My Wife's CR1 Just Got Approved! Need help planning on plane ticket!

[srogue 0]

Hey guys! My wife just called me to let me know her interview for a CR-1 was approved!

I have enough FF miles on continental to buy myself a round trip ticket to go see her and pick her up, but the only flights that continental has available for purchase with FF miles near Manila anytime soon is Hong Kong or Narita. if I want to go straight to Manila, it will mean waiting until Jan 31st!! But if I go to hong kong, I can go tonight if I wanted!! So the question is: since my wife has a visa now, can we book a flight on Cebu Pacific Air from cebu to Hong Kong, and then transfer to our flight from hong kong to USA, or would she need a visa to transfer in the airport in hong kong? I've never had experience like this before, but if any of you have had experience like this, please let me know! I would prefer to be able to go travel back with her now than waiting 2 more months!

Thanks alot!

[annaprice 17]

wait till you have actual visa on hand. i had my interview november 18,2009 and still until now tracking number not found and hell yeah i cant do anything i cant call that damn call center with a prepaid phone wow

[tallcoolone 102]

Get Visa in Hand, and do the CFO (If needed for CR1 Visa).

Then book a flight anywhich way you can to USA, I personally do as little lay overs as I can, it can make for a longer flight home, especially if you miss a connecting flight.

[srogue 0]

Get Visa in Hand, and do the CFO (If needed for CR1 Visa).

Then book a flight anywhich way you can to USA, I personally do as little lay overs as I can, it can make for a longer flight home, especially if you miss a connecting flight.

Yeah, I am going to wait till we have the visa for sure, but I don't plan on flying until at least next week, and then my wife has some things to do there and we won't fly out for at least a couple of weeks after I arrive, so we will spend some time there with her family before we leave.

Yeah I have the layovers... i've been to the Phils. 3 times now, this will be the 4th, and the longest layover I had was a 10 hour layover in Inchon Korea the last trip I took... the only thing making it tolerable was they had a free internet cafe, so I spent about 8 hours chatting to my wife!

I guess the only other question I have is: Would my wife need a chinese/Hong Kong visa to transfer from a Cebu Pacific Air flight, onto a continental flight in Hong Kong, or would she not go through immigrations/customs in Hong Kong? Or if she did, would her US Visa get her through there?

Thanks!

ps. oh and yeah, we already did CFO since she needed it to get her passport, thankfully that is over! But, she does need to go back to get it stamped or whatnot. Thanks for reminding me!!

Edited November 20, 2009 by srogue

[tallcoolone 102]

She will not need a hong kong / china visa to transfer plane.

Her US Visa will be her Golden Ticket......

[Nenita and David 1]

I guess the only other question I have is: Would my wife need a chinese/Hong Kong visa to transfer from a Cebu Pacific Air flight, onto a continental flight in Hong Kong, or would she not go through immigrations/customs in Hong Kong? Or if she did, would her US Visa get her through there?

Phils citizens don't need a visa to enter Hong Kong for stays of up to 14 days. U.S. citizens can stay for up to 90 days without a visa.

http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm

[srogue 0]

I guess the only other question I have is: Would my wife need a chinese/Hong Kong visa to transfer from a Cebu Pacific Air flight, onto a continental flight in Hong Kong, or would she not go through immigrations/customs in Hong Kong? Or if she did, would her US Visa get her through there?

Phils citizens don't need a visa to enter Hong Kong for stays of up to 14 days. U.S. citizens can stay for up to 90 days without a visa.

http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm

I totally appreciate this information! Thanks so much! This will make my travel plans a lot easier

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Another note on these stop/lay-overs...

Technically you have not entered the host country until you have gone through their immigration. This is usually not required as you can move between the terminals without passing through immigration.

[mbates 0]

THis is who i sued to book a flight he can book your flight in with only three days out so its pretty fast and cheap

Michael

Jeff Jenks

248 546-3361 or 800 736-6814

[NutMagnet 2]

Yes, she can go to Honkers on Cebu Pacific on her Philippine passport. Be advised that many find Cebu Pacific's web site impossible to book via credit card. Only one out of six of my US issued credit cards, a Master Card works.

Also know that that Cebu Pacific has a 15kg limit and you will be socked for P400/kg over limit. You can prepay for your excess baggage in 5kg increments online and at a discount. Carry on baggage limited to 7kg and YES they have a scale at the gate. Bring cargo pants and a fanny pack to stuff the extra things, then reload your carry on while whistling down the jetway.

Cebu Pacific just loves to change departure times with no notice given to ticket holders. They also cancel fights if not sufficiently full. No compensation offered and the next available flight may be days away, if there is a difference in the fare, you will be paying that too. Getting a refund is like pulling teeth and nearly impossible is the ticket was paid in cash.

All things considered, best to use a US airline to get her out of the RP and into the states. Forget Cebu Pacific altogether.

[edp333 9]

First off congrats on the approved CR1 visa. Consolidating flights with one being a one-way ticket can be challenging. One suggestion is to call the airlines themselves to get assistance and contiguous seats. The drawback is most airlines have increased their booking fees.

[Nenita and David 1]

Be advised that many find Cebu Pacific's web site impossible to book via credit card. Only one out of six of my US issued credit cards, a Master Card works.

The last time I tried to book online, the CC wouldn't work and I ended up having to call. They told me that they are no longer accepting international CC's. Not a good business strategy, for sure.

Cebu Pacific just loves to change departure times with no notice given to ticket holders.

When we went on our honeymoon to Boracay, we arrived at the gate 45 minutes early. Scarcely 2 or 3 minutes after we got there, they started boarding the plane. It took off 20 minutes early. Who knows if any passengers were left behind.

When we landed at Caticlan, the flight attendant actually had the nerve to announce, "We are glad to announce that our flight has landed 20 minutes early." Uh, yeah - because you left 20 minutes early!

Forget Cebu Pacific altogether.

I rather agree.

[Old Dominion 26]

Cebu Pacific is unreliable in many ways. Any other way for her to get to Hong Kong?

Be forewarned, but good luck!

[Dakine 26]

Don't forget to ask for the "first time immigrant" ticket discount. My wife and anak got about 20%. PAL THO.

I flew them business class. Nice thing also flying Mabuhay class was they could reschedule without any additional fees.

They were stooked as they used the Mahuhay lodge at the airport and left PI like thq "queens" they are.

Edited November 27, 2009 by Dakine

[Mike's Lucy 14]

Congratulations