InteleTravel and PlanNet Marketing Review (2025): Smart Side Income Or MLM Trap?

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If you’ve seen InteleTravel and PlanNet Marketing pop up in your feed promising travel perks and a flexible work-from-home lifestyle, you’re not alone. These two companies partner to offer what sounds like a dream combo – an at-home travel agency and a chance to earn side income by building a team.

In this InteleTravel and PlanNet Marketing review, we’ll break down how it all works, what it costs, who actually makes money, and whether it’s truly a smart way to earn from home or more of an MLM disguised as a travel business.

InteleTravel + PlanNet Marketing: Company Background and What You Get

PlanNet Marketing launched in 2015, started by longtime network marketer Donald Bradley. His goal was to blend the MLM (“work from anywhere, build a team, direct-selling style”) idea with InteleTravel’s travel advisor business. InteleTravel, for their part, has been around since the 1990s and works as a host agency, giving home-based agents access to big-name travel suppliers, training, and commissions.

When you enroll, you’re actually joining two businesses at once:

• PlanNet Marketing’s MLM network. That’s where you sell the travel agency opportunity itself, recruit other reps, and build a downline.
• InteleTravel’s host agency program. This lets you operate as an Independent Travel Advisor (ITA), book travel for clients, and earn commissions like a normal travel agent.

This dual setup is a bit unusual compared to most homebased travel agencies or side-gig platforms. It means your income opportunities come from both personal travel bookings and (theoretically much more) from building a sales team and onboarding new reps or agents.

How InteleTravel + PlanNet Marketing Actually Works (Step-by-Step)

It’s not always clear from the outside what each part of the business covers, so here’s how it works in practice:

1. Become a PlanNet Marketing Independent Rep: Sign up via the PlanNet site, pay US$19.95 to enroll, then US$19.95/month as your admin fee (to keep rep status active). As a Rep, your main job is to sell the business opportunity. That means you recruit others who want to be ITAs, and build your own MLM downline.
2. To Actually Sell Travel: You (or anyone you enroll) need to purchase the Independent Travel Agent (ITA) business via InteleTravel. This costs US$179.95 upfront plus a US$39.95/month fee, on top of the PlanNet Rep fees if you want to do both. Once active, you have access to InteleTravel’s booking portal, preferred supplier network, and commission system.
3. Make Money in Two Main Ways: You earn direct commissions by onboarding new ITAs (and from monthly fees of your downline), and you can also earn standard travel agent commissions from client bookings. Team leaders or directors can qualify for overrides and additional bonuses based on team sales.
4. Ongoing Monthly Fees: The MLM Rep side is US$19.95/month, the ITA business is US$39.95/month. If you do both, plan on US$59.90/month in ongoing fees (plus tax), after the initial ITA sign-up.

This isn’t some random “get rich quick” scam, but it’s definitely MLM blended with a legit travel advisor host agency model. For people who enjoy community, team-building, and working with others, this might be attractive. For the hyper-introverted, or anyone turned off by recruiting, this can feel overwhelming really quickly.

InteleTravel and PlanNet Marketing Product & Service Details

The primary product being sold here is the InteleTravel ITA business kit. ITA stands for Independent Travel Agent. This kit gives you:

• Access to InteleTravel’s host agency portal. This is where you can book cruises, hotels, vacation packages, and all sorts of travel services.
• Training modules, live webinars, and support for travel advisors (designed for brand new agents).
• Your own branded travel agent booking website (the functionality is pretty basic).
• Supplier relationships, with big-name brands like Disney, Royal Caribbean, Marriott, etc.
• Ability to access “industry rates” and FAM (familiarization) trips, though suppliers set the rules for who qualifies.
• The right to market yourself as an InteleTravel independent agent, with some marketing materials or templates included.

PlanNet Marketing acts as the marketing or distribution arm. Essentially, reps are paid (mostly) to sell other people the right to start their own InteleTravel business, via the MLM structure.

Pricing, Fees & What You Get For Your Money

You can check the latest pricing on the direct PlanNet Marketing enrollment page. Fees occasionally change, but at the time of this review, here’s the cost breakdown (USD):

• Independent Rep (MLM) fee: US$19.95 to sign up, plus US$19.95 per month to stay active as a rep.
• InteleTravel ITA fee (if you want to book travel): US$179.95 to sign up, plus US$39.95 per month to remain an active travel agent and access the booking system, travel perks, and training.
• Both together: If you do both (which is what most reps seem to do), you’ll pay about US$199.90 to start and US$59.90/month ongoing.

This isn’t the priciest side hustle ever, but these monthly fees add up, especially if you don’t actually start booking travel or successfully recruit others.

Who’s Behind PlanNet Marketing and InteleTravel?

