Hello! Today I’ll tell you how to book a plane ticket without paying. When might this be needed?

— For example, to obtain a visa. In the list of documents for Schengen countries there is an item: air tickets. When we applied for a visa to China in Hanoi, we also booked air tickets without payment.

Enter the place of departure and destination. Just for example, we are flying from our native Omsk to Bangkok, there on February 28, back on March 14. Click "Find".

2. A list of all available options is shown. Don't look at the price, you won't have to pay anything anyway. It is important to choose a reputable airline; they usually give you the opportunity to defer payment for a certain period of time. It could be Emirates, Etihad, Korean Air, or you can google the airline you need.

3. We select the desired flight and then go to the ordering page. You must enter your email, first name, last name, date of birth, document number, citizenship and passport expiration date. Leave your phone number below and put a little cap in the “I agree” column.

4. It is suggested to take out insurance, it is not needed, uncheck the box and click “Place an order”.

5 . Ready! We now have a six-digit reservation code (PNR) at our disposal. In total, we have a little more than 3 days. There is no need to pay anything!

6. We go to the website and enter the six-digit PNR code and last name into the fields. As you can see, the reservation has been confirmed, which is written in green.

7 . Click on the “Print” button, and a page will appear on which the inscription “Confirmed” proudly displays. Feel free to print it out and take it to the consulate if required.

8 . In addition, a reminder is also sent by email. It is indicated that the airline may unilaterally shorten the payment period for the order. Therefore, I recommend making an unpaid air ticket reservation as early as possible, and not on the eve of going to the consulate, for example.

The reservation will then be canceled automatically, or you can cancel it manually. Thus, you don’t even show your bank card details, while you still have an unpaid reservation in your hands - beauty!

A little more about how this whole system works. The fact is that all bookings go through global distribution systems. The main ones are Amadeus, Galileo, Saber. All airline cashiers must know them like the back of their hand. The Agent.ru website works through Amadeus.

— used to check reservations in the Amadeus system.
— to check reservations in the Galileo system.
— to check reservations in the Saber system.

What to do if the reservation does not go through?

• If your reservation is not detected through checkmytrip, then try to find your reservation through the other two sites.
• It happens that the system is simply stupid or has crashed, in which case you will have to repeat everything again.
• I read that some people receive a 5-digit code, not a 6-digit code. In this case, it is recommended to go to the website of the airline whose tickets you booked and check your reservation there.
• Ours was simply canceled the next day, although it was indicated, as in the example, about 3 days. Try again, or choose a different airline when booking.

This method, together with an unpaid hotel reservation from booking, worked quite well for us in (Vietnam) - they gave us a visa, though only for two weeks, although the reservations were for a month. This once again suggests that no one can give a 100% guarantee of success. After all, ultimately the visa is issued by the consul, and this is a living person.

For Schengen, you need to keep your reservation for at least 7 days, so it is more likely that when checked at the consulate, your tickets will be lost in the reservation systems.

Good luck with your visits to consulates and memorable travels, friends!

Purchasing air tickets online usually involves paying for your reservation at the time of order. This option is perfect for travelers who are firmly confident in the possibility of making a trip. But what if it is impossible to predict the exact date and time of the flight? We will tell you how to book plane tickets without paying online using ticket services and airline websites.

In what cases may it be necessary to book tickets without payment?

Most often, booking air tickets online without payment is required when submitting documents to Visa Center. Most countries that are members of the Schengen Agreement make the presentation of air tickets one of the mandatory conditions for obtaining a visa. At the same time, the consulates reserve the right to refuse a Russian citizen a visa even if all documents are filled out correctly and provided in full.

The reasons for refusal may be different, but in any case the applicant risks losing a lot of money spent on purchasing air tickets. Thus, booking plane tickets without payment is a fairly reliable insurance in case of an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a visa.

Practice shows that consulates never contact airlines to confirm bookings. Therefore, you just need to present printouts of air tickets issued for the required dates. Some applicants successfully obtain visas even using old printouts with edited dates. Of course, we do not advise you to do this: falsifying documents is a crime. It is much wiser to book tickets without payment using special services or airline websites.

