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A 10-Step Plan for Using Consolidators
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5 Check fares on specialized Web sites. Try Internet sites that deal in "opaque" pricing. Hotwire.com, Priceline.com and Onetravel.com's "white label" flights offer discounted, consolidator-like fares where you don't know the airline or flight times until after you book. Also, check with aggregators -- companies that scout for low fares, then direct you to where to buy them; Cheapflights.com includes consolidator fares from several highly regarded companies.
6 Play all the angles . Some wholesale consolidators are also retail tour operators, so you may save money by booking a package deal that includes cheap air. For example, Pleasant Holidays, a top tour operator to Hawaii, owns consolidator Air by Pleasant. District-based Picasso Travel, a top transatlantic consolidator, offers tours to Europe.
Ask your agent to consider combining published airfares with consolidator fares. For example, Norma Dugger, a travel agent with Portfolio Travel in Washington who is a certified Australia specialist, pointed out that consolidator fares to Australia are usually cheaper from the West Coast and can be combined with coast-to-coast sale fares.
7 Make sure what you see is what you get. Initial consolidator quotes usually don't include taxes and fuel surcharges, which can add up to $250 per ticket. Get a price that includes everything before purchasing. Ask if the ticket allows frequent-flier miles.
8 Don't buy until you double-check the fare. Once you get a quote for a consolidator ticket, compare it with buying from the airline and/or a third-party booking site, such as Travelocity.com or Orbitz.com. Fare wars, intense competition in a particular market and promotions touting a new route or service can cause airlines to undercut the contracts it has signed with consolidators.
9 Follow up with the airline. After you book and pay for your tickets, call the airline and double-check the booking to make sure it has a record of the transaction.
10 Get your tickets. Don't allow a long period of time to pass between payment and issuance of tickets. In the months before consolidator Euram went belly-up in 1998, consumers were being asked to pay months in advance, but getting their tickets just a week before travel -- an early red flag. Many consolidators issue e-tickets now, which is fine, but make sure they are sent to you pronto.
-- Carol Sottili