PlanNet Marketing is led by Donald Bradley, who’s had a long career in network marketing. He saw a niche for blending travel with at-home entrepreneurship. His company’s culture and pitch revolve a lot around mindset, personal growth, and the idea that you can “own your future” through network marketing.

InteleTravel itself, founded by James Ferrara, actually predates the big MLM partnership. They started in the early 1990s and provided the very first “homebased travel agent” kits. They’re still the host agency for all PlanNet ITAs, and their real business is working with travel suppliers and giving home agents a portal for bookings and commissions. InteleTravel is an accredited host agency (for example, registered with IATAN, CLIA, and other industry standards), so anyone operating as an ITA is a real travel advisor, though homebased and commission-split with InteleTravel.

The Business Model: How Earnings Work (With Real Numbers)

PlanNet Marketing and InteleTravel work as a direct sales or MLM hybrid. Here’s what that means when it comes to making money:

Direct Commissions (What You Earn From Recruiting)

• Sell an ITA package: As a PlanNet Rep, you get a commission each time you enroll a new ITA under you. Commissions are usually paid weekly.
• Override income: When someone you recruited brings in new ITAs (and so on down the chain), you get “override” commissions and bonuses from the team volume. This is the classic MLM setup.
• Monthly residuals: You get a cut of the monthly ITA fees paid by people in your downline, as long as they remain active agents.
• Director bonuses: Top recruiters and big team builders can qualify for extra rank-based bonuses. There are various “Director” and “Builder” ranks.

The downside is, like most MLMs, you’ll need a decent-sized team before the override and residual income is noticeable.

Travel Agent Booking Commissions (What You Earn From Booking Travel)

• As a certified ITA (Independent Travel Agent) , book travel for yourself and anyone who wants to be your client.
• Commissions are paid after travel completion (sometimes 60-90 days after trip), and InteleTravel claims to pay 70-80% of the base supplier commission to the agent. Typical industry commissions are around 10-15% of the travel package or cruise booked, so your cut is often roughly 7-12% of the total cost paid by your client, depending on supplier and commission split shoulder.
• You can use your own booking portal, create quotes, create itineraries, and apply for supplier-level certifications or perks if you do enough bookings.

It’s worth noting: actual travel agent earnings are usually modest unless you develop repeat, high-value customers or specialize in a niche where margins are higher.

Income Disclosure: What the Earnings Data Actually Shows

This is one of the most important things to look at. PlanNet Marketing is upfront about their income disclosure statement (IDS). Here’s what the real numbers look like, pulled from their 2024 report:

• Average annual earnings for ALL active Independent Representatives (IRs): US$1,005.84.
• Of those who actually earned a commission or override, that average rises to US$3,210.64 per year.
• Only 21.06% of all registered IRs earned any commission or override. That means 78.94% of all reps did not earn anything from direct commissions or overrides.

Compare those numbers to almost any modern direct sales or MLM kind of setup and you’ll see a familiar pattern. The majority of side-hustlers in these businesses earn less than the monthly fees or never recoup the upfront investment. Top earners (those who really commit to recruiting and network building) can make more, sometimes a lot more, but it is a very small percentage of total reps.

With the travel agent side, commissions come down to how many trips you book and the kinds of clients you attract. If you just sell travel to yourself or family once or twice a year, the odds of covering that ongoing monthly ITA fee quickly slip away.

How are InteleTravel Commissions Calculated?

Travel agent commissions can vary massively across the industry, but InteleTravel uses a pretty standard host agency arrangement. Here’s what I noticed looking into their numbers:

• Supplier commission rates (what the cruise, hotel, or tour operator pays InteleTravel) average between 10-16% of the booking value.
• InteleTravel claims they pay ITAs 70-80% of the commission received.
• For example, say you book a $2,800 cruise for four people. If the cruise supplier offers 14% to InteleTravel, that’s $392 earned by the company. If you, as the agent, get 70% of that, you’ll make $274.40, usually paid after the cruise actually sails.
• Bigger, more complex bookings (package tours, premium cruises, group trips) may earn you a fat single commission cheque. Simple one-off airfare or economy hotel bookings pay far less (sometimes just a few dollars each).

It takes consistent, fairly large or repeat bookings to turn this into a strong side business. Agents who specialize in weddings, luxury, honeymoons, or corporate travel do best, but that’s a tough market to break into if you’re brand new.

Key Claims and Promises from PlanNet Marketing/InteleTravel

If you come across PlanNet Marketing info sessions or look through their promo materials, you’ll see a handful of big claims. Here are the main ones, and how they perform in practice:

• Flexible, homebased business: Yes, this is legit. You can work from anywhere, part-time or full-time, using their online agent dashboard. How much you work is totally up to you.
• Low start-up cost (for rep side): Under $100 to join the MLM side is not a huge leap.
• Travel industry perks and discounts: These exist, but the best FAM trips and “adviser rates” are usually only available to agents with real booking activity. You often need to prove some volume, experience, or certifications with suppliers to get “free” trips or steep discounts.
• Personal booking website and supplier access: True, though the default website is pretty cookiecutter and lives on a subdomain (not a unique brand site unless you pay extra elsewhere). You do get to use supplier portals and attend some live training or industry events if you want.
• Team-based earning potential: This is where PlanNet switches from “travel agent” to “network marketer”, so most people aiming for serious income will focus on recruiting, not individual bookings.

