Smart Flyer
SmartFlyer is a New York-based luxury travel agency operating a host-agency model with 200+ independent travel advisors across the US, Europe, Australia, and Latin America, serving high-net-worth travelers via supplier commissions and planning fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Smart Flyer does
SmartFlyer is a New York-based, privately held luxury travel agency operating since 2010 under Founder & CEO Michael Holtz and COO & Managing Partner Erina Pindar. The company functions as a host agency for a network of over 200 affiliated independent travel advisors spanning the United States, Europe, Australia, and (as of April 2026) Latin America. Advisors use the SmartFlyer brand, platform, and supplier relationships to serve high-net-worth leisure and corporate clients with custom itineraries, hotel bookings, flights and private charter, villa and yacht experiences, and milestone celebrations.
The underlying business is relationship-driven rather than technology-driven. Core capabilities include preferred-partner status with 50+ luxury hotel brands (Four Seasons, Rosewood, Belmond, Mandarin Oriental, Aman, Rocco Forte, among others), Virtuoso network membership, and curated editorial content (destination guides, industry intel, annual travel trends reports). Distribution combines direct-to-consumer digital channels (website inquiry forms, blog, Instagram, email newsletter, press coverage) with the affiliated-advisor network that handles fulfillment. Technology appears limited to standard agency back-office and CRM systems; no proprietary AI, app, or API products are disclosed.
Revenue is generated through two streams: (1) supplier commissions on hotel, resort, airline, and tour-operator bookings made through affiliated advisors, and (2) client planning fees for custom itinerary design, billed on a quote-based, pay-as-you-go basis. Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company has not raised institutional funding rounds and operates without a parent company, suggesting organic, founder-led growth funded by operating cash flow.
Smart Flyer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smart Flyer
- Legal name
- SmartFlyer, Inc.
- Website
- https://smartflyer.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- SmartFlyer is a New York-based luxury travel agency operating a host-agency model with 200+ independent travel advisors across the US, Europe, Australia, and Latin America, serving high-net-worth travelers via supplier commissions and planning fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smart Flyer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Travel Services
- NAICS
- Travel Agencies (561510), Travel Agencies (56151), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Concierge & Luxury Personal Itinerary Design (THAKAOAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury & Premium Leisure Travel Agencies (THAKABAC), Fee-Based/Independent Trip Planners (No Booking) (THAKAOAA), VIP/Executive Helicopter Transport (THABAGAH), Luxury Cruise + Land Expedition Operators (Cruise-Tour Programs) (THAEABAH)
Keywords
Where Smart Flyer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Smart Flyer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Travel Agency Commissions: SmartFlyer earns commissions from hotels, resorts, airlines, and travel suppliers when advisors book travel on behalf of clients. The agency has preferred partner relationships with major luxury hotel brands.
- Client Planning Fees: SmartFlyer charges planning fees for custom itinerary design. The website states 'Planning fees apply' for trip planning services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom luxury travel planning services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Smart Flyer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SmartFlyer is a full-service luxury travel agency that connects clients with a global network of over 200 independent travel advisors to design custom itineraries, book luxury hotels, flights, private charters, villas, and celebrations. The company also serves as a host agency providing branding, supplier relationships, and operational support to independent luxury travel advisors.
Product overview
SmartFlyer is a full-service luxury travel agency built for curious travelers. The company operates as a host agency connecting clients with a global network of over 200 independent travel advisors based across the United States, Europe, and Australia. The core offering centers on personalized travel planning services delivered through vetted advisors who provide curated recommendations, custom itineraries, and access to exclusive travel experiences including hotels, flights, private charter, villas, celebrations, and corporate travel. The agency's proprietary platform and advisor relationships enable clients to access priority waitlists, room upgrades, and exclusive amenities through partnerships with luxury hotel brands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Leisure Travel Planning Custom leisure travel planning service for high-net-worth individuals seeking curated vacations, honeymoons, safaris, villa stays, and multi-generational family trips. Personalized itineraries designed by vetted travel advisors using SmartFlyer's preferred hotel and supplier partnerships.
- Flights & Private Charter Booking service for commercial flights and private aviation charters, including boutique private aviation operators like Tradewind Aviation for routes to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and St. Barths.
- Corporate Travel Corporate travel management service providing businesses with high-end travel booking and itinerary management for executives and teams.
- Celebrations Travel Planning Specialized trip planning for milestone celebrations including weddings, milestone birthdays, anniversaries, and group reunion trips.
- Cruise Booking Service Luxury cruise booking service led by SmartFlyer's Head of Cruise, featuring premium cruise lines including Four Seasons Yachts, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, and Orient Express Sailing Yachts.
- Independent Travel Advisor Host Agency Program Host agency program providing independent luxury travel advisors with the SmartFlyer brand, supplier relationships, preferred partner perks, operational support, and platform to serve their own clients as independent contractors.
Quantifiable outcome
- 26% increase in six-figure bookings year-over-year
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Smart Flyer
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Smart Flyer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Smart Flyer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.
- Journey MexicocoreSmartFlyer partnered with Journey Mexico as in-destination experts for Mexico City and Puebla itineraries, providing local expertise and ground operations for customized travel experiences in Mexico.
- Four Seasons Hotels & ResortskeyPreferred partner with Four Seasons. SmartFlyer advisors book clients at Four Seasons properties globally, with clients receiving Virtuoso perks and exclusive amenities.
- Rosewood Hotels & ResortskeyPreferred hotel partner. Featured in SmartFlyer hotel reviews and itineraries. Rosewood Puebla specifically recommended in Mexico City & Puebla itinerary.
