23-06-2025
Departure Lounge
2024 sales: $340 million
Previous ranking: 55
Employees: 15 full-time
Box 26545
Austin, TX 78755
Phone: (512)322-9399
Website
$340 million5515 full-timeBox 26545Austin, TX 78755Phone: (512)322-9399
Executives
OWNER/FOUNDER: Keith Waldon
COMPANY FACTS
* Privately held.
* An international luxury host agency with advisors in 11 countries.
* Works with 320 independent contractors.
* 100% of sales completed by hosted advisors.
* Sales: 95% leisure, 5% business.
* A member of Virtuoso.
DEVELOPMENTS
* Added 112 advisors, including 30 new to the industry.
* Added client-facing private booking portals.
* 34 first-year, new-to-industry advisors (added in 2023) sold $26 million in 2024.
* Expanded international footprint of advisors.
LOOKING AHEAD
* Continuing what it terms "careful growth."
* Enhancing technology.
* Offering new educational and exclusive travel products.
* Forming partnerships with companies such as Duckbill, a concierge service app; adding programs to existing partnerships such as with Texas Exes, the alumni association of the University of Texas.
* Booked more than $100 million in first two months in 2025, so "off to very strong start; otherwise predicting the world we live in currently is quite difficult."