The Validity of Flight Reservations
What is a flight reservation?
A reservation we provide will be a temporary hold on a flight and not an actual ticket that can be used for travel. Most embassies recommend only reserving flights and not buying final tickets for visa processing. These reservations provide visa issuing agencies with the applicants' intended dates of travel.
How do I verify if a flight reservation is real?
A genuine flight reservation should come with a reservation code (or PNR) that can be used to verify the booking through the airline's website, usually under a "Manage Bookings" tab, or by calling them. Some airlines only allow you to view reservations made directly through their websites. Our reservations are made by registered travel agents using GDS systems, and so such reservations may have to be looked up through other platforms, such as Travelport Viewtrip.
Why do flight reservations not have a confirmed expiration date?
Airlines may choose to release a reservation at any time without giving prior notice to the customer or travel agency. Some reservations may hold only for a few hours while others can last for a few days.
Since flight reservations are not paid for, airlines may give preference to paid air tickets over them. Reservations for popular routes or busy travel seasons are less likely to hold for too long. Similarly, reservations for a flight that leaves in a couple of days may last for as little as a few hours.
Let's take an example. You are going to a large conference in Las Vegas or an expo in Milan, and require a flight reservation for your visa application. Flights to and from these destinations around the event dates will be extremely popular. As a result, airlines may let go of your unpaid reservation in favor of a paid ticket.
Can you give me a rough estimate?
At Booking For Visa, we refrain from making claims on behalf of airlines. Since we have seen reservations sometimes being released within a few hours and getting canceled without prior notice, we cannot promise our customers a date. No person or business providing such services should make any claims on behalf of an airline. The best we can offer is to create a new reservation free of charge should the previous one expire.
When should I order my flight reservation?
A reservation should be made as close as possible to your visa interview or application submission, not more than a day before. However, we understand that you may want to complete your visa applications as soon as possible. This is exactly why we provide you with the option to choose a later delivery date at no extra charge. You can find that option on our order form when you place an order with us.
We will create a fresh reservation for you on a date of your choosing. Creating a reservation just before your visa application submission gives it a better chance at holding longer, although we cannot guarantee that.
Remember, there is no set expiration date for a temporary flight reservation, and no one should guarantee one.