There's a good chance that you have wondered about the unfairness of airline fares in some point in your life. Well, I certainly have, and constantly at that. I make it a point to ask my co passengers about the fares they paid for the privilege of traveling together each time I get into a flight. In my experience, they have all provided different amounts. The difference in airline fares that a man and his co-passenger in the next seat paid was vast enough to straddle a couple of hundred dollars in one memorable case. Our discussion led to a very amusing fight that the cabin crew was hard pressed to break up.
Airline fares can really be atrocious. I know this because I have booked my tickets at various times. I have made my bookings well in advance when time has been on my side. There were also times when I have been forced to make my bookings at the last minute especially on my business travels. You may not believe me, but there are times when I have paid more expensive airline fares for my bookings at leisure than the fares I paid for my last minute rush.
I have a friend in the airline industry who explained to me about how the system actually works. An airline operator usually has a basic cost that they need to cover in order to make their trip profitable. This is a low figure that includes fuel charges, service charges, salaries and equipment. This base component, the profit margin of the airlines, the taxes and surcharges imposed by the airport and finally, the commissions charged by various tourist operators or booking agents are all included in the airline fares we pay.
The affordability of airline fares depends almost entirely on the premium that an agent is going to charge. An agent may decrease the commission you have to pay out if that person is someone whom you deal with on a fairly regular basis. However, you have to be prepared to pay through your nose if you are dealing with the agent for the first time.
Remember to bargain with your travel agent every time you plan a trip. Ask them if they will cover your visa charges when you are taking international trips that entail hotel bookings. You can ask them if they can provide you with vouchers of any sort if the trip is domestic. Travel agents just might have the right deal to sweeten your airline fares because they are usually a well connected lot.
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