Learn how to reserve a flight reservation for Schengen visa application without paying for an actual flight ticket. And also where to get flight itinerary for visa application.
One of the most common questions I get asked by people wanting to travel outside is how to book refundable flight tickets for visa or where to get a flight itinerary for visa application, so I decided to create this comprehensive guide to answer this question as well as other questions such as what is a flight itinerary? How do I know if it is a genuine itinerary? I also share with you the different alternatives available to you.
I define what a flight itinerary or a flight reservation is and how to book a valid flight reservation without paying flight ticket.
The visa application process can be really confusing and tiresome. There are lots of documents you must produce as well as many other requirements, depending on what country you’re traveling to.
While different embassies, whether those issuing a Schengen visa, or a UK visa, Canadian visa, US visa, name it, have different requirements, one of the standard documents almost all of them usually ask for is a flight itinerary for visa application or an actual return flight ticket.
Those that don’t ask for the Air or Flight Ticket during the application process sometimes insist that you bring the actual round trip ticket during the visa collection.
Essentially, the embassies ask for a flight reservation for visa application in order to ascertain that you’ve put enough thought and preparation into your upcoming trip. Especially in terms of places to tour and the inherent costs. The flight itinerary is also used by visa officers to corroborate the claims you have made on your visa application.
So for example, if you are asking for a 2 week Schengen visa via the Embassy of France, your arrival and departure dates on the flight itinerary need to show proof of onward travel. That is, that you will leave the Schengen territory at the end of the 2 weeks. Either to head back home. Or, to another onward destination that you have legal authority to visit.
What's Covered in This Article
What is a Flight Itinerary?
A flight itinerary is essentially a document which outlines traveler’s personal information and additional flight information such as flight name, routes (including stopovers if any), departure and arrival dates and time, flight code, departure and arrival airport (with their IATA codes(Ex: NBO, KIS, MBA), ticket price, flight reservation or booking number.
Some of the terms that the various embassies and consulates will use include:
- Air Ticket Booking
- Air-booking, return
- Booked Flight Itinerary
- Confirmed flight tickets
- Confirmed flight itinerary
- Dummy Ticket
- Dummy Air Ticket for Visa
- Flight Reservation
- Flight Booking
- Flight Itinerary for Visa Application
- Flight Confirmation
- Flight itinerary
- Flight Itinerary for Visa Application
- Flight tickets
- Proof of onward travel
- Preliminary ticket booking
- Round trip flight tickets
- Travel itinerary
- Tentative flight booking
How do I tell if an Itinerary is genuine?
A genuine itinerary has a unique reservation or booking ID, which, together with your surname, you or the embassy, can use to verify the information on the respective airline’s website.
Can I Make a Flight Reservation without Paying for the Ticket?
Yes, you can make a flight reservation without paying for an actual flight ticket. I show you how in a bit.
In fact, most embassies categorically tell visa applicants not to purchase a confirmed ticket until they have their visa approved and issued.
They suggest that you instead hold a flight reservation. That is, attach confirmed hotel and flight bookings for the visa application. Embassies discourage going for a fully paid flight ticket before your visa is approved to avoid issues of sunk costs in case your visa is denied. Or the visa approval process takes longer than anticipated and the visa is approved beyond your purchased ticket dates.
Here’s quotes from some of the embassies’ official websites:
Preliminary ticket booking or travel itinerary (it is not necessary to buy a flight ticket at this stage) – Delegation of the European Union to Kenya
Preliminary airline ticket booking and travel itinerary (at this stage it is not necessary to buy an airline ticket) – Embassy of Spain in Nairobi
Flight booking. However, kindly note that paying the flight at this stage is not recommended. Tentative flight booking is enough – Embassy of Finland, Nairobi
Copy of your confirmed flight reservation – Belgian Embassy in Nairobi
Copy of the roundtrip airline reservation with Passenger Registration Number (or reservation number) and travel itinerary. The reservation should prove that the stay in the Schengen area does not exceed 90 days. It is recommended not to buy the ticket until the visa is granted. – Dutch Embassy in Kenya
Where to get Flight Itinerary for Visa application
Now on to the most frequently asked question: where to get flight itinerary for visa application!
