Shawna LevetSelling airfare is one of the most important skills for travel professionals, especially in an increasingly competitive industry.
Many travel agents are hesitant to offer airfare because it seems complicated. The nuances of fare types, airline partnerships, commissions, and ticketing rules seems like a lot when you’re just starting out. But we’re here to take the complexity out of airfare, so you can do what you love to do – plan dream trips!
Here’s how you can deepen your expertise and become more confident in selling airfare.
1. Understand the Basics of Airline Fares
To sell airfare effectively, you must first understand how airline fares are structured. Airlines typically divide fares into various fare classes, such as Economy, Premium Economy, Business, and First Class. But even within a single cabin class like Economy, there are multiple fare buckets, each with different rules.
Some key fare components to study:
- Published fares: Standard fares available through the airline or GDS (Global Distribution Systems), viewable by anyone.
- Commissionable fares: fares which allow an agent to earn a commission
- Consolidator fares: Discounted fares not publicly available, often negotiated by consolidators
- Net fares: Unpublished fares where agents can mark up the ticket to include their commission.
- Student or Humanitarian fares: Unpublished, often discounted fares available to verifiable students and humanitarians
- Cruise fares: Unpublished fares available to clients who also book a cruise
Knowing the fare types and the rules that come with them (including change penalties, cancellation terms, and baggage allowances) is vital. It helps you advise your clients better and avoid costly mistakes.
2. Learn About Airline Alliances and Partnerships
Airlines don’t operate in isolation. Most belong to global alliances like Star Alliance, Oneworld, or SkyTeam. These partnerships allow airlines to share routes, coordinate schedules, and offer reciprocal benefits to travelers.
As a travel agent, understanding these alliances helps you:
- Offer more options to clients with seamless connections between partner airlines.
- Accurately quote fares on multi-carrier itineraries.
- Maximize loyalty benefits for frequent flyers.
- Book complex itineraries like round-the-world (RTW) tickets or multi-city routes.
You should also familiarize yourself with codeshare agreements—situations where one airline sells tickets on a flight operated by another. This can affect how you book, manage, and support clients’ reservations.
3. Enroll in Airfare-Specific Training Programs
Education is key. There are several specialized training programs designed to equip agents with in-depth airfare knowledge.
One such resource is Centrav Academy, our free online airfare course exclusively for Travel Agents. Centrav Academy walks you through:
- Introduction to airfare
- How to book using Centrav’s user-friendly booking tools and make more on each sale
- How to make changes, cancellations, and manage your reservations easily
- The basics of group airfare
By completing this course, you not only build your foundational knowledge but also learn how to access wholesale fares that increase your profit margins.
4. Partner with an Airfare Consolidator
Using a GDS is difficult and can land you hefty debit memos which will ultimately chip away at your bottom line. Here’s where an airfare consolidator like Centrav can help. A consolidator like Centrav offers:
- Net and consolidator fares not available to the public.
- Booking engines that simplify complex itineraries.
- Customer support for rebooking or changes.
- Ticketing services, saving your time and debit memos
Using a consolidator is a great way for new or part-time agents to offer competitive airfare without investing in GDS access.
5. Stay Current with Industry News and Trends
The airline industry is dynamic. Route networks shift, fuel prices fluctuate, and fare policies change. Staying informed helps you stay competitive.
Here are a few ways to keep up:
- Subscribe to industry newsletters like Travel Weekly, Skift, or Business Travel News.
- Join travel agent forums and communities such as Travel Professionals USA on Facebook.
- Attend webinars and trade shows (e.g., Travel Agent Forum, ASTA Global Convention).
- Follow airline updates via their social media or emails.
6. Practice, Practice, Practice
Finally, the best way to get comfortable selling airfare is to book often and learn by doing. Practice creating mock itineraries, explore different routes and fare types and troubleshoot issues as they arise.
Build real-world experience by:
- Helping friends or family with flight bookings.
- Volunteering to assist with group travel for schools, churches, or clubs.
- Offering trip planning services on platforms like Facebook or Instagram to grow your portfolio.
Position yourself as the expert
Selling airfare is both an art and a science. It requires attention to detail, technical skills, and a commitment to ongoing learning. By learning airline partnerships, mastering fare types, and enrolling in courses like Centrav Academy, you’ll position yourself as a true airfare expert—and deliver better results for your clients.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up your travel business, investing time in airfare education is one of the smartest moves you can make.
