Airline Consolidator: Type, Facts and Guidelines

A consolidator fare is a discounted airfare that is sold by most major Airline Companies to help fill seats. Many consolidated airfares are substantially less than the lowest published fare offered directly from airlines.

Check below three distinct types of consolidators:

Ethnic consolidators – Ethnic consolidators focus on selling to ‘Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR)-type travellers (i.e., travellers who want to buy tickets to specific countries for leisure or personal reasons)

Trade Consolidators – Airlines use Trade Consolidators as their funnel to distribute off-tariff tickets to the various in-county retailers (like travel agencies, offline and online) rather than having to deal with the hundreds (if not in some countries literally thousands) of these re-sellers themselves.

The re-sellers who buy from trade consolidators resell those seats to their clients. Generally, Trade Consolidators are large companies in their respective market.

Ethnic Resellers - Ethnic Re-sellers are typically small operators, sometimes no more than one-person shops, who ‘flip’ consolidator tickets bought from larger Ethnic Consolidators to customers in their niche travel

Check below guidelines for buying consolidator tickets:

1. When you’re shopping for airfare deals, always start with the airlines’ advertised “sale” fares. Consolidators often can’t do any better—or even as well.
2. But at least look for a consolidator ticket, especially if you think the best published fare you can find is overly high—or if you need to leave right away, or stay longer than 30 days, or such.
3. Accept a consolidator deal only if it’s significantly cheaper than the next alternative: Except for price, it’s almost always a less attractive proposition than a published-fare price alternative.
4. Always ask (or find out) about exactly what sort of “discount” an agency is offering you before you buy. Be especially careful to check the conditions attached to the ticket.
5. 
   

‘Some Restrictions Apply’ When Booking a Consolidator Ticket

As noted previously, all consolidators must operate under the rules of the airline on which your client will fly. Since all airlines have their own rules/regulations, each and every ticket may carry unique conditions. Airlines change rules all too frequently, so be alert and insist that your consolidator informs you in writing (preferably at the time of booking) so that you can advise your client regarding penalties for flight changes, frequent flyer miles, refunds, etc. Make sure that your client accepts the rules and regulations before you pay for the ticket.