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Expert Q&A
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| By James Feldman (a.k.a. Doctor Travel) Certified Facilitator | ||
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To get the cheapest airline tickets, should you go through a travel agent or buy them yourself online?
Travel agents work on commission. The nature of the commission is not a flat fee but a percentage of the sale. This makes the travel agent somewhat bias in choosing the fare. On the other hand, the airlines all offer Internet saver fares. These are offered to sell late minute seats or to fill the plane on flights that are not full. I suggest you do both. It does not cost you anything to do either and you may find that the travel agent is better prepared to deliver a lower rate or you may find that with some homework on your part you can beat the travel agent rate. Time is money so do not spend hours on the net to save $25. Keep track of your time and then you will be able to see if the travel agents fare, while it might be slightly higher, was really worth the savings in your time."