8 In-Flight Magazines That Pay Well for Travel Writing

08/6/08  Print this post Print this post    7 Comments   Popular   Written by Preethi Burkholder
    Share

Photo courtesy of Hiromy. Featured photo by Sam Garza.

Here are some simple steps to getting your travel writing off the ground.

[Editor's Note: This article was updated on January 8, 2010.]

Writing for in-flight magazines is one of the best ways of earning money as a travel writer. Most countries have a national carrier and many have an in-flight magazine to keep passengers entertained during their flights. These magazines consider articles on a wide variety of topics, such as:

  • Destination
  • Food
  • Entertainment
  • Arts
  • Book reviews
  • Spa / health
  • Business
  • Wildlife and the environment
  • Most in-flight magazines don’t have websites, so in many cases, the easiest way to find out about them and connect with them is by taking a sample issue on a flight. In flight magazines can also be obtained through:

  • Local chambers of commerce
  • Libraries
  • Travel agencies
  • Tour operating services
  • Tourism and chamber resort associations
  • Compared to consumer magazine publishers, in-flight magazines tend to pay a higher rate for travel writers. Some may pay as much as $5,000 for a three page feature with photographs. Typically, rates vary between $0.25-$1 per word.

    The number of people reading the magazine tends to be larger than regular consumer magazines. Take for example the Los Angeles to Singapore flight on Singapore Airlines. Think about the number of passengers on every flight and the number of daily flights going to Singapore.

    Not only is the book made available on the seat of every passenger on that particular flight but it is also available on every other Singapore Airlines flight. These are potentially hundreds of thousands of travelers reading your article every month.

    Photo courtesy of Hyougushi.

    Magazine Contacts

    American Eagle Airlines

    Latitudes
    HCP/Aboard Publishing
    One Herald Plaza, 4th Floor
    Miami, FL 33132
    Fax: (305) 995-8108
    www.eaglelatitudes.com

    For publication copies, contact:.
    (305) 376-5278 or 376-5258

    Topics

    Music, shopping, book reviews, destination travel articles, Florida, Bahamas, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, and more.

    Photo courtesy of Christina.

    United Airlines

    Hemispheres
    INK Publishing
    68 Jay Street Suite 315
    Brooklyn, NY 11201
    347-294-1220

    mike.guy@ink-publishing.com
    www.hemispheresmagazine.com

    Topics

    Festivals, destination travel, food, beach activities, and more

    Hawaiian Airlines

    Hana Hou!
    1144 10th Avenue, Suite 401
    Honolulu, HI 96816
    Phone: 808.733.3333
    Toll free: 888.733.3336
    Fax: 808.733.3340
    www.hanahou.com

    Topics
    Include dance, music, tropical fruits, destination pieces on Hawaii, green living, diving, and more

    Southwest Airlines

    Spirit Magazine
    Pace Communications, Inc.
    Suite 360
    2811 McKinney Avenue
    Dallas, Texas 75204
    Fax: (214) 580-2491
    Phone: (214) 580-8070
    www.spiritmag.com

    Topics
    Inlcude destination travel (Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona etc), book reviews, food, profiles, and more

    Photo courtesy of John Joh.

    American Airlines

    American Way Magazine
    4333 Amon Carter Blvd. MD 5374
    Fort Worth, TX 76155
    Phone: 817-967-1804
    editor@americanwaymag.com
    www.americanwaymag.com

    Topics

    Destination pieces, food, sports, music, entertainment, and more.

    Delta Airlines

    Delta-Sky
    www.delta-sky.com

    Topics

    Destination travel (Spain, Mexico York, Paris, Montreal, Florida, Texas, Boston, etc), food, sports, celebrity life, and more.

    Airtran Airways

    GO
    Go Magazine
    INK Publishing
    68 Jay Street, Suite 315
    Brooklyn, NY 11201
    (347) 294-1220
    www.AirTranMagazine.com

    Direct all pitches to:
    EDITORIAL at AIRTRANMAGAZINE dot COM

    Topics
    Destination travel (Mexico, Texas, Arizona, New Orleans, Iowa City, Seattle, Georgia, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago etc), music, and entertainment.

    Emirates Airline

    Open Skies
    Motivate Publishing
    PO Box 2331
    Dubai, UAE
    Tel. +971-4-282-4060
    Fax. +971-4-282-4436
    Editor: guido@motivate.ae
    www.motivatepublishing.com

    Topics
    Destination travel (Dubai, Sri Lanka, London, Switzerland, Maldives, Indonesia, India, and more).

    Community Connection

    What other in flight magazines have you written for? Please let us know in the comments.

    Looking to become a better writer or make the leap to professional freelancer?

    MatadorU is the most supportive, engaging, and innovative community of students and teachers anywhere on the web. Together, we’re helping students accelerate their careers as travel writers and new media professionals. Join Us!


      Share

    About the Author

    Preethi Burkholder

    Preethi Burkholder is the author of three books and hundreds of magazine publications. She writes about American travel and about her homeland, the exotic island of Sri Lanka. Visit her website at www.giftedhandswriting.com

    7 Comments... join the discussion!

    • Travel-Writers-Exchange.com replied on April 17, 2009

      I never thought about writing for in-flight magazines. I do flip through the magazines while I’m traveling. It didn’t occur to me to submit articles to these publications. Thanks for the tip. I’ll take a look at the sites you provided.

      ↵ Reply
    • Tam replied on October 5, 2009

      Is there an email address for the editor of Atmosphere, the El Al inflight magazine? Can’t find it. Many thanks.

      ↵ Reply
    • Esther replied on December 15, 2009

      Thanks for the great tips and contacts. Will try them out.

      ↵ Reply
    • Anne replied on January 1, 2010

      Hello have sent off a few, will let you know how I go…..

      ↵ Reply
    • Ryukyu Mike replied on January 10, 2010

      Anyone crack the code for the Japanese Airlines, yet ?
      This is a great idea for getting your work noticed by a captive audience !

      ↵ Reply
    • Brian replied on July 4, 2010

      Any chance you found that email for the editor of Atmosphere?

      ↵ Reply
    • Rashmi replied on July 8, 2010

      Hi,

      The article is great.I would love to be a travel writer for such magazines.Do you of any publsihing houses/magazines in India that hire writer for in-flight magazine?

      ↵ Reply

    Leave a Comment

    Get Matador in your inbox and around the web.

    Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter.


    View full list of RSS feeds

    Jump To Category:



    Explore the Community



    Popular Stories on Matador

    John Lennon: The Lost 1969 Interview On Peace

    38 years after it was recorded, an impromptu interview ... 

    10 Drink Recipes You Can Light On Fire

    Put a shallow layer of 151-proof rum on top. Light the ... 

    A Traveler's Guide To The History Of Death

    Learn how the changing face of death has varied across ... 

    A Virtual Ride On A Chinese Train

    Slowly the train wakes up around you. People stumble wi... 

    Doc (Not) in a Box

    ... 

    #MusicMonday: 50 Music Sites That Matter

    Bored with your music collection? Feeling out of the m... 

    5 Intense Wilderness Rescue Stories

    Flooded caves, helicopter crashes, and armed rebels cou... 

    Anna Brones Launches a Social Media Start-Up

    Sure, the economy is (still) in the tank. But that's no... 

    Ultimate Burning Man Packing List: 50+ Items To Bring To BRC

    The first step to a successful trip to

    Tim and Tom's Excellent Adventure Part 1: Cashews

    "Disposing of my boxers in the bathroom garbage can, I ... 



    Focus





    Editor Blogs