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The commission rates vary and depend on the agreements between the consolidator and the travel agency selling the tickets. This is where net fares and published fares come into play. With net fares, the travel agent can market and set their commission, whereas, with published fares, a set percentage is paid out.

Because airline consolidators negotiate discounted airfare rates with airlines, travel agents can markup the ticket prices, allowing the travel agents to make a profit while still offering prices lower than those available through traditional channels.

When clients seek airline tickets, travel agents and travel agencies utilize consolidator booking platforms to find cost-effective flight options. After confirming flight bookings and collecting payments, agents issue tickets and provide ongoing support. PS. Sky Bird Travel & Tours pays weekly commission checks!

NDC, or New Distribution Capability, is a set of industry standards developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to modernize and standardize how airlines distribute their products and services to travel agents, travel management companies, and other distribution partners. Learn more about NDC here.

PNR means passenger name record. It’s 6 alpha-numeric characters that locate the reservation. There is one PNR for the GDS (see below) and one for each airline.

GDS (formerly CRS) means Global Distribution System. These are the computer systems where airlines load their inventory, fares, and schedules (Sabre, Amadeus, Apollo, Galileo, Travelport, and Worldspan are the GDS names you’ll hear).

Published fares are “published,” meaning anyone can buy a published airfare. Published fares can be bought from anywhere – online booking sites, travel agencies, and directly through the airlines.

Net fares are airfares not available online through flight booking websites or the airlines’ websites. These airfares are only available for travel agents through a Global Distribution System (GDS). and, more recently, New Distribution Capability (NDC). Net fares are also known as private airfares, wholesale airfares, consolidator airfares, and unpublished airfares. All these terms can be used interchangeably.

Established in 1967, Sky Bird Travel is one of the top airline consolidators in the United States. In addition to partnering with 70+ airlines, Sky Bird pays weekly commission checks on airfare, 15% on pre-paid hotels, 10% commission on tours, and 8% on car rentals. What are you waiting for? Register for the easy-to-use WINGS Booking Platform today!