Booking Flights the Old Fashioned Way

How do people do this? I've booked for so long online, I wouldn't even know what to do! I think the only time I purchased a ticket in person was at a AA kiosk thing at the mall, but that was in the 90's before everyone started booking themselves in online. My stepfather is really adamant about not using his cards online to avoid identity fraud.  No matter what I tell him, he won't budge. So, I need another way for them to book their tickets, preferably in person, which hopefully will still provide them with a good deal. Any suggestions? Should they just go to a travel agent to do it? Or will agents only book package holidays? Should they just drive to the airport to buy tickets in advance? (I should force them to do that... that will teach them!  )

Have you offered to book it for him using one of your cards then have him reimburse you? I've found that the best deals for flights can only be found online and you pay considerably more through a travel agent.

I think most travel agents can book flights now. If you have a Flightcentre near you then I suggest trying them although they are more expensive than the online deals that are around. Failing that you could always try just calling the airlines reservation centre? We booked our honeymoon with Virgin over the phone
Hope that helps!

Have you offered to book it for him using one of your cards then have him reimburse you? I've found that the best deals for flights can only be found online and you pay considerably more through a travel agent.

Yes, and you will also pay more even calling the airline directly rather than buying online.

You can actually WALK UP to the ticket counter at the airport and purchase tickets in order to save the telephone booking fee.

I know it's ridiculous, but that's just the way they are.  Too paranoid! We can't really book it on our card, because how would they pay us back if they won't use pay pal or anything?! We couldn't afford to carry that balance on our card until they get here, the interest would pile up, not to mention we need to keep our balance down in the event something happens to someone and I have to put an emergency flight on our card. I guess they will just have to pay more!  I seriously think I might send them all the way to the bleeding airport to book their flights since they are so stubborn. 

Travel agents do not make commission anymore with airlines like they used to do about 7-10yrs ago. They now add booking fees onto all flights they book. We use to charge anywhere from 10.00gbps to 10% of the total cost of the flights.

It's a pain in the ar$% but they have to make money some how. Plus if anything happens or goes wrong with the booking the agent deals with it.

Saying that I book my own flights. Going thru a consolidator will give you a good discount if there are any to be had.
We use our airmiles alot.

I would just send them to a travel agent.  They sound like the kind of people who would be best served with a travel agent.  My ILs book all their tickets with their local travel agent, despite the booking fees and lower prices online.   

Are they a member of AAA? AAA should do the booking for them , for a lower fee than a travel agent.

My stepfather is really adamant about not using his cards online to avoid identity fraud.  

Depending on who they do their banking with, this might be a possible solution:

For Bank of America credit cards, there is a feature called ShopSafe, specifically for online purchases, where it creates a temporary (fake) credit card number that is linked to your account.  You can specify a spending limit, and an expiration date.  When making a purchase, you use the 'fake' card number instead of the number on your credit card.  

I used this before to try it out, and it worked just fine.  Perhaps other banks have a similar feature that your stepfather can use.

http://www.bankofamerica.com/privacy/index.cfm?template=learn_about_shopsafe

Depending on who they do their banking with, this might be a possible solution:

For Bank of America credit cards, there is a feature called ShopSafe, specifically for online purchases, where it creates a temporary (fake) credit card number that is linked to your account.  You can specify a spending limit, and an expiration date.  When making a purchase, you use the 'fake' card number instead of the number on your credit card. 

I used this before to try it out, and it worked just fine.  Perhaps other banks have a similar feature that your stepfather can use.

http://www.bankofamerica.com/privacy/index.cfm?template=learn_about_shopsafe

They are with Wells Fargo, but I suppose that is something they could look into. I mean, people buy those gift credit cards, so maybe their bank can suggest something like that to use.

We booked through STA (London) a couple years ago -- I think I had to change a booking and we couldn't get online or something. They do have a few stores in the US.
That's interesting about BofA ShopSafe.

I would just send them to a travel agent.  They sound like the kind of people who would be best served with a travel agent.  My ILs book all their tickets with their local travel agent, despite the booking fees and lower prices online.   

Yeap,J's 'rents are like that too- of course, they wouldn't know how to look online if you paid them 

Haha... I reemed them in an email yesterday, calling them paranoid old fogies, and my mom had a laugh about it and said it wasn't up to her, but she would talk to my stepfather and see if she could talk him into booking online (we will probably do this over Skype with me booking it for them.) Fortunately, they aren't booking for a little while, I was just trying to illustrate to my mom that there are very few choices available if you don't do it online.