Booking a flight for yourself is simple: just provide your name, personal information and credit or debit card information to the booking agent or website. When you're buying a ticket for another person, however, the process is slightly more complicated. Policies can vary by airline and by the country you're traveling to.
Contact the airlines or visit their websites to find out policies. Generally, you can buy tickets for other people, but there may be special things you'll need to do. For example, Delta Airlines typically requires the person who purchased the ticket to show a credit card at the airport ticket counter when the person traveling checks in for the flight. The person booking a ticket for an unaccompanied minor will also generally need to be present upon check-in. To book a flight, provide the name of the person and the person's birth date in the passenger information section of the booking website, or provide that information to the booking agent. In some cases -- especially when traveling to certain foreign countries -- the person who buys the tickets must also be traveling.
