Booking flights as a surprise

[ClimbingMother]

Hi, I'd like to book some flights as a surprise present for my DD sbd her friend to go on a citibreak for her 18th birthday - they'll both be 18 at the time.

How easy will it be to actually book the flights as a surprise?

Talk me thru the process? Im thinking presumably, obviously, input all their correct names etc for the actual flights but use my email address on the booking? Would that work? Name on email address would be slightly different to one passenger name.

You’d need their passports.

Just to add, I’ve recently done the same for a friend and her children. You just book it in the usual way, and use your own email address.

I don’t think the email address matters but for some airlines you’ll need the passport number.

Maybe reach out to friend or friends parents for that?

Unlikely. Usually you only need when checking in.

Don't book the flights, but present it as a gift. Make a voucher if you like! Inevitably they won't want the city you've booked or already have something on that day. Let them pick dates and destination to X value.

It's also much more exciting at 18 to be free to pick your destination & do the planning instead of mum choosing for you!

The names have to be exactly as they are on the passport. OP will also have to do the online check in for them, or give them the log in details.

Do to you definitely know the friends name on the passport is the one she uses ? I know someone who is always known as a name which turned out was actually their middle name and not their official first name.

All good points, thankyou.

Destination will definitely be where they want to go for sure.

Im good friends with other mum so can access details to make flight booking and confirm availability for dates etc, but I get your point about having the excitement of planning own trip so will do some investigation and maybe steer a bit to keep a lid on costs

This will be airline specific to some degree.

You can often book for another individual but as several pps have mentioned the booked name(s) must match names in the passport(s).

There's sometimes an extra box to tick/extra info needed if whoever is making the booking isn't travelling

Filling in API usually needs full passport details but that can often be done just prior to checking in.

It’s a very nice gesture. On some routes API has to be entered early on. Apart from details having to be identical to the passport this will enable airline systems to check that expiry dates etc are all correct.

Do they have travel insurance? Or are you including that? Are they definitely without commitments on the particular dates?

One other thought. They are going to need to prepare for their trip, how early are you going to give them the present? Will they have sufficient spending money to go? And would they prefer to choose the destination themselves?

Maybe instead make a personalised voucher from a blank greetings card saying something along the lines of we would like to offer you flights to x to celebrate your 18th and then book the flights after dates etc are agreed.

You can totally book it yourself. Airlines only care that the passenger names match the passports. The email can be yours, that’s normal. Loads of parents do this when sorting trips for their kids.
When you book, you just put their full names and dates of birth, then put your own email and phone so all confirmations come to you. The system doesn’t check if the email belongs to one of the passengers.
Only thing to watch is that you forward them the boarding passes later or add them to the airline app when you’re ready to reveal the surprise. That’s it really, no weird hoops to jump through.

Depends on the airline - for some of them you need the passport number at time of booking, but for others only when you do check in. Use their details for the flights but your email address on the booking. DH has done this for me several times and it’s never flagged up re his email address being different to my name

I recently booked some flights on my account but auto fill put in OH,'s email. Not a problem, I let him have the honour of sorting check in

With BA you need to fill in a passenger info page and it does need passport no's, DOB, passport expiry dates and a few other q's, though you can do it anytime

Email address being different doesn't matter. Your email address could be completely anonymous like i.love.flowers@emailprovider and nothing to do with your name so it doesn’t have to match a name on the booking.