlfriend. Throughout the night, I stupidly ordered several of these half-bottles of champagne that were on the menu with no price listed. Of course, when the bill came, it turned out they had brought me the most expensive bottles, and I could not afford to pay for them. After a long standoff, the club eventually believed I couldn't afford my tab or just gave up and settled the bill for some reasonable amount that I had on me. Obviously, they were trying to take advantage of me, but it was also very stupid that I didn't ask for the price upfront."

— u/Orange_Kid

5. "The plane I was on hit turbulence, and I dislocated both hip replacements. I had to lay in the center aisle for 45 minutes while passing out in pain until we could make an emergency landing."

— u/JonnyP3283

6. "I needed to take a train to the airport in Rome to catch my flight home. So I got on the track where the train to Roma Fiumicino was announced. The train was fast, but it took way longer than I thought it should, and I started to worry a bit about being late for my flight. Then we arrived at the next train station....which was Florence! Somehow I had taken the wrong train (for which I did not have a ticket), and I also missed my flight. I explained the situation to the conductor, who kindly let me stay on until the next stop, Milan, without paying for a new ticket. By the time we reached Milan I had already booked a hotel room and a new flight home the next day. I had never been to Milan, and I had a good time there, so in the end, it worked out."

— u/sumpuran

7. "I made hotel reservations for the wrong weekend. I had to find a new hotel 30 minutes away. The original reservation was for a hotel where I could walk out of my room and directly onto the beach."

— u/mook1178

8. "Booked a train ticket from Rome to Venice and drank way too much the night before. I rolled into the train station with about 10 minutes to spare — only to find out that it was daylight savings time, and I was actually 50 minutes late."

— u/Snazzypants11

9. "I missed my flight home from Ghana to California on a layover in Rome. I told everyone I fell asleep and missed the flight, but in reality, I was sitting at the wrong gate reading a book and didn’t hear my name being called (apparently, the airline was calling my name forever and then left me behind). In my defense, it was a really good book, and I was exhausted from a long travel day."

— u/zeebette

10. "I booked a holiday to Ibiza from the UK while out at a rave. The next day, I discovered that instead of flying from Southampton to Ibiza, I was actually flying Southampton to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Madrid, and Madrid to Ibiza. What should have been a two-hour flight took most of the day. Whoops."

— u/Ok-Topic-6971

11. "I once read the flight arrival time as the departure time. My girlfriend had to be home for a class by the next morning, so the only option was to make the six-hour drive. She wasn’t stoked with me."

— u/twankyfive

12. "I booked a flight to Manchester, NH, when I was supposed to go to Manchester, UK. I was proud of myself at first for finding a great deal. In my defense, this was years ago, in the early days of the internet. It was one of the first purchases I made on Priceline when you’d buy the airfare online, and they’d send paper tickets in the mail."

— u/HeatherAnne1975

13. "In Portuguese, gasolina means gas, and gasoleo means diesel. Despite the confusingly similar names, these two things are still not interchangeable. I learned this the hard way."

— u/c322617

14. "I missed a flight because I was eating a Big Mac. And my buddy just got on the plane without me."

— u/Gigahurt77

15. "I mixed up AM and PM for my flight time and showed up at the airport 12 hours late. Had to book a new one."

— u/dude341387

16. "I booked a flight to Santiago, Spain. Months later, when checking into my flight, I realized I had booked for Santiago, Chile. I repacked my bag and went to Chile six hours later with zero itinerary or reservations. I ended up in Patagonia and had an awesome trip."

— u/AccidentalTourista

17. "My husband passed a kidney stone on the first night of our honeymoon."

— u/TinyBunny88

18. "Turns out SJC is NOT the airport code for San Jose, Costa Rica. Rather, it's San Jose, California. I figured this one out too late."

— u/Frodosear

19. "A hotel I was staying at gave me the key to someone else's room. When I opened the door, there was some random guy lying on the bed without a shirt on. We both sort of jumped. I slammed the door shut and walked away. I got a free (and vacant) room after that incident."

