Hello,

I'm helping my girlfriend to apply for her Shengen visa to Switzerland.

Can someone please give me step-by-step instructions as to how to arrange the flight booking / confirmation without actually buying the ticket?

Is it simply a matter of walking into a travel agent and paying for them to print something out? If so I would be grateful if you could recommend some travel agents in and around the Sukhumvit area (I'm in Phra Khanong).

Can I do this myself from the airline websites?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Some embassy want you book flight and insurance before you can apply schengen visa!

Simply call an airliner of your choice, most have the option of a reservation/option that will automatically expire after a while (2-3 weeks?). Might be free or at a small fee.

Never buy (pay) the ticket, just a reservation is enough for all Schengen embassies!

Edit: here is what we did: my girl rang the China Airlines BKK office, told them she needed a reservation for a flight with travel date X and Y (we looked up the dates on thr airliners website) and they e-mailed het a booking reservation which would automatically expire after about 3-4 weeks or so. The price was the same as those listed on the website so there were ni additional costs or disadadvatages. We got the visa and booked the ticket. Simple as that.

As for travelinsurance most (certainly the EU based ones) will return the fee if the visa is not granted. I would pick a company operating in your country, or you could pick a Thai company from the embassies list of accepted Thai insurance companies.

Some embassy want you book flight and insurance before you can apply schengen visa!

Nobody can expect you book a flight without a visa. When I applied for a visa for my wife (through Germany), no confirmed flight was required. The travel insurance can be obtained before and will be refunded completely when the visa is denied. Just go back to the insurance and present the denial letter to get your money back. As said, a confirmed flight is not required

Fatfather

Fatfather, assuming you are an EEA national, most of the requirements, including flight reservations, do not apply to your wife.

The OP is asking about his girlfriend. Girlfriends do not qualify as family members and so she has to comply with all the requirements; including flight reservations.

Got it done at the travel agent on the top floor of Big C Onnut.

"Flight booking confirmation for visa" 300 Baht.

Easy peasy.

ps - they also sell travel insurance there (which we didn't buy).