Pros & Cons of PlanNet Marketing and InteleTravel

Pros (What They Do Well)

• Legit access to the travel industry: InteleTravel is a real, accredited host agency. As an agent, you can book travel for real clients and earn normal travel commissions, no tricks.
• Great fit for social, networked individuals: People who thrive on building teams, organizing getaways, and tapping into their local networks might really enjoy this structure.
• Some genuine travel perks: Agents who book lots of trips often qualify for discounted industry rates, some FAM trips, and supplier-level specials.
• Clear cost structure: Unlike some MLMs, the fees here are spelled out pretty clearly, so you know your monthly cost upfront.
• Training for new agents: If you have zero travel experience, their onboarding and learning materials do a decent job covering industry basics.

Cons & Red Flags: The Stuff To Watch Out For

• Most reps or agents don’t earn much: According to PlanNet’s own disclosure, the vast majority don’t make much, and most never make back even the monthly fees.
• Heavy focus on recruitment: The compensation plan heavily rewards bringing in new reps or agents, and travel sales alone are unlikely to support a full-time income unless you go really hard.
• Monthly fees add up quickly: Paying nearly $60/month to keep both sides active chips away at profits, especially if you book only a few trips or go months without a new enrollee.
• Saturation and fierce competition: The homebased agent market is crowded, and you’re competing against both other PlanNet/InteleTravel people and giant online travel agencies everyone already knows (Expedia, Booking.com, direct hotel sites, etc.).
• Upfront hype vs. realistic results: If you attend some PlanNet Marketing events or webinars, you’ll notice a strong focus on the “lifestyle” and money, often underplaying the actual effort or likelihood of earning much as a new rep. Some reports claim many recruits end up losing money after fees are counted.
• Ongoing pressure and misrepresentation risk: Some complaints allege exaggerated claims of income, sometimes bordering on the “work from beach” fantasy. Careful research helps new buyers make informed decisions, and you should definitely ask plenty of questions before joining.
• Travel industry disdain: There is much disdain among members of the traditional travel agency community for MLM travel companies. The reason is most likely that a lot of MLM travel reps go out in the marketplace and market themselves and their company in improper and sometimes scammy ways – thus cheapening the value of travel agencts in general.

Who Is InteleTravel/PlanNet Marketing Best For?

Based on everything I’ve learned, here’s who might actually find value:

• Experienced travel agents or salespeople who want to move into a homebased model, especially those with established clients or event planning backgrounds. That being said, however, experienced travel agents will most likely choose to either work for a traditional travel agency, or become an independent contractor with a traditional host agency – not an MLM.
• Super social connectors who love organizing group travel, family reunions, or high school or college trips.
• People with a large social media following or a knack for sales and recruitment-and who don’t mind coaching their downline through the system.

For those just looking for an easy online side-hustle with no recruiting, little ongoing cost, and almost no sales push, this probably won’t be a great fit. For most older professionals, working parents, or those who want a straightforward online business, the structure and emphasis on team-building can be draining.

Who Should Probably Avoid InteleTravel and PlanNet Marketing?

• Anyone uncomfortable recruiting friends or family, or running regular “opportunity webinars” to build a downline.
• People who want no ongoing fees or business pressure – monthly costs continue whether or not you make sales or recruit.
• Travel hobbyists with no intention of growing a client base beyond themselves or their vacation buddies – the savings may never cover the costs.
• Anyone looking for hands-off, passive online income – there’s real hustle required to make this more than a break-even hobby.
• Those who prefer a clear product or service with no complicated compensation plan or binary organization charts.

How It Compares: Alternatives to InteleTravel + PlanNet Marketing

If you’re a professional over 50, a retiree, (or almost retiree) a parent, or just a side-hustle seeker looking for less risk and more control, there are alternatives that might make more sense.

If you want to sell travel (no MLM):

• If you’re serious about being a travel advisor, look into non-MLM host agencies with strong supplier ties, training, and business tools. Popular names in the space include Nexion Travel Group, Avoya Travel, Outside Agents, Travel Leaders Network affiliates, Cruise Planners (franchise model), among others. Compare: monthly fees, commission splits, mentoring, and tech stack. You’ll still pay a monthly or annual fee, but the focus is 100% on travel bookings and customer service, not constantly growing a sales organization.

