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Airfare.com is
a leading seller of airline tickets,
both discounted
fares and "consolidator" fares.
Over the last decade
(through 2009), Airfare.com has
consistently provided me
with the lowest fares from the USA
to Turkey.
I find that surprising, but so it
is. I've saved tens to hundreds
of dollars on each ticket—thank
goodness!
I don't always start my search at Airfare.com,
but I always seem to end up
there. I could save
time by
just going there straightaway and ordering
my ticket.
Okay, I do like other airfare search
websites such as Kayak and Opodo, but
here's a telling example: in 2009
I was looking for the cheapest airfare
from Boston, Massachusetts to Istanbul.
I looked at numerous airfare search
websites. They all gave about the same
fare (within US$10). But Airfare.com quoted
a fare $30 lower.
How can this be?
Well, Airfare.com was
the only one to include a flight on
the return journey from Istanbul's other airport,
Sabiha Gökçen Airport on the Asian
side of the Bosphorus. Some people
may find this inconvenient, because
Atatürk Airport, on the European side,
is closer to where most foreign visitors
stay. Yes, it does take a bit longer
to get to Sabiha Gökçen, and the airport
bus costs a few dollars more, but I'd
still save money.
Of course, Airfare.com does
also quote all the regular fares to
and from Atatürk Airport. I could take
my choice. Here's more:
Airfare.com sells
regular tickets and consolidator tickets. Consolidators are
companies that take a gamble by buying
blocks of airline
seats on various flights at a steep
discount,
then reselling
them to the public at less of a
discount in order to make a profit.
If they don't sell them, they make
take a loss.
Here's how a consolidator
works.
Especially off season, consolidator
fares are a good bet for saving money.
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