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RGN-SIN-NRT-SFO trip done
I started my trip from ICN, and got ICN-BKK-RGN TG flight with using UA miles. (22.5k)
No visa needed, and I showed my next ticket RGN-SIN (silk air) to one of officer before immigration or visa. They just brought me into transit area. Even if there is transit or transfer sign, the door was locked, and need officer's permission. Anyway, I proceeded to transit area without visa and immigration process. I had waited in Royal Jade Lounge until silk air counter open (arr. 7pm, dep. 00:25am next day) Around 9:30pm, one of silk air staff and airport office brought me to check-in counter and got the ticket.. At this time, I had to pass through immigration block, but was OK with them. Interesting experience. What they asked me was "why didn't you go to Singapore from Bangkok directly??" I just answered "it's cheaper!"
Finally, without any issue at RGN, I flew to SIN, and re-checked-in at transfer counter with ANA for SIN-NRT (C) and NRT-SFO (F) ticket. ANA F class "ANA Square" was awesome. (even if I slightly prefer JAL suite).
Only claim was I had only 30 min connection at NRT, so just dropped by ANA suite lounge for 5 mins..
Half of my first trip is done, and I have another SFO-ICN-BKK-RGN, and RGN-BKK-ICN-SFO-ICN-BKK-RGN-BKK-ICN-SFO more. I will update further..
Last edited by OneWorldTraveller; Aug 20, 12 at 10:43 pm..
I started my trip from ICN, and got ICN-BKK-RGN TG flight with using UA miles. (22.5k)
No visa needed, and I showed my next ticket RGN-SIN (silk air) to one of officer before immigration or visa. They just brought me into transit area. Even if there is transit or transfer sign, the door was locked, and need officer's permission. Anyway, I proceeded to transit area without visa and immigration process. I had waited in Royal Jade Lounge until silk air counter open (arr. 7pm, dep. 00:25am next day) Around 9:30pm, one of silk air staff and airport office brought me to check-in counter and got the ticket.. At this time, I had to pass through immigration block, but was OK with them. Interesting experience.
Finally, arrived at SIN, and re-checked-in with ANA for SIN-NRT (C) and NRT-SFO (F) ticket. ANA F class "ANA Square" was awesome. (even if I slightly prefer JAL suite).
Only claim was I had only 30 min connection at NRT, so just dropped by ANA suite lounge for 5 mins..
My half of first trip is done, and I have another SFO-ICN-BKK-RGN, and RGN-BKK-ICN-SFO-ICN-BKK-RGN-BKK-ICN-SFO more. I will update further..
Do you have a non-US passport?
__________________
Like TSA, DL SkyMiles management treats airline customers as if they are the enemy or sheep to be fleeced and it shows.
To make the reference more useful, please state which Myanmar mission you dealt with.
Sorry, I'm guilty of US centricism.
As an American passport holder residing in the US, my visa was issued by the Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Washington, DC. Instructions are here: http://www.mewashingtondc.com/visa_en.php
As far as I'm aware, they don't have any regional consulates in the USA - just an office in NYC acting as their mission to the United Nations - so your only option for visa issuance without leaving the US is to send your passport off to the embassy. (Edit: This was wrong, the NYC mission can issue visas. http://www.myanmarmissionny.org/content/view/7/8/)
Compared to my horrible experience obtaining a Brazil visa earlier this year (involving multiple drives to Vancouver to circumvent the 30+ day wait at the SFO consulate), this was a cakewalk.
Last edited by BenA; Aug 20, 12 at 11:32 pm..
Reason: Correct wrong information about NYC mission.
Wait until everyone who has booked tickets using these fares starts applying for visas. The processing time might be longer
True story Although it does get spread out a bit; because visas are only valid for three months from date of issue, most advice is to apply approximately a month before your departure date to ensure you have plenty of validity.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GUWonder
Do you have a non-US passport?
Yeap.. I have south korean passport.
For new visa on arrival system, Korea was also included. Thus, my plan was applying transit visa since my itinerary BKK-RGN-SIN which meet transit visa criteria. Just in case, I contacted Myanmar Embassy, and they confirmed my schedule should be fine with transit visa by e-mail and I printed out the communication text. And, I just prepared photos and transit visa application form. But, I didn't use so to save money ($20 visa fee per person).
