US airlines offer online booking, with travel sites like Travelocity and Orbitz providing search and booking engines. Travelers should shop around for the best deals, check fares for desired flight times, and be aware of connection times and travel site policies. Online check-in and e-ticket kiosks are available, but travelers must have government-issued identification and boarding pass ready at security.
As the Internet has gone global and personal computers have entered a large percentage of American households, US airlines have also kept pace. Most airlines allow passengers to book an air flight online.
Travel sites such as Travelocity and Orbitz, Yahoo and Google, all offer online search and booking engines for an airline flight. The first thing a potential traveler should do when thinking about booking an airline flight online is shop around. There are a number of websites that offer this service and some may have cheaper rates than others. The traveler should also print out the fare charts for comparison.
A traveler must also check the fares for desired flight times. Fares may vary depending on when the airline’s flight departs, how many stops are involved, how long the layovers last, and at which airport. The traveler should make sure to compare fares for the same airline flight times in order to get the best deal. Changing flight times can also change the fare, so the traveler should be aware of this.
Booking your airline flight early in the morning usually ensures timely departure and arrival, as airports tend to get backups as the day goes on. The traveler should also check the connection times and not inadvertently book too close a connection. Many travel websites warn the traveler of tight connections, long layovers and overnight flights, but it is still up to the traveler to book an airline flight that they can board on time.
When booking an air flight online, the traveler should also check the travel site’s policies and fares. Most travel sites charge a small booking fee and have other restrictions on flight cancellations and other types of refunds. Many travelers think of first searching a travel search engine for the best airfares. However, the individual airline’s website may offer the best deal, as they often have ‘internet only’ deals booked through their own sites.
A traveler must always have a credit card available when purchasing a ticket and must make the reservation in the name that appears on the card. The traveler will then be issued an electronic ticket for the air flight, rather than the traditional paper ticket. When he receives the flight confirmation, usually by email, he needs to print the booking email and save it with the travel documents.
Most airlines also allow online check-in up to 24 hours before your flight. The traveler can then print a boarding pass from their computer and not have to do anything at the airport other than check any bags and proceed directly to security. Most airports have e-ticket kiosks where the traveler can check in or simply check their bags, all without having to go to the ticket office.
As with any air flight, the traveler must have government-issued identification and boarding pass ready at the security checkpoint. This will help reduce waiting times for other passengers who are also trying to get through security.
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