The world of air travel, can be a tricky business, shrouded in mystery where things may not really be what they appear.  Many of the most popular travel websites, that appear to be independent of the major airlines, are in fact owned by the parent corporations of those very companies.  Then along comes something called "airline consolidators".  Where do they fit in the mix, and are there rates always cheaper?  Usually yes, but not always. Most consumers could care less, who they buy their tickets from, they just want to know they're getting the best price on flights that fit their schedule.  How to do that can take a little work, but if price is important, than it's time well spent.

What are airline consolidators?  These are companies which buy up blocks of tickets from the commercial airlines, and are usually tickets that the airlines don't feel 100% confident they can sell on their own.  Usually for international flights, but occasionally, you will find consolidator flights for domestic travel as well.  Not every air consolidator will sell tickets to the general public.  Some only deal with travel agents.  Don't group discount commercial airline companies into the same category as consolidators.  They are separate companies, and quite often discount airlines don't deal with consolidators at all.  Their prices are usually good enough to sell out already.  Consolidators, aren't always the best prices either.  There's no such thing as shopping at just one place, if your looking for dirt cheap airline tickets.  If an airline still can't sell all their tickets, in spite of assistance from a third party consolidator, then it's quite possible they will undercut their prices even further.  It this case, it may be a better deal to buy directly from the airline.  It really does pay to check around.

I should point out, that airline consolidators are not allowed in every country.  Many third world countries, no not allow them.  That doesn't stop traveler from the USA (where they are allowed) to buy tickets through a consolidator, and then traveling to those same countries.  it just doesn't work the other way around.  Do yourself a favor, and don't try waiting till the last minute to get tickets at reduced rates.  They really don't happen very often anymore, and your more likely to get a better price booking three months or more ahead of time.  As well, it can be pretty pointless to try and get tickets through a consolidator for special events, like the World Cup, Olympics, or prime time flying.  Remember, these guys work to help the airlines sell tickets the are typically poor sellers.  The airlines aren't stupid, and know that they can charge just about any price they want during peak travel times.

While everybody loves the idea of booking online these days, there are a few things they may not be aware of.  You may think your saving money by cutting out the middle man/woman (travel agents), but keep in mind, the unspoken mantra of the airline industry.  Which is, to sell the most tickets at the highest prices they can.  Did you know, that many of the supposed "discount travel websites" are actually owned by the airlines, and cutting out the middle guy/gal, is more marketing strategy, then actual business model?  Travelocity.com for instance, is owned by Sabre Holdings Inc.  If you don't recognize Sabre, that's OK, as they are the company that runs the Sabre Reservation System, that is used by virtually every airline in the world.  Sabre also owns LastMinute.com, and IgoUgo.com.  Not too long ago, the hold company of American Airlines (AMR) owned Sabre.  Trip.com, another big travel website, is actually owned by Galileo systems, which is another electronic reservation system control by several airlines.

The point here being, it can be a real mystery shopping for airline tickets today, and it`s almost impossible to know who your buying your tickets from.  So, do your homework, and shop around on as many different sites and travel agents as possible.  There are so many factors that determine ticket prices, it`s best to get a quote from as many places as time allows.