Myanmar UN Mission in NYC can issue visas to residents of northeast.
Hey, sure enough, so they can. Cool. Details here - http://www.myanmarmissionny.org/content/view/7/8/ - note it's a different one than the Washington DC embassy requires, so make sure to use the one that matches your location of application. The NYC mission also requires more financial details and an additional photograph than the main embassy.
Lots of reports of people transiting without visa's now.
Sounds like it! Just remember that transit is only defined as A-RGN-B, not A-RGN-A.
On the first batch of these fares, many of us routed through BKK for both directions... even if TWOV is possible, you may be denied boarding before even arriving in RGN if your itinerary shows you both depart from and return to the same city. There are stories upthread of this causing significant problems for some folks. (example - (Gone) RGN - SFO in F $450 one way AI; other N. America cities included)
This may be less of an issue for the Delta version of the fare with RGN-NRT; at least speaking for myself, NRT-RGN hasn't appeared much in my searching as a convenient or affordable option for positioning in the same way SIN or BKK did.
For those of you how have not received ticket numbers:
Check with your cc company to see if there are PENDING charges. Often you can't see them, but they can.
Also, you should have three charges per ticket:
$1.25 test charge from ex
$7.50 service charge
$70 ticket from AF or NH
charges are approximate.
So not all is lost yet
I have the two Expedia charges pending, but not NH, and this itin has been ticketed.
Edit: I think this is one of the cases where Amex hides some foreign auths on the list, because there's an amount that's approximately $70 authorized that's not showing on my pending charges.
Sounds like it! Just remember that transit is only defined as A-RGN-B, not A-RGN-A.
.
Agreed. My first round was BKK-RGN-BKK, with visa issued in Thailand.
This time its BKK-RGN then the ANA flight. I think I will go without a visa personally to visit the glass cage
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BenA
Sounds like it! Just remember that transit is only defined as A-RGN-B, not A-RGN-A.
On the first batch of these fares, many of us routed through BKK for both directions... even if TWOV is possible, you may be denied boarding before even arriving in RGN if your itinerary shows you both depart from and return to the same city. There are stories upthread of this causing significant problems for some folks. (example - (Gone) RGN - SFO in F $450 one way AI; other N. America cities included)
This may be less of an issue for the Delta version of the fare with RGN-NRT; at least speaking for myself, NRT-RGN hasn't appeared much in my searching as a convenient or affordable option for positioning in the same way SIN or BKK did.
The only way I found out that a transit visa does not allow A-B-A is by reading Flyertalk. I understand now that a transit visa is specifically for A-B-C.
However, would a lay person know this?
The details of visas outlined on this page make no reference to the A-B-C situation so I wonder how many people would assume that A-B-A is otherwise perfectly legit.
The only way I found out that a transit visa does not allow A-B-A is by reading Flyertalk. I understand now that a transit visa is specifically for A-B-C.
However, would a lay person know this?
The details of visas outlined on this page make no reference to the A-B-C situation so I wonder how many people would assume that A-B-A is otherwise perfectly legit.
I think the idea is that transit without a visa is to facilitate travel between two international points. Typically, they're offered to bolster the business of a national airline. (Imagine how much SQ or EK's business would suffer if all their passengers had to clear passport control in SIN or DXB!)
Usually, transit doesn't allow any visiting privileges for the transit country. This is usually, but not always, combined with forcing you to stay within a secured area in the airport (like in RGN). There are exceptions - China allows 48 hours to visit Shanghai when transiting, likely to permit PVG-SHA itineraries - but they are few and far between.
With that in mind, an A-B-A transit doesn't make any sense - if the sole purpose of the visa is to immediately get you from A back to... A, why didn't you skip the trip and stay in A in the first place?
Without knowledge of mileage runs, an immigration official would be reasonable to assume from your nonsensical itinerary that you had some reason to visit the country (courier? quick visit with family? etc.) and therefore do not qualify for a transit visa.
Individual immigration officials worldwide are slowly becoming enlightened about the legitimacy of mileage runs, but I'd never bank on official policy taking them into account in any country.
(even if I slightly prefer JAL suite).
