Visa needed before Ticketing?
 

I know this is a strange question but suppose someone had a reservation YHZ-LHR-YHZ//AUS-IAH. Would the person need to have any documentation showing proof of a US visa or similar? Booking a ticket YHZ-LHR-YHZ//AUS-IAH is cheaper than just the YHZ-LHR-YHZ rt as for some reason the YQ surcharge is not applied. (No clue why.) However, the PAX does not have a US visa. Would this be problematic?

Cheers,

The US no longer issues transit visas. What nationality is the PAX from? Some countries are not required to apply for a Visa in advance.

I believe you will need a visa. Some airports have International segregations points for transit, which point you can get by without a visa. The problem is (you already know this) many US <-> CAN flights you actually clear customs in CAN so that the flight can be treated as a domestic flight coming into the US. If the passenger needs to clear US customs for transit (e.g.; YHZ to IAH ) they will need a visa. As such, you may be able to go one direction and not the other for your transit. The airline would be able to confirm this for you.

You can book the ticket without a visa, you will not be able to board a flight without it.

What nationality is the PAX? If PAX country has a visa waiver program, I dont think he/she will need the visa. If a visa is normally required, PAX will need a visa.

The check-in agent will check if PAX requires a visa for the final destination. If he/she does not have one, he/she will be denied boarding because the airline could be fined heavily.

rgds,
drew

The airline is always happy to take your money, whether you can fly or not because of visa needs. However, it reserves the right (and it will certainly exercise it) of not letting you on the plane if you don't have the proper documentation, even though it sold you a ticket without asking for any before.

If pax requests to only be checked in until an intermediate point, then that's not an issue.

It may be an issue if the carrier thinks they are just doing it to circumvent fare rules.

Realistically, though, a third-party check-in agent who's got another 743809214 people waiting in the queue, is not going to bother with that...

Thanks for the replies.

Small clarifications:

1) The PAX will not actually fly the segment within the US.
2) The route on the way back is LHR-YHZ STOPOVER / OPEN JAW AUS-IAH so there will be no issue with checking in till an intermediate point only.

Cheers,

not to go way off topic, but that is a bizare routing to save money! as others have said, and if the passenger isn't flying in the US or to from the US, they shouldn't need a visa.

Routing is the same :)

Flights wanted: YHZ-LHR-YHZ. When I add an intra-us segment (in this case DAL-AUS) the fare is as follows:

If I remove the DAL-AUS segment and keep the same YHZ-LHR-YHZ flights:

I will never understand the airline industry!

Cheers,

As other have mentioned you do not need a visa to buy a ticket no matter the routing. I do this all the time for my wife while we are waiting for visas to be process for her. Half the time the agents dont even check to see if she has a visa when we check in which is risky for them but you should be fine.

It is interesting the way it prices out and even more interesting how you guys find these things!

If USA brings in the rules they are proposing, then indeed visitors will need to get a visa or visa waiver before even booking a ticket :td:

This is quite interesting. Where are you pricing this out? Would this work for other routings?

You may be on to something here (like the PL bug on US-EUR).

I found out by accident actually. I was pricing out tickets from the middle east to Canada with a fare-break in London and noticed that, if everything was on one ticket, the fuel surcharge was $0. I then tried to see what kind of fares could be combined to reduce the YQ surcharge. It seems that most Canada-XXX AC fares will fall if you add a US segment.

Cheers,

:D