15 ways to get a travel itinerary for visa application

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.

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.