chaudri

Hi Guys,

Because of my passport I have to apply for short term Romanian visa as I want to go there for tourism. According to their website it will take a max of 2-3 weeks.

The problem is, as one of the requirements, they have asked for "booking of a two-way flight ticket to Romania". How can I book a ticket which can be fully refunded in case my visa is refused? I was planning to book Wizz air but I couldnt find any option such as that of a refundable ticket. Is there any other way/websites to bok flight tickets or reserve them for a month at least?

Please let me know

Thanks all

Efrem

Most airline sites give you a choice of fare classes. The more expensive tickets are refundable in full. If they don't give you a choice of fare classes in economy, try buying a business class or first class ticket. Those are generally refundable.

You didn't say where you're flying from, but Air France serves OTP from Paris; KLM flies there from Amsterdam; and Alitalia does from Rome. You can reach those cities easily from anywhere on the planet. One of those sites should meet your needs.

MSPeconomist

Be careful. It's best to read the fare rules before purchasing a ticket. Some "refundable" tickets require fees of at least several hundred dollars to get a refund. Also, there can be discounted first and business class fares that not only are not refundable but also carry big fees to make any changes. Rough generalities also tend to depend on your starting point. There can be budget carriers that do not offer any refundable fares.

txl

Hey chaudri, welcome to FT!

Assuming that you will be travelling with an EU-airline, your best option is probably to buy the cheapest economy ticket you can find (if there are affordable options, say under EUR 150) and to take the risk of not being able to fly. At the very least, the airline will have to refund taxes and surcharges, but can deduct a fee (but will only refund if you ask them to...).
The tricky bit about buying a fully refundable fare is that
a) to find a truly fully refundable fare you will need the help of a travel agent or call the airline directly which will incur a non-refundable service fee. Despite what the airline may insinuate on its website, there can be hidden obstacles to cancelling a ticket that seemed fully refundable when booked online,
b) if you are granted a visa you end up flying on a very expensive ticket that you didn't really need in the first place.
If you provide more details about your trip (origin, time of travel) you might get more specific help.

Cheers,

-txl.

MSPeconomist

IIRC there are some airline T&Cs that do promise refunds if a visa is refused.

chaudri

Thanks guys I'll be flying from DXB so there are plenty of options in terms of airlines.

I think the travel agent option seems better as I feel a 'held' booking will be enough as opposed to a 'ticketed' one which is a big gamble.

txl

UIA is offering this service. KLM uses somewhat ambiguous wording ("you can aply for a refund in any of the following cases: (...) The visa application was denied") but might be worthwhile asking. AF is even more vague but may also offer a refund.

MSPeconomist

What is UIA?

chaudri

Thank you, I think in this case its wise only to book THE flight that i'll be taking in the end once the visa is issued. I don't really have options to play around with get a refund on one flight and travel on another cheaper one to save some bucks.

txl

Yes, DXB should offer plenty of options and IIRC I was able to reserve a booking on EY for more than a month through a TA. Bear in mind, though, that the fare on reserved tickets is not guaranteed, so the price could go up over time - still probably cheaper than buying fully refundable, though. Since this is a bit of a longer haul I can see why you wouldn't want to let a 'cheap' economy ticket go to waste.

txl

Ukraine International Airlines

MSPeconomist

It sounds like the requirement is simply to make flight reservations, not to actually purchase the tickets as some visa applications require.

It might help to know the OP's nationality/passport, redicency, and other circumstances such as job or student status. This information can greatly affect the odds of getting a visa.

Romania is a rather unusual tourism choice for a relatively inexperienced international traveler, as the OP seems to be. If there aren't special conditions or an explanation for the OP's interest, this could also impact the odds of success.

txl

And it may bring up questions if you state a certain booking code in your visa application and end up travelling on a different itinerary. Better to try and hold a reservation with a TA - if that fails go for the cheapest return in Y.

chaudri

I am 26, working as a Product Manager at a leading GCC e-commerce company, have studied in UK, traveled around Europe and currently possess a valid US b1/b2 visa. I feel the chances of me getting the visa are pretty good, the only probable problem can be my Pakistani nationality (hence all the visa hassle) and even though the odds look good, with my passport you can never be sure

MSPeconomist

It might help to know how specific Romanain visas are. Must you enter on the date stated in the application, at the airport or other entry point on the application, and using the given flight(s)? Or is typically one given a window in which to enter the country and permission to stay up to some number of days?