With careful planning, you can get a flight itinerary reservation to show immigration visa officials for a visa without having to pay for the flight.
There are generally two ways you can go about doing this:
- hold a reservation using a local travel agent
- Hold a reservation without using a travel agent.
Directly contact airlines to get a flight itinerary
Validity period for these flight itineraries is usually 7 days max. This time may not be sufficient to process the visa. Unless for instance you’re applying for your Schengen visa via Embassy of France.
-
Use a Local Travel Agent to get flight reservation service for visa application
By contacting a travel agent here, you can get them to hold a flight reservation for anywhere between 7 – 21 days. They usually charge a small fee, significantly less than what it costs to buy a refundable ticket or to cancel a flight reservation.
Please check with the agent how long the reservation will be valid for.
This is to ensure that the “hold” doesn’t lapse before you complete the visa application process.
Hold a reservation without using a travel agent
-
Purchasing a refundable ticket
This may appear as the best option for your flight itinerary as it technically is a purchased ticket. No one can question its genuineness.
But there’s a catch. Some airlines offer refundable tickets at a significantly higher price than a non-refundable one. Check this Etihad Airlines London to Nairobi flight for example:
Those that don’t charge to refund have a lot of restrictions around the free refunds.
With British Airway for instance, you can cancel your flight booking and claim a full refund without any charges, up to 24 hours from when you make the original booking. Refunds under these circumstances can only be requested by calling their contact centers.
-
Use an Online Visa Flight Itinerary Ticket Reservation Service
You will find quite a number of online travel agents that provide flight itinerary for visa application as a service.
I personally have never used any of them. However, if you scout the web, you will find quite a number. Just be careful whichever you choose to go with. Some may issue you a fake flight reservation resulting in your visa being denied.
Fortunately you can easily check that a fight confirmation is genuine by entering the unique reservation code and your surname on the airline’s website.
-
Free ticket hold by airlines
This is whereby you reserve your ticket online then the airline holds your ticket for you free of charge. Once you finish the booking process, your flight details are sent to you by e-mail. This is what you print and attach to your visa.
For flights departing from Kenya, you can check Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air France, etc.
List of Airlines departing from Kenya you can book without paying:
- Air France | up to 48 hours.
- Ethiopian Airlines | up to 24 hours to pay in person at the Ethiopian Airlines Nairobi office
- Turkish Airlines | up to 72 hours.
The main challenge with these options is timing.
-
Hold your flight for a fee
This is whereby the airline allows you to hold your flights and the price for some days. Different airlines have different regulations.
British Airways
British Airways flights originating from Nairobi let you hold flights for 72 hours for just $10 per person (excluding infants). After paying the fee to hold your booking, you will be sent an email confirming that your booking is held, with a link to your booking.
Look out for the following information at the bottom of the price page once you’ve made your flight selection:
The $10 per person is refundable if you complete the booking within 72 hours
Your flights won’t sell out and the price won’t go up while you make your decision.
If the taxes, fees and charges go down, the total price you pay will go down too. If they go up while your booking is on hold, British Airways will cover the cost.
Travel Tip: this free hold option is only available for flights departing within 21 days. Another reason to start your visa application process way in advance to have this as an option.
-
Use online aggregation booking sites to hold a ticket for free
An example aggregation site you can use to hold a flight ticket without paying for it is Yatra.
Even though it’s an India based booking site, Yatra allows you to book flights originating from Nairobi Kenya.
On average, the airlines allow you to hold the ticket free for 72 hours. This would work mostly for a Schengen visa from French embassy as they have a relatively shorter turnaround time.
Are you on Pinterest? Save it for Later!
Photo by Dominik Scythe on Unsplash
