Relaxed onward ticket requirements for connecting flights?

[ultramarine]

Hi All,

 

I just wanted to share my experience with other members.  I arrived at BKK on Nov 6 with a return ticket dated March 25.  Since I had no visa and was entering with a 60-day visa exemption stamp, I assumed that I would need an onward ticket for my connecting flight in Seoul ICN.  My point of departure was Toronto YYZ. 

 

Last year, I almost missed my connecting flight in Tokyo HND with ANA because I didn't bother buying an onward ticket. After much back and forth with airline staff, they finally let me board the flight to BKK.  I didn't want a repeat of that experience so I purchased an time-delimited onward ticket before I left YYZ on Nov 5.  

 

As it turned out, I didn't need to even show the onward ticket in Seoul for my connecting flight.  They never asked for it.  Is this just a random thing or does it have something to do with the new 60-day visa exemption for Thailand.  Or is this a difference in policy between Korean Air and ICN (2024) and ANA and HND (2023)?  

 

 

 

 

[Phillip9]

2 minutes ago, ultramarine said:

They never asked for it.  Is this just a random thing or does it have something to do with the new 60-day visa exemption for Thailand.  Or is this a difference in policy between Korean Air and ICN (2024) and ANA and HND (2023)?  

 

Whether or not you are asked for an onward flight can be quite random.  I find that the same airline will sometimes ask for it and sometimes not ask.  It probably depends on how busy or competent the check in staff is.  In Korea and Japan it probably also depends on how well the staff speaks English.  If they can't speak english well, they may just not bother asking a foreigner for it.

[treetops]

The instructions to the airlines recently changed to include the following text:

 

"Extension of stay is possible.
Passengers are allowed to enter if their stay will exceed the actual visa-free period as long as they hold a return/onward ticket."

 

To me, it's a bit poorly worded as that section does not mention any length of possible extension and effectively gives no restriction on the date of the onward/return ticket.  However, elsewhere in the rules it mentions 30 day extensions are available so airline staff may or may not pick up on this and ensure the ticket is for a max stay of 90 days.

 

In your case it looks like the airline used the more lax interpretation, but that doesn't mean they all will.

[ultramarine]

1 hour ago, treetops said:

The instructions to the airlines recently changed to include the following text:

 

"Extension of stay is possible.
Passengers are allowed to enter if their stay will exceed the actual visa-free period as long as they hold a return/onward ticket."

 

To me, it's a bit poorly worded as that section does not mention any length of possible extension and effectively gives no restriction on the date of the onward/return ticket.  However, elsewhere in the rules it mentions 30 day extensions are available so airline staff may or may not pick up on this and ensure the ticket is for a max stay of 90 days.

 

In your case it looks like the airline used the more lax interpretation, but that doesn't mean they all will.

Good to know.  As you say, for longer stays of more than 90 days, it still makes sense to buy an onward ticket to prevent any hassles with the connecting flight.