JFK without US visa?
August 8, 2009 8:48 AM Subscribe
Question about transit without US visa at JFK, and alternate options.
My woman does not have time to get a US transit visa. We need to go to Mexico, from Europe. For cost reasons, we need to buy separate flights, e.g. Moscow - NYC return, and with another carrier NYC-Mexico City return.
She will only have carry-on luggage, if that helps. Is it possible for her to transfer like this at JFK without having to clear US customs?
(BONUS QUESTION: anyone know of cheap direct flights to-from Mexico City from Moscow, Istanbul, or similar?)
My woman does not have time to get a US transit visa. We need to go to Mexico, from Europe. For cost reasons, we need to buy separate flights, e.g. Moscow - NYC return, and with another carrier NYC-Mexico City return.
She will only have carry-on luggage, if that helps. Is it possible for her to transfer like this at JFK without having to clear US customs?
(BONUS QUESTION: anyone know of cheap direct flights to-from Mexico City from Moscow, Istanbul, or similar?)
Last time I transited the US, I had to clear customs, then return to the airline lounge to wait to reboard my flight. If I understand correctly, this applies to all international flights that pass through the US.
I suspect that this would apply even more so if you are changing to another carrier.
Presumably your partner is from a country that is not covered by the visa waiver program?
posted by Infinite Jest at 9:19 AM on August 8, 2009
I suspect that this would apply even more so if you are changing to another carrier.
Presumably your partner is from a country that is not covered by the visa waiver program?
posted by Infinite Jest at 9:19 AM on August 8, 2009
Response by poster: keijo - so there is no transit / connecting flight possibilities whatsoever, avoiding customs? No, she definitely doesn't qualify for the VWP.
posted by Meatbomb at 9:20 AM on August 8, 2009
posted by Meatbomb at 9:20 AM on August 8, 2009
Response by poster: Hmm... so, if I may, could I please move on to my bonus question? How to get to Mexico without the USA getting in the way?
posted by Meatbomb at 9:21 AM on August 8, 2009
posted by Meatbomb at 9:21 AM on August 8, 2009
Meatbomb, I'm sorry, but no. You always havet to clear customs and immigration when you land in the US, even if only in transit.
posted by keijo at 9:26 AM on August 8, 2009
posted by keijo at 9:26 AM on August 8, 2009
Best answer: How to get to Mexico without the USA getting in the way?
There are flights via European hubs. Wikipedia has a list of airlines flying to Mexico City.
posted by blue mustard at 9:30 AM on August 8, 2009
There are flights via European hubs. Wikipedia has a list of airlines flying to Mexico City.
posted by blue mustard at 9:30 AM on August 8, 2009
Best answer: You can fly by Iberia from Moscow to Spain, and from there to Mexico by Air Mexicana. Search edreams.com for further details of times, price, etc.
posted by essexjan at 9:31 AM on August 8, 2009
posted by essexjan at 9:31 AM on August 8, 2009
Best answer: Is it possible for her to transfer like this at JFK without having to clear US customs?
No. TWOV (transit without visa) ended in 2003.
Also, transiting Canada is out as well, unless you think she can get a Canadian transit visa faster than a US one. Here's the Canadian embassy in Moscow's page on visas - scroll to the bottom for transit visas.
Moscow/Istanbul-elsehwere in Europe-Mexico City is a much better idea. Mexico City's airport's Wikipedia page lists all destinations.
There are direct flights from Moscow to Havana on Aeroflot, too, which is served by Mexicana, though not on a low-cost basis.
A two-stopper might be cheaper as well. Check out flights to Cancun, which is served by lots of European long-haul discount/charter airlines. It's easy to connect between Mexico City and Cancun, though perhaps on a separate ticket - AeroMexico, Interjet, and ClickMexicana compete on the route.
What dates are you looking at? What passport does your wife carry? And what's your budget?
posted by mdonley at 9:52 AM on August 8, 2009
No. TWOV (transit without visa) ended in 2003.
Also, transiting Canada is out as well, unless you think she can get a Canadian transit visa faster than a US one. Here's the Canadian embassy in Moscow's page on visas - scroll to the bottom for transit visas.
Moscow/Istanbul-elsehwere in Europe-Mexico City is a much better idea. Mexico City's airport's Wikipedia page lists all destinations.
There are direct flights from Moscow to Havana on Aeroflot, too, which is served by Mexicana, though not on a low-cost basis.
