Has anyone been denied boarding with a K1 visa but without a return ticket?

[TonyMacaroni 5]

Hi everyone. Just curious if anyone had an experience like this. I’ll fly with Turkish Airlines in a matter of days and I only have a one-way ticket. They’ve been known to extort their customers to purchase a round trip ticket from them or deny boarding (tourists going to Mexico, I don’t know about K1 visas). Please share

Edited March 7 by TonyMacaroni

[Crazy Cat 39,271]

You don't need a round-trip ticket for a K-1.  Tell them it's a one-way trip.  If they force you to buy a round trip ticket, just cancel the return leg and get a refund after arriving in the US.

 

or choose another airline.

Edited March 7 by Crazy Cat

[EatBulaga 252]

Ideally, the airlines gate/boarding agents should know that K1 visa is a one-way ticket. But that does not mean they are all well-versed on all the different US entry documents.

 

My K1 visa beneficiary had more interrogating questions from the gate agent than the Port of Entry US CBP. I did anticipate some of the hassles and called the airline a couple of days before to leave a note on the flight reservation for the gate agent that the US entry document is K1 visa and a one-way ticket. This might help if your K1 beneficiary is from a weak passport country.

Edited March 7 by EatBulaga

[TonyMacaroni 5]

16 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

You don't need a round-trip ticket for a K-1.  Tell them it's a one-way trip.  If they force you to buy a round trip ticket, just cancel the return leg and get a refund after arriving in the US.

 

or choose another airline.

 

The main problem I guess is that the round trip ticket is at least $800 more and that could be a problem for us, especially knowing that some airlines just don’t refund the return ticket. Also Turkish Airlines are known to demand a single booking with one PNR for both legs and AFAIK it’s hard to impossible to convert a one way into a ticket like that after the purchase. So it’s problematic in many ways. There’s a chance that if I’m denied boarding at the gate, the $1000 paid for the ticket will be simply gone due to them claiming it’s my fault I didn’t have the proper travel documents. Another airline - impossible since those all go through the EU or UK where I need a visa even for the transit. Now I’m almost regretting not booking the ticket to Mexico instead where I’m a lawful resident.

 

14 hours ago, EatBulaga said:

Ideally, the airlines gate/boarding agents should know that K1 visa is a one-way ticket. But that does not mean they are all well-versed on all the different US entry documents.

 

My K1 visa beneficiary had more interrogating questions from the gate agent than the Port of Entry US CBP. I did anticipate some of the hassles and called the airline a couple of days before to leave a note on the flight reservation for the gate agent that the US entry document is K1 visa and a one-way ticket. This might help if your K1 beneficiary is from a weak passport country.

 

I showed her your post and she called them… thrice. No one understood the question “Will you board him on a K1 visa without a return ticket” or they pretended to not understand it. They also told her she can’t leave a note to the agent. I wrote to their twitter customer service and they just told me that they don’t have the authority to determine what documents I need to travel anywhere and I should contact the embassy. lol. basically a non-answer. The boarding agents often have their own idea of what one should have.

Edited March 8 by TonyMacaroni

[milimelo 4,209]

You're worrying unnecessarily. One way on K-1 is normal and expected.

[igoyougoduke 1,605]

you only need a valid ticket , valid visa and valid passport to board. Whether you get one way ticker or two way ticket is not airlines concern

 

 

Never heard of airlines demanding you have a two way ticket. 

[Etherial 267]

Some airlines DO require return tickets indeed.

But you're on a K1 visa and you will not have any issues whatsoever.

[Thunderbolt 162]

6 hours ago, TonyMacaroni said:

Also Turkish Airlines are known to demand a single booking with one PNR for both legs and AFAIK it’s hard to impossible to convert a one way into a ticket like that after the purchase. So it’s problematic in many ways. There’s a chance that if I’m denied boarding at the gate, the $1000 paid for the ticket will be simply gone due to them claiming it’s my fault I didn’t have the proper travel documents. Another airline - impossible since those all go through the EU or UK where I need a visa even for the transit. Now I’m almost regretting not booking the ticket to Mexico instead where I’m a lawful resident.

 

That is not true. They cannot demand one PNR. Someone has been telling you total BS. 

Also, the airline system at the airport will show that your visa is ok for one way flight. It doesn't matter what the agent knows. The system will tell them that you are ok for one way. 

You don't need round trip ticket period. If the airport agent won't allow you to check in, ask for a supervisor. 

[Thunderbolt 162]

1 hour ago, igoyougoduke said:

you only need a valid ticket , valid visa and valid passport to board. Whether you get one way ticker or two way ticket is not airlines concern

 

 

Never heard of airlines demanding you have a two way ticket. 

 

Most airlines will require proof of return if you are on tourist visa, but not round trip ticket.

Over last few decades I've been asked for the proof twice. 

I had one way ticket Washington - London - Bangkok and the gate agent at London asked me for proof of flight out of BKK. 

Same thing when I was flying Phuket - Singapore. The check in agent at Phuket airport asked me for proof of departure from Singapore. 

Both times I showed them itinerary flying with different airlines and everything was good. 

The airlines are trying to protect themselves. If the passenger flying on one way ticket on a tourist visa is denied entry, the airline get penalized (I think $3500 per person) + they have to cover that persons' flight back to the place where he/she came from before being denied entry to US in this case. 

 

Heck, I'm flying Turkish Airlines one way next month. However, I'm flying on tourist visa and I have separate one way ticket for flight back with different airlines. 

[TonyMacaroni 5]

Thank you for the answers everybody. Definitely made me fell more confident about the endeavor. We’ll see what will go down in a couple of days

[TonyMacaroni 5]

Okay, here’s my report. Nobody demanded a return ticket. Everything went smooth. Thanks everybody!

[TBoneTX 43,061]

Congratulations!

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The situation is resolved, so this thread is now closed.