Topaz: 2008 Airfares Cheaper Through Agencies

Airfares booked last year through corporate travel agencies cost on average $61 less than identical itineraries booked through airline Web sites or online travel retailers, according to a Topaz International study on client data released this week. That figure, however, does not include agency transaction fees or servicing charges, Topaz president and CEO Brad Seitz noted.

Comparing the same itinerary publicly available online with fares booked through travel management companies, Topaz found agency fares were either the same or less costly nearly 92 percent of the time, down slightly from the nearly 95 percent rate reported in 2007.

Topaz has conducted the research annually since 2001, finding that agencies consistently offer lower fares than publicly available retail sites. "Even while agency airfares are higher only 8.44 percent of the times, for every $10 million of air spend this represents lost savings of over $100,000 each year," Seitz said in a statement. "Not only does this add up very quickly, it provides great opportunity for improvement to your travel program by eliminating this leakage."