TravelTube.com Podcast
Earning More as a Travel Advisor with Burt Robertson, TravelingBagsMKE.com
MARK MURPHY
Hi, I'm Mark Murphy with TravelTube.com. If you're a travel advisor, you know it's a grind to make money in any market — hot or not. There are ways to supplement your income beyond trip commissions: selling travel insurance, for example. But today I'm talking with someone who has a genuinely compelling idea for how you can add value for your clients while adding real dollars to your bottom line. Because anything you earn above and beyond your base commission falls straight to profit. You're entrepreneurs — solopreneurs, in many cases — and this is a simple, smart way to grow. I'd like to welcome Burt Robertson. Burt runs a business called TravelingBagsMKE.com. For anyone in the travel industry, you already know what MKE stands for — but Burt, go ahead.
BURT ROBERTSON
MKE is the airport code for Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
MARK MURPHY
A cheesehead — no hat today, but I'll let it slide. Tell us about your company. You've got a robust luggage business with some unique opportunities for travel advisors, and I know you do a lot more than just sell bags.
BURT ROBERTSON
My wife has been in the hospitality industry for decades and runs her own travel agency. About 15 years ago, we met the owner of a luggage store here in Milwaukee. Fast forward six or seven years, that store went up for sale. I had the idea that a luggage store and a travel agency should go great together — so we bought it and never looked back. We now have a 6,000 square foot store in Wisconsin carrying all kinds of luggage, travel goods, and accessories to help people travel better, safer, and on their budget. We also do luggage and bag repairs, and we have a travel agency in-house. The synergy works beautifully. We've also added a massage therapist and a nail technician under our roof, because women drive roughly 80 to 85 percent of all travel worldwide, and pulling those woman-centric services together has been a great formula. Once things were humming along, I started thinking: how can I help travel advisors beyond just the ones working with my wife's agency? We brainstormed with agents we know here in Wisconsin and built a new program.
MARK MURPHY
Let's talk about that program.
BURT ROBERTSON
We call it TARP — the Travel Advisors Reward Program. It's our way of giving travel advisors the respect and support they deserve. The program has four main prongs, and it's free to join. The goals are simple: help advisors save money on things they need, help them serve their clients even better, give them a new revenue stream, and reward them with free items.
MARK MURPHY
Let's start with the first prong — advisors travel a lot themselves. What can you offer for their personal needs?
BURT ROBERTSON
Advisors get 20 to 25 percent off anything they buy in our store. They sign up and receive a personalized discount code, which is for their own use and immediate family only — not for resale or abuse. We do require proof of professional status: a CLIA number, IATA number, or similar credentials. The code is valid for the calendar year and renewed annually. Simple as that.
MARK MURPHY
I love that — advisors appreciate being recognized for their industry status. Now let's talk about one of the products I'm personally a fan of: Briggs & Riley. I have one of their carry-ons, and I think every serious traveler should own one. There's a unique mechanism built into it. Can you explain what makes this bag different from the viral TikTok luggage of the week?
BURT ROBERTSON
Absolutely. Briggs & Riley has been around about 30 years and is consistently rated the number one bag in the world by outlets like Travel + Leisure, Consumer Reports, and other independent reviewers — people who aren't in the business of selling bags. Their flagship line has a built-in compression system that lets you pack 25 to 35 percent more than a similarly sized bag from any other brand. No special vacuum needed — it's integrated into the bag. You pack, compress the air out, and that's it. Air is your enemy when packing; it eats up space. We run a packing class here every month for around 30 people, and every single time, attendees are stunned by what they can fit. My wife is a travel agent who's been to conferences all over the world. On a return from a river cruise conference in Europe, her Briggs carry-on weighed 43 pounds — and she travels with just that and a backpack, so she moves fast through airports. She's close to the 50-pound international limit in a bag that most people would check. That's remarkable. And as every frequent traveler knows, the worst thing that can happen is arriving somewhere without your bag. This eliminates that risk without making you skimp.
MARK MURPHY
And there are carry-on size and weight restrictions in Europe — budget carriers especially want you checking nearly everything.
BURT ROBERTSON
That's true, and it's worth planning around. But here's the other thing that makes Briggs & Riley exceptional: a true lifetime warranty. It covers everything except stains and scratches, for as long as you own the bag — and even if you give it to your kids or a neighbor. Wheels included. Whether the airline damages it or you drag it around Europe for two months and wear it out, Briggs will fix or replace it for free. That changes the value equation entirely. People hesitate at the price point, but if you're a frequent traveler — fam trips, group trips, personal travel — the bag pays for itself in avoided checked bag fees alone. At $35 to $70 each way, that's $70 to $140 round trip. In about six trips, the bag has paid for itself. I've repaired Briggs bags that are 29 years old, still going strong after millions of miles. One customer checks his medium-sized bag 200 to 250 times a year — in ten years, I've replaced one zipper pull. They are genuinely built to last. And they're made from the toughest ballistic nylon in the industry, which no other luggage company uses. So even if you're forced to gate-check, you don't have to fear damage.
MARK MURPHY
I can personally vouch for the frustration of the alternative. My last bag — a decent brand — lost a wheel. Cheapest repair was around $150, shipping it back and forth. For a carry-on I never abused. A wheel just fell off. At that price point, you expect more from a company. With Briggs, you just send it in?
BURT ROBERTSON
A few options, actually. You can take it to any Briggs authorized dealer — they're across the country and around the world. If there isn't one near you, like my customer up in North Dakota, I can ship the part directly to them. Replacing a Briggs wheel takes a Phillips screwdriver, five screws, and about ten minutes. Very DIY-friendly if needed. And yes — the dad joke writes itself: a broken wheel on vacation is a real drag.
