How to Book Fixed Departure Flights, Step by Step

How to book fixed departure flights is simpler than many travellers expect: you choose a date with a Special Fixed Departure price, add the travellers, pay online and receive your ticket by email. These seats were bought in bulk ahead of travel and are sold at a fixed price on set flights and dates, with an airline PNR that is already confirmed.

This guide walks through fixed departure booking on JourneyDeal for individual travellers and families, and then for travel agents who book on behalf of their customers. A few checks along the way, especially the fare rules and the passenger names, will save trouble later.

Before you start

• Have your travel dates firm, because series fares are usually non-refundable and changes are usually not allowed or are limited
• Keep passports or government photo IDs ready, so you can copy names exactly
• Know how many adults, children and infants are travelling
• For international trips, check passport validity and visa requirements for your destination
• If you are 10 or more travellers, consider a negotiated group fare instead

Booking as a traveller

1. Search your route from our homepage, or open the fixed departure route page for your city pair, for example Delhi to Dubai or Delhi to Goa.
2. Pick your travel date. Dates with series seats show a row marked Special Fixed Departure price, along with the airline, flight timings and seats left.
3. Open the fare to read the details: baggage included, fare rules and flight times. Use Show all fares if you want to compare with normal fares on the same date.
4. Select the row and enter each traveller's details exactly as they appear on the passport or ID, plus a mobile number and email address you check regularly.
5. Review the summary page carefully: names, dates, flight, baggage, fare rules and total price for everyone travelling.
6. Pay online through our secure payment gateway.
7. The ticket is issued against the confirmed PNR and emailed to you. Keep the email and PNR handy for web check-in and the airport.

If seats run out

Fixed departure seats are limited on every date. If the seats on your chosen date are sold while you are booking, the date closes and cannot be completed. In that case, look at nearby dates on the same route page, or compare normal fares for your original date.

Booking as a travel agent

1. Register your agency for free on the travel agency registration page, with your agency name, contact details and city.
2. Upload the documents requested for the KYC check. Your account is activated once our team has verified them.
3. Log in on the agent login page and top up your wallet.
4. Search the route and date. You see the same fixed departure inventory, shown at net fares for agents.
5. Add your own markup, enter your customer's names exactly as on their documents, and pay from your wallet.
6. The ticket is issued against the confirmed PNR and emailed, and the booking stays in your agent account so you can share the e-ticket and find it again later.

Share the fare rules with your customer in writing before you take their payment, so they know that the fare is usually non-refundable.

After you book

• Check the confirmation email straight away and tell us at once if a name looks wrong
• Do web check-in when the airline opens it, using the PNR from the email
• Carry the same ID you entered at booking
• Keep your phone reachable, because airlines can change timings or cancel flights; if that happens, we contact you and help rebook or refund according to the airline's rules

Common mistakes to avoid

• Booking before leave, visas or school dates are confirmed
• Entering a nickname or skipping a middle name that is on the passport
• Assuming the baggage is the same as a previous trip, when it varies by airline and fare
• Comparing a single series seat with a normal fare for the whole family; compare totals

Want flights and hotel together

If you prefer a ready plan with flights, hotel and sightseeing on a set date, our fixed departure holiday packages and holidays pages cover popular trips in India and abroad, so you book once and travel with everything arranged.