Getting a travel itinerary for visa application is the most difficult and confusing parts of the visa process. Consulates insist on providing with confirmed flight and hotel bookings. But they do not recommend purchasing an actual ticket. They just want an itinerary. Did you see how confusing is that?
Often times the consulates ask for one of these –
- Flight tickets
- Flight itinerary
- Flight confirmation
- Confirmed flight tickets
- Confirmed flight itinerary
- Round trip flight tickets
- Proof of onward travel
They all mean the same thing. “Flight tickets”. Consulates understand the fact that a visa application does not result in a guaranteed approval. Therefore, they only recommend you to “hold” a flight reservation, not actually “purchase” the flight tickets.
If your visa application is denied or delayed, you will lose the money that you have spent on the flight tickets. Airlines and insurance providers do not consider visa denial as a reason for refund claims. So, do not purchase your flight tickets until your visa application is approved.
If consulates would like to see purchased tickets, they will specifically ask for it. For example, Chile visa application mentions that you may have to show your purchased ticket on visa approval.
BONUS: Click here for an easy-to-use resource list for your visa application travel itinerary
Not every airline service every route. You have to play around with different airlines and different booking sites to avail the hold option. Below are 15 proven ways to get a travel itinerary for visa application.
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Flight itinerary for visa application
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01. Purchasing a refundable ticket
Refundable flight tickets on Aeromexico
This is the best and foolproof option for your flight itinerary. A refundable ticket is a purchased ticket. No one can question its authenticity.
Most airlines offer this option at a higher price. Usually 5-10 times higher than a non-refundable or sale ticket. Most airlines process refunds fairly quickly within a few days to a few weeks.
One thing to keep in mind is even though it’s a refundable ticket, some booking sites and airlines charge a fee to cancel the tickets. Few examples –
- Cheapoair (Cancellation fee is $150 USD)
- Etihad Airways (Cancellation fee is $75 USD on “refundable” tickets. Etihad calls this some kind of “tax”)
PRO TIP:
Always purchase a refundable ticket directly from the airline website. I suggest you call the airline first inquiring about the cancellation policy of their refundable tickets.
Pros
A refundable ticket is a valid ticket. You do not need to worry about the consulate verifying it’s authenticity.
Cons
You need to pay for the ticket first which usually is about 5-10 times more than a sale price ticket. Refunds take from a few days to a few weeks depending on the airline. You also need to keep the credit card open to receive the refund.
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02. Using a local travel agent to hold a flight reservation
Kim Travel, a local travel agent in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
This is the second best method. Travel agents can hold tickets for up to 7 days. They may charge a small fee for this service.
Pros
For just a small fee, you can hold a flight ticket for as long as 7 days.
Cons
This option is good only if the visa processing takes maximum 7 days.
Also Read: What to pack for international travel
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03. Using a visa ticket booking website
Dummy Ticket, an online ticket booking agent for visa
There are quite a few online travel agents providing this service for a small fee. They can hold a reservation for up to 21 days. They also provide express service if you are in a hurry.
Examples
- Dummy Ticket | Price $19 USD | Booking valid up to 21 days
- Flight Reservation for visa | Price €25.99 EUR | Booking valid up to 21 days
- OneWayFly | Price $19 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- Visa Reservation | Price $30 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- Schengen Visa Flight Reservation | Price $15 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- Schengen Visa Itinerary | Price $30 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- Visa Bookings | Price $20 USD | Booking valid for 14 days
- KeyFlight | Price $14.90 USD | Booking valid for 7 days
- Booking for Visa | Price $15 USD | Booking validity unknown
- Ticket Hotel Visa | Price $20 USD | Booking validity unknown
- Travel Visa Guru | Price $14 USD | Booking validity unknown
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04. Using award miles and hold option
Award miles flight ticket hold option on American Airlines
Some airlines will let you hold your reservation for up to 5 days if you are purchasing an award ticket or using your airline miles. The held reservation is a printable itinerary that you can use for your visa application. The reservation might say that it needs to be purchased within a given time. But, it is still an acceptable option for visa applications. Few examples –
Examples
- American Airlines | Free hold up to 5 days using AAdvantage miles
Pros
This option works perfectly fine for visa applications. This service is offered free of charge for the airline award members.
Cons
You must have a frequent flyer account and a few thousand miles to avail this option. It may not be useful for visa applications that take longer than 5 days to approve.
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05. Free ticket hold option by airlines
Free flight ticket hold option on Copa Airlines
Quite a few airlines have the option to hold a fare for up to 48 hours.
Examples
- Copa Airlines | Free hold for 48 hours
- American Airlines | Free hold for 24 hours
- United Airlines | Free hold for 24 hours with pay-in-person option
- Turkish Airlines | Free hold for 24 hours or more
- Aeroflot | Free hold for 24 hours with cash option
Pros
This service is offered free of charge by many airlines.
Cons
This option may not be used for visa applications that take longer than 2 days to approve.
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06. Free ticket hold option by online booking sites
Free flight ticket hold option on Yatra.com
There are some online booking sites that let you hold a reservation for free.
Examples
- Yatra.com | Free 3 day hold. Yatra is an India based booking website, but anyone can hold and book international tickets
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07. Ticket hold option for a fee by airlines
United Airlines Farelock option
Some airlines allow you to hold your ticket for a small fee for a few days. Different airlines have different hold days and different fee. Usually, the fee is $5-20 USD depending on the hold days.
- United Airlines Farelock | 3 day hold for $6.99 USD and 7 day hold for $8.99 USD
- British Airways Hold Flight | 3 day hold for $10 USD
- Air France Time to Think | 3 day hold for $20 USD
- Air New Zealand Fare Hold | 3 day hold for $30 USD
- Swiss Airlines Secure Price | 3 day hold for $27 USD
- Lufthansa Secure Your Fare | 2 day hold for $25-40 USD
- Aeroflot Deferred Payment | 2 day hold for $16 USD
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08. Email price quote or itinerary option from airlines
British Airways price quote email
Some airlines allow you to print an itinerary or email a price quote. These look similar to a reservation that can be used for visa applications. Few examples –
Pros
This option works perfectly fine for United Kingdom visa applications. I have used a British Airways price quote email for my UK visa application and it worked fine. The UK is not asking for flight itineraries anymore for their visa applications. If they do for some reason, you can always use this option.
Cons
You may not be able to use this option for visas other than the UK.
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09. Free 24 hours ticket cancellation from United, Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, etc.
United Airlines free cancellation within 24hrs
A few airlines and online ticket booking websites provide options for free cancellation within 24 hours of booking. These sites allow you to cancel a flight ticket within 24 hours of booking. Few examples –
- United Airlines | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Expedia | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Priceline | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Orbitz | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Travelocity | Free cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Yatra | Free cancellation within the same day of booking
PRO TIP:
Tickets from budget airlines, such as Airasia cannot be cancelled even when booked on Expedia/Priceline/Orbitz. You must read the fine print on the checkout page carefully to make sure that the ticket can be cancelled for free within 24 hours. For more information, check out my step-by-step guide on how to book flight tickets with 24 hour FREE cancellation on Expedia
Pros
This is a great option as proof of onward travel or return ticket if you are availing Visa on Arrival. You have to time it well so that you are still in the 24 hours period when availing the Visa on Arrival. You can cancel the ticket right after you complete your Visa on Arrival formality.
Cons
These tickets must be canceled within 24 hours. After that, you cannot cancel and cannot get a refund. This option may not be used for visa applications that take longer than 24 hours.
Also Read: How to book flight tickets with 24 hour FREE cancellation on Expedia – A step-by-step guide
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10. Using an onward ticket booking agency
Onward Ticket, an online onward flight ticket booking agent
There are a few onward ticket booking sites that provide this service for a small fee. They cancel the ticket after 24 hours on your behalf.
