Local currency fare

A local currency fare is an airfare quoted and paid for in the currency of the country where the ticket is issued. It allows travelers to book flights in their home currency. Many global distribution systems (GDSs), travel agencies, and online travel agencies (OTAs) allow passengers to make payments in their local currencies.

Local currency fares are especially useful in international markets, where a traveler in one country may be booking a flight operated by a foreign air carrier. Instead of quoting the fare in the airline’s base currency, the system uses currency conversion tools—often based on banker’s selling rate (BSR) or banker’s buying rate (BBR)—to provide a local price.

The applicable currency is usually determined by the country of commencement or the point of sale, and some systems also apply IATA’s Consolidated Exchange Rate (ICER) for consistency in fare calculations.