— u/DJAlaskaAndrew

20. "I traveled for over ten hours for a sold-out festival in Vegas. All major hotels were sold out because of it, and I realized I booked the hotel for 2024 instead of 2023."

— u/smolperson

So, what's a travel mishap you'll never forget and never live down? Tell us your story in the comments or drop it into the Google form.

Share this article.

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Knowledge Base

• Travel Support

What is a FAM trip?     FAM or "Fam trip" is short for "familiarization trip." They are generally short trips taken by travel advisors usually at a discounted rate, designed to learn about a destination or travel supplier to gain first-hand knowledge through experiencing it. They serve two main goals:   

Why take a FAM trip?     

The bottom-line is to gain current and accurate knowledge of a product/service to maximize your sales. Matching a client and their preferences to a specific travel supplier that caters to both their style of travel and their budget expectations is one of the biggest considerations when qualifying your client. FAM trips enable travel advisors to gain a deeper understanding of the product or service by experiencing it themselves. It also allows the advisor to anticipate what kind of client is best suited for this product or service, what the experience is actually like, and gives a better understanding in assisting with planning an overall budget for their client's trip.    

What is FAM trip like?    

It’s not a free vacation! Fam trips involve hard work to fully capture every aspect of the travel experience and understand the supplier's product. There’s often a lot of information to capture and very little downtime. They generally have a lot of early mornings and days packed with activities.    

It's important to understand you are working on these trips, and you represent not only your personal business, but also Xstream Travel. Always dress professionally but comfortably to walk a lot during your inspection. This means having the right walking shoes, and dress to accommodate not only the weather, but the amount of activity you will be doing (it's a lot!). It's also a good idea to have business cards to give to your contacts to network. You want to leave a professional and positive lasting impression.    

What should I do before I take a FAM trip?    

• Determine if this FAM is in alignment with what you plan to market and sell:  If you specialize in all-inclusive travel, it makes more sense to find FAMs focused on destinations and suppliers who offer all-inclusive resorts, opposed to Alaskan adventures (for example). Unless you're looking to expand your focus, stick to what you know you can -or- want to sell.     

Determine who you will sell this product or service to : Identify 1-5 clients that may be a good fit with this supplier. If you're new to the business, determine what kind of client they would be. This will help you determine if this FAM makes sense for your business. If you don't know anyone who would be interested in this product or service, really consider if this FAM is right for you. If you know at least 1-5 people who might be interested in this product or service, you have a better chance of this experience benefiting your business. Remember, none of us would be in this business if we didn't like to travel, but our bottom line is to run a profitable business.  

Take the supplier's training:  Most suppliers have a training program or at the very least, a brochure or website. Learn as much as you can before you travel. You want to dive deep when you get there, not ask basic questions already answered on a website. This helps you ask meaningful questions when you get there and maximize your time to gain the greatest benefit.    

Pro Tip:  Look at all the room categories online. Communicate which room categories you would like to see with the supplier beforehand to make sure they're available while you're there.    Pro Tip:  If you specialize in weddings, learn about the wedding packages online. Communicate with the supplier you would like to speak to the wedding coordinator when you arrive and gauge their availability. Also ask to visit their wedding venues / spaces.   

How do I book a FAM?    

Xstream Travel schedules FAM Trips, Xstream Experiences, and other training events throughout the year, however you are not limited to Xstream hosted events! Many vendors offer agent FAM and inspection rates or specific FAM training events. Check the supplier's site or reach out to the vendor's BDM. Some vendors may require that you've earned your CLIA or IATA card. Others may have other qualifications like completing their training program. It's important to meet the qualifications determined by the vendor/supplier  before  you book.    

For example , Marriott has a program called Marriott Hotel Excellence. Their "FAM-tastic" rate program requires advisors to complete their Hotel Excellence training program and hold a valid IATA or CLIA card when checking in.    

Pro Tip:  Amstar can help agents schedule FAMS for some resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico. They can assist in making appointments and arranging transportation between resorts.    

What to do on a FAM?    

• Take postcard ready photos:  This allows you to create marketing materials to send to your clients. Get pictures of menus and food, rooms, pools, activities, transportation schedules, the outside of the venue,  etc. Try to take photos without you or other people in them if you can.   

