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BUDGET TRAVELER: Consider consolidator for airfares to Europe

From the March 12, 2008 edition, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Page E6.

By Clara Bosonetto Maerz

If you've been shopping for a low airfare rate to Europe, chances are you have a collection of various prices ranging from reasonable to outrageous from several airline and travel Web sites. But there's one purchase source you may not be aware of that could save you hundreds of dollars.

The source is a consolidator, or a company that contracts with particular airlines to sell blocks of seats at deeply discounted rates. One Atlanta-based ticket consolidator, Consolidator Web Fares, offers year-round bargain rates to Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.

Just so there are no surprises here or at the time of your purchase, all rates shown for Europe include $160 in airport taxes, fees and a fuel surcharge of $210 (give or take a few dollars and cents).

To give you an idea of the potential savings you may have with a consolidator, let's look at a couple of popular routes and compare prices. Paris, for instance, is $1,480 on May 16 through June 4 departures and about $1,700 on peak departures through Aug. 31 when tickets are purchased directly from Delta Air Lines.

Get to Paris with a single flight connection on US Airways (typically Philadelphia) for a round-trip rate available through the consolidator of $877 during the travel window of April 1 through May 15 and $1,177 May 16 through Sept. 4. These rates are valid midweek, with weekend days at $30 more each. Stays of up to six months are permitted.

Some great rates are offered to other hot spots in Europe with United and Lufthansa Airlines. Here are the inclusive consolidator rates along with the published airline rate in parenthesis:

Round-trip prices are $1,163 to Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseilles, Nice and Toulouse, France, ($1,703), and $1,226 to Madrid, Spain, ($1,580) on trips taken between June 23 and Sept. 8. Oddly, prices are slightly higher for the spring season with destinations in France at $1,216 ($1,853), and $1,279 to Madrid ($1,660) on trips taken May 16 through June 22.

Return trips must be completed within three months of departure. Weekends are $30 more each way.

For information or to book your discount tickets, check out www.consolidatorwebfares.com.

Credit: FOR THE JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION