There are many types of airline tickets. The consumer can usually choose between economy and first class, and this affects the comfort of the seat and other amenities. Tickets can also be purchased to fly to a single destination and offer no way to return to the original location, or they can be purchased as a round-trip package. When children are flying, they sometimes have the option to sit on the lap of a guardian or sit in a seat, both of which can require different types of tickets.
Economy class tickets are normally the cheapest and most uncomfortable seating option available on a commercial aircraft. Some low-cost airlines do not have a business or first-class seating option, and thus economy class is the only class available. Economy seating is often uncomfortable for people with long legs or an above-average sized body. Some such people find their knees jammed into the seat in front of them or have difficulty sitting in the chair.
First-class airline tickets offer access to the most comfortable and spacious seats on a commercial aircraft. Typically, in addition to the actual seat itself, other amenities are available to first-class passengers that are not available to cheaper ticketed passengers. For example, the seats might be further apart from each other so that every first-class passenger has more space surrounding themselves than lower-classed passengers. If meals are served, they are often of a higher quality in first class and accompanied by an alcoholic beverage for adults. At times, special clubs in airports are available to first-class passengers, and the in-flight entertainment is of higher quality.
Child tickets are sometimes not necessary if the child is very young, usually around two years of age or less. In this case, the child can sit on his or her guardian’s lap, or the guardian can purchase a seat for the child if he or she does not want to hold the child during the entire flight. Some situations may require a child to have a ticket, however, such as international flights or cases where the child is older. In these cases, the guardian must purchase another seat, though it is usually offered at a discounted price.
Round-trip tickets let a person fly to his or her destination and then fly back at a later date. It is a complete round trip back to where he or she started. Often, it is less expensive to purchase round-trip airline tickets rather than two one-way tickets to the same places.
One-way airline tickets allow a person to fly to one destination with no ticket back, unlike round-trip tickets. Once the person reaches his or her destination, he or she must purchase another ticket to fly back or find another way. At first glance, one-way tickets are typically cheaper than round-trip tickets, but only because it is one flight instead of two.