Book your tickets through a travel booking website (see Resources for examples), an airline website or a travel agent. You will receive a print out confirming your purchase and detailing your itinerary upon completion of the transaction.
Arrive at the airport two or more hours before your flight, depending on whether you are going on an international or domestic trip.
Present the printout of your itinerary and identification documents at the check-in counter. Based on this information, the agent will print out a boarding pass for each passenger. Some airlines use self check-in machines, which print out your boarding passes after you provide a flight number, identification details and credit card information.
Check in online prior to arriving at the airport if the airline you are taking provides this service. You will be able to print out your boarding pass from the airline's website. Once at the airport, checking in your bags is the only thing you will need to do before heading through security and on to your departure gate.
