Flight/tickets

When I flew over the last time, unless you have some documentations justifying why you are not purchasing a ticket (say for work etc), the VN immigrations seem to not allow a one-way ticket (happened to a family member who accompanied me here but only had one-way ticket because was open to any return dates).

When you say 'open to any return date' what do you mean?
Now if I get information to say I am being employed does that help?
Does that allow me to get a oneway ticket?
If I have a return ticket,my understanding is that you have to leave on that date correct?
Because I am hoping to stay for a year or two.

All depend where you are flying from, example being Asian countries get scruitinsed more as above.
However I and many other flew in on one way tickets, if asked about leaving, just saying tour bus to Cambodia, then up to Thailand etc. Never known anyone from western countries have a problem.
Of course if you have a job already lined up, one way ticket is normal so wouldn't even be asked.

One way flights from VN to oz, plenty of flight checkers for that, prices change so often any quoted here would be changed by tomorrow.....

I've never been asked for a proof of onward travel (return ticket) by immigration but I have been asked many times by various airlines. The are the ones who will have to pay to send you back home if there are any issues with immigration so they tend to be careful about things like that.

I never bribed the visa stamp guy even when he blatantly asked for one but in this situation would it be a good idea to slip him $10?

Thanks guys great help as always,puts my mind at rest.
Ok I am booking ticket and will get the visa organised.(flying from Adelaide)
again thanks.

Air Asia doing cheap flights from Adelaide. Where are you going to stay in VN? Pretty sure if you have funds they don't really care. I've read that you can get visas at the airport but its just so easy to get visas in OZ for VN. Yes it costs more but at least its one less thing to sort out after a long  flight.

Ho Chi Minh then up to Hoi An.
Yes I have seen the flights,thats why I asked the questions.
I just got email back from 'AirAsia' and they say you need return flight before you board.
So I have asked a few more questions and will wait and see.

That's weird as we booked a flight for next year and we never got any of that info. We fly into kl then on VN. As long as you can prove you have funds to purchase a ticket they should be ok.  That's what the we did in the UK. Plus as people have said you don't have to fly out of VN.

I guess the other way is to purchase a refundable ticket and cancel it when you've been in Vietnam a few days.

Once I flew one way into the West Indies. When going thru immigration they said I needed a return ticket to somewhere. I showed them my Gold AmX and told them that this would take me anywhere I wanted to go. There were no more questions. They merely want to make sure you are not going to be a burden on them.

In Hawaii they are looking at legislation to give the homeless a oneway ticket back to their home country.

Those flights 'BIGJED1975' which I am looking at are for nov-dec-jan and to be booked by 19th august.
It seems to me you lot know more about flying than the people I am talking to,so I think I will just buy the ticket and see what happens,as some of you have said they don't seem to ask to many questions.
I have not heard back as yet from 'AirAsia' below is what they emailed me earlier.
'Kindly be informed that guests can book one way flights as long as they book the return later on as for boarding a return or onward ticket is needed'.

I'm totally at a loss on why they are saying that. But I will look into it as well. It seems crazy that you have to have a return flight as you could easily leave the country by road,.rail or sea. I would book it. Plenty of time to sort out the fine details. I'm meeting up with a Aussie woman who runs a charity in hoi an. If you want info send me your email and I will send you the info. She gets back late Oct so I'm looking forward to a good talk with her. Good luck.

Yes I don't know why either............
my email - [email protected]
anything you can get will help
thanks

The actual phrase they use is "Proof of onward travel" so any travel itinerary or something to that effect showing that you plan to leave the country is okay. The bottom line is that the airlines don't want to be responsible for having to fly you back at their expense.
At the airport when you fly internationally, at check-in there is a window that opens on the screen detailing the visa and travel policies of the destination country. The agent is supposed to compare what is required against what you have. Sometimes the agents are either lazy or don't care and will not question anything and others are far more diligent.

Strangely enough, I visit HCMC every two months and have no problem ever but last week when I enter HCMC at the airport, the custom officer asked me to show him my return ticket. So I took out my smartphone and show him the email confirmation.

He rejected this and asked me to give him a hardcopy ! I stared at him for a full minute in awe and surprise and finally, he let me go and say next time, show the return ticket booking in hardcopy !

I have been in and out if HCMC for the last 5 years and this is the first time I come across this.

Not sure if this is Standard Operation Procedure now, but bet ya' I'll bring along a hardcopy.

VungTauDon wrote:

The actual phrase they use is "Proof of onward travel" so any travel itinerary or something to that effect showing that you plan to leave the country is okay.

Would a Credit Card or a US1,000 bill be good enough to use as "Proof of onward travel" ? or am I asking for trouble ! serious.

Sometimes, I do one way ticket travel as I have not decide when to return.

Otherwise, when questioned, what answers do one-way-ticket traveler gives to be allowed to come into Vietnam.

MichaelChan wrote:

Would a Credit Card or a US1,000 bill be good enough to use as "Proof of onward travel" ? or am I asking for trouble ! serious.

The is NO US1,000 bill. You will give your game away.

The Immigration Departments are not up to date with todays online travelers. Many are not aware of visa free  travel for ASEAN nations. Unfortunately, with their limited English, they are the gate keepers and "authority" on their own rights.

Proof of onward travel or a return ticket is almost the easiest thing in the world to fake.

My booking are sent to me via email and I can just copy it to Word or other word processor, change a few words and dates and print it out.  They don't actually check your booking they just want to see it.

VungTauDon wrote:

Proof of onward travel or a return ticket is almost the easiest thing in the world to fake.

My booking are sent to me via email and I can just copy it to Word or other word processor, change a few words and dates and print it out.  They don't actually check your booking they just want to see it.