Examples
- OnwardTicket | Price $12 USD | Ticket valid for 48 hours | Instant booking
- BestOnwardticket | Price $12 USD | Ticket valid for 48 hours
- AirOnwardTicket | Price $7.99 USD | Ticket valid for 36 hours
- RentOnwardTicket | Price $9 USD | Ticket valid for 72 hours
- OnewayFly | Price $19 USD | Ticket valid for 14 days
- OnwardFlights | Price $7 USD | Ticket valid for 24 hours
Pros
These are great as a proof of onward travel for visa on arrival. You have to time it properly so the ticket is still valid while going through the visa on arrival formality. For a small fee, you will have a legitimate and verifiable flight ticket.
Cons
This option may not be used for visa applications that take longer than 24 hours.
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11. Using a fake ticket generator
Fake Flight Tickets, an online fake flight ticket generator
There are a few online fake airline ticket generators. These tools generate a fake flight ticket that looks similar to actual booking. These bookings are not real and cannot be verified.
This is an extremely risky option, so use it at your own discretion.
Examples
- FakeFlightTickets | Price $5 USD | Downloadable dummy/fake ticket
- KeyFlight | Free service | Downloadable dummy/fake ticket
- NomadProof | Free service | Downloadable dummy/fake ticket
- ReturnFlights | Free service | Downloadable dummy/fake ticket
WARNING
Using dummy/fake flight tickets is illegal and against the law. If caught, you may be fined, prosecuted or jailed. Please use fake tickets at your own risk.
Pros
Easy to generate fake tickets on the fly at your convenience.
Cons
These tickets are fake and it’s against the law to use them.
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12. Purchasing non-refundable flight ticket
Non-refundable flights on Skyscanner.com
Purchase non-refundable flight tickets only if you are 100% certain that your visa will be approved. I have booked non-refundable flight tickets myself a few times. But, I was applying for a visa that I have applied a few times before and approved.
For best non-refundable flight deals, use the booking site listed below.
Examples
Pros
You have the actual ticket. No need to worry if the consulate verifies it’s authenticity. Since you bought it early, it probably was cheaper than purchasing after the visa approval.
Cons
In the case of visa denial, you will lose the money since the ticket is a non-refundable ticket.
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Hotel itinerary for visa application
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Hotel itinerary is much easier to obtain than a flight itinerary. Many hotels and most hotel booking websites offer refundable or pay-at-check-in options.
13. Refundable or pay-at-the-property option
Refundable or pay-at-the-property hotels on Expedia.com
These options sometimes do not even require credit card information. Just make a note of when the booking needs to be canceled. Create a calendar reminder to make sure you cancel these bookings right after your visa approval. Few examples –
- Expedia | Refundable and/or pay-at-the-property
- Booking.com | Refundable and/or pay-at-the-property
- Agoda | Refundable and/or pay-at-the-property
- Orbitz | Refundable and/or pay-at-the-property
Pros
No pre-payment is necessary. Just book refundable hotels/hostels and cancel once your visa is approved.
Cons
You have to remember the date by which the reservation needs to be canceled. Otherwise, you will be charged for the booking.
NOTE:
Not all “pay-at-check-in or pay-at-the-property” bookings are refundable. Read the description carefully when making a hotel booking.
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14. Pay deposit option
Pay deposit on Hotelworld.com
Some booking sites let you hold a reservation by paying a small deposit upfront. You pay about 20% of the booking as a non-refundable deposit. You can cancel the booking after your visa application is approved. You will lose the deposit, but if you pick a cheap dorm room for a few days, 20% deposit will not be that much.
Examples
- HostelWorld | 20% non-refundable deposit
Pros
For a small deposit, you can book a hostel dorm bed. You can cancel it right after your visa is approved.
Cons
20% is still a big amount if booking in cities like Paris where a dorm bed costs about €10.00 per night. You must make sure to remember the date by which the reservation need to be canceled.
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15. Non-refundable hotel/hostel
Non-refundable hotels on Expedia.com
Book a non-refundable hotel/hostel only if you are 100% certain that your visa application will be approved.
If you are re-applying for a visa that was approved previously with the same documentation, then there is a good chance that your visa application will be approved this time as well.
Even in this case, I do not suggest to book a non-refundable hotel. But if you see a really good hotel deal that you can’t pass up, you can probably consider.
