Get Onward Ticket
Plain-English answers from people who've worked both sides of the border counter. Written daily by four travel-industry insiders.
American Airlines checks onward-travel proof only on select international routes, not domestically, and a dummy ticket usually satisfies that requirement.
Proof of onward travel is a requirement, not a single document, and airlines, border officers, and consulates each check it differently.
British Airways, Ryanair, and Wizz Air do not check onward tickets the same way. Here is how the policy differs by airline type, and what satisfies each one.
Wizz Air can refuse boarding without proof of onward travel on certain routes. Here's when the check applies and how a dummy or onward ticket satisfies it.
Airlines still expect an onward ticket at check-in even when your real plan is to leave by land, so this guide explains what immigration checks and how to handle both stages.
Being sent to secondary inspection over a missing or unverified onward ticket is common and rarely serious. Here is what officers actually check and how to clear it quickly.
Seven checks that separate a dummy ticket from a real one, from ticketing status to what immigration officers and airlines actually verify.
Airlines flying into the Dominican Republic sometimes ask one-way travelers for proof of onward travel at check-in, even though the country itself rarely enforces a visa.
EasyJet check-in staff ask about onward travel on behalf of your destination country, not the airline itself, and a confirmed booking is usually what satisfies the check.
Ryanair checks for a dummy or onward ticket at bag-drop and the gate on routes where your passport or destination requires proof of onward travel.
A dummy ticket, also called an onward ticket, can be entirely genuine and still fail to verify on an airline's website. Here's why PNR status is usually the reason, and how to fix it before check-in.
A dummy ticket only works at check-in if it exists as a live, confirmed reservation, not just a screenshot or quote.