I need to buy a flight ticket for my Schengen Visa application. But for some reason I want to change my flight ticket without any additional fee. That said, I need a refundable flight ticket. My choice of airlines are Lufthansa or Turkish. I may consider other European airlines as well. Which airline would be the best for me? Also, is there anything that I need to pay extra attention to when I buy my ticket?
asked Jan 5, 2013 at 1:41
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1You don't have to buy your air tickets before you apply for a visa. It is sufficient to submit an itinerary. Refundable tickets are much more expensive than non-refundable tickets.– R-travelerCommented Jan 5, 2013 at 3:13
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1What does confirmed flight reservation mean? That's what Swiss consulate needs for tourism visa.– Mohammad MoghimiCommented Jan 5, 2013 at 21:51
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2A trick, if you can immobilise some money, is to buy a refundable ticket that you will use just to be refunded. With Lufthansa for example, refundable tickets can be refunded without any fee and you can cancel it easily via a web page. You will miss maybe 2000 euros for a while though, so it might not be very convenient.– VinceCommented Jan 8, 2013 at 14:08
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@MohammadMoghimi did you find any flight with free cancellation? I am looking for the same thing for the purpose of Schengen Visa application. Thanks– sky-lightCommented May 13, 2016 at 9:51
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@sky-light I didn't book (pay). You can reserve flights online with Turkish airline which gives you few days to pay. However, you don't have to book and there won't be any penalty. I think this is basically what the consulate needs and not the actual ticket. I think they call it a confirmed reservation.– Mohammad MoghimiCommented May 13, 2016 at 20:49
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1 Answer
Airlines have unfortunately a lot of fare different classes which makes this complicated and confusing. You need to check prices and policies individually. Typically a refundable is about twice as much as a discounted ticket, and most airlines will let you change the cheap ticket for a fee of $100-$300. It also depends on what you change: a simple date change is easier to negotiate than a route change. A route change may also incur a fee on a refundable ticket as well.