How to get a British Airways email price quote for UK visa application- A step-by-step Guide
How to get Thailand Visa on Arrival – A complete guide
How to travel 39 Non-Schengen countries VISA-FREE with Schengen visa
Seerat Gill says
Hello Thirumal! First of all, thank you so much for providing such great information. Your blog had helped me a lot in gathering the documentation and planning of my dream visit. If you do not mind I have a few questions that I hope you would be able to answer:
– I am planning an approx 14 days visit that will cover the whole of the UK. Personally I have funds to cover the visit but just to keep the visa process simple I am planning to mention just the 5 days of the visit so that my funds do not look insufficient or trip does not look longer than necessary.
-Will it cause any issue at the time of arrival in the UK? Like will the entry officer there have access to application detail saying I mentioned only 5 days but the return ticket that I will be having at that time will show my return on 14th day?
– Do I have to travel on the same dates that I have mentioned in my visa application itinerary or can travel on any dates within the granted visa period? Again will it cause any issue at the time of entry?
Please guide me so that I can proceed appropriately. Once again thank you so much for your informative blog.
Thirumal says
Hi Seerat! Thanks a lot for the kind words!
– Yes. When you actually travel, you can travel longer than what you have mentioned in your visa application. The visa is granted for 6 months for that specific reason, so it can accommodate any itinerary changes.
– The immigration officers at the airport can access your visa application if needed. But 14 days is not too long. Even if you are questioned, if you can prove that you have enough funds to sustain yourself, a detailed itinerary and hotel bookings for those 14 days., then you will be fine.
– No. UK visit visas are issued for 6 months. You can travel on any dates within the visa validity period.
Javed says
Hi Thirumal,
Thanks for writing such a useful post. I have a Turkish eVisa and I have been trying to get one for my wife. Since it should be a sticker Visa hence I will have to go through the entire documentation. Do you have any idea that for how long we can hold the flight on Turkish Airlines?
I would really appreciate it if you can provide me any insight on this.
Thanks,
Javed
Thirumal says
Hi Javed! The minimum is 24 hours and the maximum I have seen was 2 weeks. The farther out the flight, the longer the hold. For example, if your flight is 1 week from today, you may be allowed to hold it for only 24 hours. But if your flight is 3 months from today, you may be able to hold for 1-2 weeks.
William says
Hello good morning. Please, I’m a musician from Ghana and I’m applying for a UK Tourist Visa and I would like you to assist me with these questions?
1. Am I supposed to provide details of what I’ll be doing daily? Do they want full details of my day to day itinerary?
2 What am I supposed to state in the cover letter?
3. It’s actually a 6-day trip so please what estimated budget do you think will be good for me to provide in the application form?
4. Please with the amount of the money I have in my savings bank account. Let’s say £5000 and I plan to spend £2500 on my trip, is it ok? If not can you assist me with what I should do?
Thirumal says
Hi William!
1. Yes. To maximize your chances of visa approval, I suggest providing a day-to-day itinerary in your cover letter.
2. In your cover letter, you will mention your purpose of the trip, dates and itinerary, current employment (self-employed, musician, etc), financial solvency (how much you earn, etc), travel history, any family ties, etc.
3. You must show about £150 GBP per day estimated budget. So, it would be about £900 GBP total for your 6-day trip.
4. Your estimated budget must be less than half of your current savings. So yes, if you have £5,000 GBP, then planing to spend £2,500 GBP or less is perfectly fine.
I suggest referring to UK visa refusal reasons article for more details.
IMRAN KHAN says
Hi Everyone
I used this service to apply for my wife Visit visa to sit in the PACES exam in the UK. These guys are very helpful and they sent the confirmation of Flight & hotel well before the time mentioned.
Thank GOD my wife visa was granted and I am really thankful to them for their services. Recommended to all who need Flight + Hotel for their visit visa purposes.
Thirumal says
Hi Imran! I’m glad the services I mentioned here were helpful. Congratulations and good luck to your wife on her PACES exam!
Sid says
Hi Thiru,
Thanks for your informative answers. Appreciate your help.
