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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. This allows them to make a profit while still offering prices lower than those available through traditional channels.

When clients seek airline tickets, travel agents and agencies utilize consolidator booking platforms to find cost-effective flight options. Partner agents can access our products/pricing through multiple channels, including Sabre GDS, Travelport GDS, Amadeus GDS, skyAPI, and the WINGS Booking Platform. Upon receiving a booking, we audit the booking, validate the payment, then issue the ticket, and provide ongoing support.

PS. Sky Bird Travel & Tours pays weekly ACH commission!

NDC, or New Distribution Capability, is a process whereby airlines can avoid the cost of distributing their product through Global Distribution Systems (GDS) which is very expensive for the airlines. This cost savings is then passed along to Sky Bird Travel and our customers in the form of lower fares. 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 these airfares from online booking sites, travel agencies, and directly through the airlines.

Net fares are restricted from online display, so travel agents access them through a Global Distribution System (GDS), New Distribution Capability (NDC), or the WINGS Booking Platform. The net fare is generally below the market fare, also known as a published fare, which enables the agent to mark up the cost and retain the difference as income or pass the value along to clients.

Net fares are also known as private airfares, bulk fares, consolidator airfares, and unpublished airfares – which can be used interchangeably.

Established in 1976, Sky Bird Travel is one of the top airline consolidators in the United States. In addition to partnering with 90+ airlines, Sky Bird pays weekly ACH commission payments on airfare, 25% commission on travel insurance, 15% on pre-paid hotels, and 8% commission on tours and car rentals. What are you waiting for? Register for the easy-to-use WINGS Booking Platform today!