Jet Blue Denied Me, My Trip To Peru...

[Cenzo6945]

Hey Everyone!
I was coming back to Lima after 7 months, and thought my luggage being too overstuffed with gifts was my big problem, going into Newark airports, JET BLUE checkin. I had a JET BLUE to Orlando, Orlando to Bogota, then a TACA from Bogota to Lima. ONE WAY as I always book on my trips to Lima, since I my wife lives there and I never had a definite date when i was returning. I NEVER BOUGHT ROUND TRIP IN 3 years and 6 times traveling to Peru.

As I walked up to JET BLUE's Check in they said, We cannot let you board, YOU HAVE NO RETURN TRIP. I was in shock! I was insulted and insisted on seeing a supervisor. I started to say.." I've been coming to peru for 3 years and I never..."
The Supervisor cut me off and said " Give Him a Refund, He ain't Know how to talk..." and she walked away!
I was furious! I asked, for some help, as this never happened to me before. No other supervisor came to calm me down, to help with the problem. One woman said a person was detained once before becuse he didn't have a return flight, and jet blue got fined. Another person said, I now have to buy a return trip at ANOTHER AIRLINE, since Jet Blue does not fly to Peru.
American and Continental after waiting on Long lines BOTH wanted around $1000 for return flights at Later dates. I wasn't going to buy anything Willy Nilly only having to be penalized later when I know I will have to change the date.
So I had to get a refund, and a credit. AND I AM NOW BACK IN NewYork!! NOT IN PERU!
I called JET BLUE last night, and spoke with a wonderful customer service rep who said, YES IT IS A COLOMBIAN RULE, That I need to have a return trip as a tourist, entering BOGOTA. OR need to have TRIP TO ANOTHER DESTINATION!! What the heck is Lima in Colombia now? ISn't LIMA another destination?
So we came to the conclusion that the Jet Blue workers did not look into my situation in depth, as they all knew I was going to Peru and not staying in Colombia.
Long story short, I ended up using my Jet blue refund to again buy one way to Bogota and Avianca from Bogota to Lima..
What is the Verdict Guys?? Am I wrong? Do I need a return trip in??
Thanks Everyone!

[MarcoPE]

I know it sucks, but yes, you are wrong; you are using logic to think about your plans but they are using rules (even though they have let it slide in the past) and, again, most countries require proof of exit when arriving on a tourist visa. In the defense of airlines however, a nice young lady working for Pan Am once broke the baggage rules because she felt bad for a guy and understood his situation...well, we all know what happened there. Anyway, though I haven't priced in a while, I have never, in the past, found one-way tickets less expensive than a round-trip. I always book round-trip with a lengthy stay and then, if needed, just postpone my return (of course you will have to pay a change fee and differences in airfare and they are typically good for up to a year after your DEPARTURE flight) or discard it altogether....simple! Best of all, no questions regarding a no return ticket!

[el conquistador]

I noticed that flights FROM Peru are far more expensive than flights TO Peru.

I recently travelled from Lima to Washington and paid $1288 with TACA. (it was the cheapest fare I found)
When I checked out what a ticket would be from Washington to Lima then I would have costed me $825.

[Polaron]

That really sucks, Cenzo. I don't suppose you'll be flying on Jet Blue again, and I don't blame you. You might consider using LAN, and if that airline does not serve your city, you could always fly to a LAN destination in the U.S. and then go from there to South America. LAN allows you to book your flight online in two stages: first, you select the outgoing flight, and then you select the return flight. What you could do is plan your outgoing flight according to your preferences and then select a return flight for 88 or 89 days later, using the cheapest option possible.

That is what I did when I came here from Chile; I flew Business Class Santiago to Lima for about $405 and booked a return flight for $188 or thereabouts, because I knew I would not be returning to Chile. A one-way business class seat was $800, so I actually saved money doing it that way. The return flight was a super discount and was nonrefundable, so I just tossed the ticket after it expired. That is one of the very few things I like about LAN.

[Pollo mani]

I had something like this happen to me one time with AA. I had a RT lima-MIA-Lima, they would not let me board my return to lima with out a return or on going ticket. I spoke to a supervisor and after that chat bought a full fare return on crdit card then just ask for a refund once i was back here in lima. full refund was given.

