Air Travel Consolidators: Are They A Better Choice?

Consolidators or wholesalers are companies that buy airline tickets at very low prices in bulk and then sell them off to public at a discount rate than the original price set by the airline. They are the cheaper means to buy airline tickets from, because even after they have deducted their profit on the tickets, they are still cheaper for normal people like us. You must be wondering why airlines sell tickets at low prices. Actually, not all flights are booked seat-to-seat by the passengers. Because of this reason the airlines or air travel agencies have to sell tickets in order to make a full flight. And of course everyone involved in this game makes a profit this way.

You might have heard of brick & mortar travels or B&M Travels as they are commonly called. They are the offline consolidators specializing in providing cheap airfare to their customers whenever the demand for a certain flight grows. Online consolidators are also available and they are becoming increasingly popular these days. They are called online travel consolidators. Many websites that you will encounter while searching for cheap airfare are of these consolidators or air travel agencies. They are there to help you out in finding the cheapest flight, whether its national or international, and they also advise you on choosing the right time for booking these flights.

Consolidators in the field of international air travel are the most helpful and useful source of saving a lot of money on airfare. Of course people are always looking for these consolidators or online cheap travel agencies to benefit from the services they have to offer. However, there are some points you should keep in mind before booking with one of these agencies. First of all, keep your options open. Consolidators all around the world offer different discount rates. Sometimes, you save only 10% and at other times, if you are lucky, you can even save up to 70% on your airfare! But it needs a little research and careful investigation before you can find such a consolidator. Furthermore, it also depends on the time of your flight and some other considerations including the destination location and the popularity of an airline.

Secondly, check the price of the airline ticket offered by your consolidator and see if it is inclusive of tax and other fees. Sometimes these companies list only the ticket cost and exclude taxes until the time of payment. This way they can advertise themselves quite cleverly, but do not fall in their trap. Check with other companies and compare their prices. Some websites let you compare prices only through a few clicks and a little information you provide. If possible, wait for a whole season and then see if the ticket rates have reduced. Then book yourself in advance to enjoy affordable and cheap airfare when the time is ripe.

You can tell the agent about the frequent flier program if you are enrolled into one. The consolidator will see if they find a matched price on one of the flights and will book you on it. If time is not of importance then tell your consolidator how flexible your dates are. They can find a good flight for you at the lowest possible price on a weekday or when there is little rush. This way you can travel safer and cheaper. Last but not the least, always check and double check you name and date of the flight and reservation after you have been handed over the ticket by your consolidator. Like every other business, there are traitors and dishonest persons out there so you need to keep an eye open.

Follow these steps and you will find a good consolidator very soon whether you are planning to fly national or international. Here are some consolidator websites to help you start your search from: Travelocity (travelocity.com), Hotwire (hotwire.com), Expedia (expedia.com), Cheap Travel (cheaptravel.com), and Airfare Choice (airfarechoice.com). However, do not rely on just these sites, as already said, keep your options open and keep looking for better and more reliable websites and consolidators to fly cheaper on your next trip.
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By: George Wood

George Wood is an accomplished author who has published a variety of fascinating articles about airfares & travel on a shoestring budget. Check out his airfare website that the airlines DON'T want you to see. Stop the big airline companies from fleecing you of your hard earned money, and discover cheap travel cheapest airfares to wherever your imagination takes you!

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Travel Prepared For Hiking Trips

Outdoor vacations require planning just like any other vacation. Depending on what you are doing and duration, you may still need to find accommodations and make travel arrangements. Regardless of what details you must handle for your particular trip, every vacation requires proper preparation by determining what items you will need on your trip.

Whether you will be a tourist traveling around Europe or enjoying the fresh outdoors hiking through the wilderness, any trip is more enjoyable when you are prepared allowing you to just enjoy the surroundings whether it is a beach or the countryside.

If you are planning a hiking trip, you will definitely want to bring along a backpack but not just any backpack. With so many choices in backpacks today, it helps to first get a general view of what is available. Shopping for a backpack could get overwhelming, especially for the beginner hiker.

First, consider what you intend to carry which is usually determined by the length of the hike, the location and anticipated conditions. An overnight stay with a restaurant or snack bar, for instance, does not require you to carry the same items as a weeklong trip through the wilderness.

You will need approximately one gallon of water per day, though it varies by activity, your size and the weather conditions. But, one gallon is a good starting point with which to estimate how much water you should bring and what size backpack you will need.

Take the same approach with food. If you are only taking a short day hike, you may be fine on with no or very little food which means you will not need to haul around such a large backpack. Keep in mind, though, that you do need fuel while hiking as it burns a lot of calories. Keeping yourself hydrates is the most important, but your body does need fuel and nutritional components found in food.

Another factor to consider is your overall fitness level. If you are in good shape, you will be able to handle a larger backpack and carry more weight. With that said, though, no one should go overboard as a heavy load can contribute to fatigue. Experienced hikers even aim to minimize the load they carry on a hike.

Also consider how you plan to carry the backpack and weight. Most backpacks have many internal and external flaps, pockets, buckles and loops to attach add-on items. As you suspect, the weight of the backpack is not just what you put inside but also what you attach on the outside. However, aim to keep the majority of the weight inside because it can otherwise lead to imbalance making it more difficult to carry.

Generally, try to minimize what you need but do not leave out essential items. Think confined, light and definitely comfortable. You will be carrying it around for hours or maybe even days, so be sure you have taken the time to find the right fit with the right shoulder and belt straps.
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Concentrating on news and information about Moraira, Jack Blacksmith published mostly for www.alicante-spain.com . You might discover his articles on tourist attractions in spain over at www.alicante-spain.com .

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