New, nervous, or occasional air travelers can navigate the airport with ease and confidence with attention to some small details. The rules and protocols for air travel are ever-changing with e-tickets, boarding pass machines, carry-on restrictions, and heightened security. Proper preparations can ensure that all will go smoothly.
If you are a first-time traveler, or if you haven’t been away in a long time, there are a few things you need to know about navigating the airport before you throw yourself into this new adventure. Most travelers chose to fly out of a major gateway, since ticket prices are generally cheaper from a big airport. However, the big airports are often nerve wracking for inexperienced travelers. So, take a minute to familiarize yourself with the latest innovations that have been put in place to make you life easier. And thanks for traveling in the US.
Before the Airport: Buy A Ticket
When you get your ticket (from a travel agent, an airline, or online) remember that it must be booked exactly as your name appears on the photo identification you plan to use. This is very important. You can, and probably will, be denied boarding if your name is different on your ticket and ID.
Before the Airport: What are E-tickets?
You have a reservation and a confirmation, but you probably don’t have a paper ticket. You might have an itinerary and a receipt, but no actual ticket. Welcome to the world of e-tickets. The “e” stands for electronic and it was put in place a few years ago to make things easier fortravelers and for airlines. If there isn’t a ticket, there’s no ticket to lose.
Before the Airport: Why E-Tickets?
Electronic tickets save everyone money by saving on paper, printing, and mailing costs. (E-tickets save trees too.) But e-ticketing was primarily put in place for the benefit of the consumer, the ticketing agents, and the airlines by eliminating the paperwork, time, and employees required to process lost tickets. And, since all travelers need to check-in with photo IDs anyway, it made sense to eliminate paper tickets.
Before the Airport: Paper Tickets
Paper tickets have not been eliminated altogether. There are some cases when paper tickets are still issued. For example, some companies negotiate group rates with airlines and they often issue paper tickets. Sometimes complicated international itineraries require paper tickets. Also, some agencies are not equipt to issue electronic tickets. So, make sure you know if you have an actual paper ticket because you will not be allowed to board the plane if you try to check-in without it.