Howto Buy Airline Tickets

If you’replanning to take aflight, you have a few options when it comes to buying your tickets. The followingpassage highlights the different ways you can use to purchase airline tickets.

1. Through a Travel Agent.

Wherever you are flyingto, a travel agent can help you tobuy airline tickets to get you there. First, call or visit a travel agentnearby and inquire about flights to your preferreddestination. Next, select a flight that meets your needs in terms of departureand arrival dates, number of connectionsand baggage allowance. You need to consider whether meals are provided anddecide whether you’d like to fly economy or business class. Then, you can tellyour travel agent which airline ticket you prefer and ask himto book it for you. All you need to do is to provide himwith the payment—the travel agent will do the rest of the work for you.

2. Using a Travel Website.

There is another user-friendly way to book airlinetickets, that is, by visiting travel websites. You need to fill in the detailsof the flight you plan to take, including your departure and arrival airportsand the duration of your stay. You’ll then be shown a few options for flightsthat meet your requirements. Next, choose a flight that meets your budget and your travel criteria (few layovers, least travel time, and so on). After filling out theinformation requested, you’ll have successfully booked your airline ticketonline. Once you provide the payment information, your flight is confirmed.Make sure you print a copy of your flight purchase for your records so that youwon’t have any problems when you get to the airport. (If you’re unsure aboutusing online travel sites to book tickets, you can call the airline providerafterwards and confirm your flight.)

3. Directly from the Airline Online.

You can also purchaseairline tickets directly from the airlines themselves. What you need to do isto visit their websites, proceed to the flight booking section and complete theforms as requested. You’ll have the option of several flights to choosefrom and you can even earn rewards for booking a flight directly from the carrier’s website. (This may earn youfree airline travel in the future.)    

4. Through the Airline’s Booking Department.

Another easy way to bookairline travel is to call the airline directly. You can contact the customerservice of your preferred airline and request to book a flight. Like on thewebsites, you’ll be asked about your preferred travel dates and airports, andthen you’ll be given a price. This price may be a bit higher though, sincetelephone bookings always come with an extra booking fee. When you need to booka flight, consider all the options listed. Travel agents, booking departmentsand websites can all help you book airline tickets.

 

New Words and Expressions

option ['ɒpʃn]                     n.选择

travel agent                        旅行代办人，旅行代理人

preferred [prɪ'fəd]                 adj.首选的

connection [kəˈnekʃn]              n. 中转

user-friendly                    adj. 用户友好的，容易使用的

budget [ˈbʌdʒɪt]                   n.预算

criteria [kraɪ'tɪərɪə]                 n.标准

layover [ˈleɪəʊvə(r)]                n.中途下车，中途停留

carrier [ˈkæriə(r)]                  n.承运人，航空公司

 

Task 1 Answer the following questions after reading the passageand do some     extended discussion.

1.How many ways of buying airline tickets are mentioned in the passage and whatare they?

2. Which way of booking airline tickets do you prefer? Why?

 

Task 2 Make an oralpresentation about procedures of booking airline tickets by using travelwebsites.

 

 

Learn more professional terms for your further study.

carry-on baggage                       n. 手提行李

board [bɔ:d]                           v. 登机

compartment [kəmˈpɑ:tmənt]              n. 舱

delay [dɪˈleɪ]                           n. 延误，推迟

divert [daɪˈvɜ:t]                         v. 改航，转向

ETD (Expected Time of Departure)           预计起飞时间

ETA (Expected Time of Arrival)               预计到达时间

reduced fare ticket                       n.减价票