Former travel agents recruited through a scheme promoted by influencers and reality TV stars have criticised the business model, saying they made little or no money after paying sign-up costs and monthly fees, according to the Guardian.
Several influencers, including Love Island contestant Yasmin Hadlow and former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, work for PlanNet Marketing, which recruits people to become independent travel agents with a separate US business called InteleTravel. Hadlow told followers they could “catch flights and get paid mid-air” if they sent her a message with the word “freedom”.
The Guardian spoke to seven people recruited as InteleTravel agents by PlanNet Marketing representatives who said the reality fell far short of the promises. Some said recruiters encouraged them to focus on signing up others rather than selling holidays.
High fees, low returns
Mark, who was recruited in 2021 aged 28 while furloughed during Covid, paid InteleTravel a sign-up fee of around £150 plus £30 to £40 per month for access to its booking system and training. Agents earn approximately 70 per cent of the roughly 10 per cent commission suppliers pay on bookings. On £10,000 worth of holidays sold, an agent would receive £700 from the £1,000 commission.
After 18 months working long days, Mark had made only a handful of sales. “I was making no money on the travel side,” he said. The PlanNet representative who recruited him suggested he try recruitment instead by signing up with PlanNet Marketing.
Those who join PlanNet Marketing pay a separate monthly fee of about £14. They then receive roughly £3 for every new person they recruit as an active travel agent, plus referral bonuses and rank-based payouts as their team grows.
Mark ended up with a team of 10 people over about two years. “I made about three bookings and maybe £1,000 in commission, but I was paying £32 a month in fees, plus about £100 to sign up,” he said. “That wasn’t because I was bad at it. It’s not set up for people to succeed.”
Misleading promises
Shelley, a 52-year-old nurse from Suffolk, signed up in 2021 after seeing a Facebook advert. A local PlanNet recruiter contacted her online, advertising support, training and “excellent commission”. She paid a £142 joining fee and was told the opportunity could become a full-time job.
“The moment you’re out of the money-back guarantee period – which at the time came with a 30-day guarantee – you’re on your own,” she said. After accounting for spending on business cards, flyers and a website, Shelley estimates her total profit over roughly two years was between £500 and £1,000.
PlanNet Marketing’s own annual income disclosure statement shows average earnings across its general base of representatives are about $40 per year. One former agent, Claire, recruited about 150 people and reached one-star director rank – a leadership position PlanNet Marketing says guarantees a minimum monthly income of $1,000. Claire said she never received that sum and was making about $800 a month before leaving in February this year.
Critics have suggested the arrangement resembles multi-level marketing, a legal but controversial model in which agents make money primarily through recruitment rather than selling products. PlanNet Marketing did not comment on whether it is an MLM. InteleTravel denies that it is, saying the two are separate businesses and that signing up with PlanNet Marketing is optional.
An InteleTravel spokesperson said joining fees covered regulatory licensing, operational insurance, mandatory training and booking systems. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and a “first-year profit guarantee”, though the latter requires agents to meet several contractual conditions including completing one full year, purchasing branded business cards, creating a website and booking one hotel stay every quarter.
Amanda Restivo, vice-president of compliance at PlanNet Marketing, said the two companies are “completely separate” and people can choose to work with only one. “It takes hard work to make substantial income in this business. Success requires personal effort and dedication,” she said.
What this means for Poles in the UK
Anyone in the UK considering a side hustle promoted by influencers or online adverts should carefully examine the fee structure and income potential before signing up. With InteleTravel, initial costs include around £150 sign-up fee plus £30 to £40 monthly, meaning you need to generate at least £500 in commission in your first year just to break even.
The 30-day money-back guarantee gives you a short window to assess whether the opportunity suits you, but any commissions earned during that period are deducted from your refund. The first-year profit guarantee requires meeting multiple conditions and submitting a written claim within a 30-day window after your one-year anniversary.
If you are looking for genuine self-employment in the travel sector, research whether traditional travel agency qualifications or direct employment with established agencies might offer more stable income. Check the Financial Conduct Authority register if any financial products are involved, and remember that influencer endorsements are paid promotions, not neutral recommendations.
