Need advice: Buying tix for kids

[Eric-Pris 1,602]

My wife and I are going back to her home country in November to pick up her daughters (ages 3 and 5).

I'm not sure how to book their tickets. Obviously, my wife and I will buy round-trip tickets (USA-CR). It's no letting me book tickets for the girls because kids under 11 have to be accompanied by an adult. You can't buy a child's ticket without an adult on the same itinerary. It's not letting me buy just 2 child tickets.

Can somebody that has flown back to pick up their kids tell me what they did.

Thanks

[MrsD 0]

Hmmm it is very tricky situation. As far as I know, no airline would let you buy tickets just for them. I think the best thing to do is to go to the airline office and explain the situation with all evidence about the kids. Good luck

[payxibka 10,044]

this might be one of those occasions where a travel agent is your friend

[Penguin_ie 5,986]

Once you have booked your own ticket, ring/ visit the airline's office and they should be able to add the kids' one way tickets to your itinary.

[chuckb 0]

Once you have booked your own ticket, ring/ visit the airline's office and they should be able to add the kids' one way tickets to your itinary.

Yea, but at what cost? I had to throw away a perfectly good return ticket. It was cheaper to book new tickets for everybody than to get them on my flights. Obviously, this depends on airline, phase of the moon, etc.

I agree that perhaps a travel agent might be your friend this time...

Good Luck!

[Eric-Pris 1,602]

Thanks for the suggestions. The travel agent is a good idea.

I was also thinking that maybe I could buy a round-trip for my wife, but she would not use the return ticket. Instead, we would just buy her a whole new RT ticket, along with the girls. This way she will be accompanying them (on the same itinerary) so I can buy them RT tickets for the kids, instead of one-way. RT ticket costs $360. One-way is $747. I don't get it either.

The cost of 2 RT tickets and 2 one-way tickets = $2214. The cost of 2 RT tickets, then 3 RT tickets= $1800. Like chuckb said, it's cheaper just to buy a whole new ticket for my wife along with the kids, instead of one-ways for the kids.

One problem that I see though is.... if her original ticket and new ticket is for the same airline and flight, would the airline give us problems?

I know nobody here is an travel expert, I'm just looking for advice. Thanks.

[payxibka 10,044]

Thanks for the suggestions. The travel agent is a good idea.

I was also thinking that maybe I could buy a round-trip for my wife, but she would not use the return ticket. Instead, we would just buy her a whole new RT ticket, along with the girls. This way she will be accompanying them (on the same itinerary) so I can buy them RT tickets for the kids, instead of one-way. RT ticket costs $360. One-way is $747. I don't get it either.

The cost of 2 RT tickets and 2 one-way tickets = $2214. The cost of 2 RT tickets, then 3 RT tickets= $1800. Like chuckb said, it's cheaper just to buy a whole new ticket for my wife along with the kids, instead of one-ways for the kids.

One problem that I see though is.... if her original ticket and new ticket is for the same airline and flight, would the airline give us problems?

I know nobody here is an travel expert, I'm just looking for advice. Thanks.

book the RT that you intend to toss on a different flight on a different day much later in the future... problem solved

[Eric-Pris 1,602]

Thanks for the suggestions. The travel agent is a good idea.

I was also thinking that maybe I could buy a round-trip for my wife, but she would not use the return ticket. Instead, we would just buy her a whole new RT ticket, along with the girls. This way she will be accompanying them (on the same itinerary) so I can buy them RT tickets for the kids, instead of one-way. RT ticket costs $360. One-way is $747. I don't get it either.

The cost of 2 RT tickets and 2 one-way tickets = $2214. The cost of 2 RT tickets, then 3 RT tickets= $1800. Like chuckb said, it's cheaper just to buy a whole new ticket for my wife along with the kids, instead of one-ways for the kids.

One problem that I see though is.... if her original ticket and new ticket is for the same airline and flight, would the airline give us problems?

I know nobody here is an travel expert, I'm just looking for advice. Thanks.

book the RT that you intend to toss on a different flight on a different day much later in the future... problem solved

good idea!

It seems like such a simple solution, yet I never even thought about doing that. Question... can you have a return ticket for a later date, and travel in between?

[payxibka 10,044]

Thanks for the suggestions. The travel agent is a good idea.

I was also thinking that maybe I could buy a round-trip for my wife, but she would not use the return ticket. Instead, we would just buy her a whole new RT ticket, along with the girls. This way she will be accompanying them (on the same itinerary) so I can buy them RT tickets for the kids, instead of one-way. RT ticket costs $360. One-way is $747. I don't get it either.

The cost of 2 RT tickets and 2 one-way tickets = $2214. The cost of 2 RT tickets, then 3 RT tickets= $1800. Like chuckb said, it's cheaper just to buy a whole new ticket for my wife along with the kids, instead of one-ways for the kids.

One problem that I see though is.... if her original ticket and new ticket is for the same airline and flight, would the airline give us problems?

I know nobody here is an travel expert, I'm just looking for advice. Thanks.

book the RT that you intend to toss on a different flight on a different day much later in the future... problem solved

good idea!

It seems like such a simple solution, yet I never even thought about doing that. Question... can you have a return ticket for a later date, and travel in between?

The practice of "back-to-back" ticketing is discouraged but that was done when airlines required a Saturday night stay.

Your itineraries will be different. Your record locators are different. They probably won't see the connection.

In addition, since you can book flights up to 350 or so days in advance, it is plausible that you have already secured passage for next summers visit to grandma's house.

I would go with a travel agent.... take out all the mystery...

[Eric-Pris 1,602]

I figured out a way.

I had frequent flyer miles, so I was able to book 2 tickets for the girls using miles + taxes ($30). It wouldn't let me book them alone for regular tickets, but award tickets it did. Then I bought 2 tix for my wife and I. Total cost = $840 + some miles I didn't really want to hold onto anyway. We saved about $1,500 versus buying them one-way tickets and $1,000 versus my other plan to double-book my wife.

Btw, the travel agent I called sucked. She told me to call the airlines again and try to resolve it with them.

Edited September 12, 2008 by kid brooklyn