A bucket shop is a discount travel agency that sells surplus airline tickets at rock-bottom prices. Historically, these agencies bypassed official airline pricing agreements to clear out unsold inventory. The term is now used informally to describe any low-end, no-frills ticketing agent or consolidator with a reputation for poor customer service.
Heard on the job
Don't buy your international flights from a bucket shop unless you're okay with zero refund options if things go wrong.
Insider tip
Industry veterans use this term pejoratively to warn travelers about agencies that offer zero post-booking support.
Also heard as
- discount agency
- consolidator