In addition, ordering tickets without payment can be useful if you do not have a bank card with a sufficient amount in your account.

Can I book and print air tickets online without paying on the airline's website?

The problem is that most airlines do not allow you to book a ticket without making a payment. For example, it is impossible to book air tickets online without paying for an Aeroflot flight using the carrier’s official website: you simply will not receive the coveted printout.

The list of airlines that provide the opportunity to purchase tickets without payment is quite modest:

• German Lufthansa can hold your reservation for up to 2 days.
• The American company United Airlines provides deferred payment for up to 7 days.
• The airline with the self-explanatory name Korean Air is particularly generous: you can defer payment for your order for 10 days.
• Air France and some other European companies offer a paid deferred payment service for up to two days.

Despite the fact that the option of booking a ticket through an airline seems to be the most logical and safe, it imposes certain restrictions.

The main disadvantage is that the resulting printout will contain an indication that the ticket has been booked, but not paid for. For some consulates, this note will be another reason to doubt the applicant’s intentions. This problem can be solved using special systems that search for tickets in airline databases.

How to get a paper printout of a ticket ordered on the airline's website

The list of services that allow you to print a paper version of your travel document has remained unchanged for several years:

In order to receive a paper printout, you must enter the passenger's last name and the 6-digit number sent by the airline when issuing the ticket on one of these sites. The sites work with different databases, one of which will definitely contain information about your booking.

What else do you need to know about booking tickets through airline websites?

Deferred payment in many airlines is a paid service, the cost of which can reach several tens of euros. For example, Air France offers a “Thinking Time” service for up to 15 euros. In other cases, you will still be allowed to reserve a ticket for a while, but if you refuse or pay late, a fine may be charged to your card.

Thus, booking tickets without making payment through airline websites usually leads to additional financial costs. Travelers booking tickets for a visa should carefully study the airline's rules so as not to encounter unexpected costs.

How to book air tickets online on aggregator sites without paying

Another way to book air tickets is to use ticket aggregators. Is it possible to book a plane ticket without paying through one of these services? Just as in the case of airline websites, not every aggregator provides registration services travel documents without payment.

However, there are at least two proven options, one of which is especially convenient for Russian-speaking users. In the event that the desired airline does not allow you to print a ticket without paying the full amount of the order, the method using aggregators remains the only booking option.

Book tickets on agent.ru

Among Russian residents, the most popular service for booking tickets without payment is agent.ru. This site is not just an aggregator, but a full-fledged booking system that allows you to issue tickets without visiting airline websites.

Agent.ru provides the opportunity to defer payment for tickets for flights of a fairly large number of air carriers. As a rule, the payment period ranges from 12 to 72 hours, but in the case of individual companies it can be up to 10 days.

Let's figure out how to book air tickets online without paying through Agent.ru.

In order to book plane tickets without paying, you need to register on the agent.ru website and follow a few simple steps:

Step 1. Select the desired destination and departure date, as well as the number of passengers.

Step 2. In the window with a list of options, select the carrier that provides the most long term reservations. Unfortunately, agent.ru does not display this information, so you can only rely on the company name.

The carriers offering the longest bookings are:

• Emirates;
• Korean Air;
• Hong Kong Airlines;
• Air Europa (S.A.U.);
• United Airlines.

Step 3. Enter real information about each passenger and your E-mail - it may come in handy if you forget your order number. If you are offered insurance, refuse this service.

Step 4. On the payment page, copy the 6-digit reservation code. After this, you can close the site without making payment.

Step 5. Visit checkmytrip.com. Enter the code and last name of the customer. Print out the received ticket form.

The agent.ru website will automatically cancel the reservation after the period specified in the letter that will be sent to your E-mail when making an order. There are no penalties for canceling an order without payment. However, if you wish, you can pay for the tickets after receiving your visa if the reservation is still valid.

