catocony

For me, the "rest of the story' I would like to see are the specifics on flight routings, and where and when she was denied entry.

My initial guess is that she was giving off a vibe of "I'm young and not particularly wealthy and am here to visit the new love of my life, let me in. I don't have a ticket back home but I promise to leave the new love of my life and go back at some point."

This is snarky, but from an immigration officer's point of view, it's the gist of the matter. The red flags are:

1) No return ticket (maybe she plans to stay illegally).

2) Meeting up with British boyfriend (maybe she plans to stay illegally and live with him).

3) Isn't that wealthy since she's young and can't seem to afford a regular economy round-trip ticket (maybe she plans to stay illegally and live with the boyfriend so he can support her).

So, it appears that she's successfully made it to the UK once, and got denied twice. We need the specifics on those two things.

I will say that, at least in the US, your first entry is usually the hardest. If you come in once and leave legally, you've gone a long ways towards proving that you're not coming to live illegally. That's why I suspect that the OP said or did something on the second entry attempt that was different than the first time.

FN-GM

No she does not have a right to come to the UK. Only Citizens and and permanent visa holders have the right to come and go into the UK when they like. As the OP does not have either she doesn't have any rights.

I don't have any rights in any other countries but my own, its just the way it is.

shells14

Ok Im 43 and the only reason I booked one way tickets is it was cheaper through cheapo air. I go through them cause I use the discounts. I am thrifty not poor. I ws just saving money. When I went back the cheapest flight was thru British Air and I landed in London and wanted to take the bus with a friend as she lives and is related to my boyfriend. That is when I was questioned and detained. I was tired and I guess the lady didn't care. I was honest and answered every question truthfully. I didn't know I wasn't allowed back as I was told I didn't show proof of my income. So when I made sure I had all my papers printed out and took the same flight route as my first visit ONLY because Cheapo Air brought those flights up on the date I wanted to fly. This time I had everything except the stupid roundtrip ticket. So I am frustrated because of all the money I wasted just to visit.

shells14

And I can afford a round trip I just didn't think I had to. But to save any grief that is the only way I plan to travel abroad again. This was a very expensive lesson learned.

dustman81

Also, be able to show proof that you can support yourself while you're in country. A major credit card should work.

catocony

On your second trip, did they immediately kick you back to British Airways and you immediately returned to the US?

On the third trip, we you denied entry in Dublin, or did whatever airline not allow you to even board the flight from the US?

I hope you do realize that, when traveling internationally, you must be prepared to justify why you are trying to enter a country. You also have to prove that you plan on staying for a certain period of time, and that you aren't trying to circumvent immigration laws, or smuggling something in. An immigration officer, pretty much from any country, isn't going to care that you're tired and not on your A game. They simply don't have to let you in, US passport or not, if you appear to not meet the basic requirements for admission. So, any passenger traveling internationally must know what the requirements are to visit whatever foreign country they're going to.

A lot of us Americans seem to forget that. The US Constitution does not apply in foreign countries, a US passport isn't an all-access pass to the world. It's certainly not a get out of jail free card either. It stinks that you're out a couple of fares, and have spent quite a bit of time flying just to have a sandwich on the other side of the Atlantic. But, it's happened twice now.

I advise you to have the boyfriend come visit you here instead.

Often1

One would expect that. These would be individuals admitted to, in this case UK, had their passport stamped with the warning, and then sent on their merry way. Those folks have their time in the UK, clearly return to the USA and then the question becomes whether on a subsequent trip their stamped passport gets them past a carrier's agent.

shells14

On my third trip I was in Dublin and ryanair makes you go thru immigration and that's when I was denied to go thru. but I did show proof this time of my steady income and I didn't have anything unusual stamped on my passport any of my 3 times traveling. I was simply told to make sure I have a roundtrip ticket and extra cash in my account along with everything else I already provided and was told I can enter the uk. I just wanted to triple check that's why I started this thread. I am sure I will be ok next time which wont be for a few months when I have time.

GUWonder

Deal with the UK consular facilities in the US to find out what you should do for your particular circumstances given what you faced. Applying for a visa should be considered.

When you do go, use a roundtrip or onward travel ticket to a non-CTA destination and have hotel bookings. If you can have a friend come along for the vacation, your chances will be better. I say this because even a visa doesn't guarantee admissibility.

US airlines don't ordinarily look in US passports for any such notations on trips to the UK. Having flown many hundreds of times on one-away tickets from the US to the UK, I've not once had a US carrier go through every page in my passport when flying from the US to the UK. More frequently the carrier's agent may ask for proof of onward/return travel in such situations, but that is distinct from looking in a passport looking for a notation like this. Keep in mind that most airline agents aren't all that literate in reading British legalese of the sort relevant to the OP. If they encounter it -- highly unlikely unless the person says they have a UK visa -- they would be probably be more clueless about what it means than even the OP.

I talked to UKBA contact earlier today, and in short she said they admit people with these notations too. I had to cut her short to deal with a disaster relief issue elsewhere, but the notation itself isn't automatically going to ultimately result in a denial of admission; it's even less likely to result in carrier prohibiting carriage merely because of this notation in a passport.

Yes, and these are the kind of Americans I have seen most frequently facing a denial of admission. It's actually rather sexist at the border, as in that American guys don't face this as frequently even when under the same conditions as the OP and meeting up with a British girlfriend.

shells14

Well I did look thru my passport and there are no notations at all. GUWONDER I am curious I was talking to my sister and she said I should take a flight that goes from paris straight into Newcastle is this what you meant earlier? I just want to do what is right and not get denied the next time I visit.

GUWonder

My suggestion is to PM this person:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/members/b747-437b.html

He's seen plenty of this kind of stuff and has a pretty good sense of these things there. Make him aware of this thread. He's very helpful in terms of information.

shells14

Thanks GUWONDER you have been so kind and helpful and I will do that.

catocony

I don't think it really matters. You're still entering the UK on the same passport. I honestly think the more times you try a different route in to the UK, the greater the chance you'll get shot down. It really starts to look suspicious.

shells14

I thought the same thing that is why I was going to go on my original route the first time I actually did visit. I'm going to see what he says too.

CKDGM

There are people who are not UK citizens and who do not have a permanent visa who are, nonetheless, entitled to entry. For example, citizens of another EEA country, or Commonwealth citizens with the right of abode.

The OP, however, doesn't fall into any of those categories.