Glossary
Published Fare
Definition: A published fare is the standard retail price for an airline ticket that is publicly available through the airline’s website, online travel agencies, and fare comparison sites. It contrasts with unpublished consolidator fares.
Published fares are the prices that anyone can see when searching for flights on Google Flights, Expedia, Kayak, or the airline’s own website. These fares are filed with airline tariff systems and are available to all sellers at the same price.
Published fares represent the airline’s retail pricing, optimised through yield management to maximise revenue. While sales and promotions occasionally reduce published fares, they remain significantly higher than wholesale consolidator rates on most premium cabin routes.
The gap between published and consolidator fares is largest on premium cabins (business and first class) on long-haul routes. While a published business class fare might be $5,000–$8,000, a consolidator fare on the same flight could be $2,500–$3,500. This is because airlines would rather sell premium seats at wholesale rates through consolidators than fly them empty. BookMyBusinessClass’s consolidator fares are typically 30–70% below published retail prices.