If anyone wants to take the chance and turn up at the airport without a ticket, potentially be denied boarding, and have to pay for another flight thats their choice.

My mobile phone can book a flight and receive an e-ticket in 10 minutes.

No risk of being denied, no need to book a ticket you don't want, just in case.

Some of us live in the modern world.

Where can I get a phone that "can book a flight" for me?

Can your technologically advanced phone book a flight even if the battery is dead?

Do you understand the word "potentially"?

I carry two phones and a charger pack, they aren't 'dead' for the first 24hrs of travelling, and most airports and planes have free charging points. My last flight from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok had USB and mains sockets in the chairs.

LHR, Abu Dhabu, Bangkok and Chiang mai waiting rooms all had USB and mains charging points around. My National Express coach in the UK had mains and USB charge ports in the chairs.

You're living in the stone age!

I carry two phones and a charger pack, they aren't 'dead' for the first 24hrs of travelling, and most airports and planes have free charging points. My last flight from Abu Dhabi to Bangkok had USB and mains sockets in the chairs.

LHR, Abu Dhabu, Bangkok and Chiang mai waiting rooms all had USB and mains charging points around. My National Express coach in the UK had mains and USB charge ports in the chairs.

You're living in the stone age!

Let's hope you don't lose/forget the cables, lose or have your phones stolen, the internet connection isn't down, the websites your phone uses aren't down, your email provider isn't down, the banking system isn't down, you aren't held up in traffic and have time to make the booking before the gates close.

Back to the point. All I've said is that an onward ticket is needed under the regulations and that one can be denied boarding without one. Just because you were allowed to board doesn't change those facts and people shouldn't rely on the same treatment. The potential for being denied boarding exists regardless of your cunning back up plan.

@Miss Andry: I have lived in the ME for 9 years and never heard of a 'visit visa' for AUH in UAE. UK passport holders get an entry stamp, exempt for 30 days. This is NOT a visa! So unless you're American or some other nationality, you might require a transit visa but by the sounds of your journey, you were on a stopover for which you don't need a "visa" if you're British! A transit visa does NOT allow you to leave the airport...! Technical, I know. It's irksome to all of us.