Flight ticket with 100% free cancellation

[Maestro]

2 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

We will see next week when I buy one. 

 

Thank you for going to test this yourself.

 

Be aware, though, that there are some sites that offer fake bookings and if they are honest they say so on the site, eg 

https://keyflight.io/fake

 

May I suggest, therefore, that you use the site mentioned in this topic, onwardticket.com, for your test and have your friends in the airline industry run it through the motions that check-in staff use.

 

Somebody mentioned PNR (Passenger Name Record) but looking at my wife's recent flight tickets they show no PNR. Someone mentioned that the passenger's surname and the 8-digit alphanumeric booking reference is typed into a form on a webpage that lets anyone, not just check-in staff, verify any ticket of any IATA airline and any passenger. I once had the URL but forgot it. amadeus.com or something like that, or perhaps that one is outdated and something new is used now? Then, of course, the ticket can also be looked up on the site of the airline that issued it, but the passenger's own login is probably required for that.

[bamnutsak]

3 hours ago, Maestro said:

Somebody mentioned PNR (Passenger Name Record) but looking at my wife's recent flight tickets they show no PNR. Someone mentioned that the passenger's surname and the 8-digit alphanumeric booking reference

 

I use PNR, Record Locator, Booking Reference Number, Reservation Code interchangeably, perhaps I'm lazy, inconsistent and/or misinformed.

 

https://www.altexsoft.com/blog/pnr-explained/

 

To me it is a six character identifier (along with the passenger's name) that can represent everything from a booking to a ticketed reservation.

 

A valid booking from a travel agent or onwardticket has a valid Record Locator, which will be legal and acceptable to check-in agents, who might be prompted by Timatic or internal systems, for proof of onward travel.

 

 

 

 

 

[Caldera]

9 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

Are the "Onward Ticket" s real? To mean are they on PNR a begged or borrowed from somewhere that will actually be used by some person? Some tickets that allow a name change incur a fee. 

 

I think they are 100 percent SCAM and the listing does not exist even if it is in your name. Just a bit of cut and paste in Acrobat?

 

Have you even ever met anyone who lent their ticket to these sites? I think not.

You're ranting a lot without actually having any knowledge of the subject, based on the above.

 

Those "onward tickets" come with a PNR in the buyer's name that can be looked up.

[zzzzz]

18 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

I have never understood the criminal mind.

Why not simply follow the rules?

why ?? cause many travel to Thailand and want to travel Overland to another country and /or have no idea where they are headed after thailand>>>

Airlines Make the  rule to cover their back in case the traveler is refused entry and the airline is responsible for their return.

Many fully refundable tickets do not refund the cc charge!!

[Captain Monday]

On 8/30/2023 at 8:44 AM, Captain Monday said:

We will see next week when I buy one. 

So, I bought on onward ticket from *one of these sites* this month

Conclusion , it is not as fake as I thought they were. I requested a ticket back to Singapore. The site provided me with a ticket from BKK-SIN on SQ for the date I requested.

 

One letter in my last name was wrong.

 

I did not have to *Phone the  friend* at SQ to check it I could look it up myself on the SQ site.

It indicated it is a reservation that has not been paid for yet. The so-called listing without a booking 

 

 

I entered Thailand  Sept 10 on a one-way ticket

Nobody from the airline looked at my passport I checked in on line

Used mobile boarding pass, no checked baggage

 

Passport was never checked for visa, never asked for onward ticket.

Only at the final moment of boarding to check the facial photograph/data page.

 

IO stamped me in as normal, no questions, no smile either. I choose a senior bloke if possible.

[Pattaya57]

^ yes, my friends and I have regularly flown one way ticket on Singapore or Thai Airways since 2015 and have never had a problem.

 

Like above post, my check-in last month I got my boarding cards and baggage tag from a self serve machine and dropped my bag at an automated conveyor belt. Only showed my passport pic at gate.

 

All the advocates of buying the cheap onward ticket claim it's because the airline will ask you for it. What do they say now if you don't even speak to airline check-in staff anymore?

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by Pattaya57

[DrJack54]

10 hours ago, Pattaya57 said:

All the advocates of buying the cheap onward ticket claim it's because the airline will ask you for it. What do they say now if you don't even speak to airline check-in staff anymore?

You are so naive.

The requirement for onward flight entering Thailand visa exempt very much depends on the carrier and the route.

Just one example.... if in Vietnam and want to fly to Thailand without a visa or reentry permit and they use low cost airlines such as NokAir, AirAsia, etc ...

100% they will need to show onward flight. 

BTW many airports require to obtain boarding pass at airline desk..

