Ticket-less Travel

[topcop400]

I was able to take advantage of Southwest's internet fares. I've never before done the "ticket-less" thing. Can someone please explain what I need to take with us to the airport and,......... what do we do when we get there?

Thanks.

[MULTIZ321]

Becky,

24-Hours before your flight you can print out a boarding pass. You will need a confirmation code to do this. The confirmation code is usually on the paperwork you probably printed out (or saved in an email or file on your computer) when you made the reservation.

The printed boarding pass (which will have a bar-code on it) will get you through airport security. It is also given to the ticket agent at the gate to allow you to board the aircraft.

Alternatively, many airlines now have kiosks near their ticket counters at the airport. You can print out your boarding pass at the kiosks following the screen prompts.

For your return flight - there are several alternative depending on where you are and whether you have access to a computer & printer to print out your return boarding pass. If you don't have access to a computer, you can have it done at the airport - either at a ticket kiosk or with a ticket agent .

Have a good trip

Richard

[Luanne]

Just make sure you have a government issued picture id.

[Dave M]

I always take a copy of the online ticket, including the ticketing details and reservation confirmation number. Every now and then, something bad happens in an airline reservation system or they can't find my reservation at the airport. That usually means I'm not able to check in online the night before or at an airport kiosk. Sometimes it's something as simple as a change in schedule by a few minutes. Other times the reservation didn't actually get ticketed by the airline.

Thus, having that document (showing that your reservation has been "ticketed") that you print out as soon as you book online or from the "My itineraries" section of the airline's website can save a lot of time if something goes wrong at the start of or on the return part of your trip.

Of the 50 or so plane trips I have taken in the past 18 months, I have needed that document only twice, but each time I was glad I had it! In each case the check-in agent insisted that I didn't have the reservation I claimed I had. My documentation allowed them to find it and fix the problem.

For the same reason, I take a copy of my hotel and rental car reservations with me on each trip - printed from the hotel or rental car websites.

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Whenever I travel I make a trip folder. My trip folder is an 8-1/2x11 manila folder that has 2-prong fasteners inside of it - the type that you use to secure papers that are two-hole punched on the top. (I have a box of those 2-prong fasteners that I bought at Office Depot for exactly this purpose.)

I create the folder when I make my first travel reservations. Whenever I make a reservation, I print out the confirmation, two-hole punch the print-out, and put it in the folder. If the trip is long enough - with enough itineraries - I have fasteners on both sides of the folder, and I separate the reservations with airplane reservations on one side and hotels/car rentals on the other side.

The day before the flight I print out my boarding pass. two-hole punch the pass, and add that to the folder as the top page on the stack.

When I leave for the trip, I grab the travel folder and put it in my carryon or travel case. When I get to the airport or other destination, I simply pull out the folder and present the folder along with my ID. As I reach different portions of my itinerary, I continue to pull out the folder, flip to the appropriate page, and present it to the clerk at the desk or counter.

When I finish an itinerary (e.g., I return a rental car or check out of a hotel), I simply move the used itinerary item to the back of the stack, so that the ones I will be needing next are on top or near the top.

I have a specific file drawer location where those travel folders go. Right now I have four active travel folders in that location.

[BevL]

I do a similar thing to Steve with a trip folder.

I also have a folder on a yahoo email account that I can access anywhere. In that folder, I keep copies of information for a specific trip - car rental information, flight information, timeshare confirmations, hotel reservations, whatever. If I don't receive online confirmation for a particular part of my trip but have a confirmation number, etc., I'll email myself with that number and stick it in that electronic folder.

That way if, heaven forbid, I lose my folder while I'm away, I'm not at a complete loss. I can pretty much replace my stuff anywhere I can access a computer and a printer.

Amazing how much paper we drag around for vacations - nowhere near a paperless society yet!!

Bev

[topcop400]

Thanks so much to everyone who replied. I feel more at ease now.

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Originally Posted by BevL

I do a similar thing to Steve with a trip folder.

I also have a folder on a yahoo email account that I can access anywhere. In that folder, I keep copies of information for a specific trip - car rental information, flight information, timeshare confirmations, hotel reservations, whatever. If I don't receive online confirmation for a particular part of my trip but have a confirmation number, etc., I'll email myself with that number and stick it in that electronic folder.

I do that trick to, with a slight twist. I almost always have my laptop with me when I travel, and I make sure I have the reservation in the e-mail store on my laptop. Then I can retrieve my info simply by turining on my laptop.

I've never been a big PDA user, but I just picked one up in the woot-off. One of my goals will be to get that info onto the PDA so I can access it off the PDA instead of needing to turn the crank on the laptop.

[MULTIZ321]

Steve,

I'm curious - what PDA did you get and what was your lucky woot-off price?


Richard

[MikeM132]

what in the world is a "woot-off"?? I have used a PDA (Palm) for 10 years. I swear by them. Many airlines (and hotels) in their reservation section have a link to "send to Outlook". This (if you use MS Outlook on your computer for schedule/email/etc) sends an appointment with the flight details, hotel details, etc.. This synchronizes with your PDA, too, when you synchronize your unit (calendar). If you have a PDA with internet, you can also keep reservation confirmations in a Yahoo or Hotmail, or GMail account (some kind of universal access web-based email) and call that stuff up anytime from anywhere. Being nervous about ticketless stuff, I do all of the above! Plus, as Dave suggested, I bring the print-outs, too. I don't fly enough for this to be a hassle. On the other hand, checking in without a ticket is also something I have done by simply showing my photo driver's license at the counter---that's it.

[riverdees05]

http://www.woot.com/

They sell one item a day, till their supply is run out.