Mission2go > Buying Airline Tickets
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Domestic Airline Tickets
The best deals for domestic airline tickets are online. Because the airlines have cut or eliminated commissions paid on domestic flight bookings, most travel agents now include a surcharge in addition to the price of the ticket. The surcharge is normally around $30 which still may be a good deal if it saves you the hassle of finding the right flights, connections, etc etc.
Even though there are plenty of online booking sites (Expedia, Travelocity, etc.), try Kayak.com. Kayak.com is actually an airline website search engine rather than a booking site. It searches both airline websites and booking sites for prices and then sends you to those sites to book the flight. Since Kayak.com is not an agency, they also find fares for many of the discount airlines that don't use the central reservation systems. Give the site a try.
International Airline Tickets
Unlike domestic airline tickets, here are some reasons why good travel agents consistently beat online prices on international flight tickets:
- Almost all major airlines flying international routes are members of a price fixing organization called the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- IATA member airlines agree to sell tickets only at prices approved and published by the IATA and can not offer discounts to these published rates
- Airlines can however, choose the amount of commission they pay individual travel agents to sell tickets at published prices
- Travel agencies know they can increase their sales volume by reducing their commission and thus "discounting" the price of the tickets
- There are no set rules for discounting and each travel agency must negotiate their own deals with individual airlines or buy from a ticket wholesaler or consolidator
You can see why this gets confusing. But there is more, discounting is technically illegal according to the letter of IATA agreements. The IATA could strictly enforce the rules but at the risk of major airlines pulling out of the cartel. Discounting is the standard practice for travel agents selling international tickets. Because this is done behind the scenes, it is extremely difficult for an individual to work the system online and get the best value.
Although all airline fares must be published in IATA publications, each airline can set their own ticketing rules and procedures. For example, some airlines will allow you to stay at one of your stopover destinations for a period of time for free or a small price. This can save you hundreds of dollars if you need to stop at one destination for a few days and then continue on to another destination. Or, they may allow "open-jaw" tickets where you arrive in the country at one location, then take another mode of ground transportation, and depart from a second location. Or, they may have special deals with their domestic airline for onward domestic flights that are only available to arriving international passengers. Or,.....
These are some reasons to buy your international airline tickets from a competent travel agent. Strictly online agencies are generally not offered the same commissions on international airline flights. Therefore, they can not "discount" their tickets to the same extent. Additionally, they don't have people who understand the ins and outs, rules, and procedures of specific airlines and route structures. If you still are not convinced, then check out the story below.
| "I was scheduled to leave MSP (Minneapolis/St. Paul International) on an international flight to Bangkok, Thailand on Northwest Airlines and catch a connecting flight to Mae Sot, Thailand on Thai Airways. Upon arriving at the departure gate, there was a notice flashing that an excessive amount of air freight was loaded on the plane and they needed 50 passengers to voluntarily give up their seats. As an incentive they were offering $2000.00 of NW travel coupons, a free night in a motel, and meals for anyone willing to catch the flight the following day. I walked up to the counter and told the attendant to sign me up. After looking at my follow on routing, she reluctantly said there was no way she could reschedule the route, but thanks for offering. She then moved on to the next person. I immediately called my travel agent to explain the situation. She said she was surprised at such a generous offer and quickly looked up my itinerary. After only a few minutes she gave me the exact flight numbers I could be re-scheduled on, the only difference was that I would have to spend one night in Bangkok. She booked a motel for me in Bangkok for $60 and I walked up to the NW counter and handed the flight numbers to the attendant. She confirmed it would work, booked me, and handed me $2000 worth of NW travel coupons. Essentially, my agent had earned me $1940 for future trips. If I had booked through an online agency, I surely would have missed that opportunity." |
Choosing a Travel Agent
When choosing a travel agent, it is important to find one that specializes in the same travel segment you are interested in. Most travel agencies specialize in tours and cruises with accompanying flights to popular tourist destinations. If your travels and adventures are taking you somewhere else, you need to find a specialist for your type of travel. Here's some tips to find the right type of agent:
- Choose an agency/agent who specializes in international travel to the same type of destination as where you are going. Ask them what countries their clients commonly travel to.
- Choose only travel agencies and travel agents who are appointed through IATAN or ARC
- Ask the agent how they prefer to travel when they have the chance, if they normally only travel to "tourist" destinations in Western Europe, and stay in international 4 and 5 star hotels, they probably won't understand the best way to book your short term mission trip to a developing nation in sub-Sahara Africa.
- Be willing to pay a little extra for an agent who will take the time to consult with you, this agent will ask questions about your plans before quoting you a price. In the long run, they will save you money
- Ask the agent if they sell "discounted" tickets, their answer should be a quick yes
- Virtually all legitimate agencies accept payment by credit card, be leery of any who only take personal or cashiers checks
There are many great agencies available, give AFC Travel in Minnesota a try or Wilcox Travel. If you need an around the world ticket, check with Air Treks. If you call, make sure to let them know you heard about them on mission2go.com.
Buying the Tickets
Once you have found the right travel agent, here are some guidelines to purchasing your airline tickets.
- Buy your international airline tickets as early as possible. Due to IATA rules, airlines seldom reduce fares at the last minute to to fill seats on international flights like they might on domestic flights
- Tell your travel agent exactly where you want to go, don't assume that you can get cheaper tickets just by picking a larger city nearby and arranging onward transportation yourself, let the agent check out options for you
- Ask the agent to check alternate dates and possible routes, allow them time to check thoroughly and call you back later if necessary. If you want a price NOW! don't expect the best rate possible
- Make sure you have a confirmed reservation before paying for your ticket
- Always pay with a credit card
- Upon receipt of your tickets, check the information. Make sure the dates and routing are correct and check the personal information. Make sure the personal information on your airline tickets matches your passport EXACTLY
- When traveling with a group, book all tickets at the same time when possible
Tickets are one of the few necessities for international travel, add a passport and some money and you're ready to go.