R010 Booking Flights Online

Before you book

• Double-check all details with the passenger before booking, especially if it’s an international flight
  • Have all the documentation ready next to your computer before you start
  • Including your holiday dates! (and alternative dates if necessary)
  • Mismatched names can result in being denied boarding or paying expensive fees to fix.
• Discuss preferences:
  Check your baggage needs, dietary restrictions, preferred seating, and other amenities, as you may have the option to add these during the booking process.
• Decide who receives notifications:
  Consider who should receive notifications about flight changes and updates
  Phones etc might not work well in the destination country, you might need a contact back home

Necessary Booking Info

You will need this to start your booking

• Location
  • Departure from & Arrival at
• Dates & Times
  • Out going
  • Return – if needed
• Extras
  • baggage (sports equipment etc)
  • seating arrangements
  • dietary requirements
  • etc

• Full name: The name on the ticket must be an exact match for the name on the passenger’s photo identification (passport for international travel).
  This includes first, middle, and last names.
• Date of birth: This is a security requirement for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the US and similar agencies globally.
• Gender: Many airlines require this information for security purposes.

When booking a flight for someone else, you need their full legal name and date of birth exactly as they appear on their government-issued ID. For international travel, you will also need their passport information.

Known Traveler Number or Redress Number: If the passenger is enrolled in a program like TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, including their number will help them move through security faster.
Frequent flyer number: To ensure the person traveling receives their points or miles, you can include their frequent flyer number for that airline.
International travel documents

For international bookings, you must also provide Advance Passenger Information (API). This typically includes:

• Passport number
• Nationality
• Passport expiry date
• issuing Country of passport
• Country of residence
• Visa or destination-specific travel authorization details (if required)

Contact and payment information

Contact information:
You can enter your own email and phone number to receive the booking confirmation and other updates, or you can use the traveler’s. For surprise trips, many people use their own contact information to avoid spoiling the surprise.

Payment details:
You can use your own credit or debit card to pay for someone else’s flight. The name on the payment method does not have to match the passenger’s name. However, for international travel, some airlines may ask the passenger to show the card used for the purchase or an authorization form. This is becoming less common with online check-in, but it is wise to check the airline’s specific policies.