Sample flight itinerary: an annotated example, field by field

Here’s a sample flight itinerary for a return trip from Lahore to London with a connection in Dubai, laid out the way most airline confirmations present it, and annotated line by line. Codes that only exist on real bookings are shown as placeholders.

This is an explanation of a format, not a usable document. If you want to lay out your own trip, the itinerary builder produces a printable, clearly watermarked sample.

The example

PASSENGER          SURNAME / GIVENNAME MS
BOOKING REFERENCE  XXXXXX                 ← six characters on a real booking
TICKET NUMBER      XXX-XXXXXXXXXX         ← 13 digits, only once ticketed
STATUS             CONFIRMED / TICKETED

OUTBOUND  Tue 3 Mar
  XX 101   LHE Lahore (Allama Iqbal Intl)   04:35   →  DXB Dubai (Intl) T3   06:45
           Economy · Class Y · 1 checked bag · Operated by: the airline flying it
           Connection in Dubai: 2h 45m
  XX 102   DXB Dubai (Intl) T3              09:30   →  LHR London Heathrow T3  13:15
           Economy · Class Y · 1 checked bag

RETURN    Sun 15 Mar
  XX 103   LHR London Heathrow T3           14:30   →  DXB Dubai (Intl) T3   01:25 +1
  XX 104   DXB Dubai (Intl) T3              04:10   →  LHE Lahore (Allama Iqbal Intl) 08:15

XX stands in for the airline’s two-character code, and the flight numbers and times are illustrative: they show the format, not a schedule. Real numbers and times come from the airline.

What each field means

Passenger name

Usually printed surname first, then given names and a title, in capitals. It must match your passport. Small differences that don’t matter on a planning document can matter a lot on a ticket.

Booking reference

Also called the PNR or record locator: a code, usually six letters and numbers, that identifies the booking in the reservation system. You use it with your surname to manage the booking or check in. If you booked through an agent, you may see two references, one from the agent’s system and one from the airline. Our guide to PNRs and booking references explains the difference.

Ticket number

A 13-digit number that appears only after the ticket has been issued and paid for. The first three digits identify the airline that issued it. No ticket number usually means the booking is held but not ticketed.

Status

Tells you where the booking stands: held, confirmed, ticketed, waitlisted or cancelled. “Confirmed” seats with no ticket number are reserved but not yet paid for.

Flight lines

Each flight is one line, or “segment”:

• Flight number: the airline’s two-character code plus up to four digits (XX 101; on a real booking, for example, EK for Emirates or PK for PIA).
• Airports: three-letter IATA codes, often with the city, airport name and terminal. The airport code finder decodes any you don’t recognise.
• Times: always local time at each airport. That’s why the return leg above departs at 14:30 in London and arrives at 01:25 in Dubai.
• +1: the flight arrives the next calendar day, local time.

Cabin, booking class and baggage

The cabin is where you sit (economy, business). The single letter is the booking class, used for pricing and rules; it isn’t your seat. Baggage is often shown as a number of pieces or a weight.

Operated by

If a different airline actually flies the aircraft, it’s named here. You check in with the operating airline.

Connection time

The gap between landing and the next departure at the same airport. Some itineraries show it; if not, work it out from the local times.

What a sample can and can’t show

A planning sample can show everything in the flight lines: route, dates, intended times and airlines. It can’t honestly show a booking reference, ticket number or ticketed status, because those only exist when an airline creates them. That’s why the Your Flight Help builder leaves them out entirely and stamps every page SAMPLE · NOT VALID FOR TRAVEL.

For a plain-English definition of the whole document, and how to read one you’ve been sent, see what a flight itinerary is.

Questions people ask

Is there a standard flight itinerary format?

No single format is mandatory. Airlines, agents and booking sites each lay it out their own way, but the core fields (name, reference, flights, times, status) are almost always there.

Why do some itineraries show times in 24-hour format?

To avoid AM/PM confusion across time zones. 01:25 is 1:25 a.m.

Can I use a sample itinerary as a template for my own?

Yes, for planning and for describing your trip. Just don’t add a booking reference or ticket number you don’t have.