HoldFare vs dummy tickets: what is the difference?
People search for a dummy ticket when they need proof of onward travel for a visa. Two very different products hide behind that phrase: fake or edited ticket images, and genuine reservation holds. This comparison shows how they differ and why consulates treat them differently.
What is a dummy ticket?
Usually a PDF or screenshot made to look like a flight booking – either generated by a template tool or edited from someone else's ticket. It has no booking reference in any airline system, or one that does not match the name. Some sellers even recycle the same reference for many customers.
What is a HoldFare hold?
A real reservation created in the airline's reservation system in your name, with a booking reference (PNR) that can be verified at any time during the hold period – 72 hours, 7 or 21 days for flights; 7, 14 or 31 days for hotels. You receive a PDF itinerary with a QR verification code.
Verifiability: the decisive difference
Consulates and visa centres can check a booking reference directly or through HoldFare. A fake ticket fails the first check. Submitting a forged document can also endanger the visa application itself – misrepresentation is a ground for refusal.
Price and risk comparison
Dummy ticket generators often charge 10-25 USD for a document with zero backing. A HoldFare hold costs 9.90-49.90 EUR depending on the length, covers all passengers on one reference, and if the reservation cannot be created you are refunded automatically in full. Hotel holds start from 2.00 EUR in a package with a flight.
Which one should you choose?
If the authority asking for proof of onward travel can verify the document – and most can – a verifiable reservation hold is the safer choice. You keep a genuine booking in your name for exactly as long as you need it, without buying a ticket.