Rock-bottom airfares come with some caveats

The catch
Most tickets sold by ethnic travel agencies are consolidator tickets, which are highly restricted—usually completely nonrefundable and nonchangeable. "These tickets will absolutely save you money," says George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog.com, a site that monitors airline pricing. "But personally, I wouldn't buy them. They're kind of use 'em or lose 'em," he says, noting that, unlike regular tickets, they will not be accepted by another carrier in the event of a flight cancellation or an extended delay and will not earn you mileage.

And no matter how well you plan, a snafu is sometimes unavoidable. Richard Carpenter, a pathologist from Irvington, Virginia, used a travel agency that secured tickets from an air consolidator to book a trip to France last year as a thirtieth-wedding-anniversary present for his wife. He locked in a $3,500 package with flights on Air France, but on the day of departure, the couple missed their plane after being delayed by traffic near Washington's Dulles Airport. The carrier agreed to book them on a later flight—for an additional $2,000. "I thought I would only have to pay a hundred-dollar change fee for each of us," says Carpenter. "I was floored."

While he was contesting the fee, the later flight was canceled. At that point, an Air France agent informed the Carpenters that the rebooking would now cost more than $10,000, even though they were told that there were 68 empty seats in economy. With that news, the couple canceled their trip. Carpenter spent months writing to Air France and his travel agency—to no avail. He even contacted the consolidator but says it was unresponsive, telling him that it works only with travel agents.

While the Carpenters' agency, the consolidator, and Air France failed to resolve the couple's complaint, technically all three were within their legal rights. The fact is, not all airline tickets are created equal, and rock-bottom fares usually come with rock-bottom protection.

The best defense
So how to take advantage of the lowest fares while minimizing the risk? Before using any travel agency, consider a few key points:

• The best agencies are often accredited by established trade organizations, such as the American Society of Travel Agents, the Association of Retail Travel Agents, and the International Airlines Travel Agent Network; some states require agencies to be licensed. And if an agent is vague in response to direct questions and doesn't provide a telephone number or address on its Web site, be wary.
• As for consolidator tickets, the Better Business Bureau suggests that you contact the airline directly to check the status of your reservation before paying the consolidator: A reservation may not represent a confirmed seat on the flight.
• The Better Business Bureau also cautions that many consolidators accept only cash or add surcharges for using a credit card. Always use a credit card to protect yourself against travel scams: Never pay for a plane ticket with cash or a check. Credit cards are covered under the Fair Credit Billing Act, which protects you from unauthorized fees and charges for goods and services that weren't delivered as agreed. In other words, if a travel agent doesn't issue the ticket you purchased, the credit card company will help you recover your losses.

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