Air FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Airfare Booked Online- These FAQs are designed to provide you with any additional information you may need to complete your reservation using our Air tab on our booking engine.

Senior Fares:Our booking system will automatically quote senior discounts as long as you indicate how many travelers are 65 years or older (65+). You may designate this on the “Advanced Search” page.
Note: These fares are very limited by the airline.

Child Fares: When a child is part of a booking party, our site will automatically offer you the qualifying child discount when available. Please note that most carriers do not offer discounted domestic fares for children over the age of two years. International fares vary for children but in general may be offered if the child is over 2 years and under 12 years.
Note: Be sure to input the number of children traveling on the “Advanced Search” page.

What are the rules for air travel with a child under 2 years old? The rules and procedures for traveling with an infant (under 2 years old) are different for domestic and international travel. If you are traveling with an infant, you will need to contact the airline to provide the necessary information. For airport security information related to traveling with infants and children, please visit the TSA website.

Domestic Infant Travel:
There are two options for domestic travel with an infant (under 2 years old):

Domestic Travel When traveling domestically (within the US), infants carried on the lap generally fly at no charge and do not need a ticket. Contact the airline directly after a reservation is complete to have the information added for the domestic infant carried on the lap.

International Infant Travel International or any seated infant cannot be booked online. Please contact the airline directly to book. The airline may charge you a portion of an adult ticket for your infant.

Can my child fly alone? A child who is traveling without the accompaniment of an adult over the age of 18 years is considered by the airlines as an unaccompanied minor. Unaccompanied minor reservations cannot be booked on our site.

• Each airline carries its own restrictions for unaccompanied minor travel. You should always check directly with the carrier to learn their specific rules and regulations.
• In general, airlines have age restrictions (children under 5yrs cannot fly alone, children up to 18 can be considered unaccompanied minors, depending on the carrier the age can vary from 14-18yrs.), charge a fee of $25-$100 per flight segment (paid at the time of check-in), and only permit the use of non-stop or direct flights (those which stop but do not require a change of planes).
• Unaccompanied minor bookings must be made directly with the airline on which the child will fly.

What identification do children need at the airport? Please see travel.state.gov.

How do I make an airline reservation for someone else? While it is not recommended, you can make a reservation and purchase for others even if you are not including yourself on the reservation.

• Proceed with the booking process as if you were booking yourself (select flights, review/agree to policy/rules, etc.) until you reach the “Complete the passenger information” page.
• Enter the correct passenger information. If there is more than one traveler, passenger information boxes for each will be found below the first name.
• Be sure to review each field carefully before clicking “Information is Correct.” Remember that passengers’ names cannot be changed after this point.
• Continue following the on-screen prompts.
• On the credit card information page, enter credit card information (name and billing address) as it is registered with the credit card company.
• Note: Billing information does not have to match passenger information. This will not change the passenger information already confirmed.
• Note: It is not necessary for airline passengers to present the credit card used for purchase of their tickets if that reservation is made through a travel agency.

Why is a flight or fare shown and then not available when I attempt to book it? There are several possible reasons that a fare may not be available:

• The seats could be available when you made your flight request but sold out before you complete your purchase.
• There may be a delay between when a fare or flight is sold out and when the computer system updates availability. This is usually caused by the airline(s) not updating their availability quickly enough.
• Remember, everyone wants the best deal. The lowest fares sell out first, especially during fare sales, holidays, and heavy travel times.

What will I receive from YTB if I have an electronic ticket? If you have purchased e-tickets for your airline reservations, paper documents are not issued by YTB, our provider, or the airline. Your ticket record is stored in the airline’s computer system.

What information and documentation do I need to take to the airport? Please see below for a list of what to take to the airport:

• For domestic travel within the United States, all you need is your government-issued photo ID. We also recommend that you bring with you to the airport a printed copy of your confirmation email or the confirmation page from the YTB Web Site.
• For international travel, you need your government issued photo ID, a passport, and a visa may also be required, depending on your destination. We also recommend that you bring with you to the airport a printed copy of your confirmation email or the confirmation page from the YTB Web Site.

