Buying Airline Tickets Dilemma

[kev_n_jena 89]

Here's my dilemma. I'm sure many others have had the same problem. I'm going to my fiances interview in early July. We are hoping she will be able to pick up her visa in person as many others have been able to. My airline ticket will be roundtrip of course and hers will be one way. Which of the following choices is better? Her interview is on the 6th of July.

We want to fly back as soon as she gets the visa (assuming she does). Is it possible to get on "stand-by" if we have tickets for say the 16th and get the visa earlier?

OR

Buy a return ticket for say the 12th hoping we are allowed to pick up the visa in person and can save much of my vacation time for when we get back to the usa. Then if we can't get the visa soon enough can we go to the airline and adjust for a later date and pay a penalty?

Should I buy my round trip ticket and try to get her on the same flight after she receives her visa? I am thinking I will get my return ticket for the 16th (10 days after the interview)

Should I buy my round trip ticket and her one way ticket at the same time? (That way IF she receives a visa before the 16th we are sure to be on the same flight)

Actually I'm at a loss of what to do!

Can anyone offer me advice on this dilemma?????

Kevin

[payxibka 10,047]

Your options are dependant on how much of a risk taker you are and how much you are willing to gamble....

I will say I did pre-buy the tickets before I knew the results and I sweated bullets until we had the visa in hand... I would not recommend what I did unless you are a confident gambler....

[john_and_marlene 162]

I purchased my round-trip and Marlene's one way ticket at the same time by calling the Northwest reservations line. I allowed for 12 days after the interview. Unfortunately, the visa did not come in time for that original schedule and we changed the flight date at the Northwest ticketing office in Makati for the following week. The visa still did not come in time and I ran out of vacation time. I had to come home without her while we waited a little longer for her visa. The visa finally came after 19 days. She was able to pay a "no-show" penalty on the earlier flight and then another rescheduling fee once she got the visa. We took a chance and it didn't pay off, but all was not lost and the tickets were still usable with some additional expense.

[featherB 1]

Can't offer any advice on what to do about her ticket (you know which is the safe option and which is the riskier one!), but just wanted to say that it might be worth considering getting her a round-trip ticket rather than a one-way, as that could save you a ton of money. I'm not sure whether this applies on flights to and from the Philippines, but for flights to and from the UK, it tends to be MUCH cheaper to buy a round trip than a one-way. When I booked my flights, a one-way fare (on the exact same flights) would have cost over twice as much as the round trip I ended up booking - if you have no intention of using the return portion, you can just pick and choose flight times & dates until you come up with the cheapest option.

Not sure if that'll be any help (as I don't know if the bizarre difference in round trip & one-way airfares applies to every country), but thought I'd mention it just in case. You might be able to end up saving just as much, if not more, than you would have done by booking her flight before she has her visa in hand... but avoid the risk as well!

Good luck to your fiancee with her interview, by the way!

[john_and_marlene 162]

I'm not sure whether this applies on flights to and from the Philippines

It doesn't apply. Round-trip is always more for flights between the U.S. and Philippines.

[featherB 1]

I'm not sure whether this applies on flights to and from the Philippines

It doesn't apply. Round-trip is always more for flights between the U.S. and Philippines.

When I saw your post, I suspected that might be the case - I guessed that you would have mentioned it if it did apply.

In that case - OP, ignore me!

[kev_n_jena 89]

I'm not sure whether this applies on flights to and from the Philippines

It doesn't apply. Round-trip is always more for flights between the U.S. and Philippines.

When I saw your post, I suspected that might be the case - I guessed that you would have mentioned it if it did apply.

In that case - OP, ignore me!

Well, I'm willing to take the risk. If I wasn't a risk taker I probably wouldn't be going through this whole process to begin with. I'm willing to pay the penalty to change to a later flight if need be. We will be making a request in writing to pick up the visa in person and we will supply copies of the airline tickets. If that is not allowed we will request that the visa be delivered to her Uncles house which is very near Manila. Time to pray now.