It should be noted that tariffs for issuing and returning tickets through agent.ru may differ significantly from the offers of air carriers, both up and down.

Booking a ticket through the website gomosafer.com

The English-language resource gomosafer.com also allows you to book tickets without paying. The process of making an order is almost identical to the agent.ru website: you need to register on the site, fill out information about the departure date and passengers and, having received the booking code, use the search on one of the four sites listed just above: checkmytrip, viewtrip, virtuallythere or myairlines. The result will be a printout of the ticket with the status “Confirmed”.

Since the functionality of the gomosafer website is similar to the Agent.ru service, and the database with carrier offers is not adapted for Russia, we recommend using it only in cases of extreme necessity, when other options do not give the desired result.

What else you need to know about booking tickets for a visa

The practice of obtaining visas for our compatriots shows that concerns about the timing of booking air tickets are unfounded. It is enough to present a printout of your confirmed reservation status to the visa center to successfully go through the bureaucratic visa approval process. Just like with a hotel reservation, which can be canceled without any financial loss, having an airline ticket is a mere formality.

Consular employees do not check the relevance of the reservation in the database, so a printout made through the checkmytrip website or similar services will be sufficient grounds for obtaining a visa.

Conclusion

In this review, we tried to describe in detail how to book air tickets online without making payment using various methods. The choice of a specific option depends on your future plans.

In the event that the desired airline provides a deferred payment that covers the visa processing time, or you simply want to buy a ticket, but do not have a bank card with a sufficient amount at hand, we recommend using the airlines’ websites. In this case you will get the maximum profitable terms purchase and return of tickets. However, it is worth remembering possible penalties in case of refusal to pay.

If you need tickets solely to obtain a visa, and you plan to place the order later, we recommend using aggregator websites: the ordering process in this case will take a minimum of time.

You should contact ticket offices or sales agencies only as a last resort, since buying a plane ticket via the Internet yourself is much more convenient and profitable.

The secret is that ticket offices are ordinary intermediaries. These companies obtain information about flights and prices from the Internet, but charge a commission for a couple of minutes of attention spent on the buyer. Anyone can find great option, if you spend a little time studying flights and prices, they are easy to find and compare using aggregator search engines.

Those who do this for the first time have many questions: what is an air ticket reservation for and how to book an air ticket correctly, is it possible to buy cheap tickets via the Internet using a reservation, how to receive and where can you pick up an order, how to register e-ticket— we’ll try to answer everything at once.

How to book a plane ticket online

There are two ways: buy it directly on the airline’s website, or use the services of a booking site, for example Avia.tutu, OneTwoTrip, Ozon.Travel, AnywayAnyday, Sindbad.

Buying directly will not always be cheaper: online ticket offices often offer a more profitable option.

Take note: both booking sites and cash desks, where the buyer must appear in person, are intermediaries. However, purchasing an electronic ticket on the website is much more profitable. At a regular ticket office, the future passenger always pays a commission.

A Visa or MasterCard bank card is best for payment. You can pay with them on the website of any company. Many accept Mir and Maestro cards, Yandex.Money and Qiwi.Wallet electronic wallets for payment.

You can often use the WebMoney electronic wallet. Payment by bank transfer is available, but this is not the best option: The bank takes a commission.

How to buy air tickets online - detailed instructions

Let's look at each step in detail.

Where to begin

So, let's figure out how to buy cheap plane tickets online.

The first step to purchasing an inexpensive ticket for a convenient flight is to type four words in the search bar: “buy a plane ticket.”

The search engine will return many results.

First of all, you need to pay attention to aggregator search engines, for example: Yandex.Air tickets, Momondo, Skyscanner, Aviasales.

What are the benefits of search engines?

1. They have obvious advantages: Great time saver: they immediately show the most profitable offer
2. . There are a great variety of airlines and ticket booking sites. An unprepared person will need a fair amount of time to figure out the issue without the help of a search engine.
3. They offer all flights from point A to point B. By visiting the website of at least one search engine, you can find out which carriers’ planes fly to the desired city/airport.
4. Using the above search engines, you don’t have to be afraid of falling into the trap of a fraudulent site.
5. Shows prices of all airlines and booking sites selling tickets for a specific date to a specific city/airport.

