Criteria for Choosing Your Flight Ticket

Who to Contact?

Before deciding which type of ticket best suits your journey, it’s useful to consider who you’ll contact to make your purchase. While things were once relatively straightforward (you’d typically go to the local travel agency), the landscape has changed, especially with the rise of the Internet.

In practice, you can buy your flight ticket from:

• A travel agency (physical or virtual),

• A tour operator (same),

• An airline (same),

• An online flight comparison site.

Agencies and Tour Operators

Each Has Its Role

When it comes to air travel, the primary advantage of a travel agency is acting as an intermediary between the public and the many existing airlines. Even if, in reality, a selection is made, a licensed agency can work with any carrier. Their reservation systems provide real-time access to availability across airlines. This means travelers don’t have to shop around and can, in theory, get a good overview of all the options available worldwide.

Distinction

An essential clarification: a travel agency and a tour operator (or TO) are two different things. The tour operator charters planes and seats or negotiates rates with scheduled airlines, while the agency simply resells the tour operator’s products or those of airlines at the same price. As a result, the travel agency isn’t paid by the customer but directly by its suppliers (though more and more airlines now apply a 0% commission to agencies reselling their tickets).

In France, out of the thousands of travel professionals, only about 300 to 400 are tour operators, and not all specialize in flight tickets.

"Physical" Agencies and Tour Operators

As opposed to the Internet and the "virtual" world.

Choosing a Point of Sale

Once you’ve broadly defined the product or package you want, prioritize the agency or tour operator best suited or most specialized in that area, with the most information available.

If you want to take your time to discuss options, avoid peak dates and the busiest agencies. In any case, compare offers and shop around. Naturally, terms of sale and other details will also factor into your choice.

Even for a simple flight ticket, several options or formulas are possible. Each has its own features, so it’s always useful to understand the basics. However, don’t rely too much on agencies to explore all possibilities. Their role in providing information isn’t quite at that level, and they’re certainly not there to promote competitors. So, it’s up to you to know what you want.

Expected Information

The quality of a point of sale in air travel is primarily judged by the level of information it can provide to customers. When you consider that for Bangkok alone, you can choose from around forty different airlines, the importance of this becomes clear.

Broadly speaking, the necessary transport information can be grouped into three categories: 1- the "world of air travel," 2- "general info" on different options, 3- "specific info" for each flight (implied: chosen by the customer).

Of course, this can take different forms and vary in importance depending on the declared specialties of each tour operator.

The "World of Air Travel"

For an agency, explaining the basics of air travel is primarily a valuable addition if it’s targeting individual travelers flying to distant destinations with multiple carrier options. The goal is to emphasize that "price isn’t everything" and even encourage some reflection. Providing this type of information, including online, is generally a good way to identify a specialized and competent long-haul tour operator, used to dealing with demanding or individual clients who may occasionally seek complex solutions.

"General Info"

A good overview of different flight options is often available or highlighted by those specializing in standalone flights worldwide or in specific regions. You can also get key details about possible flights and airlines for each destination, seasonal variations, and other essential information to help you choose and generate ideas. Meanwhile, those promoting only one or two flights per destination typically specialize in charters (flights or tickets) or package deals where air travel is just one component. Others (and there are more and more) provide little to no information or limit it to the bare minimum.

"Specific Info"

Once a flight is chosen, if it’s a scheduled route, any agency can, if it wishes, provide the main details to the customer. For charters, things can differ, if only because they aren’t pre-scheduled like regular flights. However, since 2005, tour operators are theoretically required to mention the name and details of flights, even for charters, at the time of purchase.

Service Fees

Since 2005, most airlines no longer pay commissions to travel agencies for ticket sales (previously around 7%). As a result, agencies had to find other revenue streams for standalone flight sales and decided to charge customers service fees on top (easier than opposing the airlines). Depending on the case, these can range from a few euros to several dozen, theoretically (!) justified by the "advice" an agency provides.

In short, if you know exactly what you want, it’s increasingly less appealing to go through agencies compared to airlines and especially the Internet, where fees are generally lower.

Advantages and Disadvantages

In summary, using a "physical" agency or tour operator is primarily beneficial if you need information or want to simplify your life. It’s also true that in case of problems, you’ll have easier access to recourse, if only through physical contact with the point of sale.

"Virtual" Agencies and Tour Operators

Essentially the same as above (though some agencies are purely virtual) for purchases via their websites. It’s also best to prioritize those that best match your needs and compare offers from different providers.

However, many sites quickly reach their limits for those needing comprehensive information or more than just a price-based search. While additional information is often available, especially by phone, this can quickly become costly given the sometimes high call rates. Not to mention occasional difficulties in establishing contact in case of problems.

