Moving to the US on a K-3 - How to book flight?

[Robor007 0]

My wife has her interview on May 16 and I am going to go there (Manila) for it. I've got a couple of months to book flights. I called Cathay Pacific because I have some air miles there and asked them for a round trip flight for myself and a one way ticket for my wife. I was told that I could book my flight but I couldn't book my wife's flight. I would either have to go through a travel agent or have my wife purchase her ticket. I asked if I could book both flights online and the agent didn't know but suspected I wouldn't be able to. I'm searching for flights online (SideStep.com) and I'm having trouble matching up our flights so we can both fly back on the plane together. Any suggestions? Think I should try a travel agent?

[Niels Bohr 72]

I know round trip makes it cheaper to buy tickets. But, my suggestion is to buy a one way ticket for you to get to Phillipine. After, book your flight as well as your wife from Phillipine. This way the both of you could be on the same plane, at the same time.

[Robor007 0]

Thanks for the reply. Isn't one of the requirements for me getting into the Philippines having a return flight home?

[griffin 7]

Greetings!

1. You may ask your wife to go to any travel agency and book a seat and ask for the reservation certificate, Most of them charged 50.00 pesos for the certificate. big agencies are free....

- she will be given time as to when she can cancel it or if not buy it.

[Dan J 277]

What I would do is find a round trip, and one way that takes the same flights as your return trip. You would probably have to book each ticket seperatly, but you should be able to, with the help of the airline get adjacent seats at check-in.

One way tickets are not always more expensive than 2 way. Sometimes they are because the ticket is being sold under a higher fare class.

[Nikita2Charles 32]

If you go through an airline Consolidator you should be able to do it. Specially if it's a phillipina agency with link back there. I was able to book my flight along with my fiancee flight from india through my travel agent since they have indian connection, so i am assuming the same might be true for PI. For them what's important is WHO is PAYING for the ticket.

Edited March 15, 2007 by Nikita2Charles

[malka 0]

We had this problem when my fiance came to visit last year: I was allowed to buy his ticket, but the airline (United) refused to make an e-ticket for him. And despite repeated assurances that they would send it early, they waited until the very last second to mail the paper one to me, so I had to pay a small fortune to mail it rush to Bulgaria at the last minute.

The best solution we've found since then has been to put his name on one of my credit cards. I just called up the card company and said I wanted to add him to my account. They sent me the new card with his name in a couple of weeks. Now he can buy a ticket with this credit card in his name and get an e-ticket.

I know that doesn't help with the matching-up part, and airlines have different policies for each part of the world, but if you can get her a credit card in time, it might help with the purchase.

[KansasDragon 1]

Not sure if you can do this, or not.. but what about buying two round trip tickets? I'd guess your cost won't be that much higher. If she doesn't "check in" for the going flight, there is nothing to prevent her from using the return flight.

[Robor007 0]

• I did call Cathay Pacific directly and attempt to book my round trip and my wife's one way. I was told I can not book her flight because it doesn't originate in the US.
  
• The agent at Cathay Pacific suggested I call a travel agent and explain the situation. Travel agents can book flights that don't originate in the US.
  
• I've tried to book some flights online but have had a difficult time matching up our return flights together.
  
• I considered getting 2 round trip tickets but the cost difference is pretty significant. The round trip flights I've found are $1300+ and one ways are $800 - $900. The way I see it, no reason to throw $400 or $500 away.
  
• Is it important who pays for the ticket? My wife and I are married so the way I see it regardless of who actually we're both paying for it either way.
  
• My bank (Bank of America) would not allow me to get a check card in her name because she didn't have a SSN and wasn't present to sign for it. They did allow me to get her a check card in my name that she can (I hope) use at an ATM to withdraw cash. I doubt they'll let her use it at a ticket counter just because it's in my name.
  

Edited March 16, 2007 by Robor007

[Niels Bohr 72]

Go through Singapore Airlines. That way, all your interconnecting flight will match. They'll find a day for you with all the flight match and you can buy their tickets at their counter or through their website. This will be your best chance to book your flight, as well as hers.

[Robor007 0]

Go through Singapore Airlines. That way, all your interconnecting flight will match. They'll find a day for you with all the flight match and you can buy their tickets at their counter or through their website. This will be your best chance to book your flight, as well as hers.