MARK MURPHY
Good one. Alright, let's get into the full TARP program. How does the affiliate side work?
BURT ROBERTSON
It's a straightforward affiliate program. Advisors sign up — we verify their professional credentials, so we're only working with legitimate industry professionals — and they receive a unique link to our store. When their clients shop through that link, the advisor earns commission. We handle everything: fulfillment, shipping, customer service, returns. The advisor does nothing except share the link. Commission goes up to 15 percent, plus monthly sales bonuses of up to $750 on top of that. We pay on the first of every month via direct deposit — straight to PayPal or their bank account. No chasing checks. The idea is simple: when Aunt Mary calls and says she needs things for a trip, the advisor has a trusted source to send her to. Quality products, great service, and the advisor earns every time.
MARK MURPHY
And this isn't just luggage — the affiliate commission applies to anything a client buys?
BURT ROBERTSON
Everything. We carry binoculars, electronics, anti-theft bags, security bags, raincoats, travel plug adapters, luggage tags — all the essentials. Online we go even further: travel-themed art, prints, gifts, games, and puzzles. We're approaching 12,000 items in our online store, all travel-related. If someone wants a Paris map print for their living room after a trip, we have that. We're trying to be the one-stop shop for anything travel — before the trip, during, and as a keepsake after.
MARK MURPHY
Say I'm organizing a family reunion for 20 people. What's something an advisor could offer the group as a value-add gift?
BURT ROBERTSON
Smaller items like custom cruise tags are easy and make great group gifts. But we can go bigger. We can produce personalized group t-shirts through a completely streamlined process. The advisor doesn't have to collect sizes from 20 people — we set up a custom link for the group, everyone goes in and selects their own size and style, and we ship directly to each individual. We send the advisor one consolidated invoice. Nobody has to coordinate anything. And we can put the advisor's logo on the shirt — so every person on that river cruise is wearing a walking advertisement for the agent who planned their trip. It's a great conversation starter on the ship. Other passengers ask, 'Where'd you get those?' and suddenly the advisor has a referral. Beyond shirts, we can personalize cups, mugs, tote bags, string backpacks — hundreds of items. And our luggage can be embossed or engraved with names; we can put initials on leather luggage tags as well. The customization options are substantial.
MARK MURPHY
And a small investment in a group gift can pay off big. Spending $20 to generate $400 in bookings is a trade you make every single day.
BURT ROBERTSON
Exactly. And that's really the spirit of everything we're trying to do — help advisors maximize revenue with minimal extra effort. Work smarter, not harder. Find your niche, develop your unique selling proposition. Having something you can offer that nobody else in your market can match is how you stand out. This is one of those things.
MARK MURPHY
What objections do you hear from agents when you first approach them?
BURT ROBERTSON
Locally, the first concern is usually that we're going to steal clients for my wife's agency. But she's busy enough — that's simply not what we're doing. The second is skepticism about whether we're a real, quality operation and how fast we ship. Standard items ship within 48 hours. Personalized items, artwork, and framed prints take a bit longer since they require production, but planning ahead solves that. Beyond that, I haven't encountered many objections. Travel advisors come in regularly to get bags repaired and buy new luggage — they already trust us. TARP is just a natural extension of that relationship, giving them more reach regardless of whether their client base is 50 people or 5,000. Your core followers — your raving fans — are yours. Anything you do to deepen that relationship helps you retain them and generates referrals.
MARK MURPHY
Spot on. And to be clear, there's a real wall between what you do and what a travel agency does. Nobody here is trying to poach clients. You're offering advisors something an advertising specialty shop can't: you're an authorized Briggs & Riley dealer with repair capabilities, plus the customization and gifting side. That combination is genuinely unique. The pitch to their database writes itself — 'Hey, I've partnered with a great travel goods company. Here's a link if you need anything for your next trip.' Simple, useful, not pushy.
BURT ROBERTSON
That's exactly it. And I'm always happy to do a call or a Zoom with any advisor who wants to learn more. I can walk them through the store, answer questions about the program, and be straightforward about what we can and can't do. I'm not trying to oversell anyone — I'd rather be honest and build something that actually works for them long-term. I network with hundreds of people every week and learn constantly. If I know a better way to help an advisor accomplish something, I'll tell them.
MARK MURPHY
Let's talk numbers. Say an advisor has a couple booked on a $15,000 river cruise — they're earning $1,500 in base commission, split with a host agency. Through TARP, that commission goes directly to them, bypassing the host agency split entirely, correct?
BURT ROBERTSON
Correct — we pay the advisor directly, first of every month, straight into their account. So if that couple also buys a Briggs carry-on — which retails around $779 — the advisor earns roughly $100 in additional commission. Hit $1,000 in total commissions in a month and bonuses kick in on top of that. It adds up quickly when you consider that most of your clients are going to need something before every trip.
MARK MURPHY
And the sign-up link is not public — it's exclusive to TravelTube's audience for now. It's tbmke.com/TARP. Burt, thank you so much for joining us today.
BURT ROBERTSON
Thanks for having us, Mark. Really appreciate it.
MARK MURPHY
For travel advisors listening: this is a straightforward opportunity to earn incremental revenue by meeting a need your clients already have. Every traveler needs luggage and travel gear — why not earn when they buy it? Visit TravelingBagsMKE.com, explore the store, and sign up at tbmke.com/TARP. And if you haven't already, follow TravelTube on every podcast platform and all the social channels. I'm Mark Murphy — thanks for your time, and I'll see you next week.
