FAQ On Air Ticket Purchase and Flight Reservation
 

   How To Buy An Air Ticket?
 

    One can purchase an air ticket online via airlines websites or through travel agents who can help to assist you with your travel enquiries.
 

    An air ticket is proof of payment for the air passage purchased, represents the "contract" between airline and passenger. The Conditions of Carriage normally printed overleaf of your ticket show the airline's general obligations and liability.

   The air ticket shows the route of the air passage and outlines basic information such as:
 

• Place of departure
• Destination
• Flight numbers
• Date and time of flights
• Name of passenger travelling on the ticket
  
  

   Holding an air ticket does not automatically guarantee you a seat onboard the flight.
 

   You must first make a flight reservation :
 

    A flight reservation is a request made to an airline by a passenger to hold an airline seat onboard a flight. In making a flight reservation, a passenger selects the airline, day and time he or she wishes to travel and agrees to pay a certain fare if he is not already holding a ticket.
 

   Once a reservation has been made, always make it a point to :
 

• Request for a flight itinerary that reflects the details of your reservations.
  
  
• Check that your name is spelt in accordance to your passport.
  
  
• Request for the airline reference or passenger name record (PNR) for easy retrieval of your booking.
  
  
• Request that your contact number be input into the reservation so that the airline can get in touch with you should there be schedule changes or delays.
  
  
• Check with the respective Embassy or your travel agent on your visa requirements for both transit and destination countries.
  
  
• If you are holding a ticket, check that the class of booking in the reservation is in accordance to that reflected in your ticket and advise your ticket number. Do check with the airline or travel agent if you are unsure.
  
  

    Factors Which Affects Air Fare 
 

    No Show Charge For example, the routing Singapore-Hongkong-Los Angeles-Hongkong-Singapore would generally cost less than Singapore-London-Los Angeles-London-Singapore.
 

   Type of Tickets
 

• Premium unrestricted air-tickets
  
     Not only can you change your flights arbitrarily and from one carrier to another, such tickets generally also allow you to pay a fare differential to reissue and change your flight routing.
  
  
• Discounted restricted air-tickets
  
  Restrictions for such tickets normally come in the form of:
  
  
  • Specific carrier e.g. valid on XX airline only.
  • Specific flights e.g. valid on XX23/25 only.
  • Length of stay e.g. minimum stay of 2 nights at destination / maximum stay of 14 days.
  • Specific booking period e.g. airfares valid during NATAS Travel Fair or to purchase air ticket 14 days after your flight booking.
  • Specific travel period e.g. valid for travel before 25 May 2002.
  • Specific booking class e.g. valid on X class booking only.
  • Ticketing dateline e.g. to issue tickets by a certain date or flight reservation will be automatically cancelled.
  • No change of date/flight once tickets are issued.
  • No frequent flyer mileage accural.
  • Not allowed to waitlist if specific booking class is unavailable.
  • Non refundable i.e. ticket may not be submitted to the airline in exchange for a return of the monies paid.
  • Non reroutable i.e. ticket may not be reissued to change the date or place of destination.
  • Stopover surcharge i.e. a fee payable for the stop made at a transit point in your flight routing.
    
    

Fare Conditions
Where you are limited by:
 

    General Penalties Imposed on Air Tickets 
 

   No Show Charge
    A fee levied on passenger who holds a confirmed flight reservation but fails to show up at the airport for check-in.
 

   Airline Refund Administrative Fee
    Also commonly known as the cancellation charge, this is a fee levied on passenger to defray the airline's administrative costs incurred in facilitating the refund.
 

   Service Fees 
    This is a fee collected from passenger to defray the average cost of manpower, transport and time taken to provide services such as processing of refunds and cancellations. 
 

    What if i lose my air tickets?
 

    If you misplaced your air-tickets, you must make a police report and fill out the airline's indemnity form. Submit these documents to the airline or travel agent depending on whom you purchased the air ticket from.
 

    Generally, airlines and travel agents will charge administrative and or service fees to process the lost ticket paperwork.
 

    Depending on the airline's policies and restrictions of your ticket, the lost ticket application would entail either:
 

• the issuance of a replacement ticket after the submission of the above mentioned documents and fees or the purchase of another ticket at the currently available rates and wait for the airine to process the refund of your lost ticket less the administrative and service charges. The refund process may take 3 - 6 months.
  
  

    Guide To Buy Air Ticket
 

    As with all things in life, you get what you pay for. Whether the type of air ticket is what you are looking for is another matter. Hence it is very important to:
 

• Know what you want
  If you want to get the lowest fare, you have to be flexible in your travel plans to ensure that you can comply and live with the restrictions of the air ticket. The general rule of thumb is the lower the airfare, the greater the number of restrictions imposed on the air-tickets.
  
  
• Plan ahead
  Most airlines set aside only a few seats on many desirable flights at lower rates. The real best bargains often sell out very quickly. While planning ahead is a good general rule, if you can bide your time; you might encounter a 'fare sale'. Many airlines put seats on sale for brief periods several times a year and it is difficult to predict when these sales will occur.
  
  
• Compare alternative routings and fare quotations
  Always check on alternate airports and routings when comparing fare quotations. For example a ticket on a certain carrier to New York may cost less because the routing involves a change of airplanes/flights at a connecting city and lands in Newark airport. Another ticket whose flight routing involves a transit stop with no change in airplane and landing at JF Kennedy airport may be pricier.
  
  
• Ask about all the restrictions on your ticket 
  Depending on the restrictions of your ticket, you may not be permitted to board another carrier with your ticket if you miss your flight or when your flight is canceled or delayed.
  
  
• Request for a breakdown of total amount payable
  Request for a breakdown of the total amount payable such as airfare, peak season surcharge, different tax(es), service fee(S) levied
  
  
• Check the need for a visa
  

  * Disclaimer : All information reflected from this page is referenced to NATAS website. Copyright infringed.