I've been shopping for a business class fare PDX-LHR. Fares at my go-to carriers are north of 5 grand, but I've seen ads for companies that promise fares on the same carriers for about half that.

Are these discounters for real, or are they scammers? If for real, can anyone recommend particular ones to deal with and how to deal with them?

Thanks in advance.

Just a guess...you might be seeing ads from mobs that somehow buy miles and then use them to book flights which they sell.....

Ive never understood how that can ever be legit given the prohibition on selling/bartering that all (AFAIK) FF programs place on such activities...

If it is too good to be true it is too good to be true.

Mileage/Award Ticket Brokers: Are they legit? [consolidated] Click to open the wiki

Some are and some are not.

There are ticket consolidators which buy bulk tickets from carriers at vast discounts, add on a bit, and resell. Those tickets are not available on all flights, may have odd routings, and have burdensome restrictions, e.g. no changes of any kind for any reason. But, they may represent a good deal.

Others are simply fraudsters and a subset of mileage brokers. You run the risk of being sold what may look like a ticket but is not or an award ticket from some stranger's account which may be cancelled on the day of travel or worse yet, when you are in the middle of nowhere on your trip.

The cheapest ticket is not always the least expensive. But, that does not mean that a highly reputable consolidator who comes recommended by people you personally know and trust, is a bad deal. Just be certain to read every word of your contract and understand it before purchasing.