I love a good con!

Ok so what I am understanding is buy my oneway ticket and show some paper work which suggest I am leaving on a certain date,then in the meantime get visa extensions and just live in Viet Nam.
Well thats what I want to do.
VungTau Don

I've never been asked for a proof of onward travel (return ticket) by immigration but I have been asked many times by various airlines.

Is this on a oneway ticket??

I live in Vietnam but actually work in Qatar. My company buys us round trip tickets from our home location to Qatar and back home.
On my return trip to Vietnam the airlines sometimes ask for proof of onward travel as my travel ends in Vietnam and I don't usually have my tickets yet to return to Qatar. I have used my Vietnamese motorbike license as a permanent residency card...lol, but it is easier to just show them my faked travel booking

Hello Don, so to show them as we say 'one prepared earlier' is ok?
Trouble is AirAsia want proof before I board,as i said in one of my past posts.
This is becoming a pain in the arse,i am getting no response from them(AirAsia)
and I need to buy soon for these bloody cheap flights.
On entry into Viet Nam (Ho Chi Minh) what does anyone think I really need?
Is there a possibility I can arrive and buy a return ticket later?!?!?!?

bluecheer wrote:

Hello Don, so to show them as we say 'one prepared earlier' is ok?
Trouble is AirAsia want proof before I board,as i said in one of my past posts.

That is all you need to show at the airport when you check in for your flight. When you get to the counter to get your boarding pass is when they will ask you for your proof of onward travel, that is when you show then the "special" document you made earlier.

bluecheer wrote:

Hello Don, so to show them as we say 'one prepared earlier' is ok?
Trouble is AirAsia want proof before I board,as i said in one of my past posts.
This is becoming a pain in the arse,i am getting no response from them(AirAsia)

Hi Bluecheer,

I have not travel on AirAsia to Vietnam before so I would not be able to comment on this. But I have booked one-way ticket with Jetstar, LionAir, Tigerair to HCMC and do not have this problem nor need to show proof from the airline.

You may want to try these instead of AirAsia.

If you are from one of the Asian countries I believe the rule may be different.

I am from Australia

Sample for informational purposes only. You could change the name and destinations/date and this would be fine.

Passenger:  DOE, JOHN Mr.

=======================================================================

AIRLINE REF: Amadeus 6HFR3R

ATP INSTONE REF: J8QCWH

AIRLINE REF: Amadeus 5HDSTY

ATP INSTONE REF: STH5FG

=======================================================================

QR  602   Thursday  04 Jul  Doha        DOH  Ho Chi Minh SGN  01:10  T2  13:00  T2 Economy Class  40K  TK   

QR  605   Tuesday  30 Jul  Ho Chi Minh SGN  Doha        DOH  01:20  T2  05:00  T2 Economy Class  40K  Confirmed   



CANCELLATION CHARGE: 0 BEFORE DEPARTURE

OUTBOUND CHANGE FEE: FREE SAME CLASS/ROUTE

INBOUND CHANGE FEE: N/A

PASSPORT VERIFIED: Y

I have never been asked for this type of proof of onward travel (or whatever) while traveling in SE Asia.

Back in 2007 (the last time I flew into TSN) I told him I didn't have a return ticket and showed him my funded Gov transportation orders moving me to Vietnam. He just flipped through them like he understood what they said and stamped my passport.

I had no problem with a one way ticket. I got Visa on entry, a C1 tourist multi entry. The issue of RT or one-way tickets is usually an issue with the airlines. If they check their manual and find out the country has visa on entry policy they have no problem boarding you. Thailand is the same way. Those countries that don't have such a policy they will not even sell you a ticket. This is due to the fact it is the carriers responsibility to get you back out of the country at their expense.

I neglected to address the second question.  Yes, they will. Indeed, they don't ask for any ticket info. I used a visa company and did not even go through the embassy. It took me two days and they emailed me my visa on entry. This time I got a B1 business visa because it allows a longer stay. VN
perhaps has some of the easiest entry policies and immigration at the airport for me has been a bree, I think.

Ask AirAsia to check their manual on Vietnam. Like VTDon said this happens a lot because most countries don't allow visa on entry. Once they realize VN does they will allow you to purchase a one way.

Thanks for all your help guys,I am going ahead with my plans and I will certainly let you know what happens.
Again thanks for all your help.
All sounds really easy and straight forward.....ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
We will see.

hELLnoi wrote:

MichaelChan wrote:

Would a Credit Card or a US1,000 bill be good enough to use as "Proof of onward travel" ? or am I asking for trouble ! serious.

The is NO US1,000 bill. You will give your game away.....

From wiki...
"As of May 30, 2009, there are 165,372 $1,000 bills known to exists."

from Wikipedia wrote:

The $1,000 bill featured Grover Cleveland on the obverse and the words "One Thousand Dollars" on the reverse. It was printed as a small-size Federal Reserve Note in 1918, 1934 and 1934A, and a small-size Gold Certificate in 1928 and 1934. As of May 30, 2009, 165,372 $1,000 bills were known to exist.[2] Let's Make a Deal game-show host Monty Hall occasionally gave $500 and $1,000 bills away as prizes, until they were discontinued.

Probably like the $2 bill, the $1,000 bill is just not widely circulated and people use them for good luck/collectibles.  However, it does says "legal tender" and therefore is "redeemable in lawful money at the United States Treasury, or at any federal reserve bank." 

Here's the link if you want to read more on the history of large currency denominations of US.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_deno … 2C000_bill

I have been back in touch with AirAsia and now all is fine with buying a oneway ticket.....
again thanks for all you help.
see you around mid-december