Flight reservation for visa applications
The same document under its formal name — what a held airline reservation is, how long it lasts, and when you need one instead of a ticket.
"Flight reservation" is what the airline industry calls the thing most applicants know as a dummy ticket. It is the more accurate name, and it is the phrase you will see on consular checklists.
Reservation versus ticket
A reservation is a seat held in the airline's inventory under a record locator, with a time limit. A ticket is that reservation after payment and fulfilment, with a 13-digit ticket number attached. Both produce an itinerary document; only the ticket lets you fly. Consular checklists ask for the itinerary, not the ticket number.
How long a reservation holds
It varies by carrier and fare class. The realistic range is 24 hours to 14 days; we work in the 10 to 14 day band, which is why we ask when you need it rather than issuing the moment you pay. Order two or three days before your appointment and the hold will comfortably outlast the officer's review.
When you need a reservation rather than a ticket
- Before a visa decision. Buying early puts money at risk for no benefit, and consulates advise against it.
- Proof of onward travel at check-in. Airlines carry the cost when a destination refuses a passenger, so ground staff ask for onward travel on visa-free and visa-on-arrival routes. A reservation answers that.
- Passport re-issue and tatkaal applications, where imminent travel has to be evidenced.
- Invitation and sponsorship letters that need to state dates matching a real route.
What ours contains
Carrier, flight number, both airports with IATA codes, dates and local times, passenger names in airline convention, the record locator, and a status field showing the seat is held. It is generated as a standard itinerary PDF with no branding of ours on it.
Verifying it
Use the operating airline's "manage booking" page with the surname and record locator, or a GDS viewer like CheckMyTrip. Do it before your appointment. If a provider cannot give you a reference that resolves, they have sold you a picture of a ticket.
Related reading: the full dummy ticket guide, a sample itinerary, and what it costs.
Ready when you are
₹799 per traveller. Verifiable PNR. In your inbox within 20 minutes.