Is it possible to get an international airline ticket w/o going through a travel agent?

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KangoTraveler

Not only is it possible to book a ticket without a travel agent; in most cases, it's preferable.

One of the previous respondents suggests that booking through a travel agent is the only way to avoid online processing fees. This simply is not the case -- many roll-up travel sites (such as kayak.com) will rank-order flights by fare, INDEPENDENT of whether a booking fee is included. In other words, sometimes a flight with a $5 booking fee might still be cheaper than one without a surcharge. As for the issue of refundability, every ticket one purchases online will specify refund policies before you pay.

Keep in mind that travel agents get paid a commission by the airline; this is how they earn their money. That cost IS passed on to the consumer in one form or another . . . even if it isn't called a 'booking fee.'

Happy Travels!

Kango Traveler

rsps1

yes. Travel agenst are unncessary.

Juan A

I didn't even know travel agents existed anymore. Yes, you can go right through the airlines to purchase the ticket. My husband travel to China/Taiwan constantly and never uses a travel agent.

cutie

OMG! Yes you can buy tickets from the airlines directly, go to their website and check the prices, then go to www.wiitravel.com or www.findvacationsonline.com and check the price, buy the cheapest, its easy! Have a great vacation!

johnsredgloves

There is no need to go through a travel agent or even through the airline for that matter. If you have computer access and a credit card, the easiest way is to book your tickets online. I have flown overseas 5 times, and each I booked by myself. I personally do not use a travel agent, because I see no need to pay extra fees for the agent's commission when I can just as easily find the flight times and prices I prefer for free.

As for the additional fees that online agent sites add on (like Expedia, etc.) that is true, but you can still book directly from the airlines' websites and avoid booking fees....or, you may do what I did....I compared the airlines' prices with the online agents' prices and booked the cheapest I could find. Actually the online agent's (Travelocity) price was the lowest even when adding in the booking fee. I got a round trip ticket from SFO to Shannon, Ireland for $550. Yes, it is non-refundable, but if I purchased with the airline it would be also.

lady in black

You certainly can. But there are soooo many drawbacks to booking online or at the airline directly.
Travel agents do exist! And amazingly enough they are great at what they do! I love my travel agent, she handles all the mess details if I need to change my flights or my hotels get cancelled. She provides me with all the visa/passport info I've needed for trips.
You can totally go without one, but a good travel can save you allot of stress too!

nathanael

Ahh... You are possible to do that... But, the travel agent often help you to book flight. Sometimes, the airline you would like to use had no flight, and the travel agent will help you to book the next flight or find you another airline that work in the same route. I often use the travel agent because in Indonesia it's hard to book flight yourselves. The counter can lied on you...

hr4me

You can go to the website of the carrier you want to fly and purchase a ticket going anywhere. Travel agents are few and far between any more due to the web.

Jr the travel guy.

People, People, travel agents are alive and well. Especially in the corporate world. We know all the tricks of the trade, and we don't pay useless service fee's like the rest of you... The thing with all those cheap tickets and travelocity's is that you get what you buy, no changes, no modifications what-so-ever. You can't even change the time of the flight on the same day you are traveling. Ever had to call these companies? It's impossible to get ahold of anyone, and when you do, they tell you that what you bought is what you get. If you miss your flight, guess what, you lost your money. Anyway... You can get the same flights that the "cheap tickets" places get from the airline themselves. That's where they get them from. Plus NO SERVICE/BOOKING fee's. Go directly to the airlines, or have a friendly neighborhood travel agent look for the best price and day for you. Try to get the airlines to do that...

Tim J

Travel agents are often cheaper since they get discounts. You may want to try sta travel, that's who I went through and got a decent discount.

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