How to check flight ticket status: booking code vs e-ticket
A booking reference proves a reservation exists. A 13-digit e-ticket number proves the ticket was issued. How to check both, and why OTA bookings sit pending.
Your ticket is issued once the airline has attached a 13-digit e-ticket number to your booking. A six-character booking reference (the PNR) only shows that a reservation was recorded. To check, open the airline’s manage-booking page with your reference and last name, and look for the ticket number on the trip or in your confirmation email.
At a glance
- Booking reference (PNR): a short alphanumeric code, six characters at Virgin Atlantic. It identifies the reservation.
- E-ticket number: 13 digits. It confirms the ticket was issued.
- Prefix: the first three digits name the issuing airline (as of October 2026: Delta 006, Air France 057, KLM 074).
- Booked through a travel site: “pending” means the airline has not confirmed yet. Most clear within minutes, some take up to 24 hours.
- Your own itinerary or receipt: available from the airline’s manage-booking page when you bought from the airline.
- Booked directly with an airline at least a week out: the 24-hour rule may give you a window to fix a mistake.
What is the difference between a booking reference and an e-ticket number?
A booking reference identifies the reservation. An e-ticket number identifies the ticket. Virgin Atlantic’s booking help page describes its booking reference as a six-character alphanumeric code found on the booking confirmation, and says the eTicket number is 13 digits long and appears on your tickets and booking confirmation.
The practical difference is what each one proves.
| Booking reference (PNR) | E-ticket number | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Six characters at Virgin Atlantic | 13 digits |
| What it proves | A reservation was recorded | Ticket issuance and payment were completed |
| What you use it for | Looking up and managing the trip | Receipts and ticket queries |
| Exists before ticketing? | Yes | No, it appears once the ticket is issued |
Some airlines show other labels (confirmation number, record locator), so read the field name on your own email.
What do the first three digits of an e-ticket number mean?
The first three digits identify the airline that issued the ticket. Virgin Atlantic’s help page lists its partners’ prefixes, which gives three checkable examples as of October 2026:
| Airline | Ticket prefix |
|---|---|
| Delta | 006 |
| Air France | 057 |
| KLM | 074 |
Delta’s own receipts page agrees on its prefix: ticket numbers are 13 digits and start with 006. The other ten digits are specific to your ticket. The prefix tells you which airline issued the ticket, not which flight you are on.
How do I check my ticket status on the airline’s website?
Open the airline’s manage-booking page, enter the booking reference and the passenger’s last name, and look for a ticket number on the trip. Airline names for this page vary: Delta calls it My Trips, and Air Canada’s page offers “Retrieve your booking” to view or print your itinerary.
- Find the reference in your confirmation email.
- Enter it with the last name exactly as booked.
- Look for the ticket number, usually shown with the passenger’s details or in the receipt.
- If the reference works but no ticket number appears, the booking exists and ticketing may not have finished.
If the airline’s page cannot find the booking at all, check the email address you booked with, then wait and retry before assuming something is wrong. Some booking sites show you their own reference, which is not the airline’s, so look for a separate airline confirmation code in the email.
Checking the ticket is not the same as checking the flight. For delays, gates and cancellations on travel day, see how to check flight status.
Why does my booking show pending on a travel site?
Pending means the travel site has asked the airline to issue the ticket and has not yet heard back. Trip.com’s help page describes it this way: pending or processing means it is still waiting for the airline, and the seat is not yet fully confirmed. Its own timing note says most tickets are issued within a few minutes, some airlines take up to 24 hours, especially at peak times or on international flights, and you should contact support if nothing changes after that.
Other agencies use different words, so read their help page for the exact status names. The signal that matters is the same everywhere: a reference alone is not a ticket, and the e-ticket number is the proof.
What should I do after booking through a travel site?
Confirm within the first day that you have the e-ticket number, because that is when a problem is cheapest to fix. 14 CFR 259.5(b)(4) requires a covered carrier to let you hold a reservation at the quoted fare without payment, or cancel it without penalty, for at least 24 hours after booking, if you booked one week or more before departure. Our piece on the 24-hour flight rule covers who it applies to. The regulation text does not mention travel agents, so for an agency booking read the agency’s own cancellation terms before you rely on any window.
