Medlife vs Hays Travel Homeworking – What’s the Real Difference?

If you’ve been researching how to become a travel agent from home in the UK, chances are you’ve come across Hays Travel Homeworking and Medlife Holidays. One’s a household name on the high street. The other? A rising star shaking up the homeworking model with a fresh, digital-first approach.

But how do they really compare?

If you're deciding between big-brand backing and independent flexibility, this post breaks it all down — startup costs, commission, support, and everything in between — without the hard sell.

Let’s go.

🔴 Medlife Holidays Homeworking

• UK-based homeworking travel agency

• Specialises in Rhodes, Turkey & full UK market

• Independent brand with modern systems, SEO & social focus

• Member of the Travel Trust Association (TTA)

• Offers 2-tier homeworking packages: Ignite & Velocity

🔵 Hays Travel Homeworking

• Long-established name with over 500 homeworkers

• Known for high street branches and national advertising

• Franchise-style model with options for experienced and new agents

• Offers both Personal Travel Consultant & Independence Group models

Let’s talk numbers (the kind that leave your bank account).

Verdict:
Medlife is fully transparent: flat fee, no hidden surprises. Hays appears cheaper at first glance, but extras for systems, tech and admin can creep in — especially if you're starting fresh.

👉 Compare Medlife Homeworking Packages

This is where things get murky. Many host agencies don’t publicly share their full commission structure — but here’s what we do know.

Verdict:
Medlife is direct: you know exactly what percentage you’re earning, and it’s the same for every agent on that plan. Hays’ rates depend on which model you’re in and how experienced you are.

Training should help you launch fast — not confuse you with jargon from 2013.

Verdict:
Medlife’s training is built around 2025 travel habits — social proof, content creation, funnels, automation. Hays offers solid travel system training, but less on how to actually grow an audience online.

You need more than a booking login. You need a functioning brand.

Verdict:
Medlife gives new agents real tools to stand out online — not just logos and business cards. Hays? You’re often left to build your own brand, or you stay under theirs.

👉 See what’s included with Medlife Velocity

The difference between feeling like a founder or just another code in the system.

Verdict:
Medlife's smaller scale means more personalised support — you get guidance, not just group chats. Hays has a larger community, which can be great, but some agents report feeling lost in the crowd unless they’re already confident.

❌ No corporate jargon or “leadership summits” with lanyards

❌ No £10,000 business coaching upsells

❌ No pressure to meet sales targets or hit “team bonuses”

❌ No cookie-cutter branding — you build your own with our help!

• You’re new to travel and want modern training

• You value freedom to brand yourself

• You want fast setup and clear pricing

• You’re sick of corporate nonsense

• You want a bookable website without paying £5k+ for it

• You love being part of a known brand

• You prefer a network with regional team structure

• You’re less focused on social/digital marketing

At the end of the day, Hays is a trusted industry giant — but Medlife is a fast-growing, modern alternative that gives you tools most franchises don’t touch.

If you want your own travel business with support, branding freedom, and a setup that doesn’t cost a small car, Medlife is very much worth a look.

You won’t get a lanyard. But you might just build a brilliant, profitable Travel Agentbusiness — from your kitchen table.

✅ Compare Medlife’s Ignite & Velocity Packages

📩 Join the Medlife Waitlist – New Cohort Opens Soon