Dealing with logistics of a one-way ticket

May 9, 2013 10:55 AM

The problem: Boyfriend has been living in Central America for several years--he's not a permanent resident or citizen, but gets his passport stamped every 3 months (just takes a quick trip across the border). This seems typical of lots of expats in the area, and there are no problems with the host country so far. Boyfriend has an Italian passport. He's currently visiting me in the States. He also visited last October, and when we were at the airport for his return flight, the nice lady at United told us he couldn't fly back to Central American country without a ticket showing that he would leave this country within 3 months

. I understand that lots of countries have this policy. She was really great, and just made a reservation showing that he was flying out of Central America in 2 mos back to Italy. The reservation expired in 24 hours. This Sunday he's leaving again (back to Central America), and I don't want to just rely on getting a nice person at United to help us out. So, as far as I can see, our options are: 1) Buy a ticket online on United, American, etc., and then cancel it within 24 hours (these airlines have a 24-hour cancellation policy); or 2) American Airlines allows you to hold a reservation for up to 24 hours (and then cancel if you don't pay within that time). I'd like to go with option 2, just to avoid putting that money on my credit card (even if it will be refunded). I just wondered if other people dealt with similar situations or had other ideas, thoughts. Thanks very much.

posted by namemeansgazelle to Travel & Transportation (16 answers total)

I don't understand - the US-based airline ticket person told him that he can't go back to Central America without a ticket showing that he'll be leaving the Central American country in 3 months? Why is she policing another country's visitation policies? I am also confused as to why he is buying one-way tickets. Isn't he buying a round trip ticket from Central America to visit you in the US and then returning to Central America?
posted by elizardbits at 11:07 AM on May 9, 2013

He can have a ticket, rail, bus, etc, that shows he's leaving his Central American country for another location. That should work.

Or, the night before he leaves, make a bogus reservation on hold.

Either way, you're covered, although this person sure is doing her dilligence.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 11:19 AM on May 9, 2013

I, too, am confused - surely it's the Central American country's border official that gets to decide whether your boyfriend gets to come in, not an airline employee? Did the border official ask to see his outgoing reservation last time?

Couldn't he just say (per Ruthless Bunny's suggestion) that he'll be leaving by bus? (This could even actually be true, if he goes to the bordering country by bus!)
posted by mskyle at 11:24 AM on May 9, 2013

My understanding is that airlines can be held responsible for deportation costs if they do not vet this particular clearance.

I don't understand why he can't legitimately prove he intends to leave the country.
posted by Lyn Never at 11:30 AM on May 9, 2013 [7 favorites]

Folks, the airline is asking for proof of onward travel because otherwise, if the passenger is denied entry then it may be the airlines responsibility to ferry the person back.

It sounds like nobody else here has encountered this. I have. A few times, on my return flight from the US to visit family, I have been asked to show "onward travel" from the UK. I live in the UK. And I've had to resolve this by actually showing the airline my residency documents.

In the OP's case, yes, an airline ticket to Italy would suffice or, as suggested above, a rail or bus ticket to another south american country. The airlines people are mostly eager to check a box and state that they fulfilled their obligation.
posted by vacapinta at 11:33 AM on May 9, 2013 [5 favorites]

Response by poster: Hi--just to clarify--Vacapinta is right. Airlines sometimes ask for proof of onward travel from certain countries--and, from my understanding, they do this because of reasons Lyn Never and Vacapinta states. If the border official denies him entry, that airline is responsible for sending him back home.

Also, elizardbits--he's not buying one-way tickets. He's going back to the Central American country on the return leg of the ticket--but to that country, it looks like a one-way, since he has no "onward travel."

Thanks very much, everyone.
posted by namemeansgazelle at 11:41 AM on May 9, 2013

All commercial carriers are obligated to check for proof of departure or proof of legal status in the destination country. Not all carriers are perfectly diligent about checking, but it's not something to take lightly. A friend of mine wasn't allowed to board a flight back to Canada from Mexico because he had forgotten his Canadian permanent resident card at home. He ended up having to apply for a document from the Canadian embassy in Mexico as proof of his legal status.

namemeansgazelle, I wouldn't even chance it with option 2 if I were you. In my experience, immigration and border officials don't view an unpaid reservation as adequate proof.
posted by keep it under cover at 11:47 AM on May 9, 2013

Does he always fly with United? It is probably a company policy.

I faced a similar issue when flying to Costa Rica last summer, on Taca. I actually had a ticket to return in three weeks, but I had bought it just the day before and there was no proper ticket yet. The lady at the counter told me she couldn´t let me go on the plane without a return ticket. It took me 45 minutes to convince her to go to the airport basement (where the airline has their offices), and check the website where I bought the ticket to confirm that I had already paid for it.

When I arrived to Costa Rica the migration officer just stamped my passport, welcomed me and told me "¡Pura vida!". He didn´t ask any questions or want to see any other document or ticket.

If the country your boyfriend is going to is Costa Rica, with what I´ve seen there I can be sure that they will never ask him for a return ticket. I would try an airline that doesn´t have that policy next time.
posted by Fermin at 11:51 AM on May 9, 2013

Which Central American country is it? I think only Costa Rica and Panama require that. He can fly into Nicaragua and bus across.

The cheaper thing to do is buy a forward ticket from Tica Bus, though.
posted by empath at 12:19 PM on May 9, 2013

Response by poster: The country is Guatemala. Of course, officials in Guatemala NEVER ask for these documents. It's the airline that requests them.

A follow-up (which I should have asked originally--sorry)--can we use a bus ticket to Mexico, for example, to get around this?

Thanks again.
posted by namemeansgazelle at 12:31 PM on May 9, 2013

Yes. You can use a bus ticket. Most of the bus companies sell forward tickets for no particular date, so your bf can by one in advance.
posted by empath at 12:39 PM on May 9, 2013

I have done exactly what you described in your question - bought a round-trip ticket, printed it out, took it with me to get a visa (in this case, that's what I needed), and then cancelled within 24 hours for a refund. Then bought a one-way ticket. I was planning to leave the country (Brazil) by bus, but they wouldn't let me get the visa with a bus ticket.

I would buy an exit flight on a different airline and print out the reservation to show the United employee at check-in, then get a refund within 24 hours. Done!
posted by amaire at 1:15 PM on May 9, 2013

I've run into this problem many times while living and working in the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. If you happen to know someone with a visiting boat a copy of their cruising permit will work as well as proof of on ward travel.
posted by danapiper at 5:01 AM on May 10, 2013

Also, I flew into Guatemala last summer on a one way ticket with no forward ticket. I flew on United.
posted by empath at 5:02 AM on May 10, 2013

Also some airlines will let you buy an open-ended return ticket with no date (has like a year expiry date or something) that you can use for proof of travel back out. They're a bit more expensive than normal tickets, and you just use it for actual travel before it expires and purchase a new one.
posted by danapiper at 5:04 AM on May 10, 2013

I'm not really up to scratch on Guatemalan bus companies, but he can book online with these folks or these folks, it looks like, and then show his online-booked bus ticket to airline people if asked. If pressed why he's not flying (they won't ask, though), tell them it's cheaper to leave by bus and see if they push it more (they won't).
posted by mdonley at 8:02 AM on May 10, 2013