My question is slightly different. I applied for a Schengen visa (in a group with 2 families). The French consulate has refused the visa for everyone in the group since one of the child’s passport had a photo of not to their liking.
My family passports and other documents were all fine. Is there a way I can appeal against the same to French consulate? I actually booked non-refundable flights etc.
Can you assist?
Regards,
Shashank Arora
Thirumal says
Hi Shashank! Yes, you can appeal to consider only your’s or your family’s applications. You have a valid reason to appeal the decision. I have never appealed a Schengen visa decision myself, so I am not aware of the process. But you can refer to the article from Schengen visa info for the procedure. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Rahul says
Hello Thirumal. Hope you are doing fine. I am going to apply for a UK tourist VISA and my travel agent provided me an original Emirates ticket hold which will last for three days. My question is whether can I use this flight itinerary for my UK Visa application and I would also like to know whether the UK home office won’t mind even if the flight itinerary becomes invalid or cancelled after the three-day hold since it’s an original reservation.
Thirumal says
Hi Rahul! Yes, you can use your 3 day hold Emirates ticket for UK visa. I have used a BA price quote (not even a hold) for my UK visa and it was fine with the home office. I know many readers here also have used BA prices quote and 3-7 day hold tickets without any issues.
Rahul says
Dear Thirumal, thank your for the information. Just to reconfirm, as you know Since the UK Visa processing takes at least a week, by the time the Home office checks my itinerary’s validity, most probably it would be invalid by that time since it’s just a 3-day hold. Therefore, I would like to know whether my VISA would get rejected due to this issue or they would ignore it since it’s an original itinerary?
Thirumal says
As long as you are eligible for the visa and meet all the requirements, you will secure the visa. Your flight itinerary is only to show the entry/exit dates and duration of stay in the UK.
All consulates including the UK recommend not buying flight tickets prior to your visa approval. Therefore, they all know that your itinerary/reservation will expire at some point. That being said, at least submit an itinerary that is still valid at the time of application submission.
RAHUL says
Hello Thirumal. Thank you for the information. However, since it’s an itinerary with a validity of only 3 days, unfortunately it has expired yesterday. Can I still use it for my application? Furthermore, my intended date of travel is August 25th and I am going to apply with priority service on August 7. Will I get a decision within August 20 at least? Kindly help me, please.
Thirumal says
No. Don’t use the expired itinerary. I suggest getting a new itinerary right before you submit your application. That way, it would be valid for 3 days from the day of submission.
Priority service has a guaranteed 5 working day decision time. You will hear the decision within 5 working days of application submission. If you apply on Aug 07, you will hear the decision by Aug 14. Add a few more working days for receiving your passport (courier/postal time).
Vijay J says
Can you help with more instructions on how to get this? Will it have passenger names? Can I also include hotel in it?
Thirumal says
Hi Vijay! Yes, I can help you with getting an itinerary from Emirates or BA. Yes, these itineraries include the names of the passengers. They are “flight only” itineraries, so there will not be any hotel included in them.
Send me an email from the contact page, so I will send you the steps on how to get the itinerary on Emirates or BA.
Manoj says
Hi Thirumal! I wish you a Happy New Year! So glad to have found a blog for visa guidance, grateful and appreciate your service here. Please, could you help me with the steps to get the price quote from BA website?
Thirumal says
Hi Manoj! I plan to write a separate step-by-step article on how to get a price quote from BA website. Meanwhile, I will email you the steps and screenshots.
sam says
I have a roundtrip flight ticket from USA to the UK and then from the UK bought a tour for Europe by Coach and will be applying for schengen visa. Can I submit my round trip flight to UK and USA and the tour details purchased which will be by coach? Will it be enough when applying for Schengen visa or do I need to buy flight tickets to the Schengen country I am applying for?
Thanks,
Thirumal says
Hi Sam! You haven’t mentioned whether you already hold a visa for the UK. If do, then yes, you can just show your round trip tickets to the UK and the coach from there.
If you don’t have a UK visa, then I suggest applying for your UK visa first.
khalil says
How can one get a 5-year multiple entry Schengen visa C or a longer validity like USA and Canada? Please share tips with me.
