Frequently asked questions

Onward Bookings books real flight reservations for the flights travelers plan to take. A registered travel agency makes each one in the airline’s own system, and you get a booking reference you can look up on the airline’s website.

Because you get a real reservation on the flight you chose, in your inbox, usually within 3 minutes. The booking reference works on the airline’s website, and you pay from $14 per passenger instead of buying a full-price ticket. Support runs 24/7, so you can message us any time and we’ll reply within 24 hours.

Search your route and date, pick a flight, add the passengers and pay. We place the reservation with the airline, and you’ll usually get an email with the booking reference and a PDF you can print or keep within 3 minutes.

Yes! Many visa checklists ask for a reservation, not a paid ticket, so always check yours. Reserve the flight you plan to take and use the reservation in your application while you wait for a decision. Once your visa is approved, book your ticket with the airline.

The standard reservation is valid for 48 hours from delivery, and the exact end time is in your email and PDF. After that it’s released automatically, so there’s nothing for you to cancel. Need it to cover a later date, like a visa appointment? Schedule the delivery when you check out.

Go to the airline’s “manage booking” page (searching the airline’s name plus “manage booking” usually finds it). Enter the airline booking reference from your email or PDF and the passenger’s last name. You’ll see the flight and the passenger names for as long as the reservation is valid.

Usually within 3 minutes of paying. A confirmation email comes straight away, then a second one with the booking reference and the PDF. If you scheduled the delivery, expect it within 3 minutes of the time you chose.

An email with the airline booking reference and a PDF itinerary. The PDF lists the passenger names, flight numbers, dates, times and airports, matching what the airline has on file. Print it, or keep it with your travel documents.

Yes, you pick it yourself. Search your route and date, compare the real flights on offer by airline, times and stops, and choose the one you want, so it can match your hotel dates and travel plans. We reserve exactly that flight.

Yes! Open the sample reservation (PDF) (opens in a new tab). It’s the same layout you’ll receive, filled in with sample passenger and flight details.

No. Airlines only issue an e-ticket number when a full-price ticket is paid for. You get a confirmed reservation with an airline booking reference for the flight you plan to take.

No. It’s released automatically when its validity ends, so there’s nothing to cancel and nothing more to pay.

No, only our reservation fee, from $14 per passenger. You don’t pay the airline fare. The airline price you see next to each flight is just for reference.

No. It reserves the flight you plan to take, but to board you need a ticket bought from the airline. When you’re ready to fly, book that flight with the airline.

Whenever suits you, as long as the flight leaves at least 5 days from today. If you need the reservation to be valid later on, pay now and schedule the delivery up to 5 days ahead.

No. Once issued, a reservation can’t be extended or renewed. If you need one later, place a new order, or schedule the delivery so the validity starts when you need it.

Exactly as they appear in the passport, in Latin letters and without accents. First and last name together can be up to 40 characters, and no two passengers in the same order can have the same full name. The name on the reservation has to match your passport.

Yes, you can add 1 to 5 passengers to one order, including children and infants. Each order needs at least one adult, you can’t have more infants than adults, and everyone is booked on the same flights.

Write to us with your order code as soon as you spot it. We look at every case, but once the reservation is issued the airline usually doesn’t allow changes, and a correction means a new order. So before you pay, check each name against the passport and make sure the date is right.

Check that you’re using the airline booking reference, not our order code, and paste it rather than typing it. If the last name has several parts, try it without spaces, so “De la Cruz” becomes “Delacruz”. Some airlines don’t offer an online look-up at all. Still stuck? Send us a message and we’ll help.

Check your spam folder first. If the confirmation email is there, its link opens your order page, where the reference and the PDF also appear. Still nothing within 3 minutes of paying, or of your scheduled time? Send us a message with your order code or the email address you used.

If we can’t create your reservation, we refund you automatically, no need to ask. Once the reservation has been delivered as ordered, the order is complete and can’t be cancelled or refunded, and that includes when a visa application is refused. You haven’t bought a ticket, so there is no airline fare to lose. The full rules are in our Terms.