Every airline booking is a platform for additional revenue — but most agents process the flight and move on, leaving significant commission on the table. According to IdeaWorksCompany, ancillary products represent 15-20% of airline revenue globally. For agents, each missed ancillary is a missed commission opportunity AND a missed chance to improve the customer's travel experience.
Here are 12 ancillary opportunities that agents consistently overlook — with selling scripts and expected revenue impact for each.
1. Extra Legroom Seats
What it is: Seats with 4-8 inches of additional pitch, typically in exit rows or dedicated extra-legroom sections.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £25-£80 per flight (short-haul); £60-£200 (long-haul) |
| Agent attach rate | 12% (vs 30% direct channel) |
| Best customers | Tall passengers, business travellers, long-haul economy flyers, elderly passengers |
Selling script: "For a [duration] flight, I'd recommend extra legroom — it's £[price] and makes a noticeable difference to comfort. Would you like me to check availability?"
Revenue impact: A family of 4 on a long-haul return with extra legroom = £480-£1,600 in additional booking value.
2. Pre-Purchased Baggage
What it is: Additional checked bags or excess weight purchased at booking, typically 30-50% cheaper than airport charges.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £20-£50 per bag (short-haul); £40-£100 per bag (long-haul) |
| Agent attach rate | 22% (vs 35% direct) |
| Best customers | Families, holiday travellers, returnees visiting family, shoppers |
Selling script: "Your fare includes [X] bags. I'd suggest pre-booking an extra bag for the return — it's £[price] now versus £[higher price] at the airport. Most people come back with more than they went with!"
3. Lounge Access Day Passes
What it is: Single-use access to airport lounges for passengers not travelling in premium cabins. See: How to Sell Lounge Access.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £25-£50 per person per visit |
| Agent attach rate | 5% (vs 15% direct) |
| Best customers | Business travellers, couples celebrating, passengers with long layovers, families with young children |
Selling script: "Your connection in [hub] is 3 hours. For £[price], the lounge gives you comfortable seating, unlimited food and drinks, Wi-Fi, and somewhere quiet to wait. Much better than the gate area — shall I add it?"
4. Airport Fast-Track Security
What it is: Dedicated security lane that reduces wait times from 20-40 minutes to under 5 minutes at busy airports.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £6-£15 per person |
| Agent attach rate | 4% (vs 18% direct) |
| Best customers | Business travellers, families with children, nervous flyers, early morning departures |
Selling script: "For an early morning departure from Heathrow, I'd add fast-track security — it's only £[price] per person and saves 20-30 minutes of queuing. Especially useful with an 06:00 flight."
5. In-Flight Wi-Fi Packages
What it is: Pre-purchased internet access for the duration of the flight, typically cheaper when bought in advance.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £8-£25 per flight (messaging); £15-£50 (full browsing/streaming) |
| Agent attach rate | 8% (vs 25% direct) |
| Best customers | Business travellers needing to work, families with children, social media users, long-haul passengers |
Selling script: "Would you like me to add Wi-Fi for the flight? The package covers the whole journey and it's cheaper to pre-book. It's great for keeping the kids entertained on a [duration] flight."
6. Premium Meal Pre-Orders
What it is: Pre-ordered meals in economy that offer better quality and guaranteed choice versus standard onboard options.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £8-£20 per meal (short-haul buy-on-board); £15-£40 (long-haul upgrade) |
| Agent attach rate | 3% (vs 12% direct) |
| Best customers | Special dietary requirements, food enthusiasts, long-haul economy passengers |
Selling script: "You can pre-order your meals for the flight — it guarantees your choice and the premium option is a definite step up. Especially worth it for the overnight flight back."
7. Airport Parking
What it is: Pre-booked airport parking, typically at a discount versus drive-up rates.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £40-£150 per week depending on airport and product |
| Agent attach rate | 8% (most agents don't offer) |
| Best customers | All customers driving to the airport |
Selling script: "Are you driving to the airport? I can book parking for you — it's usually 20-30% cheaper than booking direct, and I'll pick the best option for your terminal."
