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#1
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Seeking Advice, Please
I am in the USA and plan to buy a ticket for a friend to travel from the UK
to the USA. The airline I checked with said I should make the reservation and give my friend the confirmation number. Since it will be an e-ticket my friend can go to the airport, and using the confirmation number, check-in for the flight. My friend's passport is current. Seems almost too simple as I wanted to do this several years ago, using paper tickets, and it was a hassle. Am I overlooking something? Thanks for any help. |
#2
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Seeking Advice, Please
On May 20, 3:57*pm, "Newby" wrote:
I am in the USA and plan to buy a ticket for a friend to travel from the UK to the USA. *The airline I checked with said I should make the reservation and give my friend the confirmation number. *Since it will be an e-ticket my friend can go to the airport, and using the confirmation number, check-in for the flight. *My friend's passport is current. *Seems almost too simple as I wanted to do this several years ago, using paper tickets, and it was a hassle. *Am I overlooking something? Thanks for any help. Hi, You're not missing anything. I've traveled internationally using confirmation numbers for several years. There is one caution! Occasionally, airlines will ask for the credit card used when purchasing the ticket. Why? I don't know. This could be a potential problem for both of you. You both should check with the airlines here in the US and the UK, and explain your concern. Check with the airlines you're flying - not the travel agent. Cheers. |
#3
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Seeking Advice, Please
"Newby" wrote in message maker... I am in the USA and plan to buy a ticket for a friend to travel from the UK to the USA. The airline I checked with said I should make the reservation and give my friend the confirmation number. Since it will be an e-ticket my friend can go to the airport, and using the confirmation number, check-in for the flight. My friend's passport is current. Seems almost too simple as I wanted to do this several years ago, using paper tickets, and it was a hassle. Am I overlooking something? Thanks for any help. Generally correct, but note that some airlines (United comes to mind) require the passenger be able to present the credit card used to purchase the ticket. Make sure that this will be adequate by calling the airline reservations number and asking. |
#4
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Seeking Advice, Please
"Newby" wrote in message maker... I am in the USA and plan to buy a ticket for a friend to travel from the UK to the USA. The airline I checked with said I should make the reservation and give my friend the confirmation number. Since it will be an e-ticket my friend can go to the airport, and using the confirmation number, check-in for the flight. My friend's passport is current. Seems almost too simple as I wanted to do this several years ago, using paper tickets, and it was a hassle. Am I overlooking something? Thanks for any help. US immigration will want to see a copy of the electronic ticket. They certainly asked me for mine the last time I travelled to the US (I have a UK Passport). The airline will e-mail that to you, your job is to e-mail it to your friend. Make sure you send the correct document, it's the one with all the terms and conditions attached and (somewhere) the ticket number. As others have said airlines do ask for the paying credit card. However, they are quite aware that people do what you're proposing so there are procedures in place. It's worth checking to make sure the airline knows your friend will not have your card with them and what other documents he/she must carry. |
#5
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Seeking Advice, Please
In message , at 21:23:06 on Wed, 20
May 2009, Jeff Hacker remarked: note that some airlines (United comes to mind) require the passenger be able to present the credit card used to purchase the ticket. I've been almost caught out by this on BA. When flying overseas I don't generally carry every single card with me, and the time I was asked it was just luck I happened to have the right one. -- Roland Perry |
#6
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Seeking Advice, Please
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#7
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Seeking Advice, Please
In message , at 07:13:02 on
Thu, 21 May 2009, Graham Harrison remarked: US immigration will want to see a copy of the electronic ticket. And don't forget to remind your friend about the ESTA scheme (they won't get nagged about it by the airline if you've done the booking). http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/ (Actually, if ESTA is working properly, that could potentially over-ride the need for carrying the e-ticket because they can check with the airline that the traveller has the required return ticket, but things never seem to be co-ordinated that sensibly). Airlines sometimes want to see the e-ticket too. I find this is somewhat random! As well as somewhat of a contradiction in terms. -- Roland Perry |
#8
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Seeking Advice, Please
"Roland Perry" wrote in message ... In message , at 07:13:02 on Thu, 21 May 2009, Graham Harrison remarked: US immigration will want to see a copy of the electronic ticket. And don't forget to remind your friend about the ESTA scheme (they won't get nagged about it by the airline if you've done the booking). http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/esta/ (Actually, if ESTA is working properly, that could potentially over-ride the need for carrying the e-ticket because they can check with the airline that the traveller has the required return ticket, but things never seem to be co-ordinated that sensibly). Airlines sometimes want to see the e-ticket too. I find this is somewhat random! As well as somewhat of a contradiction in terms. -- Roland Perry I had completed ESTA when I last entered the USA. He still asked for my ticket (and the hotel confirmation as well!). Now here's another point. Make sure that the name you book the ticket in is the same as the name in the passport. You may know your friend as "Bill" but his passport will almost certainly then say "William". You may also find that as part of the booking process you are asked for the passport number, place and date of issue. That was certainly the case when I used to do this sort of thing for a friend coming from the USA to the UK. And, while I think about it, there was never an issue with the credit card when I used to do that. As for staff asking for tickets I can remember my first flight with BA on an ET. Having had some involvement with the BA project team in rolling out the use of ET to the UK trade I knew that the instruction to BA check in staff at the time was not to ask for the ticket copy. Didn't stop him asking for the ticket but when I pointed out it was an ET there was a short pause and then everything carried on without a hitch (and without any need to present the ET). The critical issue is to identify the passenger and flight. Provided that can be done it should not be necessary to present the ET at check in. However, as I say, you MUST carry it with you for immigration. |
#9
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Seeking Advice, Please
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 16:35:15 on Wed, 20 May 2009, remarked: There is one caution! Occasionally, airlines will ask for the credit card used when purchasing the ticket. Why? I don't know. They would claim that it reduces fraud. I've never really understood what kind of scammer would turn up at the airport having identified himself sufficiently to satisfy Homeland Security, to use a ticket he'd bought with a stolen card (and more than that, before the real cardholder had reported the fraud, at which point the airline would simply cancel the ticket). When I paid for a hotel room for a tenant in a rental property I own (during termite tenting) the hotel had a form I had to send to them that allowed them to check into the hotel even though someone else paid for the room. Maybe the airlines have something similar. For automated boarding passes on most airlines you just need the reservation number or some other identifying information (FF #), or you can print them out in advance, and they never ask for any verification that you were the one that bought the ticket. |
#10
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Seeking Advice, Please
In message , at 09:25:38 on
Thu, 21 May 2009, SMS remarked: For automated boarding passes on most airlines you just need the reservation number or some other identifying information (FF #), or you can print them out in advance, and they never ask for any verification that you were the one that bought the ticket. You may never have been asked, but some of us have. -- Roland Perry |
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