To verify which travel documents are needed please go to travel.state.gov.

I did not receive my confirmation e-mail. Where is it and what can I do? There are several possibilities that this may have happened:

• Check the Spam folder in your e-mail account to ensure that your confirmation e-mail was not auto-filtered to that folder.
• It is possible that something in the reservation was flagged by the service provider, such as a discrepancy with the payment information or bad contact information.
• Add YTB Travel Network to your “allowed” senders list to enable us to send you confirmation e-mails and information regarding your future departures.
• In most cases, this is due to an error in the entry of the passenger email address.
• Access your trip confirmation from our Web site here.
• Record the trip ID before closing out the trip details in the event that you need to access via the above link.
• If you are unable to find the flight after looking up through the Itinerary Look Up, please call Customer Service at 877-657-4874.
• *Please do not assume your reservation was not booked. Before rebooking, contact Travelocity Partner Network to ensure there isn’t already a ticket. Rebooking could result in multiple charges.

How do I access my flight confirmation from the Web site?Follow the below instructions to obtain your confirmation.

• On the YTB Web site, click on the tab across the top that says “Flights”.
• Under Search Flights you will see a link that says “Flight Itinerary Lookup” select this link.
• You will be prompted to look up your confirmation; you must enter your Trip ID and the e-mail address you used at the time of booking.
• Once you enter this information you will be directed to the Trip Details page. All of your itinerary information, confirmation numbers, and ticket numbers are located on this page. To print a copy, click on the “Print this page” icon on the left-hand side. To send a copy of your confirmation by e-mail, click the “E-mail a Friend” icon at the top right-hand side.

What do I do when checking in at the airline?You will do the following:

• Present your identification, either at the airline counter or kiosk.
• The airline will access your ticket record online and issue your boarding pass.
• Once you receive your boarding pass, proceed to the security checkpoint and your departure gate.
• Enjoy your flight.

Do you have information on airport check-in procedures and security line wait times?
To meet the requirements of the Aviation Transportation and Security Act, many airports have increased screening through the use of advanced detection systems, physical searches, and positive passenger bag matching. In addition, the TSA provides wait times and trip preparation tips on their websites. To ensure safe and efficient passage, please review the guidelines and links below.

• Travelers should reconfirm their flight times directly with the airlines either the night before or early the day of departure to ensure that no last minute schedule changes have occurred.
• Have your government-issued photo ID available at all times. If you are traveling with a child or children under the age of 18 on a domestic flight, per FAA rules, they do not need photo ID as long as an accompanying adult certifies their identity. For international flights all passengers will need their passports.
• When you arrive at the security checkpoint, please take laptops out of carrying cases before putting them through screening devices, and be prepared for additional hand searches of carry-ons.
• Additional tips and information on airport security and check in procedures can be reviewed on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and SafeTravel.dot.gov web sites.
  • The TSA site provides estimated security check wait times, key travel tips, and other suggestions on their Website. We recommend you review the TSA site prior to your trip.

What types of Credit Cards are accepted for air reservations? Reservations booked on our site must be purchased with a credit card or (in some cases) with a debit card.Our provider accepts the following major cards:

• American Express
• Diners Club
• Discover
• Master Card
• Visa

Important: Using Credit Cards

• Reservations made on our site cannot be paid for elsewhere.
• Only one card can be used to purchase a flight reservation.
• If there is only one booking with multiple travelers who wish to pay with different credit cards, individual reservations will have to be booked.
• No charges will be made to your credit card until you designate your credit card as the form of payment and complete the booking process.

Important: Using Debit Cards

• Funds are immediately withdrawn from your account at the time of purchase.
• Some debit cards cannot be verified. This may delay the issuance of your tickets and may affect the fare.
• We recommend that if using a debit card, please have a credit card available as a backup incase our provider is unable to verify your debit card.

