What is a consolidator fare?
A fare an airline sells through agencies at a negotiated price it does not publish on its own website, often below the published fare for the same seat.
Consolidator fare, explained
Airlines fill some seats through agreements with travel agencies, called consolidators, at prices negotiated in advance. The agency sells the ticket at or below the airline's published price, and the ticket is a normal airline ticket with an airline e-ticket number.
These fares are not shown on the airline's own website and cannot be found by a search engine, which is why they are sold by agents who quote by phone or email. They are common on long-haul business class, where the gap between the published fare and what the airline accepts to fill a seat can be large.
Consolidator fares come with their own rules: some are less flexible than published fares, and not every route or date has one. A good agent says which fare it is and what its rules are before you pay.
On a business class trip
The airline's website shows one business class price for New York to Tokyo; an agency with a negotiated fare on the same flight can price the same seat lower, issued by the same airline.
Related terms
- Published fare
The fare an airline files publicly and sells to anyone, on its own website and on booking sites: the price discounted fares are measured against.
- Fare rules
The conditions attached to a fare: whether you can change or cancel, at what cost, the minimum and maximum stay, stopovers and open jaws.
- E-ticket number
The 13-digit number of an issued airline ticket. Its first three digits identify the airline, and it proves the ticket exists in the airline's system.
- IATA accreditation
Registration with the International Air Transport Association that lets an agency issue airline tickets. Each accredited agency has a number you can check.
- Carrier-imposed surcharge
A charge an airline adds to a ticket on top of the fare and government taxes, shown in the taxes box. It is the airline's own charge, not a tax.
Further reading: Business class consolidators explained, Is BuyBusinessClass legit?, New York to Tokyo in business class. Every term in the glossary.
Questions about a fare? Ask an agent
An agent explains the rules of every fare before you pay, by phone, email or WhatsApp, 24/7.