Thanks for the info! I'm trying to stick with Cathay Pacific just because I've got one round trip for their 'Marco Polo Club'. Do you know if Singapore Airlines qualifies for 'Asia Miles'?

[malka 0]

The reason I think that it matters who pays for it is that there are all kinds of travel security laws and credit card protection laws; they don't want to mail/email an air ticket that gets charged on your card to someone else. But, my experience is with Eastern Europe, so policies could be quite different for you.

Banks tend to be a bit fussier about authorized users with their bank cards than credit cards. If you have a Visa or Master Card that isn't linked to a bank account, they might give you an easier time of it. You don't need to make a whole new account for her - you just need to get a card on your account with her name on it. Depending on the company, once she does have a SS #, it may help her establish credit in the States, too.

Good luck! Nice problems to have, hunh?

[Niels Bohr 72]

I don't know if they do Asia Miles. I don't keep track of it because I usually throw away my ticket receipt.

[carrob 0]

• I did call Cathay Pacific directly and attempt to book my round trip and my wife's one way. I was told I can not book her flight because it doesn't originate in the US.
  
• The agent at Cathay Pacific suggested I call a travel agent and explain the situation. Travel agents can book flights that don't originate in the US.
  
• I've tried to book some flights online but have had a difficult time matching up our return flights together.
  
• I considered getting 2 round trip tickets but the cost difference is pretty significant. The round trip flights I've found are $1300+ and one ways are $800 - $900. The way I see it, no reason to throw $400 or $500 away.
  
• Is it important who pays for the ticket? My wife and I are married so the way I see it regardless of who actually we're both paying for it either way.
  
• My bank (Bank of America) would not allow me to get a check card in her name because she didn't have a SSN and wasn't present to sign for it. They did allow me to get her a check card in my name that she can (I hope) use at an ATM to withdraw cash. I doubt they'll let her use it at a ticket counter just because it's in my name.
  

You can buy airline tickets from local(phil. based) travel agents at much lower rates than online rates for your wife as these local agents give discounts to first time immigrants ($100 to $150 cheaper than the $900 you mentioned above) for one-way tickets to the U.S. Have her get a booking first before you book one for yourself as it is kinda difficult at the moment to find seats for april til the first week of may. i guess it would be easier for you to find a flight that would match hers than finding one for her that would match yours. then ask the agent if you could wire-transfer the payment to their bank account and fax the proof of wire-transfer later on so that they could issue her the ticket

btw, i find Reli Travel & Tours which have branches in Manila Peninsula and Dusit hotels in Makati and some SM malls giving much lower rates than those travel agencies near the US embassy

[carrob 0]

• I did call Cathay Pacific directly and attempt to book my round trip and my wife's one way. I was told I can not book her flight because it doesn't originate in the US.
  
• The agent at Cathay Pacific suggested I call a travel agent and explain the situation. Travel agents can book flights that don't originate in the US.
  
• I've tried to book some flights online but have had a difficult time matching up our return flights together.
  
• I considered getting 2 round trip tickets but the cost difference is pretty significant. The round trip flights I've found are $1300+ and one ways are $800 - $900. The way I see it, no reason to throw $400 or $500 away.
  
• Is it important who pays for the ticket? My wife and I are married so the way I see it regardless of who actually we're both paying for it either way.
  
• My bank (Bank of America) would not allow me to get a check card in her name because she didn't have a SSN and wasn't present to sign for it. They did allow me to get her a check card in my name that she can (I hope) use at an ATM to withdraw cash. I doubt they'll let her use it at a ticket counter just because it's in my name.
  

You can buy airline tickets from local(phil. based) travel agents at much lower rates than online rates for your wife as these local agents give discounts to first time immigrants ($100 to $150 cheaper than the $900 you mentioned above) for one-way tickets to the U.S. Have her get a booking first before you book one for yourself as it is kinda difficult at the moment to find seats for april til the first week of may. i guess it would be easier for you to find a flight that would match hers than finding one for her that would match yours. then ask the agent if you could wire-transfer the payment to their bank account and fax the proof of wire-transfer later on so that they could issue her the ticket

btw, i find Reli Travel & Tours which have branches in Manila Peninsula and Dusit hotels in Makati and some SM malls giving much lower rates than those travel agencies near the US embassy

ooops May 16 interview? there should be no problem in getting a booking for her after that as the peak season for Filipino travellers going out of the country for their summer vacations are from April til first half of May I think