PNR vs E-Ticket Number: What's the Difference and How Airlines Verify Them

What is a PNR?

PNR stands for Passenger Name Record. It is the record an airline or reservation system (such as Amadeus, Sabre or Travelport) creates when a seat is reserved. You see it as a 6-character code of letters and numbers, for example VCOI2R, often called the booking reference or confirmation code.

The PNR holds the passenger names, the flights, contact details and the status of each flight segment. Crucially, a PNR can exist without a ticket: many airlines allow a reservation to be held for a limited time before payment, after which it is cancelled automatically if no ticket is issued.

What is an e-ticket number?

An e-ticket number is a 13-digit number issued when the fare has been paid and the ticket is created. The first three digits identify the airline that issued the ticket (for example 125 for British Airways, 176 for Emirates, 098 for Air India). The remaining ten digits are the ticket's serial number.

Each passenger gets their own e-ticket number, while everyone on the same booking usually shares one PNR. The ticket contains one 'coupon' per flight, and each coupon's status changes as you travel (open, checked in, flown).

PNR vs e-ticket: side-by-side comparison

How to check a PNR or e-ticket yourself

1. Open the operating airline's 'Manage booking' page.
2. Enter the 6-character booking reference and the passenger's surname exactly as on the passport.
3. Check the flights, dates and passenger names match what you expect.
4. Look for a ticket number on the booking or in the airline's confirmation email; if one is shown, the booking has been paid and ticketed.
5. If the airline site says the booking cannot be found, confirm whether the reference is the airline's own code or a travel agent's internal reference, and ask the seller for the airline reference.

Airlines, travel agents and other officials who need to check a booking typically look it up in the same way, either on the airline site or directly in a reservation system.

Common flight status codes inside a PNR

You rarely see these codes on airline websites, but they explain why a booking can look 'confirmed' and still need attention, for example after the airline retimes a flight.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating a booking reference as proof of payment. Only a ticket number confirms the fare has been paid.
• Confusing an agency order number with the airline PNR. Agencies often have their own reference; the airline code is the one that works on the airline's site.
• Ignoring schedule-change emails. A retimed flight may need you to accept the new times before check-in works smoothly.
• Mistyping the surname. Lookups usually need the surname exactly as booked, without titles.

Frequently asked questions