A two-stopper might be cheaper as well. Check out flights to Cancun, which is served by lots of European long-haul discount/charter airlines. It's easy to connect between Mexico City and Cancun, though perhaps on a separate ticket - AeroMexico, Interjet, and ClickMexicana compete on the route.
What dates are you looking at? What passport does your wife carry? And what's your budget?
posted by mdonley at 9:52 AM on August 8, 2009
Response by poster: mdonley, you really seem to know your stuff, thanks for the other ideas here. I am busy researching your leads right now.
Dates are leave end August, return early October.
She is Tajik, so basically she needs visas for anywhere in the world aside from former USSR and Turkey.
Budget is as cheap as possible. It is for work but with a very stingy allowance, and anything over that limited budget we will have to eat.
posted by Meatbomb at 9:56 AM on August 8, 2009
Dates are leave end August, return early October.
She is Tajik, so basically she needs visas for anywhere in the world aside from former USSR and Turkey.
Budget is as cheap as possible. It is for work but with a very stingy allowance, and anything over that limited budget we will have to eat.
posted by Meatbomb at 9:56 AM on August 8, 2009
Response by poster: Oh, and the actual final destination is Oaxaca, so Cancun might be better anyways.
posted by Meatbomb at 9:57 AM on August 8, 2009
posted by Meatbomb at 9:57 AM on August 8, 2009
Best answer: Hm...Oaxaca's airport isn't served from Cancun, but you can connect in Mexico City. Also, there are amazingly comfortable buses plying the whole country. ADO is one company which is really really good - their GL (grand lujo - lujo means luxury!) buses are second to none and let you do online ticketing. Oaxaca is a bit more than 6 hours from Mexico City.
S7/Siberia Airlines, Iberia, and Aeroflot fly from Moscow to Madrid, but S7 has a stop-over in the EU, meaning the second leg is an internal Schengen flight, which she may need a visa for. Iberia and Turkish connect Istanbul to Madrid.
Air Comet and Air Europa are Spanish low-cost airlines with flights to Cancun from Madrid. Aeromexico is starting nonstops from Guadalajara to Madrid on October 1 - perhaps a special deal would be found there?
I have a feeling your wife will be the only Tajik person flying to Oaxaca on the day she arrives, or maybe ever. An amazing world we live in, no? Oaxaca is gorgeous too - a great time will be had. :)
posted by mdonley at 10:43 AM on August 8, 2009
S7/Siberia Airlines, Iberia, and Aeroflot fly from Moscow to Madrid, but S7 has a stop-over in the EU, meaning the second leg is an internal Schengen flight, which she may need a visa for. Iberia and Turkish connect Istanbul to Madrid.
Air Comet and Air Europa are Spanish low-cost airlines with flights to Cancun from Madrid. Aeromexico is starting nonstops from Guadalajara to Madrid on October 1 - perhaps a special deal would be found there?
I have a feeling your wife will be the only Tajik person flying to Oaxaca on the day she arrives, or maybe ever. An amazing world we live in, no? Oaxaca is gorgeous too - a great time will be had. :)
posted by mdonley at 10:43 AM on August 8, 2009
Best answer: Oh, and dohop lets you run searches like "DME/SAW/IST/VKO/SVO" to "MEX/OAX/CUN" all at the same time, and then "unselect" the American airports (it should say something like "26/26 airports - click this and then deselect away!).
The lowest price I found with that method for the dates I checked (29 Aug-6 Oct) was $1545 - but there were 11,000 results.
posted by mdonley at 11:04 AM on August 8, 2009
The lowest price I found with that method for the dates I checked (29 Aug-6 Oct) was $1545 - but there were 11,000 results.
posted by mdonley at 11:04 AM on August 8, 2009
Unless the price difference offers you extreme savings, I would not advise that you fly Air Europa if you will also be traveling with a different, nonpartner airline for the second leg of your journey. Otherwise, be prepared to leave a minimum of 5-6 hours difference between flights, as AE is constantly beset with delays and cancellations, and are vastly unhelpful even if you are connecting to a partner airline. AE is in all ways far inferior to Iberia, which is itself not without issues. Certainly nothing as bad as I've experienced with Air Europa, though.
And in Iberia's defense, at least they never accidentally loosed my 40kg dog on the runway in Barcelona.
posted by elizardbits at 12:06 PM on August 8, 2009
And in Iberia's defense, at least they never accidentally loosed my 40kg dog on the runway in Barcelona.
posted by elizardbits at 12:06 PM on August 8, 2009
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posted by keijo at 9:16 AM on August 8, 2009