When you are heading to a new country, the boarding airline usually asks for proof of onward travel. At the arriving airport, the immigration officers also ask for a return or onward ticket.
If you are unsure of where you will be heading next, booking a return or onward ticket can be difficult. Especially if you are a digital nomad or traveling long term, it’s difficult to know your next destination several weeks in advance.
The airline’s staff at the check-in insist on showing a return or onward flight ticket. You will be denied boarding if you are not in possession of an onward or return flight ticket. But, how can you get a return or onward ticket if you are not sure where you will be heading next?
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Reasons why you need proof of onward travel
Let’s understand why you would need a return or onward ticket. You would need a return or onward ticket for 2 reasons –
Reason 1: Airlines, especially, budget airlines have to make sure that you will not overstay in the destination country. If you overstay, you will, of course, be fined. But the airline that allowed you to enter will also be fined. These fines on the airlines are hefty and can sometimes cause airline employees to lose their jobs. Therefore, airlines make sure that you have proper proof that you will leave the country at the end of your stay.
Reason 2: Immigration officers at the border control have to make sure that you would leave the country at the end of your stay. Therefore, they ask you to show a return or onward ticket. They usually do not accept a bus, train or boat ticket as proof of onward travel. They only accept a flight ticket as proof of onward travel as flight tickets are verifiable.
Let’s look at various ways to get proof of onward travel for your next trip.
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01. Book a flight ticket with 24-hour FREE cancellation from online booking websites
A few online booking websites offer FREE cancellation on flight tickets within 24 hours of booking. Book a flight ticket from any of these booking websites right before heading to the airport. Take a print of the booking or simply show it on your phone. After you arrive in your destination country and pass through the immigration, you can simply cancel the booking to get a full refund. This is the best and foolproof way to get proof of your onward travel.
Below are some of the booking websites that offer FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking.
- Expedia | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Orbitz | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Travelocity | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Priceline | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
RELATED: How to book flight tickets with 24-hour FREE cancellation on Expedia – A step-by-step guide
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02. Book a flight ticket with 24-hour FREE cancellation from airline websites
A few airlines also offer FREE cancellation on flight tickets within 24 hours of booking. You can book a flight ticket on these airline websites just before heading to the airport. If asked to show a return ticket by the airline or immigration, just show your booking on your phone. Cancel the booking once you arrive and complete the immigration.
Below are some of the airline websites that offer FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking.
- United Airlines | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Delta Airways | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- KLM | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Alaska Airlines | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- British Airways | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Ana Airlines Japan | FREE cancellation applicable on the US site only
- WestJet | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- AeroMexico | FREE cancellation within 24 hours of booking
- Alitalia | FREE cancellation applicable on the US site only, 1 week prior to departure
- KoreanAir | FREE cancellation applicable only at least 1 week prior to departure
- Hawaiian Airlines | FREE cancellation applicable only at least 1 week prior to departure
- Finnair | FREE cancellation applicable on the US site only, 1 week prior to departure
- Caribbean Airlines | FREE cancellation applicable only at least 1 week prior to departure
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03. Rent an onward flight ticket from online travel agents
The above two options require you to pay for the flight ticket upfront. Though you will get a full refund, you have to pay for the ticket first from your own pocket.
If you are strapped for cash or you don’t want to pay the full price of the ticket upfront, you can use an online travel agent. These online travel agents will pay for the ticket on your behalf and get you a flight ticket. They will cancel the ticket within 24/48 hours on your behalf. But, they will charge a fee for this service.
Below are some of the online travel agents and their fee.
- 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
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04. Book a cheap throwaway flight ticket from budget airlines
If there are any budget airlines that fly out of the country, you may be able to get a throwaway ticket at an extremely cheap price. A ticket for about $15-$30 is not a big deal. You would spend that much even if you use an online travel agent.
A few budget airlines that offer extremely cheap tickets.
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05. Get a fake airline ticket
This is an extremely risky option. So, use this option only at your own risk.
There are a few online fake airline ticket generators. These tools generate a fake flight ticket that looks like an actual booking. These bookings are not real and cannot be verified.
Below are some of the fake airline ticket generators
- FakeFlightTickets | Price $5 USD | Downloadable fake airline ticket *
- KeyFlight | Free service | Downloadable fake airline ticket *
* IMPORTANT
The use of fake airline tickets is illegal and against the law. If caught, you may be fined, prosecuted or jailed. So please use fake tickets at your own risk.
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There you have it. 5 ways to get proof of onward travel for your next trip. If you are not sure how long you will stay in a country or where you will be heading next, these 5 options will help you get a return or onward ticket without much hassle.
Have you ever been asked to show proof of onward travel? Let me know your experience in the comments below.
WRITTEN BY THIRUMAL MOTATI
Thirumal Motati is a world traveler and digital nomad from India. He is on a mission to travel to every country in the world on his Indian passport. He believes that his weak passport cannot stop him from traveling the world. Through this blog, he inspires many to take up the life of travel despite their weak passports. His guidance has helped many secure their visas and fulfill their travel dreams.
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