Short answer
A temporary flight reservation is a real booking in the airline's system that has not been paid for, so no ticket has been issued. The airline keeps the seats and the booking reference until a payment deadline it sets, typically hours to a few days away, and cancels the booking automatically if it is not paid. Until then it can be looked up like any other reservation.
Reservation, ticket and hold
- Reservation (PNR)
- The airline's record of who is travelling, on which flights, under a booking reference. It exists before anything is paid.
- Ticket
- The paid part. Once payment is taken the airline issues an e-ticket number, and that is what lets you check in and fly.
- Hold
- A reservation without a ticket, kept by the airline until a payment deadline. Paid in time, it becomes a ticket; unpaid, it is cancelled.
A temporary flight reservation is a hold. It is not a document made to look like a booking: it is the booking, at the stage before payment. That is why it can be looked up, and why a document without a booking cannot.
Who can create one
- Some airlines, directly, on routes and fares where they offer to hold a booking before payment.
- Travel agencies connected to airline reservation systems, which can create bookings and issue tickets later.
- Licensed booking providers that connect to airlines, which is how FlyProof places holds. How it works describes the process.
Whoever creates it, the airline decides whether a hold is possible on a given flight and sets its deadline. Not every fare or airline allows one, which is why the choice of onward flight is limited to those that do.
How long a hold lasts, and why
Seats are stock the airline wants to sell, so it will only keep them unpaid for a limited time. The deadline varies by airline, fare and how soon the flight departs, and is typically hours to a few days. FlyProof shows the exact deadline on each pass rather than a general promise, because it is the airline's number, not ours.
| Stage | What the airline shows | Can it be looked up? | Can you fly on it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Created | Reserved, awaiting payment, with a deadline | Yes | No |
| Paid before the deadline | Ticketed, with an e-ticket number | Yes | Yes |
| Deadline passes unpaid | Cancelled, or not found | No | No |
| Name misspelled | The booking, under the wrong name | Yes, but it will not match your passport | No; names cannot be changed on a hold, so create a new one |
What happens at the deadline
If nobody pays, the airline cancels the booking and releases the seats. There is nothing to cancel on your side and nothing further to pay. The itinerary PDF still exists, but the booking behind it does not, so a lapsed hold should never be shown as proof. To check its state at any time, look it up as described in how to verify a flight reservation.
If you decide to take the flight, pay the airline through its Manage booking page before the deadline, where the airline offers that. After the deadline the booking is gone and the fare may have changed.
When a hold is the right tool
Decide
Is a temporary reservation right for this check?
- If you need proof at check-in for a one-way flightYes, if it is created close enough to check-in to be live. See when to get an onward ticket.
- If a consulate asks for a flight reservation, not a ticketYes. Create it close to submission; for example, a Schengen checklist that asks for a reservation.
- If the airline or authority insists on a paid ticketNo. Buy a ticket instead.
- If you want to fly without payingNo. An unpaid hold cannot be used to board.
FlyProof lets you schedule when the hold is created, so it is fresh when you need it, and refunds the payment automatically if the airline cannot create it. Whether it is accepted is always up to the airline, officer or consulate checking it, whether that is a check-in desk for Indonesia or a visa file.
Questions
01Is a temporary flight reservation a fake ticket?
No. It is a real booking in the airline's system under your name, at the stage before payment. It is not a ticket, and it does not claim to be one.
02Can a hold be extended?
The deadline belongs to the airline, and it is not generally extended on request. If you need proof later, create a new hold closer to the time.
03Will the airline charge me if I do not pay?
No. An unpaid hold is simply cancelled at the deadline.