Christmas gifts, want to buy airplane ticket for MIL. A question..

[thestaircase]

Hi, I'm very sorry, long post ahead.. I know everyone time is precious, please just skip it if you don't have a few minutes to spare. Warning.. long-winded post ahead.

 

Holiday is not the happiest time for me.. I have a strain relationship with my mother. I didn't have a good childhood. My mother was verbally/emotionally abusive, and very controlling. She complete cut me off after I got married, she ashamed of me and want nothing to do with me.

When I go back to visit my old father, she always gave me the hateful unwelcome look, belittle me and lecturing me of how shameful I am. It pretty clear that I'm not welcome.

 

Please don't misunderstand. I know there are plenty of good mother out there--who sacrifice their everything for their children. I really admire those who have a loving mother.

I know I'm not as fortunate, and I have accepted this as my fate. But I do wish in my next life, I can have a loving mother and a happy childhood.

 

It hurts that I have zero family support, No family to turn to.

It hurts when I see others have their immediate family love and support, and they all happily spend the holiday together.

It hurts when I know my future children will grow up without their Maternal grandparents side.. Others children out there have their Maternal grandmother loves them; but my future children will not have that blessing. Because my mom make it very clear when she said Do Not bring my kids back to see her. Both me and my children are not welcome.

 

It hurts, but I don't want to keep continue living in the pain of yearning for a loving mother.. I want to concentrate on my little family. All I have left now is my husband, my mother in-law, my older brother and my little poodle.

 

Because my own mother treats me worser than trash. I realize how blessed I am to have my mother in-law.. My MIL is very understanding, she fully accepted me despite knowing the strain situation between me and my mother.

MIL never give me a hard time, she always very nice to me, smiles and hugs me all the time. She said she wants me to call her 'mom', and that I always have her as a family.. She wants us to hurry up and have kids, she said she will help watch the baby for us.

 

Whenever my MIL make cake and bake cookies for the grandkids (sister in-law kids), she always remember me. She know I like to eat cream puffs, so she bake me some. She also remember my taste I don't like it too sweet. That was very nice of her to remember what I like.

I'm very thankful to have my MIL. She is like a mom to me, I really appreciate her for her kindness to me.

 

My husband have relatives/family members in Georgia (his mother side family). Every year Christmas holiday time, mother in-law fly to Georgia to spend the holiday, family gathering.

Eventhough me and my husband live together prior to marriage, but we got married 8 months ago, so this is my first Christmas as her daughter in-law.. I want to buy her round-trip airplane ticket, as an early Christmas gift to her.

 

It is simple to buy airplane ticket for yourself. But when you buy airplane ticket for someone else, the process is more complicated. This is my first time buy airplane ticket for someone, other than myself.

Have anyone here buy airplane ticket for someone else before? Can you share your experuience? How is the process, and how does it work?

 

I have Credit card. A checking account and a Saving account. And cash money on hand.. Those are my options of how I can pay.

I know the fastest and easiest way is to buy airplane ticket pay by Credit card. But then I heard that if I'm the Credit card holder, I have to be present at the airport along with my MIL? I'm kindda confuse.

 

Another option is I can give my MIL cash, to pay for her round-trip airplane ticket. Because my MIL does have her own Credit card, so it probably easier for her to buy it with her Credit card. And I'll give her cash money back, that is the same as paying for her airplane ticket.

 

In my Asian (Chinese) culture, it is common and normal to give cash money as gifts. But I can understand how in other cultures, giving direct cash might not be the best choice, as it might come across as unthoughtful.

I don't want my MIL to misunderstood me. And give her direct cash money, she might not be very comfortable to accept it.

 

Do you usually buy holiday/Christmas gifts for your in-law/MIL? I know it early to ask this, but if I can I want to buy the airplane ticket early, the price might be less if I buy early.

I live below my means, and I save money every month. I'm poor, but I can afford to buy round-trip airplane ticket for my MIL.. I just don't know what is the best option to approach this situation.

 

Please help, any tips/advice on buy airplane ticket for someone else? How to approach this, I do want to buy the airplane ticket as a Christmas gift for my MIL.

