flydubai is the Dubai-based low-cost carrier that many Indian, Pakistani, Central Asian and Gulf-resident travellers end up on, often because it flies to a smaller city that no one else serves direct from Dubai. That makes it a natural choice when you need a flight reservation for a visa file. This guide explains what a flydubai reservation is, how you look it up on flydubai's own site, how it differs from the airline's paid "Hold my fare" option, and the two situations where flydubai itself wants a paid ticket rather than a reservation. Each fact below links to a flydubai page or a government source, numbered at the bottom.
flydubai key facts for a visa file
| Question | What flydubai or the authority says |
|---|---|
| Where is it based? | Dubai International (DXB), with flights from both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.[3][7] |
| How big is the network? | More than 125 destinations in 56 countries, per flydubai's newsroom on 14 September 2026, with 85% of the network restored after this year's disruption.[7] |
| What do I need to open a booking? | Your last name and booking reference on the Manage booking page or app.[1] |
| Can flydubai hold a fare? | Yes, "Hold my fare" for AED 29, non-refundable, for 24, 48 or 72 hours depending on how far away the flight is.[2] |
| When does online check-in open? | From 48 hours up to 75 minutes before departure; airport check-in closes 60 minutes before.[3] |
| Name rules | Spelled exactly as in the passport, no special characters, no nicknames, first and last name together within 59 characters.[4] |
| UAE visa through flydubai | Needs "a confirmed and paid round trip booking with flydubai" to collect the visa.[5] |
What is a flydubai dummy ticket?
It's a flight reservation on a flydubai flight, created in your name and held under a six-character booking reference (the PNR). It shows your route, flight numbers, dates and passenger names. It is not paid for, so it does not entitle you to fly, and you cannot check in with it.
People call it a "dummy ticket" because it sits in the visa file where a ticket would otherwise go. The word is a bit misleading. Nothing about it is fake: the booking exists in the reservation system and can be looked up. What it lacks is payment. That is exactly why it works for visa applications that ask for a reservation or an itinerary, and exactly why it does not work where someone asks for a paid ticket.
Our advice is to describe it plainly in your forms and cover letter. Write "flight reservation" or "itinerary". Don't call it a ticket.
How do you check a flydubai booking on the website?
flydubai's Manage booking tool asks for two things only: the last name and the booking reference.[1] Here is the sequence the airline describes for its website:
- Open Manage booking on flydubai.com.
- Type the last name of a passenger and the booking reference from your confirmation.
- Tick the consent box.
- Select View booking.
On the flydubai app, tap "Manage" on the home screen and enter the same two details.[1] If the page shows your name, the flight numbers and the dates you expected, the reservation is live.
Two practical notes. First, a booking made by a travel agent can be viewed in Manage booking, but flydubai says changes beyond adding extras go back to the agent who made it.[1] Second, codeshare and interline bookings with partner airlines are handled by that airline or the agent, not by flydubai.[1] If your reservation shows an Emirates flight number on a flydubai-operated sector, try the lookup on the airline whose code appears on your document.
Do this check yourself a day before your appointment. It takes a minute and tells you whether anything has changed. For a fuller checklist, read how to verify your booking before submitting it.
Is flydubai's "Hold my fare" the same thing?
No, though it's close in spirit. "Hold my fare" is flydubai's own paid option to freeze a price while you decide. You pay AED 29, the booking stays on hold at the same fare, and you must pay the full fare within the holding time or the booking is cancelled automatically.[2]
The holding time depends on how soon the flight leaves. flydubai lists these bands:[2]
- Booked between 72 and 50 hours before departure: held for 24 hours.
- Booked between 7 days and 73 hours before departure: held for 48 hours.
- Booked more than 7 days before departure: held for 72 hours.
A few conditions matter for visa planning. The option is not offered on interline or codeshare flights, nor when departure is less than 50 hours away. The fee is non-refundable and is not part of the fare. And while the booking is on hold you cannot change anything until you pay.[2]
Three days is short for a visa file. Say your Schengen appointment is on a Thursday and you book the hold on Monday: it will have expired before the officer even opens your folder. Hold my fare is a good tool if you've already decided to fly and just need to move money. It is a poor fit for a document that has to stay valid through an appointment and some processing time.
flydubai hold, our reservation or a paid fare: which suits you?
| Option | What you pay | How long it lasts | Can you fly on it? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| flydubai Hold my fare | AED 29, non-refundable, then the full fare[2] | 24, 48 or 72 hours depending on departure date[2] | Only after you pay the fare | Locking a price for a trip you have already decided on |
| Our flight reservation | AED 33 / ₹699 / $9 per passenger | Two weeks at most; flydubai's system sets the real cut-off | No | Consulates whose checklist names a reservation or travel plan |
| Paid flydubai fare | The fare, with change and refund terms set by the fare type[1] | Until you fly or cancel | Yes | Boarding, OK to Board, flydubai's own UAE visa service, any rule that says "paid" |
If you are torn between the last two, our comparison of a reservation versus a refundable ticket walks through the costs.
