Question about one way tickets?

michelle2504 said:

If I fly from Canada through Philadelphia or somewhere else in the United States and then arrive in Santo Domingo as my final destination will I have any problems at the SDQ airport if they see I don't have a return ticket.

The reason I'm asking this question is because I am flying out of Ottawa, Canada and there are no direct flights to Santo Domingo or Santiago.

I only found flights to SD with American Airlines, but they are very expensive. Basically I want to know if I can save about $1000 and just get a one way ticket or if it's best to get a return ticket to avoid any possible problems at the airport.

Thanks, Michelle

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There is a small chance they will ask for proof. Small as in the apparent size of Pluto viewed from Earth with the naked eye.

Question: How do you plan to actually get back though? This is a great plan except you have no return ticket at all with it.

Do you realize that one way tickets cost MORE than a round trip ticket? Per leg that is? I suspect you are trying to fly on a charter flight and not use the return part of the ticket then you have to buy one way home - and on a charter that can take a LONG time and to Ottawa vs. Toronto I'd think even a longer time. I cannot understand how you think you save money by paying more. E.g. 2 X 1-way.

That said, The Canada charters don't fly AFAIK to either SDQ or STI , only the resort towns (e.g. LRM, PUJ, POP) , so just how are you getting to the DR and why don't you think it is a better and cheaper idea to fly on a round-trip?

Fess 'up - we can't offer advice without the staright dope, the whole story, the real McCoy. Since I am a guru of both travel to the DR and airline flying in general you have come to the right place but like your Doctor it's hard to diagnose this issue with your clothes on and me in the other room to boot.

You really should consider flying say on Jetsgo etc. to Toronto from Ottawa and then do what I do, connect on AA via Miami (or Co via Newark if you like) . Since there are no direct flights out of here either, you always have to connect unless you have a charter, aka a fate worse than death itself.

Well, Air Europa ground staff in Madrid have started asking for a return ticket. When we checked in at Madrid last September, it was our return flight back to SD, where we live. I had to show them proof that I was a DR resident, and for a moment they looked as if they might make things difficult for 3 year old Chirimoyito, who is neither a DR resident nor a Dominican and enters the DR as a British tourist.

I hear this is becoming routine, so perhaps it is better to be safe than sorry.

Chiri

I would take the charter to POP and then bus it to Santiago - it's not a bad bus ride at all, maybe about 1.5 hours from POP or Sosua to Santiago. I think buses leave on the hour, so it wouldn't be much of an inconvenience to take one. If you fly through the US, chances are, you'll be paying much more money than on a charter from Ottawa. Check out www.escapes.ca , or www.sunholidays.ca, as they generally have some pretty good deals. Better yet, e-mail my friend Michelle at yyzpop@hotmail.com - she is a wonderful travel agent who knows the DR well and works directly for Skyservice...she is also married to a Dominican.

Good luck!

ETA:
I just checked out the escapes website...Feb 5 to POP for $416+tax/person CDN. Searched for AA flight Feb 5 to Santiago cost $849.45+tax/person USD, plus you'd have to fly through New York.

Michelle may be able to tell you roughly how many seats are left on the flight, so you can wait out a better price to POP.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Does he have a US Visa?

Will the Homeland Security folks allow him to connect in MIA or other US cities? I presume if he's a landed immigrant here ( and has our special card of course) they are nicer about connecting than if he doesn't because as you know the TWOV program was unceremoneously cancelled due to security concerns.

If not then you might want to pretend to go round trip air only on Skyservice or Transat to LRM (fairly close to SDQ) or POP ( not too far from STI). But only fly one-way and let them wonder where you went a week or 2 later. Try www.belairtravel.com for cheap air only charter fares.

Stil the question remains - is he/are you coming back? In which case a real R/T ticket on AA, US or CO is a cheaper and more reliable deal.

