What is Online travel agency?

An online travel agency is an intermediary that sells flights and hotels in its own name, sitting between the traveller and the airline or hotel.

Also called: OTA, Booking site.

How it works#

That middle position decides what happens during disruption: changes and refunds run through the agency, and airlines routinely point customers back to it. Agencies also apply their own fares and service fees that resurface on any change. For complex itineraries or high disruption risk, booking direct is the simpler route even at a higher price.

Not to be confused with#

An online travel agency is not the same as a metasearch site: metasearch displays prices and hands the booking on, an agency signs the contract itself.

In German#

The German term is Buchungsportal. German version of this term

Related terms#

• Global distribution system: A global distribution system is the technical platform travel agencies and booking sites use to search flights, price them and send bookings to airlines.
• Fare rules: Fare rules are the conditions attached to a specific airfare covering changes, refunds, validity, stopovers and mileage earning.
• Error fare: An error fare is a fare published by mistake far below normal levels, typically through a keying error or a currency mix-up.

Articles that use this term#

• Book direct or through an online travel agency?
• Can you cancel a booking for free?
• What is an error fare, and can the airline cancel it?
• Why you should never pay in your home currency abroad
• Are you actually covered for a rental car by your credit card?
• Why your purchase didn’t earn the points you expected