How to Read an Airline Flight Itinerary Document: PNR, Fare Class, Dates

How to Read Your Flight Itinerary Document

An airline flight itinerary or reservation confirmation contains numerous codes, abbreviations, and standardized aviation symbols. Understanding how to interpret your itinerary ensures that your documentation is 100% accurate before submitting it to an embassy.

Key Elements on a Flight Itinerary

• Booking Reference / PNR: A 6-character code (e.g., W4TX9K) that uniquely identifies your reservation across airline databases.
• Passenger Details: Name formatted as SURNAME/FIRSTNAME TITLE (e.g., SMITH/JOHN MR). Middle names are frequently appended directly to first names without spaces.
• Flight Identifier: 2-letter airline IATA code followed by 3–4 digits (e.g., EK 201 for Emirates, TK 1985 for Turkish Airlines).
• Airport & Terminal Codes: 3-letter IATA codes indicating departure and arrival airports (e.g., JFK for New York, LHR for London Heathrow) along with specific terminal numbers.
• Booking Class (Fare Class): A single letter (e.g., Y for full-fare economy, M, K, L for discounted economy, J, C for business class).
• Status Code: Indicates the reservation state (e.g., Confirmed or HK).

Verifying Accuracy Before Submission

Always double-check that your passport surname matches the itinerary spelling precisely, and ensure that AM and PM arrival times are not confused, especially on overnight intercontinental flights.