I'd also think as a Dominican citizen the rules about having to have a return ticket are not important to the migracion.

one way ticket or return ticket

HI there

I've read your comments and would like to ask you a question. I'm flying from the UK and got a very cheap charter return ticket (?200 for 3 weeks). I've resigned from my job and without any commitments in the UK and considering I like it there I might decide to stay there for a longer period. How cheap would it be to buy a ticket in the DR to Europe?
I know it would make sense to buy an open ticket in the UK but I just wonder if over there there is any possibility even if its a bit more expensive. I dont want to buy an open ticket as yet because I dont know if what would be like once there.
Gracias

Depending on Your Definition, Probaly not Cheap

Fran31 said:

HI there

. How cheap would it be to buy a ticket in the DR to Europe?
I know it would make sense to buy an open ticket in the UK but I just wonder if over there there is any possibility even if its a bit more expensive. I dont want to buy an open ticket as yet because I dont know if what would be like once there.
Gracias

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I am not sure who, if anyone, flies from SDQ to say, Heathrow non-stop, but I would think if you had to buy one-way via Air France's Paris flight or Iberia's Madrid flight or AA's MIA - LHR or JFK- LHR connections you will pay a fortune.

One thing the airlines know about one-way tickets is they are always full fare, they never meet stay over requirements ( e.g. Saturday) since they are never round-trip.

You should ask a travel agent in the UK about the costs of an open ticket ( which burns your cheap charter ticket as you'll be looking for an new open return ticket) vs. the costs of a one-way with the connections.

I guess there is a hint of a chance you can find an open seat on the same company's charter back on a later date but I would not count on that as being likely at all.

Chiri is right (like, duh!)

My husband couldn't check-in in Milan (Alitalia) in the first leg of our flight back to DR because he couldn't produce his DR residency. We had to fly to Madrid instead and from there to here. We contacted Fabio the very next day

If your husband is Dominican he will have no problem.

Re: Depending on Your Definition, Probaly not Cheap

ricktoronto said:

I am not sure who, if anyone, flies from SDQ to say, Heathrow non-stop

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I believe the only direct flights from UK to DR are the charters, there are no direct scheduled flights that I am aware of.

Re: Depending on Your Definition, Probaly not Cheap

ricktoronto said:

I guess there is a hint of a chance you can find an open seat on the same company's charter back on a later date but I would not count on that as being likely at all.

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It has been known.

Other possibilities are to use the outgoing flight, forfeit the return flight and when you do decide to return wait for one of the special offers by airlines such as Air Europa who offer very low price deals a couple of times a year, under US$400 to any of their European destinations, including London (via Madrid), and use the outgoing leg as your return flight to London. Note - these deals are subject to restrictions so you would not be able to use the return part unless you want to come back to the DR within a month.

Chiri

Re: Re: Depending on Your Definition, Probaly not Cheap

Chirimoya said:

It has been known.

Other possibilities are to use the outgoing flight, forfeit the return flight and when you do decide to return wait for one of the special offers by airlines such as Air Europa who offer very low price deals a couple of times a year, under US$400 to any of their European destinations, including London (via Madrid), and use the outgoing leg as your return flight to London. Note - these deals are subject to restrictions so you would not be able to use the return part unless you want to come back to the DR within a month.

Chiri

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That's a very good idea Chiri!

I'll definitely consider staying in DR... in case I cant grab a cheap charter flight and use just the return flight the worst scenario would be to book an Air Europa's flight... (i've just checked the web site and they do offer single tickets in autumn for USD545.45, or wait for one of their "tijeretazos" half price offer tickets)

That's if I do feel the need to come back !!!


Thanks all for your input

Airlines

Having just returned a couple of days ago...I would suggest the following. Look into sell off flights with Air Transat or Sky Service from Toronto to POP. It would be a last minute, probably less than 7 days to departure, but they can sell you an AIR only flight, just to fill the seats. If you fly to POP, it's not that big of a deal to take a bus to your final destination. You can probably check into these flights via Sunquest, World of Vacations or Sun Holidays, again...air only.


Just a thought, as we live in the States but always fly from Canada.

1/2 an answer

bbforbis said:

Having just returned a couple of days ago...I would suggest the following. Look into sell off flights with Air Transat or Sky Service from Toronto to POP. It would be a last minute, probably less than 7 days to departure, but they can sell you an AIR only flight, just to fill the seats. If you fly to POP, it's not that big of a deal to take a bus to your final destination.

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And what does she use to get back since she's likely overstaying that week? It's no picnic finding return charters to Canada.

You can book them for more than one week...just tell them how long you want to stay. Worked for us in the past.