Ask questions:  Now is the time to ask questions that were not covered in the supplier's training or on their site. You can even print out information online and ask them if anything has changed to make sure you have the most current and accurate information to help you sell to your clients.   

Network:  Exchange business cards and contact information with the managers and other people you meet while on the FAM. 

Experience & enjoy!:  What are the   must try restaurants, spa treatments, pools, excursions, activities, etc.? Learn it by experiencing it yourself!   

Pro Tip:  If you visit a resort and are approached at the resort for a timeshare pitch, and do not want this for your clients, politely and professionally ask what the process is to request that your client not be approached for a timeshare pitch and allowed privacy to enjoy their vacation. This is to respect your client's time and money they've spent at this resort, as well as for the resort to respect your business. This is your client and you want to ensure repeat business for both you and the resort.  

Important : Please never share FAM rates with your clients or other travelers, or recruit agents or other travelers while on your FAM trip. These are experiences to gain knowledge and make professional contacts with suppliers only. It's important to respect other travelers and the supplier while on your trip.    

What to do after a FAM trip?      Remember those 1-5 people you determined might be a good fit for this supplier? Once you get home contact one or more of them to let them know about your trip and let them know how it might be a good fit for their next vacation! It doesn't need to be a cold call to get them to book, just a quick message that you thought of them while on your trip and share a photo. 

Ex. If you have a client that loves Mexican food and you found the perfect authentic Mexican restaurant, tell them! Send them a picture of the menu or the dish you ate. Let them know you thought of them and they would love this dish too! 

Next, go online and blog about your trip on your social media pages. Use the pictures you took and create marketing materials. Show what a great time you had and be sure to give contact information for how your clients can contact you to book! 

Reach out to the BDM to let them know how your FAM went. Ask them to keep you in mind for any similar training events and ask to be put on a mailing list for special rates or promotions for this supplier.  

Get in Touch

This Shocking True Crime Series Is A Top Show On Netflix Right Now

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

“The Asunta Case” is currently the second most popular show on Netflix , according to the streaming service’s public ranking system.

The six-part miniseries is based on the shocking murder of 12-year-old Asunta Fong Yang, a Chinese-born Spanish girl who was adopted as a baby. The investigation into her death in 2013 attracted widespread media attention and has been the subject of multiple documentaries.

“The Asunta Case” (“El caso Asunta”) presents a dramatized version of the events, starring Spanish actors Tristán Ulloa and Candela Peña as the victim’s parents and prime suspects in her murder.

Read on for more trending shows of the moment across streaming services including Max, Hulu, Apple TV+ and Paramount+. And if you want to stay informed about all things streaming, subscribe to the Streamline newsletter .

“The Jinx: Part 2”

“The Jinx: Part 2” is trending on Max following the release of the first two episodes on April 21 and 28. A continuation of “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” this new six-episode installment picks up where the 2015 docuseries left off.

“Part 2” focuses Durst’s arrest and trial for Susan Berman’s murder and features new interviews, prison calls and other never-before-seen footage.

“Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story”

The most popular show on Hulu right now is “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story.”

The four-part docuseries premiered on April 26 and explores the 40-year history of the American rock group Bon Jovi, from its founding in 1983 and rise to fame to its current status ahead of a new album release in June. “Thank You, Goodnight” includes interviews with band members, their families and other peers in the music industry.

“The Big Door Prize”

“The Big Door Prize” is back on the Apple TV+ trending list after the premiere of the second season on April 24.

Starring Chris O’Dowd, the comedy is based on M.O. Walsh’s novel about a small town that’s turned upside down after the arrival of a mysterious machine that has the power to reveal one’s life potential. The first three episodes of season two are available to stream now, and new installments will be released on Wednesdays until June 12.

All six episodes of new miniseries “Knuckles” premiered on Paramount+ on April 26. A spin-off of the “Sonic the Hedgehog” films, the show is set between the events of 2022′s “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” and the upcoming movie “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.”

Idris Elba reprises his role as the voice of Knuckles and Adam Pally also returns as Wade. So far reviews from critics have been mostly positive.

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