Three Names, Same Document
If you've been preparing your visa application, you've probably encountered three different terms:
- Flight itinerary
- Flight reservation
- Dummy ticket
The good news: they all refer to the same document — a PDF showing intended flight details (airline, flight number, date, route) without actual ticket purchase. The terms are used interchangeably by embassies, VFS, and applicants.
Why the Multiple Names?
Flight Itinerary
The most formal term, used by most Western embassies (UK, Canada, Australia, Schengen). It refers to the schedule details of your intended travel.
Flight Reservation
Common in airline and travel industry terminology. Technically refers to a temporary hold on a seat — but in visa context, used to mean the same document as flight itinerary.
Dummy Ticket
The colloquial term popular in Bangladesh and South Asia. Reflects that the "ticket" is for visa purposes without actual purchase.
What Embassies Actually Require
Regardless of which term they use in their checklist, embassies want a document showing:
- Passenger names matching passport
- Real airline name and flight numbers
- Specific dates and routes
- Booking reference / PNR
EchoFlights generates a document meeting all these requirements for 100 Taka — call it whatever your embassy prefers.
What About "Real" Flight Reservation Holds?
Airlines sometimes offer "hold reservations" — they temporarily reserve a seat for 24 to 72 hours. While technically a flight reservation, this is impractical for visa applications because:
- Visa processing takes 2 to 12+ weeks
- The hold expires before approval
- You'd have to keep buying and losing reservations
This is why dummy tickets from services like EchoFlights are the practical and economical choice — your document remains valid throughout processing.