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by DrJack54

[Pattaya57]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

You are so naive.

The requirement for onward flight entering Thailand visa exempt very much depends on the carrier and the route.

Just one example.... if in Vietnam and want to fly to Thailand without a visa or reentry permit and they use low cost airlines such as NokAir, AirAsia, etc ...

100% they will need to show onward flight. 

BTW many airports require to obtain boarding pass at airline desk..

 

So none of what you say aligns with new technology of not speaking to a check-in person. And you call me naive?

[edwardandtubs]

At Heathrow flying Thai Airways to Bangkok without a visa it was self-check-in at a machine but then you have to drop off your bags with a staffed conveyor belt. She did ask me about the one-way ticket but wasn't that interested and didn't ask to see onward travel.

Edited September 23, 2023 by edwardandtubs

[DrJack54]

14 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

So none of what you say aligns with new technology of not speaking to a check-in person. And you call me naive?

Geez...

I gave specific example re flight from eg Saigon to Bangkok.

You 100% need to obtain boarding pass at airline desk.

Usually opens 2 hour prior to flight.

100% they will ask for onward flight using the airlines I referred to earlier. 

Your problem is you post only personal experience.

Think you QLD...have you ever flown visa exempt to Thailand using eg Jetstar.

Yes or No. Without onward flight. 

Edited September 23, 2023 by DrJack54

[Chivas]

On 8/30/2023 at 8:57 AM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Ive been coming here since 2008 yearly for 6 months a pop

 

ALWAYS one way   and NO visa  i get 30 days exempt

 

NEVER have they asked to see a return tix..even when i bought a fake one..

 

just MY exps with it....yes MY exps..b4 u come at me

So to be clear (and erring on the side of caution) you have checked in with ground handling on at least 15 occasions with no visa and on a one way ticket and absolutely no one has batted an eyelid...

 

They happily sent you on your way with them knowing that previously the airline was on offer for a potential $2000 "immigration decline" fine and currently that having been increased to $10,000.....

 

Just want to check on my facts before the next line....

 

Boll****

[Pattaya57]

2 hours ago, Chivas said:

So to be clear (and erring on the side of caution) you have checked in with ground handling on at least 15 occasions with no visa and on a one way ticket and absolutely no one has batted an eyelid...

 

They happily sent you on your way with them knowing that previously the airline was on offer for a potential $2000 "immigration decline" fine and currently that having been increased to $10,000.....

 

Just want to check on my facts before the next line....

 

Boll****

Same with me, coming to thailand since 2008 on one way tickets with visa exempt, never had a problem, not BS just because you beieve the must have onward flight scaremongers on this forum

[Chivas]

52 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

Same with me, coming to thailand since 2008 on one way tickets with visa exempt, never had a problem, not BS just because you beieve the must have onward flight scaremongers on this forum

lol fella I dont "believe" BS about onward flight scaremongering

I like 90% on here know only too well that you simply "can" be offloaded at check in on a one way ticket and no visa

All staff from airline ground handling know it only too well

Thats the rules not scare mongering fella. Now thats not to say you didnt get away with it (without an onward ticket) but absolutely by the book you're offloaded....Period until you sort the issue

 

I simply do not accept that the other fella got away with it 15 times. He didnt.....and nor have you either

 

Out....

 

(Edited to add who the hell is stupid enough to even take a chance on it in the first place  with the maximum airline fine now up to $10,000 and watching like a hawk !!)

Edited September 24, 2023 by Chivas

[Pattaya57]

3 minutes ago, Chivas said:

lol fella I dont "believe" BS about onward flight scaremongering

I like 90% on here know only too well that you simply "can" be offloaded at check in on a one way ticket and no visa

All staff from airline ground handling know it only too well

Thats the rules not scare mongering fella. Now thats not to say you didnt get away with it (without an onward ticket) but absolutely by the book you're offloaded....Period until you sort the issue

 

I simply do not accept that the other fella got away with it 15 times. He didnt.....and nor have you either

 

Out....

What part of never had a problem with one way ticket on visa exempt for 15 years do you not understand "fella"

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Pattaya57 said:

What part of never had a problem with one way ticket on visa exempt for 15 years do you not understand "fella"

Bang on.

It depends on the route and airline.

You fly from Brisbane to Bangkok and don't think you have mentioned airline.

My guess not Jetstar. 

 

As for my post earlier I suggested just try a flight visa exempt from eg Saigon to Bangkok without onward flight using low cost airlines eg AirAsia etc.

You won't be given a boarding pass. 