- BelmondkeyPreferred partner. SmartFlyer features Belmond hotels including Hotel Cipriani, Splendido, and Orient Express train journeys in Italy itineraries.
- Mandarin Oriental Hotel GroupkeyPreferred hotel partner featured in SmartFlyer luxury travel content and client bookings.
- Aman ResortskeyFeatured hotel partner. Aman Rosa Alpina in the Dolomites and other Aman properties featured in SmartFlyer travel content.
- Rocco Forte HotelskeyFeatured hotel partner with multiple properties covered in SmartFlyer editorial content including Hotel de Russie, Brown's Hotel, and Hotel Savoy.
- The Carlton Milan (Rocco Forte)keyRocco Forte's new 71-key hotel opening in Milan's golden triangle in 2026, featured in SmartFlyer's 2026 travel trends report.
- Orient Express Sailing YachtskeyFeatured as a transformative new cruising option. The Orient Express Corinthian sailing yacht launching June 2026 is highlighted in SmartFlyer travel trends.
- Four Seasons YachtskeySmartFlyer's Head of Cruise Saul Fonseca quoted on how Four Seasons Yachts is redefining luxury cruising, with initial voyage bookings predominantly from first-time cruisers.
- The Ritz-Carlton Yacht CollectionkeyFeatured yacht partner. SmartFlyer covers The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection including the third vessel Luminara and its inaugural voyage.
- Tradewind AviationcoreRecommended boutique private aviation operator with Pilatus PC-12s offering scheduled service to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and St. Barths. Provides semi-private luxury flights for SmartFlyer clients.
- VirtuosocoreSmartFlyer participates in the Virtuoso network, giving advisors access to enhanced hotel partnerships, exclusive client amenities, and credibility in the luxury travel space.
- SIONkeyErina Pindar serves as Chair of SION's Advisory Board. SION is an innovative technology company in the travel agency space, providing payment processing for travel agencies.
- LuciakeyErina Pindar sits on the Board of Advisors for Lucia, an innovative technology company revolutionizing the travel agency space.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Smart Flyer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Black Tomato: Black Tomato is a luxury travel agency offering bespoke itineraries and experiential trips for high-net-worth clients. Highly comparable to SmartFlyer's custom luxury itinerary design, advisor-driven model, and HNW persona.
- Scott Dunn: Scott Dunn is a luxury tour operator specializing in tailor-made holidays and villa rentals for affluent travelers. Direct competitor in the premium tailor-made leisure travel segment with similar supplier-partner strategy and global footprint.
- Kensington Tours: Kensington Tours designs private, custom luxury trips worldwide with a network of destination experts. Operates in the same bespoke luxury-travel space as SmartFlyer with comparable advisor-style service and HNW targeting.
- FROSCH: FROSCH is a luxury and corporate travel management company specializing in high-end leisure and corporate travel. Competes directly with SmartFlyer in luxury leisure and corporate travel for HNW and executive clients.
- TCS World Travel: TCS World Travel operates luxury private-jet expeditions and bespoke guided trips. Comparable HNW positioning and experiential luxury travel focus, though TCS emphasizes group-jet expeditions while SmartFlyer is itinerary-led.
- Embark Beyond: Embark Beyond is a luxury travel advisory (formerly Ensemble Travel-advisor network) curating bespoke trips for affluent travelers. Comparable luxury advisor model and HNW client segment.
Broad incumbents
- Travel Leaders Group: Travel Leaders Group is a large traditional travel-agency network with leisure and corporate divisions. Larger incumbent that competes with SmartFlyer in luxury and corporate travel but lacks SmartFlyer's curated HNW branding focus.
Others
- Virtuoso: Virtuoso is a network of luxury travel agencies and advisors that SmartFlyer belongs to. Not a direct competitor but a channel/infrastructure peer; comparable as a luxury-travel ecosystem player whose terms and supplier relationships shape SmartFlyer's economics.
- Tradewind Aviation: Tradewind Aviation is a boutique private-aviation operator that is already a SmartFlyer partner (Pilatus PC-12 scheduled service). Adjacent peer rather than competitor; useful benchmark for the private-charter portion of SmartFlyer's offering.
Emerging players
- Roar Beyond: Roar Beyond is an emerging luxury travel platform/advisory focused on premium experiential trips. Overlaps with SmartFlyer's experiential, HNW positioning but at earlier scale and via a tech-led platform model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Smart Flyer social profiles
Digital presenceSmart Flyer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smart Flyer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Smart Flyer subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Smart Flyer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smart Flyer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Smart Flyer
What does Smart Flyer do?
SmartFlyer is a full-service luxury travel agency that connects clients with a global network of over 200 independent travel advisors to design custom itineraries, book luxury hotels, flights, private charters, villas, and celebrations. The company also serves as a host agency providing branding, supplier relationships, and operational support to independent luxury travel advisors.
Is Smart Flyer a public or private company?
Smart Flyer is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smart Flyer founded?
Smart Flyer was founded in 2010. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Smart Flyer based?
Smart Flyer is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Smart Flyer make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Travel Agency Commissions are the primary driver. The others are client Planning Fees.
Who are Smart Flyer's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Black Tomato, Scott Dunn, Kensington Tours, FROSCH, TCS World Travel and Embark Beyond. Travel Leaders Group is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are Virtuoso and Tradewind Aviation. Roar Beyond is listed as an emerging player.
Does Smart Flyer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smart Flyer.
What industry is Smart Flyer in?
Smart Flyer's product category is Luxury Travel Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAOAB, Concierge & Luxury Personal Itinerary Design, with a secondary code of THAKABAC, Luxury & Premium Leisure Travel Agencies. Its NAICS code is 561510 and its SIC code is 4522.