Cheap Consolidator Airfares: 7 Sure-Fire Ways To Get Them
Looking for those cheap and rock-bottom international consolidator airfares?
Well, in the diverse world of air travel ticketing, there is no one way to guarantee that you will get the cheapest fares out there but your odds to get discount airfares are certainly many times better if you seek the consolidators tickets rather than the airlines official published airfares.
Remember that discounted consolidator tickets are very much just like a normal published airline fare ticket with the major difference being just that the price is not typically printed on the consolidator tickets.
Airlines basically do not admit they sell discounted tickets to consolidators, which are against the rules anyway and hence explains the no-pricing printout above.
Apart from the cheaper airfares, consolidator tickets have other advantages, usually requiring no advance purchase and no Saturday-night stay (typically for the US market).
In addition, you can normally still get cheap consolidator tickets at short notice unlike the inflated last-minute published air fares that could cost you a fortune.
Even then, you have to make sure you get those reliable consolidators that will offer the best airfare prices, and remember that not all consolidators sell to the general public.
Still, if you want to pay at least 40%-60% cheaper airfares than the guy sitting next to you on the plane, here are 7 sure-fire tips to be able to do just that.
1. Get a reliable travel agent who deals with a range of consolidators if you do not want the hassle of looking and doing the arrangements with the consolidators them.
A trustworthy travel agent is worth his weight in gold to you especially an experienced and knowledgeable one, much more than the small commission they charged nowadays for getting you a really cheap consolidator airfare.
Note that not all licensed travel agent do business with a whole range of wholesale consolidators, so try the specialised ones in the field to ensure you get all the cheap fare options on the table.
For more country-type trips or special itineraries, consider to look for the so-called “ethnic agency” consolidators that deals with only one country or region, since many have contracts with carriers based in the home country, such as Air India or EgyptAir.
2. Check airfares quoted by the travel agent with online discounters or consolidators, especially since these are the ones that you can check as they deal with the general retail public.
Obviously, you have to check the credentials of these companies as there could be many fly by night consolidators which may not have a strong financial background. Some of the strongest online consolidators include names like Onetravel.com, Flights.com, Faremax.com, Airlineconsolidator.com and Airgorilla.com.
3. For reliability, make sure the agents or consolidators are registered with national or international travel authorities such as the American Society of Travel Agents (http://www.travelsense.org) or accreditation with the International Air Transport Association (http://www.iata.org) or the Airline Reporting Corp http://www.arccorp.com).
Note that some unreliable consolidators have known to go bust big time at one point in the past, hence do not go for the cheapest consolidators without checking.
4. You can then check the best consolidators airfares against those specialised online sites that offer cheap airfares on their own. Most of these sites basically aggregate deals from the consolidators themselves like Hotwire.com and Priceline.com but some are the consolidator companies themselves that have evolved to serve the general public.
5. Check out also the aggregators. These are companies that typically scout for low airfares and then direct you to where to buy them. Some of these aggregators include Cheapflights.com and Kayak.com.
6. Try to be flexible and explore all the options. For example, some wholesale consolidators are also retail tour operators, and their tour package will thus tend be cheaper as they book in bulk for the tickets, hotel rooms and car rentals.
7. Finally, check the consolidators cheapest pricing against that of the airlines themselves. Most of the time, you will find that the consolidators offer you the cheapest airfares available.
However, on some occasions, the airline published airfares could actually be cheaper especially where there are intense price wars in a particular market or there are new promotions to attract demand for a new route or market.
These could cause the airlines to break their pact with the consolidators and charge even lower fares than the latter.
Consolidator airfares are now part and parcel of the airline ticketing industry and like it or not, consolidators are probably the best option you need to explore to get cheaper airfares.
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Cheap Airfares – 6 Rules of Cheap Airline Tickets
Rule 1: Flexible Travel Dates
Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates to Save More Money on Air Travel!