The lowest price is shown first and highlighted in bright font. Sometimes the cheapest option is offered by the airline itself.

Example of booking and paying for a ticket Here is one of the search options cheap ticket

1. from the capital of Russia to the Northern capital:
2. The search engine aggregator Yandex.Air tickets received a request for the route Moscow - St. Petersburg on 03/01/2018.
3. The lowest price at the time of search was offered by the air carrier itself.

Note: This is where the search engine's mission ends. You can purchase a ticket on the booking website or directly from the airline. Just click on the “buy” or “book” button, and Yandex.Air tickets will redirect you to the Aeroflot website.

Checking route data

To issue and buy air tickets online, you need to enter all the data correctly. How to do it?

In the window that opens, the flight parameters are visible:

• departure/arrival airports;
• departure/arrival time (local is always indicated);
• travel time;
• aircraft model (this is approximate information, the airline may put another aircraft on the flight);
• transfers (or direct flight);
• tariff (in the above example: economy budget);
• baggage limit (in this case 23 kg);
• ticket price.

If you are satisfied with all the flight parameters, you can go to the booking page and enter passenger information.

It is worth noting: Many companies and booking sites automatically add some surcharges to the indicated cost: for example, baggage insurance. If you do not carefully read the booking form and do not disable unnecessary services, you will have to pay an inflated amount.

Passenger details and booking

How to enter your data:

1. Aeroflot obliges to enter the passenger's first and last name in Latin letters, even for citizens of the Russian Federation on domestic flights. You must indicate your citizenship and passport number, date of birth and gender. Many foreign carriers do not require such detailed information: on their websites it is enough to indicate the passenger’s first name, last name and passport number.
2. You can order special services: for example, a wheelchair.
3. Then you need to enter your contact information: phone number and email.
4. Next step: you need to familiarize yourself with the rules of booking and payment air transport, baggage transportation. Without confirmation of agreement with these rules, it is impossible to book a ticket.
5. After correctly filling out the booking form, the payment page will load.

How to pay for an air ticket online

You need to buy a ticket within a certain period; with Aeroflot it lasts 30 minutes. If the money is not transferred, the reservation is cancelled.

The form of payment is more or less the same on all booking sites: you need to enter the name of the card holder, its number and expiration date.

If the banking transaction is successful (usually there are no problems), the buyer is sent an email confirming payment and an electronic ticket. After you have purchased an Aeroflot plane ticket via the Internet, you can print it on a printer directly from the website or from a file attached to the letter.

Many airlines offer to choose a seat online immediately after payment. And for some, this is only possible during check-in for the flight, which begins on the website 24 hours before departure.

Please note: Now it is not necessary to have a printout of the ticket with you, since all the passenger data is already in the airport check-in system. But it’s not difficult to print out a sheet or two, just in case.

Rules for purchasing air tickets online

So, in order not to fall for the bait of fraudulent sites, choose the most advantageous offers and not get confused, follow these recommendations:

1. It is advisable to view offers in different search engines. They wouldn't exist if it weren't for the constant price fluctuations. This is especially true for foreign airlines and long, expensive flights. In the latter case, the exchange rate will also play a role.
2. It is better for an inexperienced person not to buy a ticket at the first reasonable price that comes along. You need to observe the change in value for some time: of course, if possible.
3. It’s a good idea to subscribe to the mailing list of offers from your favorite airline if your expected travel time is not limited to specific dates. Many of them regularly hold sales at reasonable prices.
4. There is no need to purchase a separate ticket for each passenger. You can enter the details of several people (up to four) on the booking form.
5. You can get a refund for a ticket only if it was purchased at a refundable rate.