This is where a fare alert and a booking meet. A Flydar alert tells you a fare dropped on a route you watch, and you then book, either with the airline or through a site that sells it. Flydar does not issue tickets, hold bookings or show whether a ticket was issued, so the check in this article is yours to run. Do it the same day you book.
How do I get a copy of my itinerary or receipt from the airline?
Open the airline’s manage-booking page, retrieve your trip, and view, print or email the itinerary or receipt from there. This works for a ticket you bought and gives you the same document the airline would send.
- Air Canada: retrieve your booking to view or print the itinerary.
- Delta: in My Trips, enter first name, last name and confirmation number, then use Email Receipt under Payment Details. Within 24 hours of your last flight this is self-service. After that, a delta.com login gives access to receipts from the past 24 months, and without one Delta asks you to email its ticket receipt team with the ticket number.
- Booked through an agency: Delta’s page says to contact that agency or site for a copy of the ticket.
Use it for an expense claim or as proof for an employer. This only works for a ticket you bought, and because it comes from the airline’s own system, it matches what the airline holds.
What if the ticket was never issued?
If the booking site has not delivered an e-ticket number after about a day, contact the site, quoting its reference and your payment details, and ask whether the airline accepted the ticketing request. Do not rebook until you know the first booking is dead, or you may hold two tickets.
Before you fly: ticket checklist
- Booking reference saved, and the airline’s own confirmation code if you booked through a site.
- 13-digit e-ticket number present on the confirmation or the airline’s trip page.
- Itinerary downloaded or printed from the airline’s manage-booking page.
- Within 24 hours of booking, ticket status confirmed, not left on pending.
Sources
- Virgin Atlantic: retrieve booking help (checked October 2026)
- Delta: receipts and other helpful information (checked October 2026)
- Air Canada: manage my booking (checked October 2026)
- Trip.com: flight ticketing status (checked October 2026)
- 14 CFR 259.5, Cornell LII (checked October 2026)
Common questions
- How do I check whether my flight ticket has been issued?
- Look for a 13-digit e-ticket number on your confirmation email or on the airline's own page for your trip. A six-character booking reference alone only shows the reservation was recorded. If you booked through a travel site and the status still reads pending, the airline has not yet confirmed the ticket, so contact the site once a day has passed.
- What is the difference between a booking reference and a ticket number?
- A booking reference (PNR) is a short alphanumeric code, six characters at Virgin Atlantic, that identifies the reservation and is used to look up and manage the trip. The ticket number is a 13-digit number printed on the e-ticket itself. You can have a reservation before the ticket is issued, which is why the ticket number is the proof.
- What do the first three digits of an e-ticket number mean?
- They identify the airline that issued the ticket. As of October 2026, Delta tickets start with 006, Air France with 057 and KLM with 074, according to the list on Virgin Atlantic's booking help page. The remaining ten digits are specific to your ticket, so the prefix tells you who issued it, not which flight you are on.
- Why does my booking show pending on a travel site?
- Pending usually means the travel site is still waiting for the airline to confirm and issue the ticket. Trip.com's help pages say most tickets are issued within a few minutes, some take up to 24 hours, and you should contact support if the status has not changed after that. The same pattern applies at other agencies, so check the agency's own help page.
- Can I get a copy of my itinerary or receipt from the airline?
- Yes, if you bought the ticket. Open the airline's manage-booking page, enter the booking reference and last name, and view or print the itinerary there. As of October 2026, Air Canada lets you view and print it after retrieving the booking, and Delta emails a receipt from My Trips. If you booked through an agency, ask the agency.
- Does Flydar show my ticket status?
- No. Flydar watches fares on the routes you set and emails you when one drops clearly below what that route normally costs. It does not issue tickets, hold bookings or show booking status. After you book, the airline or the travel site you booked through is the place to confirm the ticket was issued.
Last updated October 28, 2026.