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How do i purchase airline tickets for someone who is already overseas but im purchasing from the u.s.?

My husband is in Yemen, it seems to be hard for him to purchase directly from the airline/airport. How would i go about purchasing for him and him picking tickets up at airport in Yemen?????

Public Comments

1. I'm not sure how things work in Yemen, but most places YOU DO NOT NEED AN ACTUAL TICKET to board your flight, you simply need a photo ID, and a boarding pass, which contains your ticket number. So, my answer is NOT incorrect. I have traveled to Mumbai, London, Paris, Hong Kong, South Africa, Manila, Sao Paulo, Tokoyo, Vancouver, and all over the U.S. I assure you, a boarding pass and photo ID is all you need. If he has access to a computer, I would suggest booking him an e-ticket. That way, he can check himself in online, and print his own boarding pass at home prior to ever arriving at the airport in Yemen. If your husband does not have easy access to either a computer or a printer, I would book the ticket in his name, request a paper ticket, request that it be delivered to you (you can chose your delivery method. 1-2 day shipping will be a bit more pricey), and then depending on your timeframe, you can either mail it to him certified (USPS, which will be considerably cheaper), or you can overnight it to him using Fedex, DHL, or UPS, which would probably (estimating), cost you around $30 to send.
2. It's easy. Most airline tickets are electronic these days. The ticket exists only in the airline's computer system, so there is nothing to send him or for him to pick up. (The previous answer that says he can "print it out" is wrong. There is no physical ticket and it can't be printed. You can sometimes print a boarding pass in advance, but that is not technically the same as a ticket. You need both a ticket and a boarding pass to travel.) Just call the airline or buy it online in his name. Then, e-mail him or call him with the confirmation number and the itinerary. All that he needs to do is show up at the airport and give them the confirmation number or his originating flight number and name. They'll check his travel documents, check their computer, and print him a boarding pass. He can also print out the boarding pass in advance if the airline offers this service on its website. However, he still has to check in at the counter to have his travel documents inspected if it's an international flight. If the local airline does not have electronic tickets (which is unlikely), you can still prepay a ticket from here by calling the airline or a travel agent. He then picks up a paper ticket at the airport at the time that he travels. This costs extra, so an electronic ticket is better.