Where does SmartFares sit on price once its service fee is added?
SmartFares is a San Diego agency that sells airline tickets and nothing else, acting as a sales agent for the carriers and sourcing fares from multiple GDS feeds. We checked it route by route to see where it returns a fare and where that fare lands.
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Full Price Comparison
Prices as of August 26, 2026 · travel September 25 – October 2
| Route | Cheapest | SmartFares Price | Difference | Search | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JFKDEN New York — DenverOne way | $232SmartFares | $232 | Search | ||
LAXCHI Los Angeles — ChicagoRound trip | $327SmartFares | $327 | Search | ||
CHILAX Chicago — Los AngelesRound trip | $357SmartFares | $357 | Search | ||
CHIDEN Chicago — DenverOne way | $214SmartFares | $214 | Search | ||
MSPLAS Minneapolis — Las VegasRound trip | $532SmartFares | $532 | Search | ||
SFONRT San Francisco — TokyoRound trip | $1,006SmartFares | $1,006 | Search | ||
SFOSIN San Francisco — SingaporeOne way | $451SmartFares | $451 | Search | ||
JFKSFO New York — San FranciscoOne way | $238eDreams | $239 | 0%$1 | Search | |
LAXJFK Los Angeles — New YorkOne way | $218Wizfair | $219 | 0%$1 | Search | |
LAXHNL Los Angeles — HonoluluOne way | $213Wizfair | $214 | 0%$1 | Search | |
JFKAMS New York — AmsterdamRound trip | $621Cheap Flights Fares | $627 | 1%$6 | Search | |
JFKLAX New York — Los AngelesRound trip | $370Expedia | $383 | 3%$13 | Search | |
MIAZRH Miami — ZurichOne way | $498Kiwi.com | $515 | 3%$17 | Search | |
JFKHKG New York — Hong KongRound trip | $1,039BudgetAir | $1,056 | 2%$17 | Search | |
JFKMAD New York — MadridOne way | $323Kiwi.com | $342 | 6%$19 | Search | |
JFKLIS New York — LisbonOne way | $402Kiwi.com | $421 | 5%$19 | Search | |
JFKBCN New York — BarcelonaOne way | $338BudgetAir | $358 | 6%$20 | Search | |
LAXLHR Los Angeles — LondonRound trip | $1,086Kiwi.com | $1,141 | 5%$55 | Search | |
JFKCDG New York — ParisOne way | $328BudgetAir | $426 | 23%$98 | Search | |
LAXSEL Los Angeles — SeoulOne way | $551Flightnetwork | $695 | 21%$144 | Search |
By the numbers
Original researchHow did SmartFares fares compare on the routes we actually tested?
Across 25 routes from United States, SmartFares returned a fare on 16 of them — 64% coverage, drawn from the 1,250 flight options we compared on August 2026. On 11 routes, or 44%, its cheapest result sat within 25% of the lowest fare found on that same route. The shape of that result follows the model: SmartFares sells airline tickets only, and its About page says it builds its selection from multiple GDS systems, so a route appears when a filed fare reaches a feed it reads. Selling is also call-centre-led, with phone-only deals that a web search will not show. Two lines are worth reading before you pay. SmartFares publishes a service fee of up to $30 per person, and up to $100 per passenger on business, first and multi-city itineraries, all non-refundable. Its FAQ also describes an online booking as a request that returns a reference code, with ticketing following airline confirmation within 24 hours.
Our SmartFares analysis
Based on 1,250 live fares across 25 popular routes from United States.
We analyzed 1,250 live fares across 25 popular routes from United States (snapshot August 2026) and measured how SmartFares performs on coverage, price and traveler trust.
Our verdict on SmartFares
A flights-only agency with a real phone desk, useful when the itinerary is complex or a group is travelling. Read the fee line, then wait for the e-ticket number before you plan around the trip. To see where its fare lands on your route today, start with a free search at TICKETS.US.
Why book flights with TICKETS.US
SmartFares: what buyers ask before booking
Does SmartFares charge its own booking fee?
Yes. Its Taxes & Fees page states that a service fee of up to $30 is charged per person, rising to up to $100 per passenger on business and first class and on multi-city itineraries, and it states that all transaction service fees are non-refundable. The fee sits on top of the airfare, so read the fee line on the payment screen before you confirm.
Who issues the ticket, SmartFares or the airline?
SmartFares' Terms of Use state that it acts solely as a sales agent for the service providers. The airline is the carrier, issues the e-ticket and operates the flight, and its fare rules govern the booking. In practice, baggage allowance, seat selection and change conditions come from the carrier, while SmartFares handles the sale and its own service fees.
Is a SmartFares booking confirmed as soon as I pay?
Not instantly. Its FAQ describes an online booking as a request that returns a reference code straight away, with ticketing following once the airline confirms, a process it says can take up to 24 hours. That is an ordinary agency model rather than a defect. Wait until you hold an e-ticket number before booking connecting travel, hotels or visa appointments.
What happens if I need to change or cancel?
Your airline's fare rules decide what is possible and what it costs, so a non-refundable economy fare stays non-refundable whoever sold it. SmartFares states that all of its transaction service fees are non-refundable, so those do not come back with the fare. Read the fare conditions before paying, keep your reference code, and use the 24/7 phone line to make the request.
Who operates SmartFares, and is it a registered seller of travel?
SmartFares is operated by LBF Travel, Inc. of 4545 Murphy Canyon Road, San Diego, California, which also names Travelation, CheapFlightNow and JetUpFront among its brands. It is a registered California Seller of Travel under CST# 2103435-70, a registration that identifies the seller rather than any single brand, with Travel Consumer Restitution Fund cover of up to $15,000 per passenger.
About the provider
SmartFares
SmartFares is a US online travel agency that sells air tickets and nothing else: its search widget offers round trip, one way and multi-city, plus group booking and a travel eSIM add-on, with no hotels, cars, cruises or packages. Its Terms of Use list SmartFares.com at 4545 Murphy Canyon Road, San Diego, California, and state that SmartFares acts solely as a sales agent for the service providers. The operator is LBF Travel, Inc., at the same address, which names SmartFares, Travelation, CheapFlightNow and JetUpFront among its brands; no parent company above LBF Travel is established. It is a registered California Seller of Travel, CST# 2103435-70, with Travel Consumer Restitution Fund cover of up to $15,000 per passenger. Its About page dates the brand to 2006, while its BBB record shows the corporation incorporated on 28 October 2010.
Airline tickets, and only airline tickets
There is no hotel, car, cruise or package layer to work around. The widget covers round trip, one way and multi-city, plus group booking and a travel eSIM add-on, so the whole interface points at the ticket you came for.
Fares assembled from multiple GDS feeds
Its About page says SmartFares generates its selection of cheap flights from multiple GDS systems — the same distribution plumbing traditional agencies use — which is why published airline fares, including multi-carrier itineraries, turn up in its results.
A 24/7 desk you can actually call
SmartFares promotes phone-only flight deals on +1-858-256-7201, staffed around the clock. For a multi-city routing, a group booking, or a question after ticketing, talking to an agent is part of how the brand is designed to work.
Owner
Operated by LBF Travel, Inc., 4545 Murphy Canyon Road, San Diego
What it sells
Air tickets only — no hotels, cars, cruises or packages
Owner
Round trip, one way, multi-city, group booking and a travel eSIM
Registration
California Seller of Travel CST# 2103435-70 (covers the seller, not one brand)
Key fact
Sister brands listed by LBF: Travelation, CheapFlightNow, JetUpFront
Official site: www.smartfares.com
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