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This is for 2 Sri Lankan nationals, no check in luggage, traveling with normal Sri Lankan passports, and transiting without VISAs. We need to get to Bahamas. They will have enough connection time (literally walking from one gate to the other in the same terminal) and we will have all RT PCR requirements met. I've checked the history of the flights and they are all usually 100% on time and not cancelled.

They will get ALL of the boarding passes in CMB through mobile check in prior to start of the journey.

We have the following flight route single ticket sold by Emirates (confirmed it is single ticket):

03/26: CMB (02:55) to DXB (05:55) via Emirates
03/26: DXB (09:05) to GRU (17:20) via Emirates
03/27: GRU (01:52) to PTY (06:40) via COPA CM702

We also have the following route from GRU to NAS (confirmed single ticket):

03/27: GRU (01:52) to PTY (06:40) via COPA CM702
03/27: PTY (07:48) to NAS (11:42) via COPA CM196

We can also get a single ticket:

03/27: PTY (07:48) to NAS (11:42) via COPA CM196

My question is this:

Brazil requires proof of evidence of onward travel in a single ticket. OK, this is satisfy by both tickets above.

Panama requires proof evidence of onward travel and in some stories online, they just need to see a ticket out of Panama even if it's a separate ticket. Based on all the evidence I gathered, it seems Panama doesn't really care about single or separate tickets.

In case they want a single ticket, having an additional ticket bought through COPA from GRU to NAS would satisfy this this requirement.

The problem is, if I bought the additional ticket, the same 2 passengers are registered on the same flight twice (GRU to PTY via CM702 flight). They will get boarding passes for both routes 24 hours before the journey starts (COPA might not let mobile checkin for Emirates originating ticket though). Also, with these 2 tickets, we will be not showing up for one ticket (emirates) in GRU to PTY even though we mobile check in.

Is that OK? Since COPA might not allow mobile check in when the originating airline is different (emirates), we can just dump the Emirates part of GRU to PTY and instead mobile check in for COPA part of GRU to PTY).

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  • 3
    why would you want to do this on purpose?
    – ZeroTheHero
    Mar 10, 2021 at 1:06
  • Onward travel proof in case they want to see a single ticket instead of separate ticket. This particular journey has 2 separate tickets. Part of the journey is provided by one airline and that part is also bookable with that airline directly which if you made another booking, would satisfy a single booking onward travel requirement.
    – zwdev2
    Mar 10, 2021 at 12:07
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    Maybe you should just ask a question here about if proof of onward travel requires a single ticket. (Which I've never, ever heard that it does. Proof of onward travel doesn't even need to be by the same type of travel, you might take a plane to Panama to meet up with a cruise ship and then take the cruise ship out of Panama, or anything along those lines. They only want to be sure that you're really leaving, meaning that you 1) intend to leave, and 2) will be able to leave.)
    – user3067860
    Mar 10, 2021 at 14:01
  • @user3067860 They will be travelling without any visa for Panama, not even a transit visa or visa waiver. The authorities need to be satisfied that the traveller will still leave Panama even if their flight is cancelled. With a single itinerary ticket the airline will make sure that the traveller reaches their destination whatever happens.
    – thelem
    Mar 10, 2021 at 17:36
  • "Single Ticket" in this question means one Flight Itinerary bought from a single airline. It does not mean the opposite of Return. The CMB to PTY journey can be bought as one Flight Itinerary because Emirates sell a code share of CM702. They do not sell a code share of CM196.
    – thelem
    Mar 11, 2021 at 12:48

3 Answers 3

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It'll likely depend on the airline, but I accidentally did this a few years back with Qantas - forgot I'd booked a flight, so booked it again. Qantas noted I had two seats on the same flight, and 'helpfully' cancelled BOTH of them. So a bit of a risk.

Also even if it lasts until the day, if the person for the second/third seat hasn't checked in for that seat, they may offer it to those on a waitlist.

Short version - I'd call the airlines and get the answer in writing before risking it.

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  • 4
    I have also heard of people who have done the same and had both seats canceled
    – Midavalo
    Mar 9, 2021 at 7:02
  • Cool story. I know at least one of my relatives has my very same first and family name (so our passports show same name but different birthday etc). Actually the combination of my own first and family name is not unique in my country. Airlines don't normally ask for passport number when booking. At least in Europe. Even though I have been flying out of EU/Schengen, I was never asked for passport number or birthdate when booking. Only at the gate I could meet my homonym. Which sounds like not a happy event 😀
    – usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ
    Mar 9, 2021 at 13:44
  • Doesn't this go against their policies for obese people? The following link actually highlights Quantas as letting people book multiple seats, however that might be side-by-side seats, as compared to your possible seats in 2 different locations. smartertravel.com/airline-obesity-policies
    – computercarguy
    Mar 9, 2021 at 20:44
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    @usr-local-ΕΨΗΕΛΩΝ, this kind of reminds me of an old American TV show, Newhart, where Larry introduces himself, as well as his brother Daryl and his other brother Daryl. youtube.com/watch?v=79vMe31CuIQ
    – computercarguy
    Mar 9, 2021 at 20:46
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    I have also heard of people who have done the same and had both seats canceled Booking system programmer on a Friday afternoon: "OK, let's just cancel every booking with a duplicate, commit, done, and I'm outtahere!"
    – Grimm The Opiner
    Mar 10, 2021 at 9:31
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I strongly recommend against double booking.

For most airlines this violates the contract of carriage, so they have the right to cancel and they typically do.

You can find Copa's contract of carriage here: https://www.copaair.com/en/web/us/contract-of-carriage

In section 4.5.1 (c) it states

4.5.1. Reservation Cancellations. A reservation may be cancelled for the following reasons:
(c) By the CARRIER when a duplicate reservation is detected; in other words, more than one reservation for the same person for the same flight numbers.

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  • 4
    In this context these are the same things. You don't have a valid reservation without a confirmed ticket and you don't get a confirmed ticket without buying one.
    – Hilmar
    Mar 9, 2021 at 18:29
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    If you buy two tickets for the same passenger on the same flight, there is a good chance that the airline will cancel both.
    – Hilmar
    Mar 9, 2021 at 18:36
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    @Hilmar, that's not necessarily true, or maybe it is and violates rules/recommendations for obese passengers on certain airlines. smartertravel.com/airline-obesity-policies
    – computercarguy
    Mar 9, 2021 at 20:47
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    @computercarguy An obese passenger who tries it gets the same result--cancelled. The procedure in this case is to buy a ticket in the name of <ExtraSeat> <Lastname> or something of the sort (see the airline for exactly what is expected.) You also find musicians with <Cello> <Lastname> tickets. Airlines need accurate passenger counts, especially for international flights.
    – Loren Pechtel
    Mar 10, 2021 at 1:37
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    @computercarguy The other John Smith is most likely going to have a different date of birth and certainly a different passport. (Although, for a domestic flight I don't believe you are required to provide other ID information.)
    – Loren Pechtel
    Mar 10, 2021 at 3:30
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This proposal has the same problem as your earlier idea of transiting via the UK (Do separate tickets satisfy the UK's DATV transit requirement for an onward ticket?)

When you board in CMB, your Emirates itinerary will only take you to PTY (Panama). Emirates will want to ensure you meet the requirements for Panama.

Either:

  1. They will accept the PTY-NAS ticket as evidence that you not attempt to stay in Panama. In which case there is no need to double book the third leg; or
  2. They will require a single itinerary to a destination that you hold a visa for, in which case you will need to show a Panamanian visa to board the first leg of the CMB-DBX-GRU-PTY itinerary.
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