If you want a flexible online business (no recruiting):

• Affiliate website/blog: (my pick for most 50+). Choose a niche (travel, books, hobbies, skills). Create helpful content. Monetize with affiliate programs (including travel and non-travel).

Wealthy Affiliate is the platform I use and recommend to learn about affiliate marketing step-by-step – without upsell ladders or recruitment pressure. You can start free, get 2,000 AI credits, and follow a Getting Started path that moves you from idea → site → content → traffic → monetization. It teaches affiliate marketing in any niche (not just travel).

Read my full review of Wealthy Affiliate.

Here’s an example I’ve seen of a “recruiting-first” pitch, along with a misrepresentation of how easy it is to earn commission. While it is true that there is “commission” built into the travel distribution chain, these are misrepresentations about the ease with which you will miraculously have all this business and how much you will actually earn if you do have it. Travel is notoriously competitive, and there are many different distribution channels through which to buy it. This is an over-simplification of the way the travel business and legitimate travel agents work.

InteleTravel only has an average rating on Trustpilot – probably because of the many of the issues I’m mentioned above.

Real User Experiences & Community: What Are Reps and ITAs Saying?

I spent some time browsing forums, Reddit, Facebook groups, and even industry boards. People’s experiences with PlanNet and InteleTravel are pretty mixed. Here are some of the common themes:

• Some reps rave about the community vibe and even say joining helped them get better at personal sales, group organizing, and digital marketing. There’s a strong social or support network.
• An equally loud group says they quickly burned through their own social network and struggled to recruit outside close friends or family. Pressure to build a team or “stay active” was a turn-off for many.
• Some agents love the travel discounts and have gone on FAM trips, but only after steady booking activity and qualifying with supplier certifications. For completely new people, this path can be slower.
• A common complaint: hidden costs (like extra marketing materials or events), mandatory monthly fees, and the reality that most training is geared toward keeping new agents engaged and recruiting, not actually growing a robust travel book of business.

A few reps have found their niche, especially those who already plan destination weddings or family reunions and want a formal way to get travel supplier commissions. But most people don’t make it to that stage before their networks run dry or monthly fees start to outweigh travel perks.

PlanNet Marketing vs. Affiliate Marketing

Sometimes people ask me about the difference between opportunities like PlanNet Marketing (MLM) and classic affiliate marketing when it comes to earning side income online. Here’s my take:

• Affiliate marketing (like blogging or niche websites): You create content, promote products or services through tracked links, and get paid commission only when someone makes a purchase via your unique link. No team-building, no monthly fees, just performance-based payouts. The downside: you must drive your own traffic (SEO, YouTube, email marketing, etc.). The upside: you can choose almost any niche, and there’s no pressure to recruit or mentor others.
• MLM or direct sales model (like PlanNet Marketing): Income is heavily front-loaded to recruiting others (sign-up bonuses, rank bonuses, overrides), but you also have the travel agent product to sell on the side. You have to pay to play (monthly fees), and often you’re encouraged to sell the dream or opportunity, not just the services.

For introverts or solo operators, affiliate programs offer more flexibility and simplicity. You can still work in the travel niche by joining programs from Expedia, Booking.com, or niche cruise or luxury operators. If you genuinely love building teams, coaching, and public speaking, the MLM environment may suit your skills better.

Is PlanNet Marketing a Scam?

No. There’s a real product (the InteleTravel ITA package) and a real host-agency backend. But like many MLMs, most participants don’t earn much and recruiting is central to the comp plan. If you’re evaluating it, use the income disclosure you cited as your baseline reality check and decide whether recruitment and monthly fees fit your goals.

The criticisms mostly come from how the average earnings are low, the bulk of the money goes to recruiting (not actual travel sales), and the lifestyle hype sometimes overshadows the realistic day-to-day work needed. While both companies appear to be operating legally and have real travel industry backends, the MLM recruitment style is a turnoff to many and in some cases may be presented too aggressively by some reps. If something sounds too good to be true, it’s worth checking their income disclosure very closely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

After researching both companies in depth for this InteleTravel and PlanNet Marketing review, here’s my honest conclusion.

If you’re a natural recruiter and you love the social/team element of an MLM style business, you could make this work – with effort.

If, however, your heart is truly in becoming a travel advisor and serving travelers, consider a non-MLM host travel agency that rewards client results, not downline growth of an MLM organization. If this is you and you need help choosing a host agency, check out this Host Agency Reviews site.

If you want a low-pressure online business you can build around your experience, an affiliate website/blog will probably be a much better fit – especially for midlife pros, retirees (or almost retirees), or anyone who brings expertise, a past career or job and some life experience experience to the table.

Want my blueprint for the affiliate website/blog route? I recommend starting with this platform – Wealthy Affiliate. You can join free, explore the training, and see if it clicks (no pun intended)! No credit card, no pressure. If you’d like my help, comment on the post and I’ll point you to the exact starting lessons I suggest.