[daveAustin]

On 8/30/2023 at 2:57 PM, Sticky Rice Balls said:

Ive been coming here since 2008 yearly for 6 months a pop

 

ALWAYS one way   and NO visa  i get 30 days exempt

 

NEVER have they asked to see a return tix..even when i bought a fake one..

 

just MY exps with it....yes MY exps..b4 u come at me

But it does happen, my friend. Got pulled up on it years ago, before the buying-tickets-online days so would've been screwed or shafted on buying a ticket on the spot. Eventually let me board as I said I was married and would get a visa here. They do still ask at random if you don't have a visa.

Someone recommended buying a ticket and getting a full refund. Ok, fare () enough, but for just a few bucks, the throwaway ones are so quick and easy. Valid PNR is generated so the airline at check-in cannot deny boarding. Despite typing tat on here, I personally do not have the time or inclination to buy a real ticket and fart around having monies refunded.

Edited September 25, 2023 by daveAustin

[persimmon]

One thing that bothers me about the E-Visa is having to buy the tickets before applying for the Visa - what happens if there`s a delay or some other problem and you don`t get the visa in time ? - It could mean £ 1000 + down the drain . So I`m wondering about using something like onwardflight instead . Possible ?

[Harry Om]

I have used the following method multiple times. This is for a 24 hour travel window to show at the airport/on arrival , not if you are applying in advance for a visa.

 

The U.S. have a law that certain tickets must offer full refund if canceled within 24 hours, so you must use a website from the US.

 

I use https://www.expedia.com/ which is the US website.

(make sure it's not expedia.com.au, or expedia.co.uk etc)

 

Look for a ticket from Bangkok to KL with either Thai or Malaysian airlines, generally around $100. These two always seem to have the 24 hour cancellation option. Once you have selected the ticket MAKE SURE it says you can cancel it for free refund (it tells you this as you go through the buying process). Cheaper airlines eg Airasia this option is not available.

 

Buy the ticket before you go to the airport. Then you have a legit fully paid ticket. Arrive in Thailand, cancel the ticket, the full refund of the exact price I paid is always in my bank account within 48 hours. Canceling is very easy, expedia has that option listed on your ticket itinerary.

 

Just make sure you can do it all within a 24 hour period (from initial buying to cancel) and this works fine, with zero cost.

[Phillip9]

7 hours ago, Harry Om said:

I have used the following method multiple times. This is for a 24 hour travel window to show at the airport/on arrival , not if you are applying in advance for a visa.

 

The U.S. have a law that certain tickets must offer full refund if canceled within 24 hours, so you must use a website from the US.

 

I use https://www.expedia.com/ which is the US website.

(make sure it's not expedia.com.au, or expedia.co.uk etc)

 

 

This is certainly an effective strategy that I have also used many times.   The major downside is that you have to remember to refund the ticket within 24 hours.  After a long flight when I was very tired, I almost forgot to refund the ticket one time, and so I stopped using this strategy. 

 

Now I prefer to just buy a fully refundable ticket directly from Malaysian Airlines website which costs a bit more, but can be refunded until the departure date I choose.  Refunds through Malaysian Airlines directly are just as easy as Expedia and take about three clicks and ten seconds.

[edwardandtubs]

7 hours ago, Harry Om said:

I have used the following method multiple times. This is for a 24 hour travel window to show at the airport/on arrival , not if you are applying in advance for a visa.

 

The U.S. have a law that certain tickets must offer full refund if canceled within 24 hours, so you must use a website from the US.

 

I use https://www.expedia.com/ which is the US website.

(make sure it's not expedia.com.au, or expedia.co.uk etc)

 

Look for a ticket from Bangkok to KL with either Thai or Malaysian airlines, generally around $100. These two always seem to have the 24 hour cancellation option. Once you have selected the ticket MAKE SURE it says you can cancel it for free refund (it tells you this as you go through the buying process). Cheaper airlines eg Airasia this option is not available.

 

Buy the ticket before you go to the airport. Then you have a legit fully paid ticket. Arrive in Thailand, cancel the ticket, the full refund of the exact price I paid is always in my bank account within 48 hours. Canceling is very easy, expedia has that option listed on your ticket itinerary.

 

Just make sure you can do it all within a 24 hour period (from initial buying to cancel) and this works fine, with zero cost.

I don't see any direct flights from Bangkok to KL that have no cancellation fees on expedia.com. I see one from Phuket to KL with Malaysia Airlines which is "

Refundable

Less any non-refundable fees"

so that's a bit of a risk.

[edwardandtubs]

13 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

I don't see any direct flights from Bangkok to KL that have no cancellation fees on expedia.com. I see one from Phuket to KL with Malaysia Airlines which is "

Refundable

Less any non-refundable fees"

so that's a bit of a risk.

