Dumb question about buying plane tickets online

[Luanne]

I already purchased the tickets for us to fly. It mentions something in the email the airline sent me about printing off a boarding pass. Where do I find the boarding pass to print off? Or is there some other way I get the boarding passes? I have never done this before.

[Miss Peregrine]

I usually get another email closer to the flight announcing that it's time to check in. The boarding pass is with that.

[Ailaena]

I don't know which airline you chose, but X hours before your flight you will check in online and will print them then.

 

You can usually also print them in a kiosk at the airport, or even with a person, if you so choose. Or even when you check in your luggage.

 

HTH!

[QueenCat]

You'll get an email with a link to check in. You'll be able to print your boarding pass from the link. Sometimes you'll also have the option to pre-pay for your luggage, depending on the airline.

[monstermama]

What everybody else said.  Also, depending on the airline, when you check in is when you get your seats assigned, so it's best to check in as early as possible.

[Luanne]

Thanks, everyone.

[Lanny]

You will need to log into the web site of the airline involved.  You can probably do that with the Reservation Number (PNR Record or Passenger Name Record) of the reservation or with one of the passengers names, etc.  My wife and DD are going to fly next week. That airline permits selecting the seats and printing the Boarding Passes within 48 hours of the scheduled departure time.  We do that ASAP and we print 2 copies. One to hand to the agent at the gate and one to take inside the cabin, in case there is confusion about which passenger has been assigned which seat.  I suspect that how far in advance of departure you can make your seat assignments and print the boarding passes depends upon the Fare category.  We pay for the least expensive fare category...

 

OT: You are wise to purchase your airline tickets online. If you would call the airline to make your reservations, they would probably charge you an extra fee for that service.  Also, you can check and double check that the information is correct, before you click to buy. It is VERY easy to make mistakes over the phone. Each person believes the other person understands perfectly, but lots of errors creep in over the phone.

[Lanny]

I don't know which airline you chose, but X hours before your flight you will check in online and will print them then.

 

You can usually also print them in a kiosk at the airport, or even with a person, if you so choose. Or even when you check in your luggage.

 

HTH!

 

 

Yes.    I remember when we were in Bogota last October  we selected our seats online, but we did not bring a Printer with us, so after we arrived at El Dorado Airport we printed our Boarding Passes from a machine.  Another trip, we went into a place where they have Internet service (Internet Cafe?) paid for 15 or 30 minutes, logged into the airline web site, selected our seats, and printed out the boarding passes. We were about 1 1/2 hours from Bogota at that time, in a small town near a tourist attraction we'd visited..     Well worth their small charge to be able to get our seat assignments and print the boarding passes, ASAP.

 

On our domestic flights on LAN Colombia, the cabin is all Economy (Coach) but I think the seats in the first rows may have more leg room. They charge extra for those rows.   We sit just behind those rows, in front of the wing.

[JFSinIL]

I bought a trip to see my folks in California last week to travel next week - hey, spur of the moment I saw I had a free week and googled airfare from here to there - and am flying roundtrip on American for less than $300 :-)  point is, I was able to select my seats at the time of purchase.  I can check in and print my boarding pass 24 hours before the flight. 

[TechWife]

We select our seats when we purchase the tickets and print the boarding passes at home from a link in the confirmation email. We check in from home as well, 24 hours prior to departure, as that is when my husband can use his various upgrades - we don't like to leave those for the last minute or others will get to them first! 

[MercyA]

So you're headed out, Luanne? How exciting! Hope all goes well for you.  :grouphug: and prayers.

[Sun]

Just an FYI, most airlines will send an email. They may not all send this email, so do not count on it. They will certainly not all send the email exactly 24 hours ahead of time, which is when you can and should check in for best seat assignment options.

 

Did you buy your ticket directly from the airline? If you used something like Expedia or Travelocity, you may not be able to check in online. Sometimes you can, and sometimes you can't. (That's why I always buy from the airline directly.)

 

I would suggest setting an alert in your calendar for exactly 24 hours before your flight departure time. Go to the airline's web site. There will be a link for "check in" somewhere on their main page. If you can't find it, google your airline name and "online check in." You will need your last name and your confirmation number, which should be on your receipt. The form will tell you what info to put in. If more than one person is flying on the same reservation, use the last name of the person whose information you entered first when you bought the tickets. You'll click through some screens about hazardous items. Mark if you're going to check bags or not. There should be a place for changing or selecting seats. Look carefully; it's not always super obvious. Look for seat options or just click continue if you already have seats that are fine. Some airlines will charge more to change to certain "better" seats; others won't. If there's an extra charge, it will be obvious once you click on that seat. Once you have seats, even if you don't like your seats, you need to go on to print your boarding passes and pay for checked luggage if you'd like to do that ahead of time. Pay for checked luggage if you'd like to do so in advance. If you do, take the receipt with you to the airport. It's cheaper with some airlines to pay in advance rather than at the airport. Print your boarding passes.  Whew! All done.

 

When you're returning, do all of the above again. If you don't have access to a printer on either end, don't worry. Just click it as if you do, and you will still be checked in online. (Usually there's some sort of "done" or "finish" button to reassure you that you're checked in.) If you can't print in advance, just check in as above without the printing, and then print boarding passes from a kiosk at the airport. You'll usually use your credit card (the one used to make the reservation) or your last name and confirmation number to do so.

 

Have a good trip!