Which visa applications do people use a flydubai reservation for?
flydubai's newsroom describes a network across Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Central and Southeast Europe, the GCC, South Asia and Southeast Asia, and says almost 100 of its destinations had few or no direct links to Dubai before it arrived.[7] That shapes who uses it in a visa file:
- UAE residents applying for a Schengen visa where flydubai flies direct to the first or main country. A return from Dubai is the natural shape, since your residence is where you are expected to come back to. The Schengen visa guide covers what each consulate's checklist says.
- Visitors coming to the UAE from South Asia or Central Asia, who need a return or onward booking for the UAE visa paperwork. For the five-year multi-entry tourist visa, the UAE government portal asks for "a ticket showing continuing or return journey from the UAE".[8] Our Dubai and UAE visa guide sets out the official list.
- Gulf residents visiting a neighbouring GCC state or a Caucasus country on an eVisa, where the portal asks for a planned exit.
One caution. flydubai said in September 2026 that it had restored 85% of its network.[7] Before you build a file around a route, search it on flydubai.com and make sure it is actually on sale for your dates. A reservation on a route that isn't operating is a red flag in any file.
Why doesn't a reservation work for flydubai's own UAE visa service?
flydubai arranges UAE visas for some travellers, and the UAE government portal names it alongside Emirates and Etihad as an airline offering tourist visa services, with the condition that you fly with that airline.[8] flydubai's own page is direct about the booking: "You must have a confirmed and paid round trip booking with flydubai to collect your visa."[5]
The same page adds that you can make that booking after the visa is processed, and that an application takes a minimum of 5 working days once all documents are in.[5] So a held reservation, ours or anyone's, does not meet this requirement. If you are getting your UAE visa through flydubai, plan to buy the real round trip. Use a reservation only for visa routes that ask for one.
What is flydubai's OK to Board, and does it apply to you?
OK to Board is an airline approval some passengers need before they are allowed to check in. flydubai's India page says it is mandatory for Indian citizens travelling from Delhi in certain cases:[6]
- Tourist or visit visa: required for ECR passports only.
- Employment or residence visa: required whatever the ECR/ECNR status.
- Stamped visa or valid Emirates ID: not required.
The page asks for your original visa, a passport copy and the booking confirmation, says approval takes at least 48 hours, and states that a return ticket must be booked when you travel on a tourist or visit visa.[6] You apply only after you have paid for your flydubai booking. Passengers who arrive without approval are not allowed to check in.[6]
In plain terms: OK to Board belongs to the travel stage, not the visa stage. By the time you need it, you should be holding a paid flydubai return. A reservation from us plays no part here.
How should names appear on a flydubai booking?
flydubai's guidance is that your name must be spelled exactly as it is in the passport, with no special characters, abbreviations or nicknames, and a combined first and last name of no more than 59 characters.[4]
Single names need extra care. flydubai explains that if the passport shows only a given name or only a surname, you enter "FNU" (first name unavailable) in the first-name field and the name in the last-name field.[4] More important for anyone flying into the UAE: flydubai says a passport holder with only one name, and no additional names anywhere in the passport, will not be allowed entry under UAE National Advance Information Centre rules. There are exceptions, including transit passengers, holders of a UAE visa showing additional names, and holders of a valid Emirates ID.[4]
For a reservation, we copy your name exactly as you type it. So type it the way the machine-readable page of your passport shows it. Example: a passport reading given name "MOHAMMED ALI", surname "KHAN" should go in as first name MOHAMMED ALI and last name KHAN, not "Md Ali Khan". Our name format guide has more cases.
What does flydubai check at the airport?
Airlines check documents before boarding because they carry the cost of flying someone who is refused entry. IATA's Timatic database is the reference most carriers use; IATA describes it as used by "virtually every airline".[9] flydubai's online check-in collects your passport number, expiry, nationality and date of birth.[3] If no boarding pass is issued after online check-in, flydubai asks you to go to the desk for document verification.[3]
Timing from flydubai's check-in page: arrive at least 3 hours before, check-in closes 60 minutes before, boarding starts 45 minutes before and gates close 25 minutes before departure.[3] If your destination asks for proof of onward travel at check-in, the agent will want to see something real. Read our note on airline check-in versus immigration onward checks before you fly one way.
