http://travel.booklocker.com/2009/05/28/avoiding-sneaky-extra-travel-fees/ Bargain destinations and the cheapest places to travel Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:49:10 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://travel.booklocker.com/2009/05/28/avoiding-sneaky-extra-travel-fees/comment-page-1/#comment-152317 JohnSutherland Fri, 28 Aug 2009 03:33:34 +0000 http://travel.booklocker.com/?p=1060#comment-152317 I have had a costly discovery while trying to board my return flight from Monterey, CA to San Jose, Costa Rica. I make my home in Costa Rica but since I am not a legal resident I am required to leave the country for 72 hours every 90 days. Many countries have this or similar policies. My costly lesson cam midway through my return flight as I rushed to make connections. The airlines would not let me on the airplane unless I showed I had a return flight within 90 days. Well, of course I would be leaving to comply with the regulations, but at that moment I had not made plans for my next journey. Before they would let me on the airplane I had to buy a round trip flight out of the country and back. I have visited two countries in a very short time and neither gave a damn what my relationship was with Costa Rican immigration officials. In my view, US airlines, aware of the policy, have forced travelers to buy airlines tickets. As I make ready for another trip to the USA I have also purchased a bus ticket to a neighboring country within 90 days of my return. I have had a costly discovery while trying to board my return flight from Monterey, CA to San Jose, Costa Rica. I make my home in Costa Rica but since I am not a legal resident I am required to leave the country for 72 hours every 90 days. Many countries have this or similar policies. My costly lesson cam midway through my return flight as I rushed to make connections. The airlines would not let me on the airplane unless I showed I had a return flight within 90 days. Well, of course I would be leaving to comply with the regulations, but at that moment I had not made plans for my next journey. Before they would let me on the airplane I had to buy a round trip flight out of the country and back. I have visited two countries in a very short time and neither gave a damn what my relationship was with Costa Rican immigration officials. In my view, US airlines, aware of the policy, have forced travelers to buy airlines tickets. As I make ready for another trip to the USA I have also purchased a bus ticket to a neighboring country within 90 days of my return.

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