8. Airport Hotel Stays
What it is: Pre-departure or post-arrival hotel stays at airport properties — sometimes with parking and lounge included.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £60-£200 per night; parking-hotel-lounge packages £100-£250 |
| Agent attach rate | 10% (only for very early/late flights) |
| Best customers | Early morning departures, late arrivals, passengers with long drives to the airport |
Selling script: "With a 06:00 departure, have you thought about staying at the airport hotel the night before? I can book a room with parking included — you just walk to the terminal in the morning. No stress."
9. Transfer Services
What it is: Pre-booked transfers between airport and accommodation — private cars, shared shuttles, or VIP services.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £20-£100 (shared shuttle); £50-£300 (private transfer) |
| Agent attach rate | 15% (but often booked through separate suppliers) |
| Best customers | All customers arriving at unfamiliar airports, families, business travellers, luxury travellers |
Selling script: "Would you like me to arrange an airport transfer? A private car will be waiting with your name — no queuing for taxis or working out public transport with luggage."
10. Travel Insurance with Flight-Specific Cover
What it is: Travel insurance that specifically covers flight cancellation, missed connections, delayed baggage, and airline insolvency.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £30-£120 per trip depending on destination and duration |
| Agent attach rate | 20% (many agents sell own product) |
| Best customers | All customers — particularly those with connecting flights, pre-booked activities, or high-value holidays |
Selling script: "Your itinerary includes a connection in [hub]. I'd recommend our travel insurance — it specifically covers missed connections, which standard policies sometimes don't. It's £[price] for complete peace of mind."
11. Carbon Offset
What it is: Voluntary carbon offset programmes that fund environmental projects to compensate for flight emissions. See: Sustainable Aviation Selling.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £5-£30 per flight |
| Agent attach rate | 2% (massively underutilised) |
| Best customers | Environmentally conscious travellers, corporate travellers with sustainability policies |
Selling script: "Would you like to offset the carbon emissions for your flights? It's only £[price] and funds [specific project]. It's something more and more of my clients are doing."
12. Upgrade Bidding / Waitlist
What it is: Some airlines allow passengers to bid for upgrades or join upgrade waitlists at prices below the full premium cabin fare.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Typical price | £100-£1,500 depending on route and cabin class |
| Agent attach rate | 1% (most agents don't mention it) |
| Best customers | Flexible travellers, celebratory occasions, business travellers who'd love business class but booked economy |
Selling script: "[Airline] offers upgrade bidding — you can bid on a business class upgrade from £[price]. There's no guarantee, but if your bid is accepted, you'll get the full [business class] experience for a fraction of the normal price. Worth trying for a special trip like this."
The Cumulative Impact
If an agent adds just 3-4 ancillaries per booking:
| Scenario | Economy Flight Only | With Ancillaries |
|---|---|---|
| Flight (London-Tenerife, family of 4) | £1,200 | £1,200 |
| Extra legroom (4 seats, return) | — | +£200 |
| Extra bag (return, 1 bag) | — | +£50 |
| Airport parking (1 week) | — | +£85 |
| Fast-track security (4 people) | — | +£40 |
| Total | £1,200 | £1,575 |
| Agent commission (12%) | £144 | £189 |
That's 31% more commission from the same booking — simply by asking 4 questions that take under 60 seconds.
Across 500 bookings per year, those 4 questions generate an additional £22,500 in commission — the equivalent of a salary uplift earned through knowledge and confidence.
Building Your Ancillary Selling Habit
| Step | Action | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learn every ancillary available for your top 5 airlines | AI training modules |
| 2 | Memorise the 60-second ancillary conversation | Roleplay practice |
| 3 | Set a personal attach-rate target (start with 40%) | Performance tracking |
| 4 | Track your ancillary revenue weekly | Personal spreadsheet or dashboard |
| 5 | Share success with colleagues | Team meetings; create positive competition |
Build your ancillary selling skills with TravAI →
This article is part of our Airline Sales & Trade series. Related reading:
