Problems Caused By One-Way Tickets for Everyone Including Round the World Travelers

by brian on January 28, 2010

We talked previously about one-way tickets and the problems they may cause, which seemed to cause more confusion than anything else.

Some people have had no problems entering a country. Someone else may have to buy a departure plane ticket or has been sent straight back to the originating country.

Nothing is consistent.

I reached out to travelers all around the world for stories when they were prevented from entering a country…or at least asked more questions than usual about their one-way tickets.

These are their stories…(Cue the Law and Order sound)

From Edward:
I read about people traveling from the UK (London) to Mexico with a plane change in Atlanta. At Atlanta, United States customs sent them back to Europe, forbidding them to travel to Mexico, because they had not decided which Latin American country they would go to from Mexico on their holiday. Hence they had no onward ticket from Mexico. A personoid from Triton, a moon of Neptune, might ask “But isn’t that the Mexican government’s business?” A personoid from Nereid, another moon of Neptune, might ask “Why did they have to go through US customs at all?” When I traveled Detroit-Istanbul via Amsterdam, I did not have to enter/exit the Schengen area in Schipol Airport — that airport is laid out so cleverly that the Schengen passport control area is NOT between the arrival gate from Detroit and the departure gate to Istanbul. The passport control area IS between the arrival gate from Detroit and the departure gate to Helsinki — Helsinki is in FInland and Finland is in the Schengen area. How clever!

So understand that passing through a country can be an issue. But you’re never sure where that can happen. This is exactly what happened to me. I switched from Vietnam Airlines to Thai Airways, which means I had to pass through the regular screening process.

From Joe:
I was in Brazil & had to return to the States for work during the middle of my trip to Salvador. So I purchased a ticket SSA (Salvador, Bahia)- MIA (Miami International)- SSA (Salvador, Bahia) on American Airlines When I went to return to Brazil, the ticket agent in MIA made me show evidence that I had a return ticket back to the US before he would give me the boarding pass to use this return ticket to Brazil. Fortunately, I had this other trip’s itinerary with me since it was on another airline.

This example supports your point about using one way tickets internationally. And even traveling in the US, when I am flying only one way, I’m more likely to be selected for extra screening.

From Traveling G:
I was in Vietnam and had a one-way ticket to Manila on Cebu Pacific, but they wouldn’t let me check-in because I didn’t have an onward ticket out of Manila. No problem, I said, I’ll just buy one now since I’m at the airport, but they said they couldn’t sell Cebu Pacific tickets. It was around midnight and the only ticket counter open was Vietnam Airlines. So I went over there and they told me I had to buy a full-fare one-way open ticket from Vietnam Airlines to go from Manila to Hong Kong even though Vietnam Airlines didn’t fly that route and even though I wasn’t planning on going to Hong Kong. They tried to explain that somehow the ticket could be used on Philippine Airlines but couldn’t offer me any printed information that stated that.

I said, instead of that, why don’t I buy a ticket either to where I’m planning to go next or to somewhere that your airline flies, but they said that I should buy this specific ticket and just get the refund later, minus a $15 fee. So I went ahead and got it so I could board the flight. After I arrived, I went to the ticket office to get the refund, and they gave me a refund receipt but, as I found out later, they didn’t actually credit it back to my card. It took another 3 months and many phone calls, but I’m happy to say that the refund was finally processed.

Read on so that this does not happen to you

From Katia:

Well I went to South Korea in 2008 with a round trip ticket. I decided to stay in Korea more time but I lost my return ticket. I go out from South Korea and come back every 3 months to get a new visa (tourist). So one day I go to Japan on Asiana Airlines and back and they don’t allow me in Korea, because I’m living in Korea , not just a tourist there. I go to this migration room. They asked me everything!! What I’m doing in Korea etc. They even checked if my boyfriend is in Korea or not.

I was forced to stay in a room at the airport for ONE WEEK. They pushed me to buy a ticket to MEXICO. I said everyday that I don’t have any money. The airline tried to sell me a ticket and when I said again I couldn’t pay, they came back with a free ticket to Mexico.

If the country you go to doesn’t allow you to enter, you are the problem of the airline. Those are the rules between the airline and the country. The airline gave me free food all that week. They have instructions not to give a boarding pass if you don’t have a valid visa or a return ticket. If the airlines don’t follow the instructions of the country, they have to take care of you.

From Q:
I did not have problems per se, but leaving HK for Ho Chi Minh City, I had to provide detailed information as to where I was staying and why I only had a one way ticket. It was because I was traveling with Intrepid Travel through Vietnam, through Cambodia, ending in Thailand.

I never felt hassled, I felt it was just routine questioning. I did not have to go through extra security or anything like I have in the US, but then again, I was flying Business class. The airline was Cathay Pacific.

From Gary:
I wasnt denied entry, but had issues entering French Polynesia from Easter Island. I was going to buy my ticket out of Tahiti from Easter Island, but they only issued paper tickets at the time.
When I went through immigration, they made me purchase a $1,000 ticket to LA which I could refund the next day (which of course raises the question, if I could refund it, why bother making me get it??)

French territories in the Pacific are the only places that I’ve had check on my outbound tickets.

From Stephen:
What country gave you problems?
Flying from Paris to New York in 1995

Were you told at the airport when you landed that you would be denied? At the airport of departure?
At the point of departure in Paris

Were you forced to buy a departure ticket or if you already landed in the country in question, were you forced to take the next flight out?
Yes

Were you questioned by airport security or airline desk agents? How did you verify that you had a departure ticket or had legitimate reasons for being there on a one way ticket?
No – simply told to buy a return ticket from New York back to Paris before I could leave.

So what did we learn?

Get the visa in advance

This is something I tried to do before I left on my round the world trip. Not only does it save time when you land at the airport, it seems you had your name run through databases before you were issues a visa. This is no guarantee they’ll let you enter but seems to better the odds.

I did this for Ethiopia even though I could of gotten it at the airport. Thinking back on the LONG line for Customs/Immigration when I arrived in Addis Ababa, I’m glad I did it before I left.

I recommend a site like Project Visa to figure out the requirements before you arrive. Unfortunately I found no such resource for one-way tickets and whether it was a requirement of the country or the airline.

This is also a problem if the country does not have a visa requirement for your nationality. Sometimes all you get is a stamp in your passport when you arrive. No formal application or large sticker that goes in your passport.

Cross borders over land

Crossing borders on bus or by foot does not seem to be a problem. Only if you decided to go by air did the lack of a departure ticket cause a problem.

I felt like if things were not in order at a border crossing, things can happen for “an extra price”, especially in Southeast Asia. I would not expect for that to happen at an airport where there is more scrutiny and accountability.

Forced to buy a ticket? Get a refundable ticket or ticket where the dates can be changed

This was the strategy of a few of our travelers. The airlines tried to work with them and show them ways they could fly.

Airlines seem to want to help the customer, but they have regulations to follow set by governments. So they try to tell you ways around the conditions while satisfying the departure ticket requirement. Fortunately for airlines it means you need to buy that ticket.

Any more suggestions on one-way tickets? Been held up at an airport because you had no proof you were going to leave?

Let us know in the comments below.

Good travels everyone!

Photo Credit: striatic