Biman is the airline most Bangladeshi applicants already have in mind when they sketch a trip abroad. It is the national carrier, it flies out of Dhaka to London, Rome and Tokyo, and families in the Gulf use it to come home. So when a visa checklist asks for a flight plan, a Biman routing is often the most believable one to show. This page explains how a Biman booking behaves on the airline's own website, why you can't park an unpaid fare there, how to look a reservation up, and what the checklists used in Dhaka actually say about flights. Airline details come from biman-airlines.com, visa wording from embassy and government pages, all numbered at the end.
Biman key facts for a visa file
| Question | What we found on official pages |
|---|---|
| Airline code and home base | BG, based at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka (DAC).[4] |
| What does Manage Booking need? | The six-character airline PNR or booking reference, plus the passenger's last name.[1] |
| Is there a pay-later option online? | No. Biman's FAQ says the online system keeps no separate ticketing time limit for an unfinished booking; you pay within the session or it expires.[1] |
| Name rules | Enter names exactly as in the passport. Once a reservation is complete, the name may not be changeable.[1] |
| Long-haul points often seen in visa files | London and Manchester (UK), Rome (Italy) and Tokyo Narita (Japan), per Biman's destination pages.[2] |
| Japan checklist, Dhaka | "Airline Booking Slip (Two ways)" for sight-seeing, relatives' visits and business.[5] |
| Our price | $9 per passenger (₹699 if you pay from India); one way or round trip. |
Can you reserve a Biman flight now and pay later?
Not on Biman's website. Some airlines sell a paid "hold" so you can lock a fare for a few days. Biman doesn't list one. Its FAQ is direct about it: an online booking that hasn't been paid is not kept on a separate time limit, and if you don't finish paying during the booking session, the session can simply run out.[1]
The same FAQ lists the ways to pay on the site: debit and credit cards, internet banking and mobile financial services, with bKash and Nagad among the options shown at checkout.[1] That is useful once your visa arrives. Before then, it leaves an applicant with two direct choices: buy the full fare now, or ask a sales office or travel agent what their own reservation terms are.
This is the gap our reservation fills. We hold seats on the route you name, under each traveller's passport name, and email the reservation in roughly 10 minutes for $9 a person. Nothing is ticketed, so nobody pays for a fare that may never be used. How long it stays live is Biman's call, never beyond 2 weeks and often less. So order it a couple of days ahead of your appointment, not the week you first start on the paperwork.
Which visa applications usually involve Biman?
Four patterns cover most of the Biman itineraries we prepare.
Visiting family in the UK. Biman's destination pages show London and Manchester, which line up with the cities where many British-Bangladeshi families live.[2] A Dhaka–London return on Biman is the plain, natural plan for a parent visiting children in east London. For the visa itself, though, read the UK section below before you spend anything.
Italy and the Schengen area. Rome appears on Biman's European list.[2] If Italy is your main destination, a nonstop Biman reservation to Rome shows the officer exactly where you land. If you're heading mainly to Germany or another Schengen state, show the route you really expect to fly, even if that means a different carrier.
Japan. Tokyo Narita is on the network too.[2] The Japanese Embassy in Dhaka asks for a two-way airline booking slip for most short-stay categories, so a round trip matters here more than almost anywhere else.[5]
Gulf and Asian routes. Biman's network also covers Middle East and Asian cities that matter to Bangladeshi workers and their families. Routes and frequencies shift by season, so check Biman's international schedule for the dates you have in mind.[3] We only hold flights that actually run on your chosen day.
What do the checklists used in Dhaka say about flights?
