[FluffyOscar]

We're in the process of getting our holiday organised. We're looking at 3 weeks in Canada to visit DH's family and a week in New York. I want to book our tickets now for travel in December/January, but only DH and I have our passports.

• Can I book tickets for the 4 of us, even though the girls won't have their passports yet?
  
• Do I just leave a deposit on the airfares? How long do I have to pay for the tickets in full?
  
• What level of flexibility can I expect with a ticket bought in Feb? What if something happens in March and we need to re-schedule?
  
• If we would like to go at the end of the year, have I left it too late?
  
• Do I just go to a travel agent? We will need transfers and accommodation and travel across the border to Toronto (train?) - will a travel agent organise all of this for us?

Thanks for any help. I haven't travelled in around 10 years, and then I would just book everything myself over the net (such as it was at the time!).

This post has been edited by FluffyOscar: 24/02/2013, 01:16 PM

[Madeline's Mum]

Hi,

You'll need the children's passports to book the tickets. For international fares they take your passport number at the time of booking. You'll also need to get ESTA visas for you and your husband (possibly children depending on age). Be careful of fake sites, they are only $14 each but fake sites will charge about $40.

You need to pay the balance of the flights within about 24 hours if you book them yourself, it might be different if you do it via a travel agent but I would never use an agent, I think you can do it all yourself these days.

Depending on airline, they'll charge between $200-500 to change the flights.

Definitely not, you can't book a flight more than 12 months in advance so now's a great time.

Like I said, I wouldn't use a travel agent, I reckon you can do it all yourself, but if you're worried about go with an agent.

New York that time of year will be pretty busy so I would book accom ASAP once I knew my flight details.

Have fun

[blackcat20]

Depending on airline, they'll charge between $200-500 to change the flights.

There will be a change fee, plus any fare difference between what you paid and what is available.
I didn't need my passport to book, but you do need to fill in that info (at least on the Qantas website) before you travel.

[Jo_P]

Are there sale airfares now for Dec/Jan? If not I'd wait until they go on sale, generally it's about 6 months beforehand.
You can purchase flexible airfares but they cost so much more then the sale fares that it's not even worth it most of the time, normally you just pay a change fee (around $200 pp I think) and then the difference in the airfare cost.
You can definitely book everything yourself, and from experience we've found booking ourselves a better option as USA hotels have really good cancellation policies with no fees if you cancel some even to 24hrs before check in, whereas a travel agent will charge you a fee whenever you cancel or change.
Pop on over to the USA travel thread if you want to ask all the ladies in there more questions

[nlman]

You'll need the children's passports to book the tickets. For international fares they take your passport number at the time of booking. You'll also need to get ESTA visas for you and your husband (possibly children depending on age). Be careful of fake sites, they are only $14 each but fake sites will charge about $40.

This is not correct - not all airlines / agents collect passport numbers. We booked flights for both DD and DS before we had their passports (in 2011 and 2009). Don't book before a child is born though as you do need a date of birth!!

In terms of cancellation / reschedule fees, the more discounted the ticket is, the more you are likely to be charged. In some cases, all you may receive back is the taxes. I would not book until I was 100% of my dates. If you are committed to booking but want the ability to change you flights, book a fully flexible fare.

Most airlines haven't released their Dec/Jan specials yet - I know 'cause I am waiting for them!!

[RatbagBob]

I've never had to provide passport details at the time of booking, just had to make sure I provide them before we get the tickets.

[naturalgoodness]

You can book before birth, you just give your EDD as the date and when they are born you contact the airline and they will update the record free of charge (we have booked o/s tickets for our yet to be born baby).

In addition, the specials are never as good for peak period travel as others. If you can get a price that you are happy with now, on the dates you want I would suggest taking them to make sure you are not disappointed later

[lamarque]

[*] Can I book tickets for the 4 of us, even though the girls won't have their passports yet?

Yes you can. Have never had to provide passport numbers at time of booking.

[*] Do I just leave a deposit on the airfares? How long do I have to pay for the tickets in full?

If you book your flights yourself you generally have to pay immediately or within three days I think if booking with Qantas. A travel agent I spoke with said sometimes they can push it out to seven days.

[*] What level of flexibility can I expect with a ticket bought in Feb? What if something happens in March and we need to re-schedule?

Generally you pay a bit more for flexibility. You'll have to read the fine print when booking as each fare is different.

[*] If we would like to go at the end of the year, have I left it too late?

Probably not but if you're thinking of New York - I would start looking at accommodation as I'm sure the Christmas / New Year period would get busy.

[*] Do I just go to a travel agent? We will need transfers and accommodation and travel across the border to Toronto (train?) - will a travel agent organise all of this for us?

We went to the travel expo and booked our flights to the US. I've pretty much arranged the rest myself (accommodation and transfers) as the loading from the agent was just crazy. They got a great deal at one place that I couldn't beat so I went with them on that.

The US thread is great for tips on transfer companies and accommodation etc.

[whale-woman]

This is not correct - not all airlines / agents collect passport numbers. We booked flights for both DD and DS before we had their passports (in 2011 and 2009). Don't book before a child is born though as you do need a date of birth!!

For unborn babies just book your tickets and when then bub is born call the airline and add the bubs name to the ticket.

[MakeLoveNotBacon]

You don't need passports. None of us had ours when we booked and paid. We did book through a travel agency though. Our friend did ours but honestly, it's worth a bit of extra money to the travel agency unless you like trawling through flights, different routes, etc. I found it a nightmare.

We booked and had to pay with in three days. It was with Qantas too. It cost $700 to change any flights.

We booked our own accommodation through Trip Advisor.

It's definitely not too late. We booked in May for July travel.