Importance Of Flight Itinerary In Visa Process

It is important to know the importance of flight itineraries in the visa process. When you are applying for a visa, embassies and consulates ask for a number of documents. You must submit it in order that your application can be processed. Some of these documents are not only confusing but also where you are expected to source for them. Among these is the flight itinerary document. This is a document that you must submit and it carries a lot of importance in the visa application process. This must be submitted whether traveling to Schengen countries, EU countries, the USA, or any other country for that matter.

There are other important documents that you also need to obtain and submit. These include hotel bookings for visa documents, a no objection letter document, and a covering letter document among others. But for the purposes of this discussion, we are going to show you the importance of flight itineraries in the visa application.

Other Names for the Flight Itinerary in Visa Process

Other names can be used to mean the same thing and refer to the same document as the flight itinerary. This depends on the language used in different embassies and consulates. You should not be afraid or confused when your embassy asks for the same document using different wording. These names may include the following;

• Air Ticket Booking
• Confirmed Flight Tickets
• Confirmed/Booked Flight Itinerary
• Detailed Flight Reservation
• Dummy Air Ticket for Visa
• Dummy Ticket
• Flight Booking
• Flight Confirmation
• Flight Reservation
• Flight Tickets
• Proof of Onward Travel
• Round Trip Flight Tickets
• Ticket Booking

Flight Itinerary Defined

But what exactly is this document and why is it important in the visa application process? A flight itinerary is simply a detailed plan of your air travel. Outlines travel from the country of your origin to the country or your destination. Your destination is the country for which you are seeking a visa. It also outlines your travel back to your original country of departure. It also forms part of your entire travel itinerary. This is in addition to all other modes of travel you will engage in, in the course of your travel. The flight itinerary must contain the following;

• Airport codes (IATA)
• Booking ID (valid flight reservation number)
• Connecting flights details (if you are intending to travel to more than one country using the same issued visa)
• Departure and arrival dates
• Price of the actual ticket (how much you will pay after you confirm the flight)
• Your flight name (the name of your airline/airlines issuing the ticket)
• Your name (which must be the name used on your travel and visa documents)

The applicant does not usually need to pay for the flight itinerary air ticket. This is because most of the embassies around the world do not require the applicants to buy the actual flight ticket. However, the applicant will need to pay just a little processing fee to the travel document provider. This is the agency that will help in making the flight reservation and availing the document. Schengen Flight Reservation Visa gives a worthy discount on a package that includes the flight itinerary and hotel bookings for a visa. This is another required document for the visa application process.

Once you have received your visa, you may decide to confirm the reservation made or cancel it altogether. You can buy a new ticket for your travel needs and the validity of the visa issued. However, you should check well because some embassies may require you to buy a round-trip flight ticket. But what are the various types of flight itineraries available for visa applicants to explore?

Different Types of Flight Itineraries

Depending on the requirements of different embassies and consulates, Schengen visa applicants (and other visa applicants) may be requested to submit different types of flight itineraries. It is therefore expedient to know the different flight itineraries that you may be asked to submit in the process of your visa application. These include the following;

• One-way itinerary. This is an air travel plan that involves traveling from one city to another and does not involve going back to the original city. For example direct flight from Paris to Amsterdam.
• Round-trip itinerary. This is an air travel plan that involves traveling from one city to another and then back to the original city. For example, taking a flight from Paris to Amsterdam and back to Paris directly.
• Multiple-city itinerary. This is a flight plan that involves traveling to more than two cities (within the same or different countries). For example, taking a flight from Paris to Amsterdam, then from Amsterdam to London, and then to Paris.
• Multiple-airlines itinerary. This is a flight plan that involves travel using different airlines on the same journey. For example, Paris to London using Air France and London to Paris using British Airways.
• Group travel itinerary. This is a flight plan that involves travel for more than one person.

These types of flight itineraries are acceptable in the visa process depending on the applicant’s needs and situations. However, the one-way itinerary may not be acceptable (or may work against the applicant) for a Schengen visa that expects the holder to get back to the country of origin.

What is the Importance of a Flight Itinerary in the Visa Process?

Schengen visa embassies and consulates ask for a compulsory flight reservation document when making a visa application. It is used to confirm that the applicant is actually intending to travel to the places on the dates stated. The document is also used to show that the applicant is actually intending to make the journey back. Provide proof of intention to get back on the dates as stated on the application form (where applicable).

For example, if you have claimed in your visa application form that you are intending to come back on a certain date, but you have provided a one-way flight itinerary, then your visa application is likely to be declined because of the inconsistency of intentions.

The flight itinerary is also used to show the embassy your commitment to the travel. It serves to show the importance that you have attached to your travel plans. Sometimes some applicants are not committed to their travel plans. They end up not using the visa even after it has been issued.

For security reasons and follow-up purposes, there may be a need for information concerning your probable whereabouts. This is either in your country of origin or the country of your destination. Sometimes the international authorities may need to keep in touch to make sure everything is okay in case of an eventuality.

Importance of Flight Itinerary in Visa Process for the Applicant

A flight itinerary is an important document for applicants in the visa application process. This is because it makes them avoid making unnecessary and expensive mistakes. Some applicants have made these mistakes and have regretted them later. Buying an actual air ticket for visa application purposes has led to huge losses for some visa applicants. Making an application for a visa does not mean a guarantee of being issued one. Some of the importance attached to a flight itinerary as opposed to the actual flight ticket include the following;

• Flight tickets have huge costs and fixed dates. This means that you will need to travel on the actual dates whether or not your travel visa is issued on time, delayed, or denied.
• Some airlines do not allow claiming any part of the money you spent on the ticket. This means that you will end up losing a lot of money if your visa is delayed or denied. Some airlines have punitive measures to discourage ticket cancellations. It is therefore good to have one booked for visa purposes.
• Airlines do not accept visa delays or denials as proper grounds for ticket cancellation. Other means of transportation may also not recognize this as a reason. This means that you may end up losing a lot of your money. You may also need to buy the tickets again or never use them at all. This is depending on the outcome of your visa application exercise.
• Sometimes there may be a genuine case for a particular country to delay its issuance of visas. This may happen even to applicants that would otherwise be an obvious “given case”. For example in the wake of a terrorist threat. If what you wanted was a transit visa through such a country, then the suffering and loss would be immense.

Flight itinerary is therefore important to both the embassies and the applicants in the process of visa application. To avoid all these inconveniences, it is always wise to have your flight itinerary sorted out by an agency. The Schengen Flight Reservation Visa provides help to get flight itinerary documents.

With assistance, you can change your travel dates, your travel airline, and even some of your travel destinations. This is depending on the outcome of your visa application. If the visa application does not favor your intentions, you can cancel the flight reservations altogether. If it goes according to your expectations, you are happy to confirm your flight reservations.