higher air fare charge for K1 visa immigrants???

[Carie_Azan 35]

I want to share something very special, with you

Your welcome! definitely april 20 was one of the happiest day of my life. Even when I was pretty nervous and anxious (I remember that I barely slept the night before), I checked my luggage and documents like thousand times HAHAHA what a psyco. I also picked my the clothes I wear that day very carefully #WhatAPsyco hahaha but I was to make sure everything was ready to the big day but I also promise to myself that I will enjoy the day instead of losing my mind.

I woke up at 7 am, take a bath, made breakfast and I checked everything for the last time. By 1 pm I was ready waiting for my dad in law to picked me up and take to the airport. Once I got there it took me literally 5 min to get my boarding pass and get rid of my 3456 luggage ahahahahahahah. Usually the AA line are always super full but maybe it was still early. The airport was empty. I said goodbye to my dad in law and went to immigration. Once I got there, part of my anxiety was already gone. I was afraid of being late but I was totally ready by 2 pm and my flight was scheduled for 4.20 pm.

I'd the chance to eat, to do some shopping on the duty free, I even got a massage (there is a mini spa at the airport), then I skyped a lil bit with my parents before a boarding the plane. By 3.30 pm they were calling my flight. Thank God everything went SO well that we takeoff 30 min earlier so I texted my then fiance to be aware.

From Venezuela to Miami is a short flight only 4 hours. I remember that I read some magazines, slept, play with my phone...I handle the way to kept myself distracted from the anxiety and the boredom. I can explain how beautiful was the sunset that I saw through the airplane ticket. I saw the venezuelan shore, with the sea and this beautiful sunset like if my country was wishing me a good trip. I would never forget that.

In one moment, when I was falling sleep, the airplane started descending, and I heard when I lady told her daughter "Look we are about to land" My godddd I was thrillinggggg! I looked through the window and I saw all the roads and the houses, I literally started crying. I just couldn't help it. I just could think "WE MADEEE IT WE MADE IT". After all the struggle, the waiting, the long days and night apart, those memories were completely vanished from mind in that exact moment. I just knew in my heart that everything was totally worth it.

We landed at 8 pm. was already dark. As soon as we stop, I turned on my husband's old cellphone and text him. we always knew that I was traveling alone, so he brought me an old cellphone when he went with me to the interview. He was happy and texting my family to let them know I was already in the US. I text with him during 15 min until I arrived to the immigration line. He already knew that it will took me few hours before they released me so he was ok so do I. When it was my turn, the immigration officer ask me for my passport, took me a phto, took my finger prints and lead me to the immigration room. I got there by 9 pm.

I read a book while I was waiting cause you are not allow to use any kind of electronic device. There were a few people there from different countries. even when a super social creature hahahahaha somebody adviced me not to talk to anybody, so that's why I did. Like 40 min later a lady from American Airline staff, came to me and she ask me for my luggage tickets, I handle them and she took notes of the numbers. She told me not to worried that my suitcases are outside, waiting for me. That was a huge relief for me. Like 40 min later an officer calm and ask when I was planning to get married and told him that we don't have a date yet but within 90 days. He smiled at me, stamped my passport and said "Welcome to the United States, good luck lady" That was music to my ears.

By the moment it was already 10 pm. I was exhausted, but extremely happy. I started walking to the exit door and find all my suitcases arranged one next to another like waiting for me , the airport look like a graveyard, it was super super empty. Thank God the last airport staff member who was leaving, saw me struggling trying to climb my super heavy suitcases on the karts, so he helped me I walked to the exit and there was my fiance waiting for me. I ran into his arms, forgetting my luggage behind me. We cried, hug and kiss...finally I was home.

That was the first day of our new life together

I hope that sharing my story with you helps you with your anxiety, remember this is one more step.

I love this, you made me cry a good cry!!! thank you for this!!

[Andrea&Henry 311]

I love this, you made me cry a good cry!!! thank you for this!!

HAHAHAHAA thank you!

[Andrea&Henry 311]

I understand your reasoning, but let me give you our situation and you can then decide if I "wasted" my money. My wife received her K-1 visa in September. She wanted to finish out the semester at work plus get the permission to leave completed so she could retain ownership of her property. We decied that she would be leaving in December. One-way tickets in December were running $3200. Round-trip tickets in December were running $2300. So I bought a RT ticket and canceled the return leg which I picked to be 88 days after arrival. So I did not use half of the trip package, but I only spent $2300 verses $3200 for the using the entire trip package. So from your perspective did I waste money?

OP: Go on-line search for a cheap ticket and buy the cheaper of a one-way or round-trip that meets your needs of travel time, layover times, connection times, number of stops, transit visa requirements (if needed but you should check) and price. Notice that I put price last as IMHO for this part of the visa process all the othr factors should come before buying just the cheapest priced ticket. My wife's ticekt was more expensive because I refused to have her go thru O'Hare where the cheaper flights are. This was based on her last two trips where she had problems in O'Hare and that was with a tourist visa.

Good luck,

Dave

That was your EXPERIENCE not mine, obviously if I would found RT cheaper than a one way ticket, I would purchased it. But my case was different. A round trip ticket cost (back then) $1050 and buying my ONE WAY TICKET it only cost me $350. I dont needed to cancel any returned ticket and I saved $700.

