When do I get my confirmation number?
You'll get your airline confirmation number once your trip is paid in full. After your final payment goes through, our team releases it to you, usually within 24 hours on weekdays.
Until then, it's completely normal for your trip to have a payment schedule and no confirmation number yet. Nothing is wrong with your booking, and your trip price is already protected.
What a confirmation number is
Your confirmation number is the code the airline uses to find your reservation. It's usually a short mix of letters and numbers, and some airlines call it a record locator. You'll use it to check in for your flight, and to look up or manage your trip on the airline's website or app.
It isn't the same as your Defera booking reference, which is the code at the top of your booking confirmation email. Your booking reference is how we find your trip at Defera, but it isn't something the airline can look up.
How the release works
You don't need to do anything to get the process started. Here's what happens:
- You make your final payment. As soon as it goes through, a "Confirmation Number Release" request is sent to our team for you automatically. You'll see it as a card on your trip page.
- Our team releases your confirmation number. They work Monday through Friday, Pacific time.
- We email you. When your confirmation number is ready, you'll get a "Your trip has been paid off!" email. Tap Get Confirmation Number in the email to see it, or open Trips and tap your trip.
- The airline emails you too. You'll also hear from the airline directly, at the email address on your booking.
How long it takes
It depends on when your final payment goes through:
- Monday through Thursday, or Friday morning (Pacific time): expect your confirmation number within 24 hours.
- Friday afternoon or over the weekend: expect it on Monday, or Tuesday at the latest.
For example, if your last payment goes through on a Wednesday morning, you can expect your confirmation number by Thursday morning. If it goes through on a Saturday, look for it on Monday.
Sometimes our team schedules a release for a specific date. If yours has been scheduled, your trip page shows that date, and that's the day to expect your confirmation number.
What if it's taking longer?
If it's been longer than that, or you don't see the release card on your trip page, open your trip in Trips and tap Finished paying for your trip? in the payment schedule. It sends the request if one wasn't sent, or confirms that yours is already being handled.
If you're still waiting after that, chat with the Defera Concierge, our AI concierge. It can check on your trip and send a request to our team. I've paid off my trip. Where's my confirmation number? walks through this step by step.
Can I get it sooner?
Yes. Because your confirmation number comes once your trip is paid in full, paying off your remaining balance early gets it to you sooner, and there's no penalty for paying early. Open your trip in Trips, tap Make a Payment, and choose Pay off. Paying off your trip early explains how it works.
Your trip price is already protected
Waiting for your confirmation number doesn't put your price at risk. Your trip price was secured when your booking was approved, and it stays protected as long as you keep up with your payment plan, no matter when your confirmation number arrives. Price protection vs. your confirmation number explains how the two fit together.