BI Imposes Return Ticket Requirement - CLAMPDOWN

[RickyR]

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Sunday said it will slap fines on airlines bringing foreign tourists to the country without return tickets.

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. instructed the BI airport operations division to impose fine on any airline which allows a foreign visitor to board its aircraft without a return ticket before flying to the Philippines .

He said the requirement on return tickets for tourists is an international rule that is practice worldwide.

"This rule is meant to guarantee that a foreign visitor will leave the host country at the lapse of his stay," the BI chief said.

David stressed that it should be the responsibility of the airlines to see to it that all their passengers who are traveling as tourists have procured the necessary return tickets.

He said those who do not have return tickets will be excluded and sent back to their port of origin.

Lawyer Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, BI spokesperson and intelligence chief, explained that under the immigration law aliens who arrived as tourists but do not have valid return or onward tickets shall be automatically excluded.

Mangrobang, however, stressed that balikbayans, who are also considered tourists but are admitted for one year, are exempted from the rule as a courtesy of being former Filipinos.

She stressed that although the exclusions have inconvenienced the excluded passengers, the bureau has no choice but to implement the law.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/366978...et-requirement

[junior02]

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Sunday said it will slap fines on airlines bringing foreign tourists to the country without return tickets.

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. instructed the BI airport operations division to impose fine on any airline which allows a foreign visitor to board its aircraft without a return ticket before flying to the Philippines .

He said the requirement on return tickets for tourists is an international rule that is practice worldwide.
"This rule is meant to guarantee that a foreign visitor will leave the host country at the lapse of his stay," the BI chief said.

David stressed that it should be the responsibility of the airlines to see to it that all their passengers who are traveling as tourists have procured the necessary return tickets.

He said those who do not have return tickets will be excluded and sent back to their port of origin.

Lawyer Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, BI spokesperson and intelligence chief, explained that under the immigration law aliens who arrived as tourists but do not have valid return or onward tickets shall be automatically excluded.

Mangrobang, however, stressed that balikbayans, who are also considered tourists but are admitted for one year, are exempted from the rule as a courtesy of being former Filipinos.

She stressed that although the exclusions have inconvenienced the excluded passengers, the bureau has no choice but to implement the law.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/366978...et-requirement

Ive never been asked by immigration for my return ticket on over 20 flights to mnl and ceb, ive traveled on lufthansa, gulfair, cathey, kuwait and saudi on 1 way tickets from lhr and only lufthansa question why, checkinn girl said she needed to asked her superviser if it was ok she came back with my pport and no problem..

[RickyR]

It very much depends on the airline and outstation. I've been asked for onward tickets by Asiana in New York, Cebu Pacific in Hong Kong and Singapore and by Cathay in Hong Kong when flying into both Cebu and Manila. Incidently, Cathay in London have never asked me for the onward ticket and most other airlines haven't.
In the Cathay Pacific situation in Hong Kong I had to argue a little as my return flight wasn't a confirmed ticket, and then with Asiana in New York I bluffed it and told her I was joining a ship and showed my 'Seafarers Discharge Book' which worked.