Planning a trip leaves little room for error. Dates have to align, payments need to be processed correctly, and once flights, hotels, and transfers are booked, even a small problem can throw off the entire itinerary. Most travelers don’t think much about how many moving parts are involved until something goes wrong.
People considering a career as a travel agent wrestle with their own concerns. Before committing, they want to know how the commission structure works, what kind of support they'll have after onboarding ends, and who will step in when issues inevitably come up.
BWJ Travel was formed with both sides in mind. Founded by brothers Edwin and Jacob Sarkisyan, the company supports independent travel consultants throughout the United States while also coordinating travel for leisure clients booking cruises, all-inclusive resorts, and resort-based vacations.
Its roots trace back more than 30 years to the early 1990s, when the brothers’ father, Vic Sarkisyan, immigrated to the United States and opened a small Los Angeles agency called SVH Tours & Travel Services. He built the business while working multiple jobs, including valet and restaurant work, at a time when his monthly rent was just $100.
That business eventually grew into a nationally recognized agency, known for its long-standing client relationships and its focus on bringing families and friends together through travel.
Edwin and Jacob were immersed in the business from an early age, helping with day-to-day tasks, watching bookings come together, and learning firsthand how much responsibility comes with planning trips for others. As adults, they helped expand SVH Travel before launching BWJ Travel, carrying their father’s original mission forward on a much larger scale.
With decades of hands-on industry experience behind it, BWJ Travel sets a higher standard for how modern travel agencies support both travelers and the professionals planning their journeys.
Setting Travel Agents Up for Success
BWJ Travel operates as a host travel agency, meaning independent consultants book travel under its umbrella while maintaining their own client relationships. Agents earn 80 percent of the commission on each booking, with BWJ Travel keeping just 20 percent.
“This is drastically different from most host agencies, who usually have a 50/50 split or some other arrangement that tends to be less favorable to the agents,” the company said.
Once agents complete a short onboarding process, they can begin working almost immediately. BWJ Travel provides clients directly to its agents, addressing one of the biggest obstacles new consultants face when entering the industry. Agents are still free to work with travelers outside of the ones provided, especially those within their own niches.
Inside the Agent Portal, agents use a CRM system labeled Data Management to track clients, trips, bookings, and commission earnings in one place. Sherpa, a third-party tool used to research visa and travel document requirements for destinations worldwide, is integrated directly into the portal. Credit card authorization forms are also built in, allowing agents to securely collect client payment approvals as part of the booking process.
Agents have access to an AI chatbot as well, which is trained to answer many basic questions. For more complex situations, a professional support team is available by phone, text, and email.
Twice each week, agents can join live booking and support calls. During these sessions, co-founder Jacob Sarkisyan walks through active reservations step by step and role-plays common travel scenarios. This allows the company to address questions as they come up rather than after small issues have already escalated into larger problems.
In addition to these calls, BWJ Travel hosts live webinars led by travel suppliers and a biweekly interactive podcast. The podcast covers travel news, industry trends, and business and marketing topics related to travel planning, with time set aside at the end for agents to ask questions directly.
BWJ Travel works closely with major travel brands such as Royal Caribbean, ALG Vacations, and Apple Vacations. These partnerships give agents direct access to established booking channels and on-the-ground support. The company also holds platinum status with Expedia TAAP, which allows agents to earn the highest commission tier available when booking through the platform.
One Trip, Fewer Loose Ends
From a client’s perspective, the process is designed to feel straightforward, even though a lot is happening behind the scenes. Travel planning through BWJ Travel typically begins with accommodations, including hotels, motels, and vacation rental properties.
Vacation rentals are available through Expedia TAAP’s partnership with VRBO, which allows trips to be built around what fits the traveler’s plans rather than forcing travelers into limited options. Agents also book domestic and international flights of all fare types through several suppliers, with Downtown Travel serving as the preferred option for flight-only bookings.
Cruises make up a significant share of itineraries as well, including both ocean and river sailings. Car rentals, airport transfers, tours, excursions, and activities are also arranged as part of the same booking process, allowing clients to have their trips coordinated through a single point of contact rather than pieced together across multiple platforms.
Most of the clients entering the system are leisure travelers planning cruise vacations or all-inclusive resort trips with family members, friends, or significant others. That said, agents are not limited to those travelers. Some focus on solo travelers interested in historic destinations across Europe, while others work primarily with couples planning romantic getaways.
When questions or concerns come up during the booking process, the team ensures that they listen first in order to fully understand the situation. They start by reviewing the details of the request or issue to determine whether it stems from a misunderstanding, a breakdown in communication, or an error.
If clarification is needed, the team explains the situation as openly as possible and then works with the client to reach a practical resolution. When a mistake does occur, BWJ Travel takes responsibility, provides an appropriate solution, and reviews its internal processes to help prevent similar issues in the future.
From First Reservation to Second Nature
At BWJ Travel, training doesn’t stop once onboarding is complete. Because many agents start without prior industry experience, education is built into the ongoing workflow rather than treated as a one-time requirement.
New agents begin with a certification program that follows a structured lesson plan. It covers BWJ Travel’s internal tools alongside the fundamentals of booking travel for clients.
Live training continues on a weekly basis and is led by Jacob Sarkisyan, Edwin Sarkisyan, booking advisor Curt Chandler, and representatives from trusted travel suppliers. Edwin’s meetings focus on navigating the Agent Portal and making better use of its features, while Chandler’s sessions are all about real reservations, booking questions, and practical scenarios agents encounter as they work.
Chandler joined the company in 2023, and although he didn’t have a background in the travel industry, it didn’t take long for him to make an impression.
“What he lacked in experience, he made up for in curiosity, passion, and work ethic,” BWJ Travel said.
Within a few months, he was confidently handling client reservations and completing bookings for multiple destinations. Since then, he has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel sales.
“It didn’t take long for us to recognize not only his talent, but his genuine love for travel and natural desire to support his fellow agents,” the company said. “As our team expanded, it was a no-brainer to bring him onboard as our dedicated booking advisor.”
Today, Chandler supports BWJ Travel’s agents as they work through the same learning curve he once did.
The BWJ Difference
At BWJ Travel, credibility comes from consistency rather than big claims. Leadership stays involved in the day-to-day work, maintaining close relationships with agents, clients, and suppliers instead of stepping away once systems are in place. As the travel industry continues to evolve, the company remains focused on the fundamentals.
That means paying attention to how people are supported after onboarding, how clearly expectations are communicated, and how responsibly issues are handled when plans do not unfold as expected. Improvement is treated as an ongoing responsibility, not a finished goal.
“Ultimately, we are always looking to improve ourselves and the way that we operate,” the company said. “The travel industry is always changing and growing, it is our responsibility to change and grow with it.”
Taken together, BWJ Travel’s approach reflects lessons learned over decades in the industry. Travel works best when the people behind it stay accountable, remain accessible, and continue learning alongside the travelers and agents they serve.
