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what to have ready before booking a flight
What to have ready before booking a flight: names, dates, payment, preferences.
Quick answer
Each traveler's legal name exactly as on ID and date of birth; the trip's origin, destination, and dates (or flexibility range); and a payment method. Seat, bag, and loyalty details are optional accelerators. Names matter most — post-ticketing corrections can be limited.
Must-haves
- Legal names matching government ID, per traveler
- Dates of birth
- Origin, destination, dates or flexibility range
- Payment method
Nice-to-haves
- Frequent-flyer numbers
- Seat preferences and accessibility needs
- Baggage counts
Related topics: domestic travel · flight booking help