How to save money when purchasing - some secrets

The solution to the savings issue can be implemented as follows:

1. You can purchase a ticket at a favorable price no later than two months before departure.
2. You need to choose the “right” departure time. The most low prices on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. The low tourist season also significantly reduces the cost. Night flights are always cheaper.
3. Now that you know how to buy a plane ticket online, remember that the most favorable prices at low-cost airlines. There is only one such company in Russia - Pobeda. Famous foreign ones: Ryanair, AirAsia. But a truly symbolic amount can only be spent if you purchase a ticket 3-4 months before departure. You need to constantly monitor the offers of these companies.

Now you know how to book a plane ticket online. Doing this is no more difficult than buying something in an online store. A little attention, a calm attitude towards continuous price fluctuations, the presence of a sufficient amount for bank card- and the desired ticket at an affordable price will definitely be purchased.

Watch the video that explains in detail how to buy a plane ticket online:

When a flight to another city or country is just around the corner, a lot of pleasant and exciting worries arise. This includes packing your suitcase and planning your time in a new place. However, many are also concerned about how the flight itself will go. Some people prefer to sleep the entire flight, while others prefer to look out the window. But in order to travel, you need to know how to book a seat on the plane in order to be sure that you will be able to fly exactly where you want.

Why do this?

Previously, before the active development of electronic technologies, passengers always had to be content with the seat on the plane that was offered during check-in for the flight at the airport itself. And it was a lottery - a place could be given either at the back, at the beginning of the plane, at the window or at the aisle. Now, fortunately, you can choose a seat yourself, just by using online check-in for your flight.

You can choose a place only from those that are still free. If you take advantage of the opportunity to choose a seat in advance, as soon as registration opens, you will be able to choose the seat that you like best, taking into account your wishes and preferences.

There are special terminals that allow you to print an electronic ticket. In those airports where such equipment is not installed, you will have to print your ticket at the check-in counter. As a rule, the online check-in procedure begins about a day before the plane departs - this time is enough to reserve a cozy and comfortable seat. Online check-in is completed approximately 45-60 minutes before departure.

This method of registration has many advantages:

• the ability to check in for a flight from anywhere, where there is access to;
• The registration period is long and lasts a day - during this time you can choose your place;
• there is a chance to have time to book a seat near the window or at the edge of the row, that is, in a way that is convenient for the person;
• At some airports it is possible to print boarding passes yourself;
• You can arrive at the airport not three hours before departure, but only at the end of check-in for the flight.

The innovation is also not without its drawbacks. So, sometimes two people can book the same place at the same time using the Internet. In this case, the place will go to the one who completes the entire registration process faster. Also, if a person wants to fly near an escape hatch, they will have to book a seat only at the airport.

Main stages of the procedure

To register for a flight via the Internet, you only need to have a device with Internet access, as well as the electronic ticket itself, purchased for the plane. It is called, as you might guess, e-ticket. It contains a certain code with which you can check in for the selected flight. This ticket can be in either paper or electronic format. But still, before boarding, it is better to print it out so that you can demonstrate it at the airport.

The whole procedure is quite simple if you imagine it in general terms. You need to go to the website of the airline whose flight you will be flying on. Next, enter the same ticket booking number in a special field. After which the traveler will see full map cabin of the aircraft, where he can choose any seat convenient for him.

On a note! Most passengers find the most comfortable seats near the windows or after the business class seats. Some people like to fly with their legs stretched out and prefer to be located close to emergency exits - there is clearly more free space there.

In general, a prospective passenger purchasing a ticket online typically goes through three steps before boarding a flight. First, he makes a ticket reservation. That is, on the company’s website, he selects the most suitable route and flight date and, by clicking the “Buy ticket” button, enters all his passport data. Reservations close approximately 6 hours before departure. By the way, if a person books several seats (for example, for his family, if he is not flying alone), this is not a problem - he can do everything on his own without the participation of other people. The main thing is to have data about them on hand. This is the full name and surname, passport details and date of birth.

Ticket reservations can be made both on airline websites and on services that accumulate data on ticket availability. This could be the portal AviaTutu.ru, Yandex.Air tickets, etc.

