How to verify that your booking reference (PNR) is real

You received an email with a “booking reference” and a neat PDF. But how do you know that code exists at the airline? After buying from an agency or a site you didn't know, checking the code at the source is the simplest and most important step to rule out a ticket that doesn't exist.

What a booking reference is

A six-character locator

The PNR (Passenger Name Record) or booking reference is a code of letters and numbers, usually six characters long, that identifies your reservation in the airline's system. If you bought through an agency, the code they give you is sometimes the agency's and not the airline's: ask for the airline's reference.

Not the same as the ticket number

The e-ticket number usually has 13 digits and starts with the airline's three-digit numeric code. It appears once the ticket is issued and can also be looked up on the airline's website.

How to check it in 2 minutes

Go to the airline's official website

Type the address yourself or search for the airline's name; avoid links that came in the email. Find “Manage booking” or “My trips”, then enter the code and your surname exactly as on the ticket.

Compare what appears with what you were sent

Dates, times, flight number and names must match the confirmation. If the system can't find the booking, it may not be issued yet (sometimes it takes a few hours) or there may be a problem.

Warning signs

A code the airline doesn't recognize days after you paid, requests for an extra payment to “activate” the booking, or a seller who refuses to give you the airline's reference are reasons to stop and check before you travel.

A simpler way to check your trip

If you want to cross-check the code, dates and names of all your bookings at once, upload them to AuditorTravel: it flags what doesn't add up with a simple traffic light (🟢 🟡 🔴) before you travel.

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AuditorTravel is an automated information tool; use it as a guide. The final decision is always yours.