Airline Tickets - purchasing before US citizenship

[second stage 14]

Looking for advice from someone who has been in this situation.

Parents have potential international travel in November this year and they will become US citizens hopefully in October.

Can you book airline tickets using your non-US passport now and then can you change passport details on the ticket once you are a US citizen but before the actual travel?

Most website require you to entire your current nationality passport number while making reservation online for airline tickets.

The safe option is to book tickets after they are US Citizens but of-course tickets will be expensive closer to your travel date.

Edited August 19, 2014 by second stage

[novedsac 355]

As long as their names are not changing, it won't be an issue. Passport information is not part of the ticket, but ancillary information the airline gathers for manifests. You can change this information later - they ask for it again at check-in anyway.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Looking for advice from someone who has been in this situation.

Parents have potential international travel in November this year and they will become US citizens hopefully in October.

Can you book airline tickets using your non-US passport now and then can you change passport details on the ticket once you are a US citizen but before the actual travel?

Most website require you to entire your current nationality passport number while making reservation online for airline tickets.

The safe option is to book tickets after they are US Citizens but of-course tickets will be expensive closer to your travel date.

I have never had to enter the passport information when purchasing the tickets. The name on the ticket is the most important part as airlines will not do a name change without canceling the one ticket and issuing a new one. You can buy the tickets and never enter the passport or visa information. Doing so does make check-in go a bit faster and you can verify that the information is correct.

Dave

[second stage 14]

I have never had to enter the passport information when purchasing the tickets. The name on the ticket is the most important part as airlines will not do a name change without canceling the one ticket and issuing a new one. You can buy the tickets and never enter the passport or visa information. Doing so does make check-in go a bit faster and you can verify that the information is correct.

Dave

Most sites require you to enter passport details - at-least the ones that are offering lower price are making it mandatory!

[second stage 14]

OK. so we have decided to wait until they are US citizens to purchase tickets just to avoid any (potential) hassle.

[JimmyHou 611]

OK. so we have decided to wait until they are US citizens to purchase tickets just to avoid any (potential) hassle.

Have you considered using a non-discount website?

That might be more expensive than the sites you were looking at, but cheaper than waiting to buy a last minute ticket.

For example, I know that United.com doesn't require you to enter passport information at check in (you can just enter drivers license info) and even if you do enter it, you can go back and change it through the Edit Traveler Information link.

Other airlines might do the same.

[novedsac 355]

Have you considered using a non-discount website?

That might be more expensive than the sites you were looking at, but cheaper than waiting to buy a last minute ticket.

For example, I know that United.com doesn't require you to enter passport information at check in (you can just enter drivers license info) and even if you do enter it, you can go back and change it through the Edit Traveler Information link.

Other airlines might do the same.

Delta, Korean, Singapore Airlines are all the same way. And you don't even have to provide the passport information while purchasing the tickets, if you don't want to. You do need this information at check-in and boarding. There really isn't any hassle at all.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Most sites require you to enter passport details - at-least the ones that are offering lower price are making it mandatory!

Well there you go. I typically use Lufthansa and just go to their website as their prices are within a few hundred dollars of each other and I will pay extra for fewer stops and extra leg room--I cannot purchase the exit row seats on the cheap sites. When you spend 17 hours on airplanes to visit the wife's family, price is not at the top of the list--or at least not for me. YMMV.

Lufthansa does not require you to enter any information about the traveler other than name when the ticket is purchased. You can go back and fill in the passport information and I can add my visa information too. Waiting to buy the tickets usually means the deep discounted economy class is sold out and you have to pay an extra $300-$400 per person for the basic economy class.

Dave

[second stage 14]

Have you considered using a non-discount website?

I have but they are expensive.

Delta, Korean, Singapore Airlines are all the same way. And you don't even have to provide the passport information while purchasing the tickets, if you don't want to. You do need this information at check-in and boarding. There really isn't any hassle at all.

Thanks.

Well there you go. I typically use Lufthansa and just go to their website as their prices are within a few hundred dollars of each other and I will pay extra for fewer stops and extra leg room--I cannot purchase the exit row seats on the cheap sites. When you spend 17 hours on airplanes to visit the wife's family, price is not at the top of the list--or at least not for me. YMMV.

Lufthansa does not require you to enter any information about the traveler other than name when the ticket is purchased. You can go back and fill in the passport information and I can add my visa information too. Waiting to buy the tickets usually means the deep discounted economy class is sold out and you have to pay an extra $300-$400 per person for the basic economy class.

Dave

Thanks.

We have decided to purchase travel tickets after we get the US passport.

[christeen 966]

Keep in mind, that waiting to get passports after naturalization without proof of travel might be an issue given the timeframe... Example, they naturalize in October then file for passports, the passports take 6-12 weeks unless an expedite is requested which can still be up to 3 weeks (which normally it is less, but your never know) this is cutting it close IMO.

If you book your tickets now, once they naturalize, they have the option to make an appointment with the passport office as a walk in, show proof of international travel reservations and get same day... To can enter whatever passport info they have now, then, change the passport info either online or at the airport at check n, just tell them they recently naturalized...

I personally would book the tickets...

[DC85 113]

If your parents are Indians, then be advised that they will lose their Indian citizenship when they gain their US citizenship. They need to return their Indian passport to the embassy and do some paperwork for that. Otherwise, if they try to enter India with Indian passport and return pack with us passport then they might have a big problem over there.