Schengen visa - book flight but don't pay

[Mr David]

Hi

 

Getting Thai wife visa to holiday in Greece. All embassy's seem to give the same advice regarding flights and showing a booking. 'Book flight but don't pay for it yet'

 

Can someone please explain to me how you do this? Travel agents are telling me here in the UK that bookings will only be held for 24hrs and then cancelled unless paid for. I've called two different embassy's which offer no help at all. A 24hr booking is not much use as it would be done the day before the application goes in and expire before they process it.

 

Any ideas? Don't really want to book and pay for a flight for it to be refused.

[davidge]

I guess one way would be to book a refundable flight.

The fare would be higher, but you'd get your money back.

 

Trailfinders used to allow you to pay a deposit then pay the balance closer to departure. Don't know if they still do? It would only help if the flight was a few months away in any case.

[fugazi]

Are you allowed to travel to Schengen countries on a UK visa?

[Yahooka]

I`ve been applying for Schengen visa twice for my GF and the way I do it with the airplane tickets is that I fill it out with all the details for the visitor.When I come to methods of payment,tick  "Contact at Thai Ticket office within 72 hours"  like in the picture below and then print out the ticket (this is with Thai Airways).Good luck.

[Dalef65]

I always thought embassy advice was don't book a flight until the visa is issued...?

[rog555]

I always thought embassy advice was don't book a flight until the visa is issued...?

But you need to show the ticket to get the Schengen visa.

 

And to show a detailed list of what hotels you will staying in with your girls name on the hotel booking !

 

The whole process seems designed to discourage an EU member from taking his thai GF for a 2 week holiday in Europe.

 

You have to take the major risk of booking flights and hotels before you know if you have the visa. And your GF has to apply in person at a BKK based embassy. And maybe be called for interview on another day.

 

You have to be keen to go through their process. In terms of tourist revenue it is stupid of the EU.

 

Have I understood the process correctly ? I emailed the visa processing outsourced company and clarified it a month ago.

[Mr David]

Are you allowed to travel to Schengen countries on a UK visa?

No you are not. My wife is in Thailand and applying for a EU Schengen visa at the Greek Embassy to travel to Greece.

[Mr David]

I always thought embassy advice was don't book a flight until the visa is issued...?

That's correct for UK visa applications. For Shengen visa all the embassy's I've contacted say book/reserve ticket but don't pay until you get the visa (you need to show a booked ticket with your application). The Greek embassy in BKK also told me this but when I asked how to book a ticket without paying they shrugged their shoulders.

[Lloydies]

I always thought embassy advice was don't book a flight until the visa is issued...?

So did I

[davidge]

That's correct for UK visa applications. For Shengen visa all the embassy's I've contacted say book/reserve ticket but don't pay until you get the visa (you need to show a booked ticket with your application). The Greek embassy in BKK also told me this but when I asked how to book a ticket without paying they shrugged their shoulders.

Had a look at the Emirates website and you could book a fully refundable flight BKK-ATH-BKK.

You'll have to part with the cash (about 57000 baht!) but you can cancel and get it all back.

If you get the visa, still cancel and you can then get 2 tickets for about the same total price.

[stunner]

Dont contact an travel agency but just contact the airline directly asked them to make the booking.

Dependending on the airline or fare they can hold a booking for a week or so.

 

ASK them to send the Reservation to your email address and thats it.

When you have got the VISA you will obviously make a real booking.

[Lloydies]

Etihad payment options, you can book and select to pay at a bank later

 

http://www.etihad.com/en/plan-and-book/book-flights/payment-options/

[Mr David]

Thanks all, just spoke to a very helpful lady at Emirates UK. She has given me a booking reference and told me the booking lasts for 72 hours but to call back and get it extended when it's close to the deadline.

 

Wife is applying for visa on Wednesday so have left it a little late.

 

The can hold flights for longer but it all depends how much time there is before you fly. I've left it late so the max is 72 hours. Emirates also offer a hold that flight option on its full desktop website but it does not show if the time limit is less than X amount of days.

[T-T-T]

Hi

 

Getting Thai wife visa to holiday in Greece. All embassy's seem to give the same advice regarding flights and showing a booking. 'Book flight but don't pay for it yet'

 

Can someone please explain to me how you do this? Travel agents are telling me here in the UK that bookings will only be held for 24hrs and then cancelled unless paid for. I've called two different embassy's which offer no help at all. A 24hr booking is not much use as it would be done the day before the application goes in and expire before they process it.

 

Any ideas? Don't really want to book and pay for a flight for it to be refused.

 

Turkey is an alternative Thai's dont need visa... not sure how safe it is though at moment.. there again not sure how safe greece is with all the Migrants heading for there

[Mr David]

Update: Well I got two bookings done the day before she went in two apply by phoning up Emirates. Don't know if the Embassy checked the flights or not but she got her visa and picked up her passport a week later.

[60minuteman]

fact is, you dont need a ticket or any proof of a ticket - at the end of the day if she is issued with a visa you will obviously buy one anyway, or what was the point in the first place. When she arrives at immigration THEN they will be interested in her return travel plans

[Mr David]

fact is, you dont need a ticket or any proof of a ticket - at the end of the day if she is issued with a visa you will obviously buy one anyway, or what was the point in the first place. When she arrives at immigration THEN they will be interested in her return travel plans

Wrong. For Shengen visa it clearly states and they do ask for it that you can show intended travel with a booked ticket.

 

http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-application-requirements/

[ricktoronto]

Hi

 

Getting Thai wife visa to holiday in Greece. All embassy's seem to give the same advice regarding flights and showing a booking. 'Book flight but don't pay for it yet'

 

Can someone please explain to me how you do this? Travel agents are telling me here in the UK that bookings will only be held for 24hrs and then cancelled unless paid for. I've called two different embassy's which offer no help at all. A 24hr booking is not much use as it would be done the day before the application goes in and expire before they process it.

 

Any ideas? Don't really want to book and pay for a flight for it to be refused.

 

A travel agent can see how a fare is structured.

 

There's a few factors on fares. Advance purchase days (prior to travel), maximum days at the destination, and when you have to pay for the ticket.

 

The less you spend the more you will find the first and last to be farther away from the departure date.

 

My tickets have to be paid for 3 days before departure A deep discount fare has to be paid for from 24-72 hours after it's booked.  I can book a fare 330 days before departure and pay 3 days before I leave, or change my mind and not pay and it expires. And if I choose not to go, I get a refund.

 

But that ticket might cost $8,000 US. Your might cost $500 US. You get what you pay for.