Oh I see there are tickets from Bangkok that give you 24 hours free cancellation if you click through even if cancellation fees apply to the ticket.

Edited September 28, 2023 by edwardandtubs

[edwardandtubs]

5 minutes ago, edwardandtubs said:

Oh I see there are tickets from Bangkok that give you 24 hours free cancellation if you click through even if cancellation fees apply to the ticket.

However the small print states: "We understand that sometimes plans change. We do not charge a cancel or change fee. When the airline charges such fees in accordance with its own policies, the cost will be passed on to you." So it the ticket itself has cancellation fees you'll still end up paying.

[Phillip9]

2 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

However the small print states: "We understand that sometimes plans change. We do not charge a cancel or change fee. When the airline charges such fees in accordance with its own policies, the cost will be passed on to you." So it the ticket itself has cancellation fees you'll still end up paying.

That small print only applies after the 24hr free cancellation window.

 

As long as you pick a ticket on Expedia that is clearly marked as refundable for 24Hr, its is easy to cancel within 24 hr of purchase and get a full refund with no fees at all.  I've done it dozens of times.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zzzzz]

NOTE:
fully refundable tickets- credit card charge :-)

[Phillip9]

1 hour ago, zzzzz said:

NOTE:
fully refundable tickets- credit card charge ????

I've booked and refunded fully refundable tickets on at least 5 different airlines, and I have never lost a single Baht to a credit card charge or fee.  

 

Do you have any example of an Airline that charges and won't refund some credit card fee for a ticket they say is fully refundable? 

 

[edwardandtubs]

8 hours ago, Phillip9 said:

I've booked and refunded fully refundable tickets on at least 5 different airlines, and I have never lost a single Baht to a credit card charge or fee.  

 

Do you have any example of an Airline that charges and won't refund some credit card fee for a ticket they say is fully refundable? 

 

Never lost a single baht? Are you paying in baht and if so how do you avoid the usual foreign currency loading fee of 2.75%? Or is your bank account USD?

 

I appreciate you sharing this and it looks like a good option but for me I would lose with both the initial charge and the refund so would end up paying about 5% on a $120 ticket. That's good at less than 200 baht and less than the cost of these dodgy onward flight websites.

[Phillip9]

4 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Never lost a single baht? Are you paying in baht and if so how do you avoid the usual foreign currency loading fee of 2.75%? Or is your bank account USD?

Sorry, I quoted baht here just because it is a Thailand forum.  My account is in USD.  

 

I double checked my recent purchase and refund of my ticket on Malaysian Airlines.  The fare was charged in USD, and refunded down to the exact penny in USD within a few days of when I requested the refund.  I think there was an option to choose your currency somewhere in the process of purchasing the ticket, but I can't remember for sure.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by Phillip9

[Harry Om]

7 hours ago, edwardandtubs said:

Never lost a single baht? Are you paying in baht and if so how do you avoid the usual foreign currency loading fee of 2.75%? Or is your bank account USD?

 

I appreciate you sharing this and it looks like a good option but for me I would lose with both the initial charge and the refund so would end up paying about 5% on a $120 ticket. That's good at less than 200 baht and less than the cost of these dodgy onward flight websites.

I've done this multiple times with expedia. I have an Australian bank account and if the ticket costs $120.34 I get refunded exactly $120.34. I have never been charged any extra/hidden fee.

It is listed as an "expired pending amount".

However, I can't promise what your bank will do.

[Phillip9]

5 minutes ago, Harry Om said:

I've done this multiple times with expedia. I have an Australian bank account and if the ticket costs $120.34 I get refunded exactly $120.34. I have never been charged any extra/hidden fee.

It is listed as an "expired pending amount".

However, I can't promise what your bank will do.

I have the same experience with tickets refunded within 24 hr on Expedia.  It looks like they are reversing the original transaction and the exact amount is refunded with no extra fees.

 

Fyi, Priceline.com is another good website to use for that strategy.  Priceline gives you a minimum of 24hr to refund a ticket, but usually longer, and can be as much as 72hr depending on when you book.  The exact time you have is very clearly displayed when you search for flights.

[edwardandtubs]

3 hours ago, Harry Om said:

I've done this multiple times with expedia. I have an Australian bank account and if the ticket costs $120.34 I get refunded exactly $120.34. I have never been charged any extra/hidden fee.

It is listed as an "expired pending amount".

However, I can't promise what your bank will do.

Your $ sign means USD or AUD? Clearly if a currency conversion takes place by your bank then it will charge whatever fee it usually charges regardless of the policies of Expedia. It would be different if as @Phillip9 suggests you can pay in different currencies.