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The International Airfare Specialists

Go to the companies (normally, ethnic agents) that sell tickets to only a single area, and deal with only one or two airlines
By Evelyn Kanter, Monday, June 6, 2005 |

Scandinavia: Scandinavia Washington's diplomatic community uses Scantravel International in nearby Virginia (800/283-5023 or 703/281-3355, scantravel@starpower.net) for cheap flights to and from Scandinavia and Europe.


Turkey, Greece: Used by a large community of ethnic Turkish and Kurdish residents of the Northeast, New York City's Anadolu Travel (800/262-3658 or 212/486-4012, atc-anadolu.com) has contracts with Turkish Airways (an American Airlines partner), for whom it's an active consolidator on flights to Istanbul and via Istanbul to other nearby capitals.

Western European capitals:Destination Europe, of Portland, Maine (800/359-3876 or 207/842-2000, autoeurope.com), is the air-ticket affiliate of the well-known car rental consolidator Auto Europe, so one call can get you both air and a vehicle.

Caribbean, Central & South America

Brazil: Steve Foster's Brazilian mother became one of the first consolidators to South America some 39 years ago when she founded Brazil Tours of Sherman Oaks, California (800/927-8352 or 818/990-4995, braziltours.net). It also has both organized and customized tours, including an Amazon River trip with a guide who teaches jungle survival techniques to the Brazilian Army.

Brazil primarily, but also to other nations in Latin America: Brazilian Travel Service of New York City (800/342-5746 or 212/764-6161) also has offices in Rio and Sao Paulo and is obviously a major player to its namesake nation. The agency, in business for 26 years, claims also to be one of the largest consolidators to other Central and South American nations.

Dominican Republic: TravelSpan, of New York City (where it has three offices in West Indian neighborhoods) and Santo Domingo (800/817-6177 or 212/268-4632, travelspan.com), is big enough to occasionally charter its own low-cost flights to Santo Domingo and Trinidad, in addition to offering major discounts on scheduled flights of big international carriers. It also operates flights to Mexico's Cancun as well.

Latin America in general: G.T. Tours of Coral Gables, Florida (800/666-8687 or 305/445-9600, ecuador-si.com, has contract fares with several airlines (even one that claims it does not normally work with consolidators) that serve Latin America, including Peru, Ecuador, and Venezuela, all from Miami.

Trinidad and Guyana: Sandra's Travel (718/848-3500) has one office in Trinidad and another in a West Indian neighborhood in New York. Although it offers discounts on several airlines flying to Caribbean locations, its best prices are on regularly scheduled charters flown there on BWIA West Indies Airways, World Airways, and other carriers.

Asia

China, Korea, and Vietnam: Far Eastern Travel International, of New York City (800/275-3384 or 212/532-8866, feti.com) is primarily a consolidator for China, EVA, and Korean Airlines, but occasionally for discount tickets on U.S. airlines too.

India: India Omni Travel (503/643-0104) primarily services a large Indian and East Asian community clustered about a large Microsoft facility in Beaverton, Oregon. Again to India, especially from New York Hari World Travel (888/889-2968 or 212/997-3300, hariworld.com) is a big agency that started nearly 25 years ago in Canada to serve the Indian community there, and is now based in New York City.

Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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