In this article 5 sections
If you have shopped around for a dummy ticket, you have seen prices from "free" to the full cost of a refundable fare. The spread exists because very different products hide behind the same name. Here is what each option actually costs in 2026 — including the costs that do not appear on the price tag.
Option 1: free or $2–5 — template generators
At the bottom of the market are PDF generators that print your name on a ticket template. No reservation is created; the PNR is invented or copied.
Sticker price: ~$0–5. Real price: potentially a refused visa. Consulates that verify booking references — increasingly common in high-volume posts, and consistent with official Schengen guidance on supporting documents — will find nothing behind the code. A refusal for false documentation is recorded and can follow you into future applications. As a document for any official purpose, this option is worth less than free.
Option 2: ~$10–20 — verifiable flight reservations
The legitimate product is a temporary reservation hold placed in the airline system, with a live PNR you can check on the airline's own website. This is what professional services provide, typically around $10–15 per document.
For that price you get a PDF itinerary with your name, real flights, and a booking reference that resolves when a visa officer or check-in agent looks it up. It covers both the visa itinerary use case and proof of onward travel at the airport. You can see our pricing and book here — reservations are delivered within minutes.
Option 3: $200–1,500+ — refundable tickets
The traditional advice was to buy a refundable fare and cancel it after the visa decision. It works, but:
- Refundable fares are the most expensive fares on any route — often 2–4× the economy price.
- Your money is locked up for days or weeks while the refund processes.
- Many "refundable" fares still carry cancellation fees of $50–200.
- Booking, cancelling, and chasing refunds across multiple applications gets expensive fast.
For a family of four applying for Schengen visas, the difference between reservations ($40–60 total) and refundable tickets ($2,000+ locked up) is not subtle.
The comparison in one table
| Option | Upfront cost | Verifiable PNR | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Template generator | $0–5 | ✗ | Visa refusal, denied boarding |
| Verifiable reservation | ~$10–15 | ✓ | None — it is a real hold |
| Refundable ticket | $200–1,500+ | ✓ | Locked capital, fees, refund delays |
Why the middle option wins
A verifiable reservation costs about as much as an airport coffee and sandwich, is created in minutes, and gives officials exactly what they check for: a live booking. It does not lock up your travel budget before a visa decision, and unlike the free option it stands up to the one-minute PNR lookup that decides whether your document helps or destroys your application. Not sure what to check before submitting? Our flight itinerary guide has a pre-submission checklist.
Create a temporary flight reservation for visa files, airline checks, or proof of onward travel.