Buy your ticket before the interview..

[TBoneTX 45,064]

I can even take this statistics further

So can I. Forget airfare prices. Take a revolver, load 5 bullets in the 6 chambers, close, spin, place revolver to temple, and pull trigger. Never EVER presume the granting of a visa, by a particular time or at all! Edited January 12, 2013 by TBoneTX

[jaycali 415]

question ? so if they buy a ticket before the interview outcome,go through the interview but then they dont receive a reply before the flight date,why cant they use the flight to see their fiance and then book another flight for later when they have the visa ? is it purely money being discussed here or is there another reason not to book a flight before the interview, am i missing something ? im telling myself that its money being discussed and not that its detrimental to the visa process or a refusal of entry ?

Even if you're from a VWP country or Canada, you still need a passport to travel. In most cases, the embassy will have the passport still.

[LEISEROM 32]

Unless you are in some massive hurry I wouldnt buy anything till visa in hand. When we went thru this process in 1988 my wife didnt do anything until visa in hand. We wanted to set it up so she arrived on Thanksgiving day so we had all weekend together before i went back to work. She did not sell her phone(had value then) quit her job or buy ticket until she had the visa. Now some 25 years later I offered her niece and her little girl two free FF tickets to come here from BRazil for vacation. But thats contingent on getting here passports renewed and new US tourist visas(the old ones expired). No visas no tickets is what I told her.

[san diego 407]

So can I. Forget airfare prices. Take a revolver, load 5 bullets in the 6 chambers, close, spin, place revolver to temple, and pull trigger. Never EVER presume the granting of a visa, by a particular time or at all!

What you say makes no sense. It depends on the consulate, situation, etc. If your interview is already scheduled, based on the situation, you can. If you do not understand probabilities does not mean that they don't make sense..

[TBoneTX 45,064]

It depends on the consulate, situation, etc.

If your interview is already scheduled, based on the situation, you can.

If you do not understand probabilities does not mean that they don't make sense.

Probabilities are irrelevant. Reality is the sole relevance. The reality is that people who buy return tickets before the visa is in hand are playing Russian Roulette.

[B & G 200]

Actually, I bought my tickets before the interview and got lucky. I did buy tickets for date 1 week after the interview. We flew home together. Now, let's compare prices: If you buy after visa is in hand and if you want to fly within a week it will be extremely expensive. If you buy tickets ahead of time it will be MUCH cheaper. Let's say you did not get lucky and you have to change the date. Usually there is $100-150 changing fee... Still makes sense..

Yes, the rebooking fee can be as little as that, but that is only if the fare basis of your original ticket is available on the date you want to change to. If its not, you will have to pay the rebooking fee PLUS the fare difference from the ticket you are holding to the ticket that is currently sold on the date of travel you want. That can be in the hundreds.

As others have adviced, either by a fully refundable ticket, which are quite costly or wait till your visa is issued and then look for cheapest fare you can get.

[B & G 200]

No, what is actually funny is level of your logic and statistical knowledge. You re forgetting that you would have to pay higher fair anyway since you would be buying tickets at the same time as hanging hem. For example, if higher fair is $1,500, and you bought ahead of time for $800, you have to pay $700 +$100-150 in fees. If you buy from scratch you are paying $1,500 anyway. So, all you are risking is $100-150, which is worthwhile for most people. Now, this is where statistics kicks in. Let's say the chance of visa arriving in time is 60% and 40% being late. Let's say that you buy tickets ahead of time and they cost you in average $800 (Russia to LAX). If you buy ticket 1 eek in advance once visa in hand the cost is $1,500. If you miss the plane due to late visa the cost becomes $1,650 (worst case scenario). Let's even assume that chances are 50/50 (even though they are much higher). Thus, Expected Value of the cost for visa if you buy ahead of time with chance of delay = 0.5*$1,650 + 0.5*$800 = $1,225, which is still better then $1,500. In actuality, numbers are even in greater favor of buying tickets ahead of time. the only way you can have Expected Cost better is if you do what Gary did - his fiancee arrived one month after visa was in hand. Now, this is matter of personal choice. Knowledge is power, my friend!

Wrong.

Lets say you purchased your 800 dollar ticket 3 weeks before your interview date for a flight departing 5 days after your interview. And lets say you do have to change your flight because of visa issues. When the time comes for you to call your airline they willsay.. of course you can change it sir!!!! The current ticket being sold on the date you request is 1500.00. So that 150 for you changing fee, plus 700.00 for the difference in fare.

Now you can be extremely lucky and find the same fare and only pay the changing fee, but as an airline ticketing agent for 5 years that does not happen often.

sorry..misread your post you are basically saying the same thing!

Edited January 14, 2013 by geena

[sarsorti 36]

Most folk not in the VWP have this luxury of just jumping on the plane, alas.

Or the time it takes to get a visa to enter the s/o country.

[sarsorti 36]

No, I was talking about NON_REFUNDABLE tickets. Refundable you can just get money back. Non-refundable you can exchange them for another date with $100-150 fee plus difference in fair.

My bad on R/NR tickets, however even the difference between flight cost on non-refundable can make a big difference on international flights which is what we all are.

[QueenOfBlades 224]

I don't see the issue. I'm desperate to see my fiance again and love him to death, I'm going through the process and see no reason I should be declined - however - why chance it? Why take the risk for the sake of a couple of weeks? I'm not making any irreversible decisions, not freezing my pension, booking tickets, handing my notice in at work etc till the consular officer tells me I have my visa.

It's not worth the risk. This is a very long and difficult process and there's no need to add extra stress and worry by imposing time limits on yourself.