Consolidators
Consolidators are simply travel wholesalers. They are useful mostly in international travel since air travel in the US was deregulated in 1978 and you can buy your tickets directly from the air companies or from web sites. Consolidators buy large numbers of tickets and then sell them by publishing their fares online or in newspapers. If you want to fly in the next few days and are flexible, it is best to know your consolidators, keep their phone numbers and contact them a few days before you want to fly and ask about any of their last minute deals. If you are lucky, you may get a real last minute ticket at a float price, as it is better for such companies to sell a ticket at a loss, rather than not sell at all.
If you contacted a consolidator always ask for any hidden fees: charges, taxes etc. There is a great resource online on consolidators or bucket shop ticket sellers:
http://www.travel-library.com/air-travel/consolidators.html
This is a very useful guide to consolidators, the pros and cons, and how to deal with them.

5. What is Air Courier and who is it good for?
Flying as an air courier is not for everyone. You need to have a sense of adventure and flying as an Air Courier is a great way to travel for very little money, sometimes for absolutely free but mostly for up to 80% discount . It is for you if you are willing to fly to a random destination at a short notice and you are willing to give up your baggage allowance. The trade off is you fly for very little and sometimes for free. Here is how it works: you need to register with an air Courier company. These companies mostly ship time sensitive documents on international flights with the person who is the air courier (you). These companies thrive because air cargo may sometimes be too slow. If your company needs documents to arrive the next morning, air courier is the fastest way and this way of sending documents is not only the fastest, but it is the cheapest and safest way for them. The best sites to consult are www.courier.org or www.aircourier.org or my favorite:
http://www.websciences.org/dvhpub/COURIER.HTM for more information on flying as a courier. Browse these websites carefully, there are dozens of companies you may fly with, depending on where you live of course and where you want to go. Check out their FAQ pages and courier stories to get a sense of how this works and if it could work for you too.
There is a membership fee involved: a yearly payment of 50$ to 200$.
Here is a list that could give you an idea of where they go and how much it
may cost:
L.A.-Bangkok-$400.00
Hong Kong - New York - FREE!
New York - Hong Kong - $300.00
San Francisco – Manila - $300.00
San Fran - Singapore - $350.00
London - New York - £245.00
London – Tokyo - £275.00
London – Barbados - £346.00
London - Washington D.C. - £245.00
Here is a list of the most important cities where courier flights originate:
NEW YORK
LOS ANGELES
SAN FRANCISCO
MIAMI
CHICAGO
WASHINGTON D.C.
LONDON
AUCKLAND
BANGKOK
BUENOS AIRES
HONG KONG
SINGAPORE
SEOUL
6. Don’t get your ticket lost: the advantages of electronic ticketing The best way to go is electronic ticketing. One important caveat: if you can charge a sponsor to pay for your trip, or part of it, to a conference etc. check with them before you buy, whether they accept an electronic ticket for the refund process. Some agencies such as the European Union Administration are notoriously uptight when it comes to new technologies and they may require a “real” paper ticket for the refund process. The advantage of electronic tickets is that unlike paper tickets, they cannot get lost. If you lose your ticket and you arrive at the airport without it you will have to purchase another ticket for a ridiculous price, fill out forms and then wait for weeks on end for a refund on the lost ticket less 70$ processing fee. And you get a refund only if you bought a refundable ticket! An electronic ticket is stored on the company’s computer so it can’t get lost, you just show up with proper and valid identification. Soon, all, or almost all airline tickets will be electronic.
It is always a good idea to make a copy of your paper ticket as soon as you have it and keep that copy separately. This will facilitate any refund process which will take less time to complete.

7. How do I get a stopover for free?
Companies charge for stopovers because they can. However, up to 24 hours in a hub airport does not officially count as a stop over. So for example, if you are on a business trip from Brisbane Australia to London, you can fly with Qantas or KLM and make a stopover in Bangkok or Amsterdam respectively without additional cost. They will even keep your checked luggage free of charge for you so you could go on your 1 day escapade with your hand bag only. This way you get a free stopover which you could use as a quick fun vacation and visit your favorite sites there. In order to get a ticket like this however, you will need to buy it directly and on the phone from the air carrier or through an experienced travel agency. Here is what happens: Prompted to look up your flight, the computer looks for the fastest connecting flight as the assumption is you do not wish to spend hours on end in the hub airport if you do not have to. After the computer finds the right flight for you, all that you ask is for a later connecting flight, that is actually in the next day, but no later than 24 hours ahead. There is nothing wrong with asking this, but it may be a bit of a hassle for your travel agent, or the company’s agent on the phone. In case the air carrier’s rep on the phone does not want to reserve such a ticket for you, just call again and ask another one. Often, agents refuse to book flights like these simply because they donot know how to do it, not because they are not allowed to