Cheap Tickets from Airfare Consolidators
Looking for a cheap flight to China? A fare consolidator might be your best bet.
Photo: wikipedia.org
Question from reader Crasydaisy:
"In the January edition of Conde Nast Traveler, Wendy mentioned independent airfare consolidators. Could you advise me of the names of some of these consolidators that sell to the general public?"
That's right, Wendy did mention airfare consolidators in her article about strategies we used to book our Dream Trip Contest winner's trip of a lifetime.
Airfare consolidators typically buy a large volume of seats at a low wholesale price directly from the airline and then sell those seats either to travel agents or to individuals. This can be a great way to buy last-minute tickets, since the airlines tend to keep increasing fares as the date of departure nears.
One thing to be aware of when buying through a consolidator: These tickets usually aren't eligible for frequent-flier miles. Ask the consolidator. And take Wendy's advice: Use your credit card so that your purchase is protected.
Read on for links to some reputable airfare consolidators that sell directly to the public.
The team over at Smartertravel.com recommends AirlineConsolidator, Airsaver, BargainTravel, and 1-800-Fly-Europe.
Dealmeister Mark Ashley over at Upgrade: Travel Better likes EconomyTravel, Airfare.com, CheapAir, and TFI Tours. He also mentions another good source of consolidators: your local newspaper's travel page, where tiny ads often tantalize with ultra-low fares. And if you're looking for a ticket to a region with a large immigrant presence in your area, try a travel agency or consolidator that caters to that market -- a storefront in Chinatown for a trip to China, say. Just make sure to check them out with the Better Business Bureau first.
The useful BootsnAll Web site also has its own consolidator page, though the fares listed can be misleading because they don't include taxes.
Finally, the well-known site CheapTickets actually began its life as a brick-and-mortar consolidator, and continues to offer consolidator fares.
Happy traveling, Crasydaisy!
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Travelers can also check out different consolidators at the United States Air Consolidators Association at www.usaca.com.
The page is geared toward travel agents, but does list member consolidators who are reputable. Companies I have used in the past are Sky Bird Travel www.skybirdtravel.com (although their website seems to be down), Picasso Travel (www.picassotravel.com) and Trans Am Travel (www.transamtravel.com). I believe that Trans Am only sells to travel agents.
Posted by: travelergwen | February 12, 2008 at 04:21 PM
You can purchase consolidator fares to South America from
www.SouthAmericanEscapes.com/blog
Posted by: jsananda | February 13, 2008 at 10:16 AM