Booking flights online

[BroncosFan2010]

We booked our air through Priceline and got a good deal on our flights out of Detroit to San Juan. I was just wondering if anyone has had any problems actually getting on the plane after booking. I am a bit worried now that the plane might be overbooked and we will not be able to get our seats.

 

Any experience using this or any other online booking site?

[WVSpelunker]

Booking online is the preferred method for not only the passengers, but for the airlines too. There are many more discounts and better prices for booking online rather than calling the airport for a ticket. The FIRST thing I ALWAYS do is to get on the website for which ever airline you booked it through and look up the reservation using last name, confirmation number, or skymiles number, etc. Once in this screen, you can pick your seats if you have not already done so and then view electronic ticket. Working the counter for an airline, I sometimes see discounted ticket sites will not be able to verify the credit card, and will show the full schedule, but will not have a ticket attached. Always check the electronic ticket for each person traveling and it should say open for use, available, or something similar. I always check in online 24 hours before to get the seats I want and make sure everything works, that way there's a day to sort things out if there would be a problem. I do have to admit, that of the people I deal with that book with discount tickets, maybe 5% of them have an issue. Hope this info helps!

[fbgd]

Check-in online and be at the gate in plenty of time and there is nothing else you can do.

[BroncosFan2010]

Okay... Maybe I am a little less worried now... Hopefully it will all work out just fine.

[Shorex]

I'm just curious why you would be concerned that a) your first or connecting flight is oversold and b) that you will be involuntarily bumped from either flight.

 

If you post the flight numbers and date I can check expert flyer and find out how many seats are left to sell in each fare bucket. Of course, more seats will be sold as the date draws closer.

 

Involuntary bumps occur infrequently, and IMO, are not worth worrying about in advance. Most of the time there are enough no-shows so that no one gets bumped; or there are lineups of volunteers to take the bumps and get the compensation.

[mjmalino]

Just so you know, I have been booking my air reservation on-line for years and have never had a problem. I am so comfortable with it that I have even booked airfare for my mom, who has a hard time fying by herself as she doesn't navigate airports very well. The only issues we have had has been due to normal stuff, i.e. weather and mechanical delays. If delays like that do occur, you can still go to the ticket counter, or gate counter, and they will do their best to rectify the situation.