Seeking to increase its hotel and vacation package distribution, Orbitz introduced a travel agent website which enables travel professionals globally to earn commission and tack on their own service fees and markups.

The standard commisson is 10% for hotels and 4% for vacation packages.

Although Orbitz did not highlight it in its announcement, Orbitz for Agents also pays a $5 flat fee on air bookings and 60% net revenue on travel insurance booked in tandem with vacation packages.

Orbitz spokesman Brian Hoyt says this agent-specific functionality, which uses the Neat Group platform as a foundation, goes well beyond the Orbitz affiliate program, which basically is a revenue-share plan. Here are details on the existing affiliate program and its fee structure.

The travel agency program is part of Orbitz Worldwide’s strategy to make up for some lost time regarding areas — distribution, its hotel business in Asia, its private label business — which may have received inadequate attention in years’ past.

With Orbitz for Agents travel agents can earn commissions, retain the primary relationship with their clients and have access to Orbitz Worldwide’s global hotel inventory as they customize vacation packages,” Hoyt says. Orbitz is the merchant of record and service fees are itemized separately.

Orbitz is running a promotion where the first 500 travel agents to sign up and make a booking by March 15 would earn 12% commission on hotels and 5% on packages through March 31, 2011.

The agent website also features “real-time revenue and sales reporting,” Orbitz says.

Commission payments are mailed monthly for travel “consumed” in the prior month, Orbitz says.

Here’s a FAQ on the fine print.

The Orbitz program is open to travel agents globally.

Related posts:

Orbitz launches new US branding campaign and tag line

Ebookers joins the offline travel agent affiliate movement

Guarantee fight — Orbitz to Travelocity: Where’s the competitive advantage?