On a note! On airline websites there are distinctions between passengers by age. Thus, people over the age of 24 are classified as adults, those who are 12-24 years old are considered youth. Passengers 2-12 years old are minors.

After booking, you must pay for the tickets. To do this, you need to use the instructions provided on the airline’s website. Typically, payment can be made immediately using applications such as Mobile Banking or services such as WebMoney. As a rule, payment must be made within 24 hours. The most important thing is to double-check all the specified data before paying. It is most likely impossible to return or exchange a budget ticket.

Attention! If a person is flying with an animal, it is important to call the airline and find out if it is possible to transport a four-legged friend on this flight. This must be done before paying for the ticket.

After paying for the ticket, you will be able to check in for the flight and select a seat immediately before departure. You need to select it on the same airline website, in the registration section. There you need to click the “Register” button and go through the entire procedure step by step. The boarding pass is printed at the airport. If the passenger does not have luggage, then he can immediately go to boarding. If you have bags that need to be checked in as luggage, you will have to check them in according to all the rules first.

Selecting a location

In fact, you can choose a seat during check-in in the traditional way, at the airport. You just need to arrive at the airport at the very beginning of check-in and go to the boarding pass counter as early as possible. Then there is a chance to agree with the employees to arrange the most convenient place. Less often, but still, the receptionists themselves can ask where it would be more convenient for the passenger to sit. But due to the fact that many people are now registering online, the number of places to choose from is significantly reduced at this point.

On a note! If a person is flying alone, then choosing a seat will be easier. If a family or a group of friends is flying, then choose the most comfortable places it gets more difficult. It’s better to hurry with your choice, otherwise all the convenient places will be taken away.

During the standard check-in procedure at the airport, it is advisable to immediately submit all passports of people flying in the same company to the registrar. In this case, it may be possible to arrange nearby places. If you take turns, it may turn out that the seats closest to the first passenger to check in will already be occupied and the rest will have to be seated in another part of the plane.

The advantage of registering via the Internet is not only the ability to choose a seat on one plane, but also on others if there are transfers on the route. That is, there will already be a certain place on all segments of the flight.

On a note! A number of airlines require you to pay a certain fee for the opportunity to choose a seat in the cabin. It can vary from a small amount to a fairly large amount.

Table. Features of online check-in for a number of airlines.

On a note! You can go through it not only on the airline’s website, but also in special applications that are developed by a number of companies and can be installed on your phone.

How to get a good place?

Step 1. First you need to decide on the class you want or have the opportunity to fly. So, they highlight first, business, economy and premium economy classes. They are distinguished by the presence of various amenities and bonuses. So, the most prestigious is first class. The seats are soft and spacious, and there is plenty of room to stretch your legs. The service is very high quality. But this is the most expensive option. Business class is similar to first class, but a little less luxurious. Economy is the cheapest class familiar to many. It's a bit cramped between the seats, the food is ordinary, no frills. Premium Economy seats are those that typically have extra legroom.

Step 2. Next, you need to decide on your preferences - where you want to fly (for example, in the tail or at the exit of the plane), whether you want to look out the window, whether you need frequent access to the luggage racks, etc.

Step 3. At the next stage, you need to select the airline on whose plane the flight will be made.

Step 5. After this, you need to look at the plane diagram on the website and study all the types of seats. Some seats can be spacious, some can be reclining, etc.

Step 6. It is best to choose seats near the aisle or window if we are talking about economy class. But here a lot will depend, of course, on personal preferences. You shouldn't take a seat by the window if you want to sleep the entire flight.

Step 8 After this, when online registration opens, you also need to select and reserve a seat on the website in accordance with the proposed aircraft cabin layout.

Step 9 Even with online check-in, it is still better to leave for the airport in advance. After completing all the formalities in the salon, you need to take your seat.

Video - Choosing a seat on the plane

Undoubtedly, online check-in for a seat on an airplane is very convenient. The main thing is that this service is available in a certain city. But even with regular registration there is a chance to get the coveted place. The main thing is to smile and behave politely with airport staff.