book a flight

Meaning

To book a flight means to buy a ticket or reserve a seat on an airplane for a specific trip. It is a very common travel collocation used when planning trips, both online and through travel agencies.

Examples

• I need to book a flight to London for my sister's wedding next month.

  I need to book a flight to London for my sister's wedding next month.

• It is usually cheaper to book a flight a few months in advance.

  It is usually cheaper to book a flight a few months in advance.

• Did you book a flight directly through the airline's website?

  Did you book a flight directly through the airline's website?

• She had to book a flight last minute because of a family emergency.

  She had to book a flight last minute because of a family emergency.

• I always compare prices on different websites before I book a flight.

  I always compare prices on different websites before I book a flight.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I need to reserve a flight ticket.

  ✓ I need to book a flight.

  While grammatically correct, 'reserve a flight ticket' sounds very formal and wordy. Native speakers almost always use the collocation 'book a flight'.

• ✗ I ordered a flight for next Tuesday.

  ✓ I booked a flight for next Tuesday.

  You 'order' food or physical products, but you 'book' services, tickets, flights, and hotel rooms.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I should ___ before the prices go up next week.

  💡 Reserve an airplane seat.

  Show answer

  book a flight

• Is it easy to ___ online, or should I call a travel agent?

  💡 Buy an airline ticket.

  Show answer

  book a flight