Did you ever know that depending on your travel dates flexibility and schedule you can save huge? Searching for a cheap discounted airline ticket, people often neglect the fact that flying 1-3 days before or after the planned date can save them a lot of money. Most online travel sites and search engines won’t give you possibility to check which traveling dates can actually be cheaper for you, and it will be difficult to find a really cheap ticket unless you consult a Travel professional. Having direct access to airline resources and private contracts Live Travel Agents can manually check in real-time best flight options with least expensive seats if your travel plan is not fixed yet.
Rule 2: Free Reservations?!
How to make sure ticket price doesn’t go up when you book it? How to temporarily reserve your seats for free?
Discounted airline tickets are sold out quickly since their number is usually limited. It is often a case when you find a low airfare and don’t book it straight away, price can goes up or expire in a couple of minutes or hours, as other people might have already booked the seats out. Unlike online travel or airline websites, ASAPtickets.com Travel Agents can make temporary reservations for you Free of Charge! They can also check in real-time the maximum time reservation can be held, which gives you time to think the itineraries over and compare different flight options, making you more flexible with your payment day. Your personal Travel Agent will put the seats on hold for you and make sure your ticket price is guaranteed at the time of booking. Eventually, you not only save money booking your flight with a Live Travel Professional, but also have enough time to plan your flight carefully and choose the most suitable flight option for you.
Rule 3: Advance Booking
Always Try to Book Your Flight in Advance to Get the Best Deals.
If you wish to book your airline ticket at the lowest price, try to plan your trip ahead and start searching and booking your flight far in advance. Most airlines offer cheapest discounted tickets provided you make your booking 14 to 21 days in advance. Since quite many travelers are aware of this, try to plan your flight even earlier than that: at least one or two months in advance to get the most reasonable price. However, do not check for discounted airline tickets too far in advance. It’s a myth that booking your flight 6 months ahead makes the airfare cheaper, because the cheapest seats are still closed by the airlines. Besides, closer to the travel season airlines not only open more seats, but also offer season specials and better deals. You may call ASAPtickets.com Travel Agents directly to inquire about the best rates available to your destination and discuss the best time for you to book the flight to get lowest prices and higher discounts.
Rule 4: Weekend Travel
Try to Avoid Weekend Travel and Save More Than $100
Always remember, that it is usually cheaper to travel on weekdays (Monday through Thursday) than on weekends (Friday through Sunday). Airlines may charge up to $50 each way on international flights during weekends depending on your final destination. Weekends are also the busiest period of travel, and flights are well booked, so you can sometimes save more than $100 on your ticket if you consider traveling on weekdays instead.
Rule 5: Duration of Trip
Mind the Duration of Your Trip – the Longer the Stay the Higher the Price
Duration of your trip also influences the price of the airline ticket, and there are general conditions to apply for discounted fares. Most airlines require at least 1 Saturday stay in your travel destination to get a cheap economy class ticket, so if you are looking for the least expensive airfare, it is better to plan your return flight on Sunday rather than Saturday. Besides, airlines basically offer lower fares for a short travel which does not exceed 30-days’ stay in your destination. Though, there are often season specials that allow longer stay for the same discounted price. Generally, the longer the stay the higher the price, and it’s better to check with professional Travel Agents directly for special airlines promotions and the best price for your airline ticket planning your flight.
Rule 6:Multi-city Flights
How to Book Cheap Multi-city Flights Cheaper?
If your travel includes many stops enroute, either an open-jaw or a multi-city flight, it is usually hard to find a cheap airline ticket by yourself. Online engines are also limited to published fares, and if you don’t know what is the best routing, you can hardly find a low airfare online. Having private contracts with airlines serving multiple destinations, Live travel professionals can manually search and combine the itinerary that suits you best. Not only they can check the most convenient routings and lower fares per your travel request, but also advise you how to better combine your trip, how to save more by splitting your ticket into several in order to make your trip more affordable for you.
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