Proof of Travel
Plain-English answers from people who've worked both sides of the border counter. Written daily by four travel-industry insiders.
A passenger was denied boarding at Miami for presenting a Google Flights screenshot as Ecuador proof of travel. This case study documents the compliant PNR fix.
When Pieter van Dam presented a comparison-site PDF at Amsterdam Schiphol for a KLM flight to Lima, KLM held him for 31 minutes. This case study unpacks the document gap and the compliant replacement set.
Sophie Brennan was denied boarding at Dublin Airport for her flight to Bogotá after presenting a Google Flights screenshot instead of a live PNR. This case study unpacks the document gap.
A boarding refusal on the Bogotá-San José sector, triggered by missing onward proof, illustrates exactly what Costa Rica's DGME expects on arrival. This case study sets out the required document standard.
When Marta Varga presented a Google Flights export at Budapest airport, the Wizz Air agent couldn't locate her PNR. This case study unpacks the document fields that distinguish a compliant onward ticket from a non-compliant one.
A Portuguese national was held at Lisbon check-in for a South Africa flight due to a missing onward ticket. This case study unpacks the regulatory basis, the document gap, and the compliant document set required.
A traveller was offloaded at Brussels for a missing onward ticket despite holding a valid EU residence permit. This case study maps the regulatory basis and compliant document set across eight enforcement jurisdictions.
When Andreas Keller arrived at FRA for his Lufthansa flight to São Paulo, his booking confirmation PDF failed the carrier's Timatic check. This case study documents what went wrong and what a compliant document set looks like.
Camille Bertrand's Air France boarding refusal at CDG shows what happens when an eTA holder travels to Canada without onward proof. This case study examines the document gap and what compliance requires.
A case study of KLM's Schiphol check-in hold shows exactly what carriers and INM require for Mexico tourist entry. One missing PNR led to a two-hour delay.
When Yannick Drescher presented a third-party booking export at the Sadao crossing, the officer found no live PNR. This case study analyses the document gap and what compliant proof of onward travel requires.
A LATAM Airlines check-in agent in Sao Paulo denied boarding to a traveller with a valid NZeTA but no confirmed PNR. This case study unpacks what New Zealand's onward ticket compliance requires.