Airlines

Both through their physical points of sale and their websites.

For a long time, airlines’ direct offers were prohibitively expensive for the general public, requiring travelers to go through travel agencies benefiting from preferential rates. Things have changed significantly. Nearly all airlines now offer discounted fares open to everyone, often matching the negotiated prices they provide to agencies (excluding agency fees). This trend is likely to grow as airlines increasingly aim to sell directly. In practice, it’s entirely possible to buy a ticket at a good price directly from the airline. In fact, most low-cost airlines only sell their tickets directly through their websites.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Beyond the same remarks as above regarding physical and virtual points of sale, which also apply to airlines, buying directly from them has one or two particularities. First, you’ll only have access to that airline’s offer or, at best, its alliance partners. More importantly, in case of an airline’s bankruptcy, it’s much harder to get compensation if you bought your ticket directly from them rather than through an intermediary.

In any case, if you’ve spotted a flight from an airline through a tour operator, it’s essential to check the same offer directly with the airline.

Online Comparators

This is the latest purchasing channel to develop thanks to the Internet and is gaining increasing importance in the travel world. Broadly speaking, these engines compare online offers from different tour operators and, occasionally, airlines, then highlight the best ones.

While you get an overview of a destination, be aware that you’re generally far from seeing all available airlines. As always, it’s worth expanding your search through other sources.

Terms of Sale

Your Contract

You’ve chosen your flight. Before paying, especially for a charter, read the terms of sale mentioned in the brochure or on the seller’s website. These are almost as important as the ticket price and serve as references or a "contract."

They generally fall into two categories: "general" conditions applicable to all (rights and obligations under the law) and "specific" conditions unique to each (payment, cancellation, modification, etc.). Overall, you’ll find detailed explanations of the payment schedule, clauses and penalties for contract breaches, and other general information that may be useful to know.

In addition to these terms of sale and registration, various insurance-assistance options with their own features are often strongly recommended by tour operators and sometimes included in the basic contract. These can cover cancellation, baggage, or repatriation insurance.

Reservation

A reservation is an actual seat on a specific flight once a ticket has been paid for or a credit card number provided. It’s only from this point that it constitutes a contract and can be guaranteed.

If a customer is hesitant, especially for a scheduled flight, the seller may offer a temporary option on the ticket until a nearby date. In this case, the seat is blocked and can’t be offered to someone else until the chosen date.

Payment

Direct

For payment, as a general rule, up to 30 days before departure, a deposit of 25 to 35% of the total trip cost is required at the time of booking to secure the request. The full balance is due 30 days before departure (J-30). For bookings after J-30, the entire ticket must be paid. For last-minute reservations (J-3 or even J-7), a surcharge may sometimes be applied. Many agencies now only accept card or cash payments 15 or 21 days before departure. Some agencies occasionally offer discounts to those who book their tickets quickly, at least 60 or 90 days in advance.

Online

When buying a flight ticket online, things are different. You’re generally required to pay the full ticket price at the time of booking.

Price Guarantee

Regarding price guarantees, everything depends on what’s stated in the "specific terms of sale." It’s best to ask. Meanwhile, not all tour operators guarantee fixed and final rates from the time of booking (except for legal tax increases). Some don’t apply price increases after J-30, while others, mainly those dealing in charters, rarely consider this possibility. However, increases can only be made under certain conditions, and for a rise of more than 10%, the customer can usually cancel without fees. Still, be careful if the contract states you may be subject to any increase without the option to cancel.

Considerations When Buying a Ticket

For many, the only criterion for buying a ticket is its cost, with the goal of finding the cheapest possible fare.

Unfortunately, the "cheapest" isn’t always the most economical, especially when traveling outside Europe. To get a good deal, certain rules apply: first, know what you want, what’s available, and how much it costs. Then, compare the available offers and ask (and ask yourself) the right questions before finalizing your choice.

Beyond personal criteria like budget, several factors should be considered, including the ticket, the carrier, the provider offering the service, and the type of trip you want to take.

The Planned Trip

You don’t look for a ticket for a week in the Balearics the same way you would for six months in South America. It’s best to start by contacting tour operators and/or carriers best able to provide the services you’re looking for.

Highly Touristic Destinations

Nowadays, you can find charters, low-cost flights, and even relatively affordable scheduled flights for popular destinations. It’s useful to get an overview to make the best choice.

Charters: Traditionally, these destinations were the domain of charters. So, it’s obviously with charter-specialized tour operators (or their resellers) that you’ll have the most options. Depending on availability or for limited stays, promotional offers can also be interesting. Generally, flight and ticket features for these destinations are often more or less identical (validity, airlines, flight duration, and even schedules), so you can look for the cheapest displayed fare, taking into account additional fees, especially agency fees. During peak periods, when charter prices soar, it’s also worth checking fares on scheduled flights.

