Does anyone have any experience with using consolidators for airfare? The ones I have called can half the fares I have been quoted by travel agents & just about every "cheap fare" site I can find. Is it a risk? Any advice would be welcome!

Ole' Travel is a good resource. I don't think they're a consolidator, but they offer good prices. I used them for a trip to Mexico last year, and was very satisfied with both the ticket price and the service. Quite a few travellers on another message board I visit have also used them, and they all speak highly of the service. Here's some info. from the Ole' Travel website:<BR><BR>latin travel homepage - tour and travel packages to latin america - vacation in costa rica, peru and cancun<BR>Address:http://www.oletour.com/ <BR><BR>------------------------------------<BR>Travelocity also offers very good prices, and they aren't limited to Latin America. I haven't yet used their service, though, so I can't offer an opinion.<BR><BR>However, I CAN offer an opinion on Skyauction.com. I've been having nothing but trouble with those people, and I've come to believe their "service" borders on a scam. What a rip-off, unreasonable, unprofessional, (insert any number of unflattering adjectives here) outfit that is. I will NEVER EVER purchase airfare from them again!

Jenson Barron/Panorama Tours specializes in Latin America. DFW Tours is also a reputable consolidator. Not all consolidators work with the general public though so if you don't want to pay a travel agent, you'll have to limit your search to those who do.

Thanks for the info. I have looked at all the online agencies including Travelocity & seems Belize is $1000 -$1200 RT pp. But a consolidator quotes me $503.00! I'm just skeptical, what is the catch. It's the same airline & flight I was looking for though. Why doesn't everybody use consolidators then? I'll check out Ole Travel though. Thanks.

I was very impressed with sky auction. I bid on a flight to singapore last March2001, and I had the tickets delivered to my door before I received my visa bill!! They were very patient and accomodating with me!

I've used Capricorn Leisure (recommended in Frommer's Budget travel magazine and newsletter) from Chicago to get to Belize, the whole vacation package was much less than what you're getting quoted for airfare. Their website is www.capricorn.net<BR><BR>I've used consolidators before with no problems to Europe but I always understood there was additional risk if the flight was cancelled or if you needed to make a change. It made me a little nervous the last time when United was having a slowdown. They almost always beat the prices on websites like Expedia.

Well I have found a few I am dealing with & have quotes of $562.00RT, that is a big difference! They say the seats are together, the tickets are shipped immediately & FF miles apply, so hope it is not too good to be true! Now some accommodations are selling out, so I have to post another question on that! It's all like a big puzzle. Thanks for the information!

terry - I, too, was favorably impressed...at first. They ARE very quick to deliver tickets. Of course - once they've done that, they're equally quick to take your money. Just TRY getting it back when compelling (and totally unforeseen) circumstances necessitate cancellation of the trip. Also, watch those high-dollar auctions closely: The Australia/New Zealand auctions have been starting out with only two available tickets. However, as the bids have approached a thousand dollars, suddenly there were three, four, and even six (!) tickets up for grabs. It seems a bit odd that all those extra tickets weren't available at the outset but, have consistently been available at high cost...

Just to follow up on my initial question. I received my tickets FedEx today for Belize, next April. $562.00 RT PP on Continental! Seats asigned, exact flights I wanted quoted on Travelocity at 1139.00 PP RT. Went through topdest.com located in South Cal where I am. Perfect. Thanks for the advice, hope this helps someone else.