One way tickets not allowed?

[mavmb 0]

I am an American Citizen with an American Passport. I know can stay in the Dominican Republic up to ninety days without a visa. I bought one way tickets to the Dominican Republic as I didn't know what day we would actually get the visa. Well, I had a problem at the airport in Phoenix, Arizona. American Airlines wouldn't let me go on my flight until I bought a return ticket! They said I cannot go to a different country unless I showed proof of leaving! Ridiculous! Of course, now they are going to charge me a 200 dollar fee when I have to change my flight! Has anyone else had this problem?

[malivisa 0]

Yes! Had the same problem when I tried to go to Peru. I was forced to buy an extremely expensive return ticket at the gate, as the flight was boarding, otherwise I would have missed the flight. Turned out to be a disaster as the airline told me it would be returnable and when it printed out it said it clearly was not. Even if a visa isn't needed to enter the country we still need return tickets:(

[Ryan H 3,818]

***Moved from K1 Process & Procedures to Caribbean regional forum; topic is not about the fiance(e) visa process.***

**Moderator hat off**

While a visa may not be required to enter a country, a country may require a traveler to hold a return or onward ticket. If that requirement is not met, an airline may not let a passenger board as they could be fined by a country for transporting a passenger to their territory that did not have evidence of return or onward travel or proper documentation.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Ryan H

[fantonledzepp 159]

Try doing that being from another country and flying to the US. What the airline requires of you is fair.

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

Same thing happened to me in early September from Las Vegas flying out to Colombia on Spirit.. Luckily I had purchased a return ticket on Avianca and was able to pull up the info on the tripit app on my tablet. I've done the flight many times before and it has never been brought when checking in.. but when you purchase one way tickets online the warning pops up (I've always ignored it) so there is no new regulation.. They are just enforcing what is already on the books.

My wife did not have a return ticket as she was planning on spending a few more weeks with her family... That was not a problem.

Edited October 12, 2013 by OnMyWayID

[charoyelvys 6]

Yes this happened to me last year going from Ft. Lauderdale to Santo Domingo. I was told that it was to "ensure" that we return... LIKE REALLY... THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING EVER. If I wanted to stay in another country I would just not come back (regardless of ticket purchased). I was luck that my friend who also works for Jetblue was able to give me a buddy pass and did not have to pay $600 for my return flight or my daughters.

I did notice that my parents who are naturalized US citizens are not required to buy a round-trip due to them being Dominican born.

To me it's just Ridiculous and a way to get people to spend ridiculous amounts of $ at last minute.

[Darnell 8,478]

Education costs money.

<EOM>

[ANJOS 27]

I've traveled to DR with a one way ticket.. JetBlue didn't say anything about it. Is that an airline requirement or just international travel policies?

[jalvarez320 8]

I am an American Citizen with an American Passport. I know can stay in the Dominican Republic up to ninety days without a visa. I bought one way tickets to the Dominican Republic as I didn't know what day we would actually get the visa. Well, I had a problem at the airport in Phoenix, Arizona. American Airlines wouldn't let me go on my flight until I bought a return ticket! They said I cannot go to a different country unless I showed proof of leaving! Ridiculous! Of course, now they are going to charge me a 200 dollar fee when I have to change my flight! Has anyone else had this problem?

That's strange I was born in the USA and traveled in December to DR with a one way ticket. and my parents have done it before. Maybe it's a new thing now.

[Shiobhan 235]

One cannot travel to another country on a one-way ticket

unless it was your birth country, or U have residency/landing

status in the arriving country, now been an offspring of citizens

of a country they* may* let U in, so its up to the airlines to make

sure you have a return ticket to home, preventing an incident

wherein they may have to return you free....New Zealanders

can travel to Australia with one way tickets if they have no criminal

convictions and family/friends that will verify they will be taking

care of that when immigration calls them.

[Predilecta10 1]

I'm American citizen with American passport as well and its strange they tried to do that to you because in DR you can ACTUALLY stay more than the 90 days all they do is they give you a fee that you have to pay at the DR immigration for the amount of days,weeks or months you stayed after the 90 days before departing to US otherwise you cant leave the country until you pay it and the amount of pesos you will pay is nothing, Trust me I've traveled to DR my whole live and have stay for more than a year and you don't really need a round trip ticket ,This time I lived with my fiance for almost 2 yrs in DR and just came back in April all I payed was approximately 12,128 pesos which is like 240 us dollars imagine if you only stay for a month extra all you need to pay is 800 pesos which is 22 us dollars approx .

[BeanCamp 28]

Yes you must purchase a return ticket. Next time may have to pay for an expensive open ended ticket but better than buying it while trying to check in for your departing flight.