The carrier on your reservation is secondary. What counts is the exact word your checklist uses. Here is what we read this month for destinations Biman passengers commonly apply to.
| Destination | Official wording on flights | Does a held reservation fit? |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (Embassy, Dhaka) | "Airline Booking Slip (Two ways)" for sight-seeing, business, relatives' visits, short-term training and transit.[5] | Yes, as a round-trip booking slip. |
| Germany (Embassy, Dhaka) | "Flight reservation or travel itinerary", and: "You do not have to book the flight; you only have to reserve it."[6] | Yes. The sheet says so in plain words. |
| Schengen, general | Earliest filing: six months ahead. Latest: 15 days out. Usual decision time: 15 days.[8] | Follow the individual consulate's list. |
| United Kingdom | The Home Office guide lists flight bookings among documents that add little to a standard visit application, transit being the exception.[7] | Optional. Many applicants skip it. |
| United States | The State Department asks visitors not to purchase flights before they hold an approved visa.[9] | Useful for planning only. |
Two practical notes. First, the Japanese list asks for originals plus a photocopy of most documents, so print the reservation twice. Second, if a checklist you're given uses the words "confirmed ticket" or "paid ticket", believe it. Our reservation might fall short there, so buying a fare with sensible refund terms is the honest route. For a country-by-country view, see flight reservation requirements by country; for consulate detail across Europe, the Schengen visa guide.
Planning a Biman routing?
Dhaka to London, Rome or Tokyo on a live PNR, ready in your inbox within roughly 10 minutes. $9 a traveller.
Where do you look up a Biman reservation?
Do it yourself the evening you receive our email. It takes two minutes and saves an awkward moment at the counter.
- Open biman-airlines.com and choose Manage Booking. The site may first show a short browser security check. Let it finish on its own.
- Type the booking reference from our PDF. It has six characters, letters and digits mixed, so look twice at 0 against O and 1 against I.
- Type the last name as it is printed on the reservation, then search.[1]
- Compare the details with your application form: each name, the BG flight numbers, both dates and the airports.
- Save a dated screenshot in case the visa centre asks how you confirmed it.
If the search returns nothing, the cause is nearly always the surname field. Try the exact spelling from the PDF, without titles such as MD or MR. If it still fails, message us on WhatsApp before your appointment rather than after. Our walkthrough on verifying a reservation before submission lists the other usual suspects.
How should Bangladeshi names appear on a Biman booking?
Exactly as the passport prints them. Biman's FAQ asks for names to match the passport or other accepted ID, and warns that once a reservation is complete, a name may not be changeable; a ticket issued under a wrong name can mean cancelling and buying again, with charges.[1] For a reservation the stakes are lower, but the visa officer still compares it with your passport.
- "MD" stays "MD". If your passport says MD, don't expand it to Mohammad or Mohammed. The reservation, visa form and passport should all agree.
- Single-name passports. When there's no separate surname, airlines handle the blank field in set ways. Send us a photo of the data page first and we'll match the airline's format.
- Family names added on renewal. If a newer passport adds a surname your old visas don't show, keep a copy of the earlier passport in the file.
- Children. Each child needs a place on the reservation under their own passport name.
Our name format guide covers spacing, order and titles in more depth.
Our reservation, a paid Biman fare or an agent's booking?
Each one suits a different stage of the trip. Here's how they compare for a Dhaka–London return for one adult.
| Option | Up-front cost | Shows in Manage Booking? | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Held reservation from us | $9 per traveller | Yes, while the hold lasts | Not a ticket; the fare isn't fixed. |
| Fare paid on biman-airlines.com | Full fare, paid in the session[1] | Yes | Refund and change charges follow the fare rules. |
| Booking through a travel agent | Depends on the agency | Usually | Hold terms vary from agent to agent. |
Our honest take: if the checklist asks for a reservation, booking slip or itinerary, a held booking does the job and keeps your money free until the decision. If you're sure about the trip and the fare looks good, buying it can make sense, but read the refund conditions first. And if the checklist demands a paid ticket, pay for one.
How early should you order it?
Shortly before you're due at the embassy. Say your Japan application is due at the embassy on 12 November. We'd order the reservation on the 10th, check it on biman-airlines.com that evening, and print the two copies the embassy expects.
Use real travel dates. Schengen rules let you lodge half a year early at most, and no later than fifteen days before departure.[8] Pick dates that sit comfortably after the expected decision, and keep the length of stay the same on the form, the reservation and the hotel booking.
What comes after the visa is granted?
