making Air & Hotel bookings only to cancel later - how ?

[Matt199]

Hi guys,

 

I'm going to Vietnam to do a SETV next week.

 

Which hotel booking sites & airlines can I use if I want to make a booking for the sole purpose of:

• applying for SETV in HCMC ( need air inbound + outbound & hotel) // I read that someone in the embassy was asking for a letter from the condo, so just in case I can have a hotel booking to show that I intend to be a tourist
• arriving at airport (need hotel and possibly outbound?)

 

Both reservations I would like to cancel, and not pay for them.

 

I did my previous SETV in Vientiane and Kathmandu and I did not need airline bookings, but last time coming into SVG I was asked a lot about what I do here, where is my hotel booking etc., so I want to be prepared just in case. 

 

Much thanks,

matt

Edited July 6, 2017 by Matt199

[Briggsy]

Hotel : booking.com

[Matt199]

Thanks, any idea about air ? 

 

or maybe someone can share some other tips ?

 

Cheers!

[BritTim]

On flights, consider planning ahead, and booking flights you will actually use. It tends to be cheaper that way anyway.

[BEVUP]

13 minutes ago, BritTim said:

On flights, consider planning ahead, and booking flights you will actually use. It tends to be cheaper that way anyway.

So you would only get a refund for hotel (lets say) if you applied for it a week in advance so it's not as though you could do one for the night on the day of crossing border (at airport) so what would Immi say if you cant prove you whereabouts on the first night

& as for the flight it will only be an outbound side & there are big losses on that (believe me been there) You have to weigh up the cost of a change fee & a fare fee

Edited July 6, 2017 by BEVUP

[lazygourmet]

58 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

Thanks, any idea about air ? 

 

or maybe someone can share some other tips ?

 

Cheers!

If in Phnom Penh, most of travel / visa agents will provide a confirmed air ticket with your application.

Edited July 6, 2017 by lazygourmet

[Matt199]

Then for the outbound ticket, I should just get cheapest one out of Thailand knowing that I'm not going to use it?  

and that should be a cheaper than changing the ticket potentially?

 

Once I did a fake reservation number with MS Paint when I was flying to the Philippines because they always required onward, and it worked, but I don't wanna do it again - especially with Thai immigration.

 

 

[BEVUP]

13 minutes ago, Matt199 said:

Then for the outbound ticket, I should just get cheapest one out of Thailand knowing that I'm not going to use it?  

and that should be a cheaper than changing the ticket potentially?

 

Once I did a fake reservation number with MS Paint when I was flying to the Philippines because they always required onward, and it worked, but I don't wanna do it again - especially with Thai immigration.

 

 

Yes & depending on the airlines policy you may lose the lot since it will be no doubt the most budget arse one you can get 

[mike324]

booking.com and agoda.com offers a lot of last minute (day before check-in) cancellations.

 

As for airline ticket, ask a travel agency to send you a reservation without issuing a ticket. Or you can fake one by changing dates and flight number on an existing reservation, doubt anyone would call up the airline to check. Just make sure you get your dates correct and have a reservation number to make it look legit

[Essecola]

If you buy a premium flex ticket on air asia it can have 2 date changes on it so u can use it as an onward ticket twice and either use it a 3rd time as an onward or actually fly with the ticket on the 3rd date booking. If you don't mind a ticket to KL it is about 3500 baht for such a ticket so works out to about 1170 per use - not so bad if you do end up using the 3rd booking too

Edited July 6, 2017 by Essecola

[bbi1]

6 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Hotel : booking.com

I believe Agoda is the only booking site that you have to pay in advanced. Others allow you to book and then you pay at the hotel.

[bbi1]

4 hours ago, Matt199 said:

Thanks, any idea about air ? 

 

or maybe someone can share some other tips ?

 

Cheers!

Say you don't fly commercial airlines so don't make airline bookings. You only fly your own private jet therefore you can leave anytime you please without making a booking.

[bbi1]

3 hours ago, Matt199 said:

Once I did a fake reservation number with MS Paint when I was flying to the Philippines because they always required onward, and it worked, but I don't wanna do it again - especially with Thai immigration.

Nice work. When all else fails just resort to plain old fraud.

[fdch]

1 hour ago, bbi1 said:

I believe Agoda is the only booking site that you have to pay in advanced. Others allow you to book and then you pay at the hotel.

as a guesthouse owner, i can tell u u pay penalty with all agents BUT booking.com

booking.com is a pest for all hotels and guesthouse

all cancellation are free if u give them no creditcard information

[Sapporillo]

6 hours ago, Matt199 said:

Thanks, any idea about air ? 

 

or maybe someone can share some other tips ?

 

Cheers!

There is an Internet service which provides valid air tickets for a small fee for exactly what you need it for. You get a confirmed reservation which can be checked by immigration. I think their service costs considerably less than 20$.  Here's the bad news: I've forgotten their address and can't find a bookmark  ! I haven't had time to do a Google search yet, but if this service is still in business, you should be able to find it. 

[AaronIsaan]

20 minutes ago, Sapporillo said:

There is an Internet service which provides valid air tickets for a small fee for exactly what you need it for. You get a confirmed reservation which can be checked by immigration. I think their service costs considerably less than 20$.  Here's the bad news: I've forgotten their address and can't find a bookmark  ! I haven't had time to do a Google search yet, but if this service is still in business, you should be able to find it. 

https://flyonward.com/en/

 

I think this can help.

[JackThompson]

6 hours ago, Matt199 said:

Then for the outbound ticket, I should just get cheapest one out of Thailand knowing that I'm not going to use it?  

and that should be a cheaper than changing the ticket potentially?

Where is your next visa-run planned?  Buy a ticket to there <90-days out from Visa-Run#1, so you can use the ticket-proof to get Visa#1, and use the ticket to go to get Visa#2. 

Or, yes, a cheap throwaway ticket (which is what I used when traveling to the Philippines, years ago).

[Sapporillo]

1 hour ago, AaronIsaan said:

https://flyonward.com/en/

 

I think this can help.

Thanks, that's the one (unless there's more than one). 

[bbi1]

10 hours ago, Sapporillo said:

There is an Internet service which provides valid air tickets for a small fee for exactly what you need it for. You get a confirmed reservation which can be checked by immigration. I think their service costs considerably less than 20$.  Here's the bad news: I've forgotten their address and can't find a bookmark  ! I haven't had time to do a Google search yet, but if this service is still in business, you should be able to find it. 

If they are "valid air tickets" then that means you will be able to fly for only $20. Awesome!

[Essecola]

There are all these new regulations and rules etc and things needed to be prepared etc for when arriving. It wasn't like this in the past. I remember being able to just arrive at the airport and stamp in everytime without even a word.

 

Now there are endless stories of how big a run around it is and how much more difficult it is to keep coming here. But everytime I go to the airport for something like picking up an arriving friend.. I cant remember ever seeing it so busy and full of people before. I kind of miss arriving at the airport like in years long past.

[louse1953]

19 hours ago, fdch said:

as a guesthouse owner, i can tell u u pay penalty with all agents BUT booking.com

booking.com is a pest for all hotels and guesthouse

all cancellation are free if u give them no creditcard information

booking.com is a boon to travellors,and i'm an honest one.

[Essecola]

1 hour ago, louse1953 said:

booking.com is a boon to travellors,and i'm an honest one.

Ya booking com will let u make a "booking"  ,  no credit card required. Booking com is great