Buying airline tickets over internet question

Tomorrow I plan on buying a plane ticket for my friend's mother over the Internet. Probably America West but I'll look around. But I was wondering if their might be a problem. I have not flown for nearly five years but isn't your Internet receipt your boarding pass and at the terminal check-in, don't you have to show proof of purchase like the credit card you used to purchase the tickets with? Obviously if you bought the tickets for a third party, they would not have your credit card.

the question you ask depends on the airline you are taking.
for example - Jet Blue prints out a receipt that has a bar code on it, this can be scanned at the airport kiosk and give you a boarding pass. or - you can go online 24 before the flight an print out a boarding pass at home.

if you do not have either of these with you at the airport - you can have the credit card you used generate the boarding pass.

make sure you have the person traveling as the ticket holder, and - for sure - bring PHOTO ID - drivers license or passport.. there may still be some issues with carryon baggage..

check with the airline - they usually have an 800 number and will assist you even if you purchase the ticket online..

safe traveling.

I did it one time this past spring for my wife to go to cancer treatment at the last minute on Expedia.com. I was a bit nervous about it too, especially since with the new laws I could not go inwith her to the terminal and make sure all went well. How it worked was you print off a reciept they give you. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THIS, it is what you show at the check-in gate and from there they will take care of you. They will print off your boarding passes, you will of course need identification also, I am sure your mother has that.

I don't fly/book with America West, so don't know if their system is set up anything like the airlines I've booked with...

I've made reservations for myself and others, and I've found the important thing to remember and note (write down), is the confirmation number. It is usually the easiest way to find the reservation and/or print up the boarding pass. If the person flying doesn't print out a boarding pass ahead of time, it can be done at the airport--you can go up to an agent, or use the self-service touch-screen monitors in the ticket lobby.

Knock on wood, but thus far, I've never been asked to provide "proof of purchase." But that doesn't mean it couldn't happen.

Printing out your boarding pass ahead of time should preclude the airlines from asking for proof of purchase (a boarding pass should be an indication that the purchase was completed/paid). Printing your boarding pass early is also a way to avoid having to stand in at least one long line at the airport...but if you have baggage, it sometimes takes almost as long.

A couple of things to keep in mind. 1) Some/many airlines charge hefty fees for changes, etc. once the reservation has been made or ticket purchased, so be very sure of the flights before you commit. Tickets can also be non-transferrable and non-refundable, so beware (read the terms and conditions!). 2) Be sure to have the exact, correct name on the ticket/reservation--with current security, they WILL check the person's ID against the name on the ticket.

Remember, the above has been my experience, but the airline you ultimately select may be completely different, so the best thing to do is check with them. I've found it helpful to call the airline's toll-free reservations number to get answers to specific questions/concerns.

The boarding pass you print fron your computer should be OK.

You need some form of ID like your driver's license.

You do not need any proof of purchase.

My experience with United and Alaska has been the printed boarding pass with bar code and valid form ID like your drivers license. Since I usually have check in bagage, I have to go to the counter anyway so in those times the drivers license has been fine.

Every now and then they do ask to verify ID by confirming the C-card you used for the purchase. I find this a good practise as this casually checks for C-card fraud. That was what the gal relayed at the counter when I thanked her for asking.

Check with the airline after you make the payment to verify carry-on restrictions and any other necessary documents you may need.

Huh...I'm 22 and have never purchased an airline ticket that WASN'T from the internet! That includes both domestic and international trips.

FYI - Generally I've found the best prices on Orbitz.com

Any way, I'm sure it'll be fine, people buy tickets for others all the time, just follow whatever directions the website gives you. And copy down the confirmation # even if it doesn't ask you to, just as a backup in case they have an error.

Also - are u driving her to the airport? Because even with heightened security, you can still go to the ticket counter/ticket machine with her and feed it your credit card if necessary (security doesn't start until later after one has gotten their boarding pass) Again you won't need to I'm sure, but if you'd like peace of mind to just do it that way.

What has been said is right, no problem but:
Bring IDs (preferably drivers license and/or passport )
Bring printed out receipt and boarding pass.
Ask airline about needing to show the credit card used to purchase; should be OK if CC holder accompanies passenger.
For best prices:
Check Travelocity and Orbitz, also check websites for cheap carriers (Southwest, Jetblue, etc.).
Stay over a weekend.
Buy tickets well in advance (a month).
Fly out of airports that have cheap carrier (e.g., Southwest flies out of Manchester, NH and Providence, RI, but not Boston).
--Walter