Thirumal says
Hi Khalil! Schengen C-type visas with longer validity (3 or 5 years) are only issued to those who travel to the Schengen zone frequently. Ex: Having a business presence in the Schengen zone and need to travel monthly.
If you can prove that you have a need to travel to the Schengen zone frequently, then you have a fair chance of getting a 5-year visa.
MK says
Do not use those websites to buy tickets, those are Indians scammers be aware do not use this kind of websites these are all the same people looking to scam you. Better get your reservation on any airline. Cheaters!
Thirumal says
Hi MK! Could you be more specific? Which website are you referring to?
I provide all options and links to all services available out there including major airlines. If you just say “websites”, it’s confusing to me and to my readers. If you want to warn the readers about a specific company, please be specific. That way, you can prevent the readers from getting scammed from such companies. If you just say “websites”, it’s not going to help anyone.
SP says
Hi Thirumal! Thank you for the great information. I have a Schengen visa appointment coming up soon and would like to use one of the flight reservation websites you recommended. Will it be a problem if the hold is only for 7 days when the visa processing time will take 15 days?
More importantly, will I need to provide train and flight tickets within the same Schengen country? What if I need to go to Spain and Portugal? Will that be a single-entry visa? And do I need to provide flight tickets from Spain to Portugal within my trip?
Thank you very much!
Thirumal says
Hi SP! You can use any of those flight reservation websites. But talk to a representative first on the validity and such. Yes, a ticket with a 7 day validity will work for Schengen visa.
No. You don’t have to show internal flights within the country. But if you are traveling to more than one Schengen country, then you have to provide flight or train tickets.
It will be single entry since both Spain and Portugal are in the Schengen zone. But you have to show a flight or train ticket from Spain to Portugal in your itinerary.
Truong says
Hi Thirumal,
This has been the most informative and best post on the web. Thank you for your hard work and hopefully, you have some time to help answer my question.
I am an Australian citizen and do not need a Schengen Visa however my wife who is residing in Australia has a Vietnam passport and she will need one.
Will I need to also provide all of my travel itinerary to the consulate when she applies for the visa?
She does not work but I will be the funding the whole trip and I do have all of the savings record etc and employment status, will sending these documents help increase the rate of the visa?
Do you recommend using Travelvisabooking to get two of the same sets of travel itinerary to send to the consulate and on the cover letter explain that we will be travelling together and I am the one funding the trip?
Do you recommend using the travel insurance on the travel agents website then cancelling it after and using one from Australia when the visa is approved? Do I also have to show them my travel insurance as well as I am travelling with her?
Thanks a million.
Thirumal says
Hi Truong! Your wife has to provide the following
– Flight itinerary showing you and your wife as passengers flying on the same flight (Use FlightReservationForVisa or OneWayFly. TravelVisaBookings have too many complaints and I removed from the list)
– Hotel bookings showing 2 people on the booking (it can be on your name or your wife’s)
– Insurance on your wife’s name (yes, use a travel agent for now and get insurance from Australia after the visa is approved)
– Your employment proofs
– Your financial proofs
– Your marriage certificate
– A letter from you stating that you will be traveling together and funding the entire trip
– A cover letter from your wife that her husband will fund the trip
Truong says
Thank You very much!!
sonia says
Hi Thirumal, I checked with British Airways about the Flight itinerary and they said I have to either purchase the ticket or pay to hold it for 72 hours. I am applying for Visit visa for my family for the UK.
Thirumal says
Hi Sonia! First of all, flight itineraries are not required for UK visas anymore (in most cases). Check your application and the checklist to make sure if you really need to submit a flight itinerary.
Second, the email price quote option is still available on the British Airways website. I did not see the 72 hours hold option though. Is that only through the phone or available on the website as well?
Sidd says
Dear Thirumal,
I’m looking for a genuine/trustworthy website where I can hold flight reservations for my US visa interview. You have given a list of websites, but please suggest me one from India.
Thanks in advance.