Then you buy the real ticket. If that's a Biman fare and your plans then move, Biman's FAQ describes the online route: open Manage Booking with the reference and last name, choose Exchange, pick the new date and pay any fare difference or fee.[1]
One limit is worth knowing. Biman's online system can't change interline tickets, meaning tickets issued together with another airline; for those it sends you to a Biman sales office or counter.[1] If your real trip combines Biman with a partner, buy it where changes are easy for you.
What mistakes do we see with Biman itineraries?
- One-way to Japan. The Dhaka embassy list says two ways. Show both directions.
- Dates that don't match the invitation. A sponsor's letter for 3–24 December and flights for 1–30 December raise questions.
- A routing nobody would fly. Adding a long detour only so that Biman appears on the page looks odd when a direct choice exists.
- Titles in the surname field. "MD" belongs where the passport puts it, not at the end.
- Edited PDFs. Never change a reservation yourself. Ask us for a new one.
Ordering a Biman-route reservation from us
Our booking form asks for your route, travel dates and every traveller's passport name; add "Biman" in the notes. Whether a BG flight can be held depends on the route and the seats available that day, so if the airline matters for your file, message us before paying.
Customers in Bangladesh pay the $9 rate. A single journey costs the same as a return, and a multi-city plan is priced by every two legs. Razorpay takes cards, UPI and netbanking; you can follow progress through order tracking. Full pricing sits on dummy ticket price. If the officer also wants a hotel, see hotel booking for visa; for what a held booking is and isn't, read flight reservation for visa. Travellers who need proof of leaving a country at the border should read onward ticket.
Please note: we supply a reservation to support your file. Approval rests with the embassy and, at the airport, with immigration; nothing we provide can promise a visa or entry.
Biman reservation questions
Is a Biman dummy ticket a genuine booking?
Yes, as a reservation. Biman's system holds it under a booking reference with your names and scheduled BG flights. Because no fare has been paid, you can't board with it. Describe it as a flight reservation on your form and letter, then buy your real ticket once the decision comes.
What does Biman's Manage Booking ask for?
The six-character booking reference, also called the PNR, and the passenger's last name. Both come straight from our PDF. If the lookup fails, compare the surname letter by letter and drop any title such as MD or MR from that field before trying again.
Can I hold a Biman fare on the website without paying?
No. Biman's FAQ explains that its online system does not keep an unpaid booking on a ticketing time limit; payment has to be completed within the booking session. A sales office or agent may offer other terms, so ask them directly if you want the airline to hold a fare.
Does the Japanese Embassy in Dhaka accept a reservation?
Its required-documents page lists an "Airline Booking Slip (Two ways)" for tourist, business and family visits rather than a paid ticket. A round-trip reservation matching your planned dates fits that wording. The embassy may still ask for more documents, so keep the original and a photocopy ready.
Should I attach a Biman booking to a UK visitor application?
It isn't required. The Home Office's supporting-documents guide puts flight bookings in the low-value group for an ordinary visit, transit cases aside. Some applicants add one to show their dates clearly. Anyone who adds one should make sure the dates line up with the form and the invitation letter.
My passport has only one name. What happens?
Send us a photo of the passport data page before you pay. Airlines fill an empty surname field according to their own conventions, and we set the reservation up the way Biman will display it. Then copy that same layout onto your visa form so all three documents agree.
How long does a Biman reservation stay live?
Up to 2 weeks, with Biman deciding the exact period, which can be shorter on some routes. Get it two or three days before the appointment, look it up on biman-airlines.com straight away, and it should still be active when your file is reviewed.
Sources
All sources last checked: October 2026.
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines, FAQ (Manage Booking, payment, name rules, date change, interline tickets).
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Destinations.
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines, International schedule.
- Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, official website.
- Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh, Required Documents.
- German Embassy Dhaka, Information sheet: Schengen visa, tourism (January 2026).
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK.
- European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs, Applying for a Schengen visa.
- U.S. Department of State, Visitor Visa.
Related: Bangladeshi travellers · Bangladesh visa · Italy visa · SriLankan Airlines reservations · onward ticket.