[hoyce]

no company would have allowed a one-way. even leaving mexico city (where i am not a citizen) to lima no carrier would sell me a one-way. those days are gone, i don't know why they even still advertise it.

[americorps]

If you search the forum, you will see it has happened on most all airlines, including Lan.

It is a law for entering Peru you must have onward passage.

The law does NOT say you must have a return ticket, so if they tell you you have to have a round trip, they are telling a lie.

I usually get a reservation for a bus from Ormeno from Tacna to Arica and present that or I make a reservation on an airline and that has always worked for me.

[tomasb]

Interesting discussion. I have been to Peru on numerous occasions and always have a round trip ticket from the US to Peru. For my upcoming trip in Peru this September, I used my miles on Continental Airlines to book a one-way ticket to Lima from Boston via their Houston hub. I have never been asked at Peru customs to show my return ticket in the past. The reason I did not book a return is because I plan to stay in Peru for one year and you cannot reserve a flight that far in advance -- at least on-line with CA.

Will this one-way ticket cause me a problem at some point on my journey?

[renodante]

What is the Verdict Guys?? Am I wrong? Do I need a return trip in??

Ok i have direct experience of all this.

Pretty much all airlines nowadays insist on a return flight, for the very reason jet blue told you. More often than not, the peruvian customs person doesn't care if you have a return flight or not, but I suppose every once in a while you find one who is a stickler

before i came to peru about 3 years ago, i took jetblue. i researched this stuff ahead of time and heard about the return ticket thing, so i called them and they said it was no problem, it wasn't. a year later when i was on my way back to peru on jetblue i had the same problem as you, turns out they got burned and now they've changed their policy. now, fortunately for me i had nicer people at the jetblue counter (or maybe i was calmer, more diplomatic than you).

here's what you can do, with jetblue, or any other airline. you buy a one way ticket there, then you buy a fully refundable return ticket. the refundable return ticket will be quite expensive, but just make sure it's FULLY refundable and there's no fine print. then, the very day you arrive in peru, just cancel your return ticket, WALLAH. done.

[renodante]

Interesting discussion. I have been to Peru on numerous occasions and always have a round trip ticket from the US to Peru. For my upcoming trip in Peru this September, I used my miles on Continental Airlines to book a one-way ticket to Lima from Boston via their Houston hub. I have never been asked at Peru customs to show my return ticket in the past. The reason I did not book a return is because I plan to stay in Peru for one year and you cannot reserve a flight that far in advance -- at least on-line with CA.

Will this one-way ticket cause me a problem at some point on my journey?

like i said above, call the airlines and make sure they have a policy that allows you to get to peru without a return ticket.

yes, it's totally ridiculous that they even offer the option of a one way if they're going to surprise you at the gate the day you're supposed to fly, telling you you can't. if they tell you you need a return, look at the instructions above, works like a charm. just make sure the ticket back is 100% refundable with no fine print.

also, if somehow you end up with an idiot on the phone who says it's ok, and they surprise you at the counter of the airpoirt anyway, you can buy your refundable return ticket on the spot. it will cost you an arm and a leg, but you'll get all your money back the next day when you cancel it.

[tomasb]

Good advice about buying a fully refundable return ticket. I spoke to Continental and they said it was required to buy a return ticket as they will not not let me board otherwise as they follow the countries rules to the letter. And you are right, why offer a one-way ticket if you are rejected at the gate. Instead of buying a return ticket, I arranged to use miles for my return though initially it was more than 183days from my entry date. The agent said this would present a problem as I would need a different type visa to enter the country because I was returning more than the 183 days allowed for the tourist visa provided at Peru customs. So I changed the return date to be under 183 days, however, as long as I change that departure prior to 21 days before the flight I will not be charged a change fee. Since it is so far out, the miles I am currently charged for my return of 40k can more than likely be reduced as they do not post the lower miles discount until a couple of months before the flight.

Also, United Air is now flying the Houston-Lima leg of the trip due to their merger.

[Kelly]

I would guess they offer a one way ticket because there are people who can use it - like people with Peruvian passports, for example.

It could be said that they should make the information available on their website, but I then they'd have to post visa and travel requirements for every country they fly to. Who knows.. maybe they should?

It's more dependent on the traveler, I think, to find out what the requirements are for the country they're flying to. That said, Peru doesn't always make that information easy to find.