How do you get a flydubai reservation from us?
Tell us the flydubai route and dates; we build a flight reservation with a live booking reference and send the PDF by email. It should open on flydubai's Manage booking straight away. It is a reservation, never a paid ticket.
One fee per traveller, whether the trip is one way or a return. For multi-city plans, each pair of legs counts separately (see dummy ticket price). Razorpay takes UPI, cards and netbanking, and the tracking page shows your order's progress.
Search it on flydubai.com first, for the exact dates.
Surname in the last-name box, given names in the first.
The PDF arrives by email with the booking reference.
Last name plus reference. Check the dates match your form.
How long will it stay valid? Expect up to 2 weeks at the outside, with flydubai's system setting the precise expiry. So book close to the appointment. If your appointment is on 14 November, we'd order it on the 12th or 13th, not at the start of the month.
Need a reservation for your visa file?
A flydubai routing with a live reference. AED 33, ₹699 or $9 a traveller; the PDF lands in roughly 10 minutes.
flydubai reservation mistakes we see
- Using a reservation where flydubai wants payment. The UAE visa service and OK to Board both depend on a paid booking.
- Booking a route that isn't flying. Check the timetable for your dates first.
- Nicknames or short forms such as "Md" for Mohammed. flydubai does not accept them.
- Dates that drift away from the hotel and insurance. Every document should tell the same story.
- Relying on a 72-hour hold for an appointment that is a week away.
Straight talk: a reservation supports your file; it does not decide it. The consulate decides the visa and flydubai decides who boards.
flydubai reservation FAQ
Can I check a flydubai reservation without logging in?
Yes. Manage booking on flydubai.com needs only the passenger's last name and the booking reference. There is no account needed. If you have an Emirates Skywards login, flydubai also lists bookings made with that number under "My bookings", but that is optional and has nothing to do with a reservation made by someone else for you.
How much does flydubai charge to hold a fare?
flydubai's Hold my fare costs AED 29 per booking, is not refundable and is not counted toward the fare. The hold lasts 24, 48 or 72 hours depending on how far ahead the flight is, and it isn't available on codeshare or interline flights or when departure is under 50 hours away.
Will a reservation work for the UAE visa flydubai issues?
No. flydubai's visa page says you need a confirmed and paid round trip with flydubai to collect the visa, although you may buy it after the visa is processed. If you want flydubai to arrange your UAE visa, budget for the real fare. A reservation is meant for visa applications whose checklists accept one.
Do Indian passport holders need OK to Board on flydubai?
Sometimes. flydubai's India page makes it mandatory for Indian citizens flying from Delhi on a tourist or visit visa if they hold an ECR passport, and for everyone on an employment or residence visa. A stamped visa or valid Emirates ID removes the need. It needs a paid booking and at least 48 hours.
When does online check-in open on flydubai?
Online check-in opens 48 hours before departure and closes 75 minutes before, through the website, mobile site or app. A few departure points, such as Damascus and Dubrovnik, are excluded. Airport check-in closes 60 minutes before the flight, and flydubai recommends arriving at least three hours early.
How long will a flydubai reservation from you stay valid?
Two weeks is the ceiling, and flydubai's system may release it sooner. That's why we suggest ordering 24 to 48 hours before the appointment. If an appointment moves, a fresh reservation for the new date is usually the cleaner option than hoping the old one survives.
My passport has only one name. Can I still book flydubai?
You can book, using FNU in the first-name field as flydubai describes. Entry to the UAE is the bigger issue: flydubai says single-name passport holders without additional names elsewhere are refused entry, unless an exception applies, such as a UAE visa showing more names or a valid Emirates ID.
More airline guides: Emirates, Air Arabia, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways and Oman Air. Broader reading: how a flight reservation for a visa works, a country-by-country requirement list, proof of onward travel, and hotel reservations. Or start again from the home page.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- flydubai, Manage your booking.
- flydubai, Hold my fare.
- flydubai, Online check-in.
- flydubai, Booking a flight with a single name.
- flydubai, Dubai visas.
- flydubai, Ok to board from India.
- flydubai Newsroom, flydubai accelerates network growth with more than 125 destinations (14 September 2026).
- UAE Government portal (u.ae), Tourist visa.
- IATA, Timatic travel documentation.
Related: flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · how to verify a PNR.