My Dummy Ticket
Plain-English answers from people who've worked both sides of the border counter. Written daily by four travel-industry insiders.
Honduras shares a CA-4 border agreement with Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, and immigration sometimes asks for proof of onward travel before letting you in.
Guatemala shares CA-4 free movement with El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, but airlines still check for an onward ticket before you board.
KLM sometimes asks for proof of onward travel before boarding, especially on one-way tickets into Amsterdam. Here is why, and what actually counts as proof.
Airline check-in agents don't care why you booked a dummy ticket, only whether it's ticketed, and that one detail decides whether you sail through or get held up at the counter.
Indonesia's visa-on-arrival scheme means immigration and airline staff can ask to see an onward or return ticket before you board or land.
Ireland sits outside Schengen and inside the UK Common Travel Area, which confuses a lot of backpackers about what onward proof they actually need.
Whether Laos actually checks for a dummy or onward ticket depends on where you cross, not just what visa you hold. Here are the real questions backpackers ask before the Golden Triangle loop.
United Airlines checks for an onward ticket when your destination requires proof of onward travel, using the same IATA Timatic system every major carrier relies on.
A dummy ticket, a refundable fare, and an airline's 24-hour cancellation window all prove onward travel, but they suit very different timelines and budgets.
American Airlines only checks for an onward ticket on certain international routes, not every flight. Here is when it actually comes up, and what to book if you need one.
El Salvador sits inside the CA-4 zone with Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and whether you need an onward ticket depends more on your airline than the border itself.
Lufthansa can deny boarding on one-way flights without proof of onward travel. Here is when the check actually happens, what counts as a valid onward ticket, and what to do at the gate.
Cathay Pacific check-in agents can ask for proof of onward travel before you even reach the border, and a dummy ticket is the easiest fix.