Low Cost: More and more "budget" airlines are successfully targeting vacation destinations, even threatening charters in their stronghold. For example, the Mediterranean region is now well-covered by airlines like Ryanair or EasyJet. So, when searching, it’s essential to check low-cost sites for their offers. But be careful with the final price, as more and more extras (baggage, booking method) are added to the displayed fare. Generally, low-cost airlines offer more flexibility and choices than charters in terms of validity, schedules, etc.

Scheduled Flights: Even if vacation destinations (short or medium-haul) aren’t the primary target of scheduled airlines, they can occasionally offer competitive fares. This is especially true during peak dates when charter and low-cost prices also tend to rise...

Other Destinations

The choice is a bit trickier, as it usually involves scheduled flights with a wider range of carriers and highly variable features (and prices). It’s useful to get informed beforehand and then choose a flight with a specific airline.

So, rather than looking for a ticket to a destination without knowing what you’ll be offered, you’ll buy from an agency or online a ticket with airline X, whose features (flight duration, route, price, etc.) you already know and which best match what you’re looking for. To get there, you need to be "curious"...

The Seller

The Agency or Tour Operator

A crucial choice, as each, whether "physical" or only online, targets a specific audience with a particular range of products. Some questions to ask:

-# Does the agency seem specialized and competent for the chosen destination? Which airlines and ticket types do they offer?

-# What are their terms of sale, cancellation, modification, and additional fees (service fees, membership card, etc.)?

-# What about insurance-assistance? Are they mandatory (legally, they’re not) and at what cost?

-# Are prices guaranteed, payable immediately, on credit? By what means? Are there discounts for long-term bookings?

-# If booking online, is it still possible to contact the seller physically or by phone in case of problems?

-# What information can the documentation and especially the agency provide for your questions? Have you checked all specialized tour operators and airlines (and their direct sales)?

Airlines

While negotiated-rate tickets are sold by travel agencies, they’re increasingly sold directly by airlines, sometimes at a lower cost. So, in any case, if you’ve spotted a flight with an airline through a tour operator, it’s essential to check the same offer directly with the airline.

For the rest, you can ask (or consider) roughly the same questions (terms of sale, contact, etc.) as for tour operators.

The Ticket, Airline, and Flight

Beyond the ticket’s features, you can easily get details about the proposed flights from agencies or airlines. For long-haul flights, this is almost an essential criterion in choosing. Useful to know:

Features...

-# First, how much validity do you really need? The longer it is, the more expensive it is, so choose wisely.

-# Depending on your plans, do you want the option to return from a different city than your arrival (open-jaw), benefit from stopovers, discounts on the country’s domestic network, or a pass and continuation flights at a good price? If traveling with children, what discounts are possible? So, which airlines (or tickets) can offer these advantages and at what cost?

-# In light of this, which carriers are traditionally "budget" or "premium" for the destination, and which do you want to prioritize? Are there also "low-cost" carriers on the route?

Departure Location...

-# Since each airline operates from specific hubs, for possible options, what is the departure (and sometimes arrival) city or airport, and what additional costs does this imply? The real ticket price should be calculated from your home, including all expenses.

-# For those outside major cities, are pre-connections covered or offered at a discounted rate by certain airlines?

Flight...

-# Are there non-stop or direct flights (the most interesting, not always much more expensive), and for others, where do the plane changes occur (available time and risk of missing your connection)? Are there one or more overnight stays at the passenger’s expense, and what additional costs (extra taxes, visa, etc.) does this entail?

-# What frequencies are offered by each? What are the departure and return days, and how do they affect the time you have? Same for departure and arrival times and the issues of getting to the airport, gaining or losing a day on-site, jet lag effects, and difficulties arriving in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar city.

-# What are the flight durations and possible routes (for Australia, this can range from 22 to 40 hours via Asia or the Americas)?

-# What is the reputation of the chosen airlines, the in-flight service, and the aircraft type?

Dates...

-# Finally, according to the airlines’ and/or tour operators’ calendars, how do ticket prices vary? Some routes are cheaper mid-week, while others see prices skyrocket within days. In short, have you chosen the best dates, keeping in mind that more and more airlines regularly offer promotions without excessive constraints on part or all of their networks?

-# Last thing, regardless of the destination, whether charter or scheduled, avoid traveling at the same time as everyone else if you really want to save money (and avoid airport crowds).

When to Book?

As early or as late as possible? There’s no definitive answer. Booking late means you can take advantage of last-minute deals (J-7) but beware of limited choices and dates. And will there still be seats available?

Booking early generally offers more options, and some tour operators or airlines offer additional discounts, but it can also be hard to back out once committed...