[el conquistador]

I travelled to many places around the world and often with a one way ticket and never had any problems.
The only country where it's necessary to have a return ticket is the US. And when I arrived in the US the immigration officer almost always asked to show my return ticket.

Last time, I went to Washington DC and again was asked to show my return ticket and was also asked how much money I got on me but when I arrived back in Lima the Peruvian immigration officer didn´t asked me anything. She just putted another 183 days stamp in my passport.

[MartitaAQP]

I know many have had similiar experiences. I, on the other hand, moved to Peru with a one-way ticket on Spirit (hate them now, btw) and flew one-way to Peru a couple times on a couple airlines with no problems before I got my CE. Now with my CE all my flights are either roundtrip Lima-Mia-Lima or one-way to Lima and no one gives me problems but since I am a resident it would be outrageous to need a plan on when I leave. One thing we all know is that it all varies!


MartitaAQP

[el conquistador]

I would guess they offer a one way ticket because there are people who can use it - like people with Peruvian passports, for example.

It could be said that they should make the information available on their website, but I then they'd have to post visa and travel requirements for every country they fly to. Who knows.. maybe they should?

It's more dependent on the traveler, I think, to find out what the requirements are for the country they're flying to. That said, Peru doesn't always make that information easy to find.

The first time I intended to travel with a one way ticket to Peru, I contacted the Peruvian Consulate and they told me that there's no requirement to have a return ticket when entering Peru. You just must have enough money on you to be able to pay for a trip leave the country. How much money that was required, there was no specified amount.

[Kelly]

That's why I said that Peru doesn't always make the information easy to find. I can understand people's confusion.

However, a search for "Peru visa requirements" pulls up the Peruvian embassy as the 2nd result for me - click there and I get this:

Must fill the visa form.
Valid passport (valid for at least six months)
Proof of residence in the USA: Green Card; work permit; or american visa (NOT turist visa) that proofs that you live at the U.S.A with the I-94
Round trip ticket or booking to Peru.
Two (2) passport photo.
Copy of a recent bank statement.
Fee is $ 30.00, paid in cash or money order on the name of Consulate of Peru.
* These documents don’t necessarily assure the issue of a visa which is determined after an evaluation of each case

When I tried to fly without a return ticket, I was told I needed a return ticket, a Peruvian passport or a resident visa (that would be your CE).

[tomasb]

The Continental agent told me today that the reason they offer one-way tickets through their frequent flyer program without any comments about needing a return ticket from Peru, or any other country for that matter, is because they make an assumption that you may have purchased another one-way ticket from a different airline to leave the country.

[jimuazu]

It is an onward OR return ticket you need. I bought a Star Peru ticket to Rio Branco last time and then rebooked it when I arrived -- although that worked out slightly more expensive than I expected. The Peruvian immigration have never checked, but the airlines always check (in London at least). I was burned once in Madrid trying to board my flight to Lima, but they arranged for me to buy an expensive but fully-refundable ticket on another airline (to Argentina as it happens). So my experience was better than yours with Jet Blue. Sorry you suffered like this!

[el conquistador]

That's why I said that Peru doesn't always make the information easy to find. I can understand people's confusion.

However, a search for "Peru visa requirements" pulls up the Peruvian embassy as the 2nd result for me - click there and I get this:

Must fill the visa form.
Valid passport (valid for at least six months)
Proof of residence in the USA: Green Card; work permit; or american visa (NOT turist visa) that proofs that you live at the U.S.A with the I-94
Round trip ticket or booking to Peru.
Two (2) passport photo.
Copy of a recent bank statement.
Fee is $ 30.00, paid in cash or money order on the name of Consulate of Peru.
* These documents don’t necessarily assure the issue of a visa which is determined after an evaluation of each case

When I tried to fly without a return ticket, I was told I needed a return ticket, a Peruvian passport or a resident visa (that would be your CE).

I didn't know that Americans needed a Visa to travel to Peru. Since when is this?
For Europeans there's no visa requirement.

[Polaron]

I think it is because Kelly searched under "Peru visa requirements," which would assume the requirements for getting a visa to enter Peru (for those nationals that must get one). If you check the Peruvian embassy in Washington, you should find that U.S. persons do not need a visa to enter Peru; only a passport that will not expire within 6 months.