What is a flight itinerary? A plain guide with an example

Before you book, a flight itinerary is simply a plan. It lists the flights you intend to take, perhaps copied from a search result, and nothing is reserved. Anyone can write one, and it has no booking reference because there is no booking behind it.

After you book, the airline or travel agent sends an itinerary for that booking, often called an itinerary receipt or e-ticket receipt. This one is a record of something real: seats held in your name, a booking reference and usually a ticket number. When a check-in agent or an official asks for your itinerary, this is normally the kind they mean.

Both are useful. The first helps you compare routes and work out dates. The second proves what you have bought. The important thing is never to present the first as if it were the second.

These three documents are easy to confuse because they repeat much of the same information. They do different jobs, and you receive them at different times.

Here is what the main lines of a booked return itinerary look like. Every detail below is invented for illustration, including the airline code, the flight numbers and the times, so use it only to recognise the layout of your own.

The booking reference is a short code, usually six letters and numbers, that finds your reservation in the airline's system. You may also see it called a reservation code, confirmation number, record locator or PNR. The ticket number is separate and longer, normally thirteen digits, and shows that a ticket has actually been issued. A reservation without a ticket number may not be paid for yet.

Airports are shown with three-letter codes. Check them carefully, because large cities often have more than one airport, and note the terminal if one is given. Departure and arrival times are local to each airport, so a flight across time zones can look shorter or longer than it really is.

Look for the words "operated by". If you booked with one airline and another one flies the plane, you usually check in with the airline operating the flight. The fare class letter and fare name tell you the rules that apply to changes, refunds and baggage. Finally, check that your name matches your passport exactly; our travel documents checklist covers what else to confirm before you go.

If you have already booked, the itinerary was sent to the email address you gave, so search your inbox and spam folder for the airline's or agent's name. You can also open the "manage booking" page on the airline's website with your booking reference and surname and download or print it from there. If you booked through a travel agent or a booking site, ask them to send it again.

If you have not booked yet and only want to plan, write the flights down from a search result, or let a planning tool do it. Our free AI trip planner drafts a day-by-day plan with a suggested flight and a flight itinerary for planning. It is clearly marked as not a ticket or reservation: no seat is held and there is no booking reference.

Airlines, border officers and visa offices sometimes ask to see your itinerary to understand when you arrive and when you leave. What each one accepts differs. Some want a paid ticket, some accept a reservation, and some are satisfied with your intended flights. Always read the official instructions for your own case.

Our guide to the dummy ticket for visa applications explains the honest options when a consulate asks for flight details, and proof of onward travel covers what airlines look for at check-in. Never edit an itinerary to show a booking that does not exist. Reservations can be checked with the airline, and a false document can do lasting damage to an application.

Mistakes are easiest and cheapest to fix straight after booking, so read the itinerary the day you receive it rather than the night before you fly.