Short answer: In the B2B model, a small agency buys flights at a trade price from a B2B supplier and resells them to its own customers with its own markup. The supplier provides the flight content and issues the ticket for the booking; the agency finds customers, advises them, takes payment and handles their service. Your income is the difference between your selling price and your total cost.
This guide is for small travel agencies and new sellers who want to sell flight tickets without building airline connections. After reading, you will understand how reselling works, how you earn, what it costs, and how to run it safely.
Key takeaways
- Reselling means booking at a trade price and selling at your own price.
- The supplier provides content and issues the ticket; you own the customer relationship.
- Your margin is your markup, after the supplier's fees and your own costs.
- Pay for bookings carefully: a prepaid wallet with no minimum protects a small agency's cash.
- QuickOTA works with agencies that do not have IATA accreditation and issues the ticket for each booking.
How does the B2B reselling model work?
A B2B supplier connects to airlines and content sources and gives agencies a trade panel. Your agency searches flights in that panel, books for your customer and pays the supplier from your account. The supplier issues the ticket, and the e-ticket goes to your customer. You charge your customer your own price, which includes your markup.
The flow of one sale:
- Your customer asks for a flight.
- You search in the B2B panel and check the fare rules.
- You quote your price: the supplier's cost plus your markup.
- The customer pays you.
- You pay the supplier from your wallet or account and ticket the booking.
- The supplier issues the ticket; you send it to the customer and stay their contact for any change.
Who does what in the B2B model?
The work is split. The supplier handles content, booking systems and ticket issue. Your agency handles the customer: finding them, advising them, pricing, payment and service. This split is what makes reselling possible for a small agency, because the expensive technical and airline side is shared across many agencies.
| Task | B2B supplier | Your agency |
|---|---|---|
| Flight content and prices | ✓ | |
| Booking system and ticket issue | ✓ | |
| Finding and advising customers | ✓ | |
| Setting the selling price | ✓ | |
| Taking customer payment | ✓ | |
| Requesting changes and refunds | Tools and quotes | Talks to the customer and requests them |
How do you earn money reselling flights?
You earn your markup: the amount you add on top of the supplier's cost. The supplier's cost is the fare plus any service fees. Decide your markup per route or customer type, include your time and the after-sale work in it, and show your customer one clear price.
Illustrative example (round numbers, not real fares):
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fare in the B2B panel | 300 |
| Supplier service fee | 10 |
| Your cost | 310 |
| Your markup | 25 |
| Your selling price | 335 |
Flight margins are usually thin, so many agencies also earn from service: handling changes for a fee, helping families plan trips, or later adding hotels and tours. See What Should a New Travel Agency Sell First?
What does it cost to start reselling?
The main costs are your business registration and any licence your country requires, the money you need to pay for bookings, and your own marketing and time. With a supplier that has no setup fee and no minimum deposit, a small agency can start with little cash tied up, because it pays only for the bookings it makes.
Cost questions to ask any supplier:
- Is there a setup fee or subscription?
- Is there a minimum deposit, or can you top up per booking?
- What service fees apply per booking and per change or refund?
- Are fees shown before you book?
For more, see How Much Does a B2B Travel Portal Cost?
How do you resell safely?
Resell safely by confirming only after ticketing, collecting payment before you ticket, reading fare rules before you quote, and keeping written terms for changes and refunds. Most problems in reselling come from promises made before the ticket exists, or from customers who were not told the rules of their fare.
Five habits that protect your agency:
- Ticket before you confirm. A held booking can expire or change price.
- Collect payment first. A ticket is hard to undo.
- Explain the fare rules: baggage, changes and refunds. See Airline Fare Rules Explained.
- Write your own terms, including your handling fee for changes.
- Keep records of every booking, payment and message.
How can you resell flights with QuickOTA?
On QuickOTA, your agency books flights in the free B2B Panel and QuickOTA issues the ticket for each booking. QuickOTA works with agencies that do not have IATA accreditation. You set your own markup, pay from a prepaid wallet with no minimum deposit, and request changes and refunds from the panel with the quote shown before you accept.
What you get:
- Free B2B Panel access, no setup fee.
- Search, hold and ticket flights, with fare rules checked before you book.
- Prepaid wallet: top up by online payment or bank deposit with the amount you need.
- Service fees itemised and shown before you book and in your booking details.
Flights are live today. Hotels, tours, visas and group requests are coming soon. To join, you need a registered company or a valid travel agency (tourism) licence from your country. You are responsible for meeting your own country's rules for selling travel.
Common reselling mistakes
- Pricing without the fees. Always compare your total cost, not the fare.
- Confirming before ticketing. The fare or seat may be gone.
- Mixing customer money with personal money. It makes refunds and accounts hard.
- Not explaining fare rules. Disputes start with fees the customer did not expect.
- Selling without checking your country's rules.
FAQs
Is reselling flight tickets legal?
It depends on your country. Many countries require travel businesses to be registered or licensed. Check your country's rules before you sell. QuickOTA asks for a registered company or a valid travel agency (tourism) licence from your country.
Do I need IATA accreditation to resell flights?
Not with every supplier. In the B2B model the supplier can issue the ticket for you. QuickOTA works with agencies that do not have IATA accreditation.
How much markup should I add?
There is no fixed rule. Cover your time, marketing and after-sale work, decide your markup per route or customer type, and check it against local competition.
Who handles changes and refunds?
You stay the customer's contact. You request the change or refund from the supplier, see the cost, and then agree it with your customer. On QuickOTA you request them from the panel and see the quote before you accept.
Can I resell hotels too?
On QuickOTA, flights are live today and hotels are coming soon, along with tours, visas and group requests.
