How to Book Your Flights Online!

[Updated August 2020]

When it comes to travel, we know that it can be daunting when there are a thousand things to consider and lots and lots of planning to do. So, when it comes to booking your flights and knowing what you need to make the purchase as simple as possible, we have made the online process easy, convenient and secure.

Enter departure and arrival cities, and select travel dates
Browse flight options and select your ideal flight
Insert correct passenger details (as per ID)
Select any additional add-ons like insurance or extra baggage
Confirm your preferred payment method
Receive your e-ticket straight to your inbox. Off you go!

Flight and passenger details

First things first, to book your flights online, you will need some basic information of the destination you’ll be flying to and information like the date you would like to fly to your destination and return home. You will, of course, also need all of your personal details that will appear on your flight ticket. To speed up the booking, it’s a good idea to have all of these details at hand.

Trip details – Dates (one way or return), an airline of choice, airports flying to, number of travellers
Personal information – Full names (to be spelled exactly as it is in your ID or passport) and date of birth
ID number (local flights) or passport number (international flights)
Ideal departure times and length of flights
Ideal cabin class (Economy / Premium Economy / Business / First Class / Suites)

Domestic flights

In Nigeria, to book a local flight you will only need to enter your ID number, and to board your flight you will need to produce your original ID card and booking reference number. Passengers under 16 years old will need written permission from their parents/guardians and their birth certificate.

To fly domestically, you will need any recognised form of identification like a driver’s license, international passport, voter’s card, NYSC ID card, work ID card, etc. Please note that your means of identification will have to be valid for the dates you intend to fly.

International flights

When flying abroad, you will need to make available your original valid international passport and any other valid documents like visa, vaccination card, etc at the check-in counter. Please remember that applications for visas are to be made long in advance before your flight date hence make sure to set plenty of time aside for that.

Image courtesy of @mari.medel via Instagram

Make sure to check the validity of your passport, as you won’t be able to leave the country with an invalid one. Many countries also require that your passport be valid for a period of at least six months from the date of return to Nigeria.

Read: How to apply for a Nigerian international passport

Do you need a passport when you book your flights?

No. You will not need to enter your passport number when you book your flight online. You will need it when booking flight packages and when you check in for your flight.

If you are applying for a visa, you will need to fill in forms with your passport number as well as provide a certified copy of it. Make sure to use the exact same spelling as in your passport when booking your flights as many airlines do not allow or may charge a penalty fee for tickets issued under an incorrectly spelled name(s).

How to book a flight ticket for someone else

To book a flight for someone else is pretty simple. As with booking flights for yourself, you will need all of their personal information, as well as a list of preferences such as airline choice, preferred time of flight, and things like how much money they would be willing to spend on their flight ticket.

Once you’ve booked your flights and theirs, you will have the option of emailing them all of the flight details straight to their inbox.

Paying for your flight

There are numerous ways to pay for your flights! Once you’ve filled in all of your details and are ready to pay, you can use one of these convenient payment options to seal the deal:

Online credit/debit card payment
Bank transfer EFT
Cash at the Travelstart office
POS

To pay for your flight using any online options, you will need to provide the name on the credit or debit card that you’ll be using, the card number and 3-digit CVV code that’s found at the back of the card, as well as the card’s expiration date.

Should you print out your ticket ahead of arriving at the airport?

It is not necessary to print out your flight itinerary and ticket ahead of time. To check in for your flight, all that the airline officials at the airport will need is your form of identification and reference number. For international flights, you will also need to have your passport and any visas with you.

Many international airlines advise passengers to print out electronic tickets ahead of time to avoid long queues at check-in. You can do this if you wish.

There are quite a few international airlines that allow passengers to simply download your boarding pass onto your mobile phone, have it printed out, or easily just mailed to your personal email address.

Where to collect your tickets

Nowadays, it is very popular to have your ticket sent to your email where you can print it from the comfort of your home or work office. Once we receive payment, your e-ticket and boarding pass will be sent to you, simply download it to your mobile device and present it at the security check. Please note that you may still have to queue at your designated airline’s check-in counter if you have luggage to check in.

If you’d prefer to collect your ticket at our office, we’ll let you know when we are able to open our doors to customers. For now, enjoy the comfort and convenience of booking online.

Now that you’ve got nothing keeping you from booking your next flight, sign up to Travelstart Nigeria’s newsletter for great flight deals, exclusive promotions and updates on the latest travel info – putting you first in line to book that amazing trip!

All information on this blog page was correct at the time of publishing and may change at any time without prior notice. Travelstart will not be held liable for loss or inconvenience resulting from the use of out-dated or incorrectly noted information.

Featured image courtesy of @urbntrvl via Instagram.

Adetoun Ogunlami

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