Guides
Guides for planning air travel, without the jargon
What each travel document proves, how codes and connections work, and where to check the rules that matter. Written to be read before you book.
Dummy Tickets & Flight Documents
Samples, reservations, e-tickets, booking references and what each one proves.
- The 13-digit e-ticket number: where to find it and how it’s builtWhat an e-ticket number is, where it appears on your confirmation, what the 13 digits mean, and how it differs from your six-character booking reference.
- Booked, held or ticketed? Flight reservations vs airline ticketsThe difference between a flight reservation and an airline ticket, how a booking moves from held to ticketed, and how to tell which one you have.
- PNR and booking reference: what those six characters meanWhat a PNR or booking reference is, what the six characters identify, how it differs from a 13-digit ticket number, and where to find yours on a confirmation.
- Dummy tickets explained: meaning, uses and limitationsWhat a dummy ticket is, the three different things people mean by the term, where a sample itinerary helps, and when you need a real reservation instead.
Visa Travel Planning
What consulates usually ask to see about your flights, and where to check.
- Dummy ticket for a visa application: what to know before you applyWhether a dummy ticket belongs in a visa application, what consulates actually ask for, and the honest alternatives when a checklist mentions flights.
- Dummy ticket for a Schengen visa: a practical guideWhat Schengen consulates expect to see about your flights, how the Visa Code treats travel plans, and how to present a multi-country route honestly.
- Flight itinerary for a visa application: what consulates usually ask forWhat a flight itinerary for a visa application should contain, how it differs from a reservation, and how to keep dates, route and documents consistent.
- Flight reservations for visas: holds, refundable fares and verifiable bookingsHow to get a real, verifiable flight reservation for a visa application without buying a ticket you might not use: fare holds, refundable fares, agents.
- Proof of onward travel: what airlines and border officers may ask forWhat proof of onward travel is, why airlines check it at check-in, what usually counts as evidence, and how to prepare when your plans are still open.
Flight Itineraries
Reading, checking and planning the document that ties a trip together.
- What a flight itinerary is and how to read oneWhat a flight itinerary is, how it differs from a ticket and a boarding pass, and a step-by-step way to read one so you catch date and connection problems early.
- Flight times across time zones: UTC, local time and next-day arrivalsWhy flight times are always local, how to work out real flight duration and arrival dates across time zones, and how clock changes and the date line catch travellers out.
- Planning a flight itinerary, step by stepA practical order for planning flights: fix the route and dates, choose airports, check connections and time zones, then confirm documents before you book anything.
- Sample flight itinerary: an annotated example, field by fieldA sample flight itinerary explained field by field: route, dates, local times, airline, booking reference and ticket number, and what each one tells you.
Airports
IATA and ICAO codes, multi-airport cities and airport data.
Airlines
Carrier codes, flight numbers, codeshares and alliances.
Routes & Distance
Great-circle distance, flight time and why routes curve.
In preparation
Trip Planning
One-way, return, open-jaw and multi-city trips.
In preparation
Connections & Layovers
Minimum connection times, self-transfers and sensible buffers.
In preparation
Aviation Terminology
The vocabulary on tickets, boards and booking screens.
In preparation