Best way/best site to buy airplane ticket at the reasonable price? We're here in California, so round-trip airplane ticket from California to Georgia.

Edited October 17, 2015 by thestairs

[d0nnivain]

What a blessing you both have in each other. Your gift is lovely but it's not one that can be a surprise.

 

 

For her upcoming birthday we bought my MIL plane tickets. DH told her about it in advance. I called her on the phone & had her on the same web site as me so she had input into the date & time of her flight. I paid. Then we picked her seat assignment together.

 

 

I wouldn't begin to know how to do this as a surprise.

[thestaircase]

I'm still confuse.

May I ask, how does the process work? Situation is I'm not flying to Georgia with my MIL.

My husband have to work, he have a full time job and a part time job. He can't take that much time off to go, and stay that long in Georgia. Just MIL going to Georgia, it holiday family gathering every year.

 

I know it simple to buy airplane ticket for yourself. But when you buy airplane ticket for someone else, the process is more complicated. This is my first time buy airplane ticket for someone, other than myself.

I know the fastest and easiest way is to buy airplane ticket pay by Credit card. But then I heard that if I'm the Credit card holder, I have to be present at the airport along with my MIL? I'm kindda confuse.

 

I want to be the one that pay for this airplane ticket. Because I understand my husband, he always offer to pay for everything because he make 4x more than me.

IF I told him that I want to buy airplane ticket for MIL, he will use his credit card to pay for it. He will not let me pay.. Then I have to give him the 'he's not listening to his wife' look, in order to get him to let me pay, arg!

 

I want this to be 'my' gift for my MIL, out of my pocket, my money.. I'm poor, but I have a minimum wage job. I'm capable of pay for this round-trip airplane ticket.

Edited October 17, 2015 by thestairs

[d0nnivain]

Have you ever purchased a plane ticket on line? You go to the website & select your flight. Then you put in MILs name & info when you book but you pay. It helps to know the details -- correct spelling, date of birth, e-mail address, contact phone # etc.

 

 

If I was buying you a ticket, I'd TheStairs as the passenger's name & then fill in the bio info about you. When it came to the payment screen, I'd put in my credit card info.

 

 

It's not hard. People buy tickets for each other all the time. As the credit card holder you do not have to be present at the AP when MIL boards her flight.

 

 

If you are still confused, perhaps go to a local travel agent who can help you.

 

 

I urge you to involve your MIL in the planning process because you don't want to get her a non-refundable ticket for flight days, times & airports that don't work for her.

[thestaircase]

Thank you so much for help answer my questions.

 

I know to fill in MIL bio info, and on payment screen I put my credit card info to pay.

BUT the confuse part is I keep hear that the Credit card holder have to be present at the airports, so I not sure if I need to be present when my MIL boards her flight. Maybe the rule have change?

Heck, should I just be on the safe side, and be present with her at the airport on the day of the flight?

 

I will see my MIL later today, perhaps I should just let her fill in her info, and I use my credit card to pay for in on the payment screen.

My MIL will be flying around Christmas time, so buy the airplane ticket now it too early right?

 

Thank you for your help.

[Gloria25]

d0nnivan was spot on and I also am happy that you are blessed with a MIL as beautiful as she is.

 

I purchased airplane tickets for relatives recently and they didn't need to present the credit card at the airport. They only would have needed it to add/pay for the baggage. So, I just gave them cash and they used their own card to pay for the baggage. But theirs was an international flight, so I couldn't pay for the baggage cuz they wanted them to check in and show passports in person at the airport. Otherwise, if it was a domestic flight I could have paid for the baggages without issue.

 

And no, it isn't too early to reserve Christmas flights now, IMO.

[Got it]

The credit card holder does not have to be present. Think of all the business travelers who are buying on company cards. I purchase through our travel website and charge to three different credit cards for work. None of them are in my name.

 

We just bought my MIL a ticket for the past week. Just fill in her information, the ticket will be in her name and all she needs is a photo ID to support the ticket.

 

I would go ahead and buy the ticket, prices are going up.