Thirumal says
Hi Sidd! Flight reservations are NOT REQUIRED for US visa. You don’t need to hold any flight reservations. Even if you do, the VO will not ask for it during the interview. So, it would be a waste of money.
Bhawna says
Thanks for your reply! Yes, my flight from London to Barcelona is also through British Airways.
Thirumal says
Hi Bhawna! In that case, you’re fine. You don’t need to worry about anything. Enjoy your trip!
Bhawna says
Hi Thirumal,
I’m an Indian Passport holder with valid US Visa and traveling to Barcelona, Spain from San Francisco via British Airways. I have a 2 hr layover at London Airport. Do I need a UK transit Visa?
Thanks in advance!
Thirumal says
Hi Bhawna! You DO NOT NEED a transit visa for the UK. If you have a valid US visa or Schengen visa (you do since you are traveling to Spain), you do not need a transit visa for the UK.
Question: Is your flight London-Barcelona is on British Airways as well?
Deepak Jindal says
Hello brother. I am Deepak. I am planning to apply for a Schengen visa to Iceland. I am first time to apply for Schengen visa. I have a small travel history. What do you think? And any experience about Iceland visa process? Should I use a flight reservation/dummy ticket? Any guidance? How much gap I should keep from applying to traveling? Means aise aaj apply krna hai.. toh kitne din ka gap rakhu jab mujhe flight ticket or plan apna embassy ko show krna chahiye? I hope you got it!
Your blog is just mind blowing.. so much information man.. great job.
Thirumal says
Hi Deepak! The more travel history you have, the better it is for visas. See if you can work on improving your travel history a bit more before your Schengen visa.
Yes, you should use a flight reservation for your visa. You should not purchase your flight tickets before your visa approval. You can apply for a Schengen visa up to 3 months in advance. Therefore, I suggest applying for your Schengen visa about 2-3 months before your travel dates.
Naveen G says
Hi Thirumal
I am from India and for the past 5 years, I am working/living in the San Francisco area. I am planning to visit Spain in Sep’19 for tourism. The trip will be for 12 days. I have the Schengen Visa appt coming up in 10 days at the Spanish embassy in San Francisco. I landed on your blog while searching for tips to get required documents for visa appt such as Flight reservations, Hotel bookings, etc. I looked at many of the responses you provided and they looked very precise and very helpful. I want to thank you for the service you are providing to travelers from all over the world especially the ones with “powerless” Indian passport. Kudos to you.
After looking at some of the responses, I contacted travelvisabookings in order to get information on the flight/hotel/insurance booking. I wanted to check on how long they can hold the flight reservations once they finalize the itinerary. They mentioned that they will give me a reservation which will be valid for a very long time but they will not be able to provide me with a PNR which I can look up. When I inquired how will the embassy inquire my flight reservations they said that the embassy has access to another database which they can look up even though there is no PNR. When I asked if they could give me a reservation with PNR they said that the PNR will be valid only for 2-3 days. The reservation without PNR option did not make sense to me.
Next, I started exploring another option you have mentioned on your blog, flight reservations through Turkish Airlines. I see that I can hold those reservations for 3 days. Here is my question to you.
If I create a flight reservation on Turkish Airlines hours before my Visa Appt, do you think that will be enough time for embassy people to check the status of the bookings? Or you think embassy people may take longer than 2-3 days to verify the reservations. What could happen if they verify the reservation after 3 days and by that time the bookings have expired? Thanks so much.
Best regards. Naveen.
Thirumal says
Hi Naveen! I have included every option that’s out there. The reader is free to choose the option that works for them. But personally, I don’t recommend those online travel agents. You can see a lot of complaints about them in the comments. And, I don’t believe their story about “another database”.
A Turkish airline reservation with a 3-day hold is perfectly fine for your Spain visa application. The good thing with Schengen visa application is that if the consulate has a question, they will contact you and ask you. They won’t deny the visa just because your reservation is not valid anymore. If at all the Spain consulate thinks that your flight reservation is not valid anymore, they will contact you and ask you for a new one. Just get another reservation from Turkish airlines and sent it to them. You will be fine.