I need to buy a plane ticket

[JeepsAndGuns]

I have never bought a plane ticket before, but I am in need of buying one. I have no idea where to go or what to do when I buy it.
I need to get one adult passenger from minneapolis, MN to huntsville, AL and then back again. So it will need to be round trip. Leaving out on 5-25-13, and flying back 6-1-13.

I went to that one place online that start treck guy advertises for, priceline, and kinda looked at it. Has anyone bought from there? Anyone know where the best place to buy them from and get a good deal? I have never done this before.

[dave w]

I started by looking at what airlines are serviced at Huntsville, AL
American Airlines
Delta Airlines
US Airways
United Airlines

All the above airlines fly in / out of Minneapolis. There are no non-stop flights from Minneapolis to Huntsville. There will be a connecting flight somewhere between Minneapolis and Huntsville.

The Minneapolis airport code is MSP. The airport code for Huntsville is HSV.

Option one:
Use Google to search "flights from MSP to HSV"

Option two:
Go to the website of each airline that services Huntsville.

What I found in option one was Delta offered several round trip flights $340, but other fees might apply.

Personally, I avoid getting a connecting flight in Detroit DTW. I would recommend getting a connecting flight in Atlanta ATL.

dave w

[EagleMark]

Only time I needed a ticket I used Captain Kirks company?

[JeepsAndGuns]

I googled "best place to buy plane tickets online" and the top 3 places that came up was orbits, priceline, and expedia. I compared all 3 sites and they all pretty much had the same flights listed for the same prices. Of the 3, I liked the layout and design of orbits site the best.

Now I am buying the ticket, but its not for me. So how do I set it up to where I can buy it, but another person uses it. I'm assuming that it will be at some type of a desk that they can go to, show ID and pick it up? I have no clue, and I couldnt find anything like a FAQ on their site.

[1project2many]

I haven't flown since 96. It was a different world then. One thing I've been told is with the online discount ticket companies you need to ensure you don't get "standby" or some other low status ticket. Airlines will overbook a flight in order to make sure all seats are filled. The cheapest tickets are basically "you'll get a seat if no one else shows up to claim it." IRC Tuesday and Wednesday are the cheapest days to fly, and the sooner you buy the ticket the cheaper it is generally. Buying with less than a week to flight date can be very expensive.

If you have any local travel agents that's where I'd start. The tickets don't usually cost any more through them and they can often find deals faster than you can through the big online companies. They will also have experience answering questions like "Where do I get the ticket" and "How do I get checked in?' At the very least you'll learn enough feel confident looking for a deal online.

[dave w]

I think I would call the airline directly to purchase a ticket for someone other than myself, or get information on how to purchase a ticket for someone else. The 9/11 security measures make it almost impossible to purchase a ticket for someone other than yourself online. It's also an option to stand in line at the airport airline ticket counter and buy a ticket, at least then you can talk to a real person. Many of my co-workers who fly often, are required to make their own flight travel purchases. Of course the boss will reimburse the co-worker.

dave w

[JeepsAndGuns]

Well I ended up buying from obitz. Everything went smooth. Flight will be with delta airlines. As of now, the price listed when I searched for flights, has been all I have been charged. I will let yall know if anything changes. So far it seems easyer than I was expecting. Hopefully it stays that way.

[1project2many]

Cool. And good to know.

[bentrod]

So, are you the one flying or someone else? Whoever's first time it is, be warned the worst part about flying is............. the TSA!

Drop 'em and spread 'em!

[JeepsAndGuns]

I'm not flying, someone else is, and its not her first time flying.
But yea, I hear airport security is pretty bad.