I worked on travel agency for 2 years and in SOME cases RT tickets are cheaper. Not only that, but you traveled on a very high and expensive season, PROBABLY near Christmas day or New Years eve so that might explain why you didnt find anything cheaper

Edited February 26, 2013 by Andrea&Henry

[Andrea&Henry 311]

TO DAVE&ROZA

BTW do you want to know why SOMETIMES ONE WAY TICKETS are more expensive that ROUND TRIP??? for something very simple...When you buy a RT ticket (regardless the season) your are paying for 2 VACANT SEATS. In seasons like xmas, new years eve, holidays in general MOST of the travel businesses like travel agencies, travel websites etc know how high is the demand. People are willing to pay what it takes to catch flights to be with their loveones during the holidays. And they all know this

So what they do? Simple, even when your immigration status is nobody business, most of them ask if your are planning to move from your homecountry. Normally people who want to leave their country to live somewhere else buy one way tickets, also people who wants a long trip and doesn't know when to comeback. So they try to sell ROUND TRIP TICKETS FOR LESS CAUSE THEY KNOW YOUR ARE NOT GONNA USE THE RETURN TICKET, SO THEY CAN SELL YOUR "VACANT SEAT" TO SOMEONE ELSE. Even when they sold you your RT for much less they gained money for a return ticket you already paid for.

So my advice would be, check for both types but try to keep the OWT as first option unless you are as lucky as this vj member

Edited February 26, 2013 by Andrea&Henry

[Andrea&Henry 311]

I understand your reasoning, but let me give you our situation and you can then decide if I "wasted" my money. My wife received her K-1 visa in September. She wanted to finish out the semester at work plus get the permission to leave completed so she could retain ownership of her property. We decied that she would be leaving in December. One-way tickets in December were running $3200. Round-trip tickets in December were running $2300. So I bought a RT ticket and canceled the return leg which I picked to be 88 days after arrival. So I did not use half of the trip package, but I only spent $2300 verses $3200 for the using the entire trip package. So from your perspective did I waste money?

OP: Go on-line search for a cheap ticket and buy the cheaper of a one-way or round-trip that meets your needs of travel time, layover times, connection times, number of stops, transit visa requirements (if needed but you should check) and price. Notice that I put price last as IMHO for this part of the visa process all the othr factors should come before buying just the cheapest priced ticket. My wife's ticekt was more expensive because I refused to have her go thru O'Hare where the cheaper flights are. This was based on her last two trips where she had problems in O'Hare and that was with a tourist visa.

Good luck,

Dave

Do the math, you paid $2300 for RT ticket if you split it in half and half that would be $1150...well you just threw $1150 (the returning ticket u didn't use)...and even when the one way ticket was $3300, what u "wasted" was $150 more expensive than the difference between both prices (prize difference between OWT and RT: $1000 - price aprox of the return ticket u didn't use: $1150)

The funny part is that even when you already paid for that return ticket, the airline sold to someone else I bet for at least 2500 or more, so your little investment on them, help them to get almost $4000 for a seat that you already paid. So yes, from my perspective, even when you save almost 1000 box, it's a waste of money.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Andrea&Henry

[Fight for Love 98]

ask for "1st time immigrant fare price"...goodluck!!!

[ellerich 0]

hi everyone! i hope you are all having a good day.

i would just like to ask few things (especially to the manila K1 applicants)

1. i called a travel agency (hoping to catch some cheaper flights) and they asked me if i have an immigrant or non-immigrant visa, i answered "immigrant" since the K1 visa was categorized as such, so they gave me a flight date and a somehow cheap air fare deal for it. (just around $600 +)

then i said "wow, that's good, since i don't want my fiance to worry about the money and i'll take care of it myself" then the travel agency respondent suddenly said that K1 visa have higher visa air fare charges...then they gave me a higher priced ticket! ($800 +)

now im back looking for cheaper flights, i need to schedule a flight ASAP since i want to be with my fiance before April 13.

is there really such a thing as higher air charges for K1 petitioned visa travellers?

2. can anyone give me an advice on how to handle the "point of entry" stuff at the airport? my fiance will be there to fetch when i arrive but should i bring anything more documents? (except the yellow envelope thing, passport and CD from St. Luke's medical exam) also if anyone can help me about the process at POE.

i'm sorry if these are dumb questions, i'm just too nervous right now. i'll be leaving outside the country (and will live there) for the first time in my life. though i don't worry about living at US too much since my girl is with me.

thank you very much!!!

Onetravel.com is great, try it out

[beck26 1]

thank you very much guys! you all had been a great help! if me and my future wife can just meet all of you we would all treat you to dinner. LOL

[Sveta & Ron 23]

Andrea&Henry nearly 100% of the times I search for tickets one way was nearly 50% more then round trip. I have in past 2 years flew 6 time round trip to Ukraine and always check see if 2 one way be cheaper as thought maybe i would stay longer and yes i checked for sveta ticket however I found this be interesting should you go airlines website as from visa holders country ( in sveta's case ) same flight to usa was little cheaper even when the money exchange rate