Can I pay for my reservation elsewhere? Flight reservations made on our site cannot be paid for elsewhere.

Can we use more than one credit card to pay for our reservation? Only one card can be used to purchase a reservation. If there is only one booking with multiple travelers who wish to pay with different credit cards, individual reservations will have to be booked.

What ticket delivery options are offered? Electronic or E-tickets are the default ticketing type for all major carriers. Only when electronic ticketing is not available will paper tickets be issued.

What is Electronic Ticketing? E-Tickets are the preferred ticketing type for all major carriers and are available on eligible flights with participating airlines. See additional details below.

• The airline will access the electronic ticket record when you check-in for your flight either online or at the airport.
• After your tickets have been issued electronically, a copy of your trip details will be available online and will include your electronic ticket numbers.
• You must agree to the Terms & Conditions of Travel before your tickets can be issued electronically.

What if I choose Paper Tickets? Most of these fares allow electronic ticketing, and some even require it. Electronic ticketing is safe, easy and convenient. There’s nothing to bring when heading to the airport, except a government-issued ID. It’s that easy! For situations where electronic tickets are not possible (some international trips and some airlines) we will issue paper tickets for your trip. These will be sent to you for a small delivery fee, which is clearly displayed as you are completing your purchase.

I made my flight reservation online and have not received my Paper Tickets. What should I do? For customer service please contact 877-657-4874.

Why did I receive paper tickets instead of E-Tickets? The most common reason for airlines to issue paper instead of electronic tickets is because the booked itinerary contains one or more air carriers who do not have electronic ticketing agreements in place (also known as Interline Ticketing Agreements). In such cases only paper tickets can be issued. One example would be to book Air Tran on the outbound travel and Delta on the return. Air Tran and Delta do not have an Interline Ticketing Agreement so only paper tickets are valid. Note: a paper ticket cannot be converted to an electronic ticket once issued.

What if I received someone else’s tickets in the FedEx package? For customer service please contact 877-657-4874.

What if my Paper Tickets are lost? To protect against misuse of airline tickets or fraud, airlines impose strict rules when a ticket is lost by the passenger. If you lose your tickets or cannot find them in time for your travel dates, the airline will require that you do the following:

• Complete a Lost Ticket Application (LTA) at the airport. You may do this on the same day as your flight. Please make sure you allow some extra time before your scheduled flight for this process. The application will be available at the airline counter and/or service center.
• Pay the airline’s non-refundable ticket fee. This fee is usually $100.00.
• Repurchase the lost ticket according to that airline’s policies. The airline will credit the amount of the lost ticket on your credit card once they have completed the lost ticket process in their accounting system. This process can vary in length depending on the airline.
• Please note that these rules and charges are directed by the airline and YTB and our Provider cannot authorize any variations to them.

What are the smoking limitations while flying? No US domestic or international flights allow smoking and most international carriers have followed suit. Terminals may have designated smoking rooms or may require you to smoke outside the terminal.

Can I travel during my pregnancy? Please consult with your physician for guidance on traveling while pregnant.

• Air Restrictions for Traveling while Pregnant
• Restrictions vary according to travel provider, length of journey, and stage of your pregnancy. Contact your airline for their restrictions and advise them of your pregnancy so that it will be noted in your travel record. Air restrictions consider the following factors:
  
  • The stage of your pregnancy.
  • If travel is domestic or international.
  • If your pregnancy is high risk.
  • If you have clearance from your physician to travel.

