# HELP In a Panic... Flying to Mexico in less than 24 hours



## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

Hi- I'll be leaving early Monday morning AA to fly home to Mexico to be married. I bought a one way ticket with no issues/questions from AA. I'll be going in on a tourist visa. I made a last check call to AA just a moment ago to make sure that flights, etc. were ok... then came the bombshell. The woman on the phone strongly suggested that I would not be able to board the aircraft because I do not have a round trip ticket. I explained that I was getting married and would subsequently be applying for my spousal visa. Don't know why this was not an issue when I made the reservation over the phone months ago.
Now I'm kind of freaking out that I'm going to get to the airport and I won't be let on.

Any advice/suggestions? I was under the impression that it was not an issue other than maybe on the Mexican side but was generally not a problem. What can I do to circumvent this potentially huge problem in a hurry.
Thanks....


----------



## DNP (May 3, 2011)

itnavell said:


> Hi- I'll be leaving early Monday morning AA to fly home to Mexico to be married. I bought a one way ticket with no issues/questions from AA. I'll be going in on a tourist visa. I made a last check call to AA just a moment ago to make sure that flights, etc. were ok... then came the bombshell. The woman on the phone strongly suggested that I would not be able to board the aircraft because I do not have a round trip ticket. I explained that I was getting married and would subsequently be applying for my spousal visa. Don't know why this was not an issue when I made the reservation over the phone months ago.
> Now I'm kind of freaking out that I'm going to get to the airport and I won't be let on.
> 
> Any advice/suggestions? I was under the impression that it was not an issue other than maybe on the Mexican side but was generally not a problem. What can I do to circumvent this potentially huge problem in a hurry.
> Thanks....


One thing you could do, if you can afford it, is to buy another, refundable ticket to anywhere outside of Mexico--even with a different airline.

Sent from my iPod touch using ExpatForum


----------



## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

I've never heard of anyone being refused entry by Mexican immigration into Mexico because of a one-way ticket (and have heard of many people who have entered Mexico without an ongoing or return ticket). But here's the catch: airlines often don't seem to recognize this, and if they require a return ticket (even if Mexican immigration doesn't require it), they won't let you on the plane.


----------



## Guest (Oct 31, 2011)

AA is sometimes hardcore because they can be on the hook for a fine for any passenger who enters a country without outbound passage of some sort, and the receiving country wants to beat them up over it.

An alternative would be to buy a bus ticket online from somewhere like Monterrey to San Antonio, TX on either Omnibus or Americanos. Or, from MX City to Guatemala. I think the cost one way last spring was something like US$70 for Omnibus from San Antonio to Monterrey. A bus ticket should serve as proof you have travel scheduled out of MX if American Airlines insists.


----------



## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GringoCArlos said:


> AA is sometimes hardcore because they can be on the hook for a fine for any passenger who enters a country without outbound passage of some sort, and the receiving country wants to beat them up over it.
> 
> An alternative would be to buy a bus ticket online from somewhere like Monterrey to San Antonio, TX on either Omnibus or Americanos. Or, from MX City to Guatemala. I think the cost one way last spring was something like US$70 for Omnibus from San Antonio to Monterrey. A bus ticket should serve as proof you have travel scheduled out of MX if American Airlines insists.


I wonder why AA insists on enforcing this non-existent rule and other airlines don't. I've never had this problem, but then I've never flown on AA to Mexico.


----------



## sunnyvmx (Mar 14, 2010)

Tell them your tourist visa is good for 180 days and at that time you don't know where you will be, but will buy a return ticket then. That's reasonable. Don't mention getting married or not returning. Less said the better.


----------



## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

you could also say that you will be taking a bus back out or you will be driving out with a friend.

I've flown into Mexico 14 times I can count without a return flight on a tourist Visa (Continental)


----------



## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

Hi-
Thanks for all your suggestions and feedback. I'm here in Mexico. In the end, I was able to fly through on my one way ticket. It was suggested by the AA ticket counter in Greenville, SC that the woman who had insisted I could not board without proof of return was misinformed and they apologized for the panic it caused. I learn something new every day! I am very happy to be home.


----------



## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

itnavell said:


> Hi-
> Thanks for all your suggestions and feedback. I'm here in Mexico. In the end, I was able to fly through on my one way ticket. It was suggested by the AA ticket counter in Greenville, SC that the woman who had insisted I could not board without proof of return was misinformed and they apologized for the panic it caused. I learn something new every day! I am very happy to be home.


Glad (and relieved for you) that you arrived in your new home safe and sound. Welcome to Mexico!


----------



## La Osita (Oct 31, 2010)

Me too! and thank you.


----------



## scubakevin (Jun 22, 2011)

Yeah I have never had an issue buying one way tickets EXCEPT in the UK for my wife and her mother the UK immigration check point in Brussels required them to present a "continuing ticket" meaning that there needed to be a ticket from somewhere in the UK to somewhere outside the UK within a 6 month period or they couldn't enter.

We obviously had air tickets from Frankfort to Mexico so there was no issue but it was odd as in Germany didn't ask for it. Maybe because wife / spouse / mother in law and me being German but not living in Germany, who knows but Mexico does not require a return ticket. Grand Cayman for example DOES as well as most british territories.


----------



## jasavak (Nov 22, 2011)

I have heard about refusal of entry to Argentina without a round trip ticket , but not Mexico .


----------

