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BA Outbound VA Inbound US Immigration Question

PostPosted: 24 Jul 2005, 20:06
by Jaydun
Hi Guys Need your Guidance on this.

My partner and I are using our respective air mile accounts to take a holiday to the west coast USA in September.

We are flying out on BA to San Francisco Int and then back on VA from LAX. As these flights are both reward flights we are effectively flying on one way tickets (though have confirmed return flights)

My question is will we be OK with US immigration under the terms of the US Visa Waiver scheme (my reading of the US Immigration web site seems to say as long as we can show evidence of onward travel out of the US we will be OK)

We will obviously be able to show our return confirmation from VA though this is in the form of an E-Ticket. Will this be sufficient?

Secondly will we have any problems boarding our outbound BA flight from London, as I believe the airline bears some responsibility for checking that there passengers conform to the Visa Waiver Scheme.

Any advice or reassurance would be gratefully accepted while we still have a couple of months to sort this out.

Thank you for your help in advance guys and girls

PostPosted: 24 Jul 2005, 20:17
by preiffer
You'll be fine.

As you've already stated, just bring evidence (ie: E-Ticket confirmation/printout of "Booking Details" page from va.com) and both check-in and US Immigration will be perfectly OK with it.

PostPosted: 24 Jul 2005, 20:27
by p17blo
I have done exactly what you refer to but to different US cities. Outbound LGW-MCO with BA and return MCO-LGW with VS. Both paid for with miles. I had to show my return ticket at check-in but was not asked by immagration.

No problems what so ever.

Paul

PostPosted: 24 Jul 2005, 20:50
by Matt
The only thing you may be subjected to is the extra security check in LAX, the dreaded 'SSSS' on your boarding pass.

This is because you'll be showing as a 1-way US-UK ticket.

Matt

PostPosted: 24 Jul 2005, 20:58
by VS045
The only thing you may be subjected to is the extra security check in LAX, the dreaded 'SSSS' on your boarding pass.

This is because you'll be showing as a 1-way US-UK ticket.


Shoes off then...;)

Cheers,
VS045

PostPosted: 24 Jul 2005, 21:01
by preiffer
Originally posted by Matt
The only thing you may be subjected to is the extra security check in LAX, the dreaded 'SSSS' on your boarding pass.
In certain US airports (think SFO/ORD/JFK), this is a good thing - it actually gets you through quicker! [:0]:D

TSA - Don't you just love 'em?

(Our line @ LAX was "moved" to snake round three different ways by two different TSA workers yesterday afternoon - each trying to make it look the way they wanted it to. Meanwhile, the 100 other human chess pieces and I were not amused...)

PostPosted: 25 Jul 2005, 03:49
by mcmbenjamin
You could always just write the fours Ss on your boarding pass. There are some reasons when the agent would need to do that.

Benjamin

PostPosted: 26 Jul 2005, 15:20
by jaguarpig
(Our line @ LAX was "moved" to snake round three different ways by two different TSA workers yesterday afternoon - each trying to make it look the way they wanted it to. Meanwhile, the 100 other human chess pieces and I were not amused...)


I've been in that same line at LAX:D

PostPosted: 10 Aug 2005, 10:44
by VS_Lover
No. So long as you can prove you're coming back within 90 days nobody cares who you're doing it with, whether it's another airline, ship or swimming.

PostPosted: 10 Aug 2005, 11:38
by p17blo
Now theres a challenge for you. Swimming across the atlantic. Wonder why no one has tried that yet. Maybe we shall see SRB and his 'apprentices' attempt it in a later episode of 'Rebel' billionaire.

Paul