What is an airline code-share flight? Codeshare is an aviation marketing term which refers to the practice of two or more airlines partnering to sell space on the same flight. This allows the marketing partner airline (codeshare) to expand their route system without the added cost of additional equipment, crews, fees, etc. Here are some additional details:

• Codeshare confirmations will refer to the Operating Carrier in the flight itinerary remarks. The Operating Carrier is the airline whose physical aircraft and crew are used for the flight.
  • Example: If your itinerary shows “US1234 operated by UA” US1234 is the codeshare flight; your ticket will be issued as a USAir (US) flight, but the aircraft is owned and operated by United Airlines (UA).
• Passengers should verify check-in location with the codeshare airline but normally check-in is handled by the operating carrier or, in this case, United.
• If you need to contact the airline directly prior to departure call the airline you are booked on, which in the above example, would be USAir.
• Online check-in and/or advance seat selection on codeshare flights may not be available. If you wish to check-in online and are unable to access a seatmap at the codeshare airlines’ website contact the airline directly for assistance. YTB will not be able to access these maps for you.

What are the limits and restrictions on checked baggage? The Department of Transportation as well as the Transportation Security Administration has listed those items which are restricted from being carried in either checked baggage or in the cabin on an airliner. These allowances change periodically, so please see the links below for the latest information. Please check with the airline you are traveling with regarding baggage as every airline has different policies.

Department of Transportation (DOT) – Safetravel.dot.gov
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

What do I do if I am outside the U.S. and Canada and have a problem with an airline ticket purchased on your site? For customer service please contact 877-657-4874.

What if I have noticed a mistake on my reservation, I booked the wrong dates, and/or I no longer need my flight? If you have any issues with your flight reservation or wish to cancel your reservation altogether, it is important to contact the provider as soon as possible. In some cases if you contact the provider within 24 hours of making your reservation purchase you may be able to obtain a refund. However, after the reservation has been ticketed, and it is past 24 hours, the reservation is fully non-refundable and fees and restrictions from the airline will apply.

What are the airline fees and restrictions? If you cancel your reservation before departure, providing you have not taken any of the flights, you will, in most cases, have a credit to be used toward the purchase of your next reservation. Using this credit towards the purchase of a new reservation is called a reissue and will incur fees.

• Domestic Ticket – $150 fee or more + fare difference
• International Ticket – $200 fee or more + fare difference
• The provider also has a $30 reissue charge

Are there exceptions to the airline fees and restrictions? YTB and our provider do not control the difference in fare or the fees set by the airline. There are times when exceptions are made by the airlines regarding their fare difference and fees, such as:

• Scheduled Changes made by the airline
• Mass disruptions, such as weather conditions (hurricanes, etc…) that impact travel for numerous customers – see the airlines website for their most recent policy updates.

Why did my flight schedule change? Unfortunately, airlines sometimes have to make flight changes because of operational necessities and can occur at any time which can impact your itinerary in any of the following ways:

• Flight Number
• Departure and/or Arrival Time
• Type or Size of Aircraft
• Arrival or Departure City
• Connection City
• Number of Stops
• Flight Cancellation

My airline changed my flights. What are my options? For customer service please contact 877-657-4874.

I can no longer take my trip. If I do not cancel my flight, will I still have a credit with the airline? You must make sure you cancel your airline itinerary prior to your departure date. If you do not cancel your reservation the airline will note your reservation as a “No Show” and there will be no future credit available for a reissue.

Why is my flight no longer confirmed? After making a flight purchase, in some rare cases the airline may not be able to confirm your ticket, there are two possible reasons:
The airline does not have a seat available at the time of purchase

Some airlines have systems which require longer processing times. In these cases the airline will receive our providers request and respond accordingly given the current availability within their system.The airline changes their schedule after you purchase.

They may reduce or eliminate the amount of service they provide such as:

Number of available seats

Number of flight on a specific route

Routes altogether, or

Service to/from a particular destination, and

Equipment

In either case, the provider will notify you that the airline did not confirm your reservation. If you receive this type of notification, please contact the airline or our providers Customer Care Center 877-657-4874 so that they can assist with a re-accommodation on the closest available flight.

** For customer service please contact 877-657-4874. **