Please help-Schengen Visa Problems

11fernsroad

Hi
One of our relatives wishes to visit Rome and Paris when she arrives to stay with us in UK next month.She has already been granted UK visa.But to visit European countries she needs Schengen Visa.
To apply for Schengen Visa she needs to provide the embassy with Hotel Booking and Flight tickets to Rome and Paris.But they say there is no guarantee that she will be issued visa after all these!!So I should be able to cancel the room and flights is her application for Schengen Visa is rejected.
Hence can anybody advice me of any FULLY REFUNDABLE Hotel Booking Websites and Flight Booking websites,in case her application is not successful.
many thanks

nearlyrich

Booking.com do refundable room flights might be trickier

MasterPoo

well you could always book THE CHEAPEST Rynair flights you can find, if you're in luck you could find the $9.99, and then if it gets denied you won't have lost THAT much?!?!?!

Or book a cheap train holiday to another Schengen country e.g. UK to France by train, that shouldn't cost over £100's

(pre condition to all my suggestions is that you must be willing to write off X amount if visa does get denied, which I think it shouldn't if your cousin meets criteria)

InsideInsurance

Hotels.com, Booking.com, the hotel websites themselves, as long as you avoid tour operators and "prepay discounts" then most will be fully refundable with notice period. Some notice periods are as short as 4pm on the day of arrival and others may be a week or two.

Flights again, price via the likes of Kayak and book direct with the airline but choose the fully flexible option. This is normally considerably more expensive and so certainly check that it wouldnt be better to buy an ultra budget flight and write it off -v- paying silly money for the ticket if she does get the visa.

benjus

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Flights again, price via the likes of Kayak and book direct with the airline but choose the fully flexible option. This is normally considerably more expensive and so certainly check that it wouldnt be better to buy an ultra budget flight and write it off -v- paying silly money for the ticket if she does get the visa.

If she could buy a fully refundable flight on a credit card, she could cancel the flight once the visa decision has been made and re-book a cheaper flight.

InsideInsurance

benjus wrote: »

If she could buy a fully refundable flight on a credit card, she could cancel the flight once the visa decision has been made and re-book a cheaper flight.

Well, she could book it my any payment method and do the same.

Flights typically get more expensive as you get closer to the flying time so again you have to balance buying a very cheap option and write it off if the visa is denied -v- buying a flexible ticket, cancelling it either way and buying a more expensive flight if its granted (but will be an unknown price until the visa is actually granted)

benjus

InsideInsurance wrote: »

Well, she could book it my any payment method and do the same.

True, but at least with a credit card it wouldn't be her money so she'd just have to cover the interest on it.

InsideInsurance

benjus wrote: »

True, but at least with a credit card it wouldn't be her money so she'd just have to cover the interest on it.

Assuming she has the funds, paying ~16% interest on a credit card is worse than losing ~2% interest on savings. Obviously these numbers have to be adjusted for the rates in the country in question though it'd be rare that borrowing was lower interest than saving (otherwise the bank loses money)

eDicky

To obtain a hotel booking on one of the booking sites without paying for it, you can usually enter the details of a prepaid card with little or no credit and the booking goes through. Later of course you get an email asking for alternative payment or contact, but you will already have your booking confirmation to show the embassy.

I sometimes do this to have a hotel booked as backup, eg when hoping to be invited to stay with friends. The booking usually stays in a big hotel's system and you can pay on arrival if you use it. Of course, it's unlikely to work with a small hotel / guesthouse, and I wouldn't want to do it to them.

It might even work on a flight booking site (not on an airline site direct of course) - never tried it.

Voyager2002

Are you sure that she needs air (or train) tickets, or simply reservations?

I am posting a link to a blog: warning, I know nothing about the person or the business he runs, but the suggestion is plausible. It is probable that the travel agent that has arranged her journey to the UK would be willing to make flight reservations and provide the paperwork without additional charge.
http://www.dreameurotrip.com/how-to-book-roundtrip-flight-itinerary-flight-reservation-for-visa-application/