Booking flights with expired passport

[Snorbs]

I want to go abroad in August with my DCs and some friends. If I book the flights now we can get a good price and ensure we're all on the same aircraft. If I wait, we risk the price increasing and/or availability getting more difficult.

However, my DCs' passports have expired and the booking requires I give the passport numbers. Obviously I'll get the passports renewed before we actually go abroad but can I book the flights in the meantime?

Where are you planning on travelling?. Some countries require an API (advance passenger information) to be completed post booking and that will also ask for a passport number.

If you apply for your childrens passports to be renewed now these should be back to you within a couple of weeks. January seems to be a quiet time.

I would also check with the airline prior to booking to ensure that no charge will be applied for updating passport details post booking.

if it's ryanair, am pretty sure you only need basic information to book, passport numbers etc only required when it's time to check in.

Agree with Attila, I have a feeling that some airlines charge you or make it quite difficult for you to update the details later on. I would possibly call them and check it out first.

We did this with no problems. Booked the flight, then gave the new passport details before we travelled.

We renewed 2 of our childrens passports in December and it took 5 days and 3 days for them to be returned. don't risk it renew the passports now - you can do a lot on line and they will be back with you this time next week. I am also not sure if with the new biometric passports the number might change so a double reason for getting it done today!

Thanks for all the tips. We'll be going to Portugal, probably on EasyJet as they fly from Luton and that's just up the road. So I've given EasyJet a call and TheVeryNiceMan I spoke to said that there's no problem with booking with the expired passport numbers now and then updating the passport info at a later date provided it's all sorted before we fly. He said they'd only charge if we changed the actual flight.

Thanks again!

I'm pretty sure that legislation has changed and you must have passport numbers when booking flights anywhere these days. You might like to pop into a travel agent and ask them.