Job Discussion Forums

voyagerksa · Joined: 29 Apr 2015 Posts: 140

If you have a Z visa can you use a one way ticket or do you have to have a return ticket to enter? Being that I am going to be there for at least one year, a return ticket is a waste of money.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Isn't a return cheaper than two singles?
Also you should have a travel allowance in your contract and oftentimes I've been asked to produce the ticket and evidence of what I paid to heve the allowance paid.
Two buts though.
The forum has been noting erosion of the benefit from 10K (or even the actual amount) to 8k.
Very cheap airfares purchasable in China if you're prepared to overnight in Ulan Bataar or somewhere.

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

Yes, you can enter China on a one-way ticket if you have a Z visa.

Sure, two-way tickets are cheaper, but what if you decide to stay longer than the standard year-long contract? You might be able to wrangle a deal with the airline, but good luck.

If you work for a public university, the school pays for your return flight (provided, of course, that you don't decide to transfer to another school at the end of your contract).

Many non-public schools offer an allowance for return flight, but what I've seen on many of those contracts are paltry amounts.

Read your contract. See what it says about return flight. Any foreign expert's contract should directly address the issue of responsibility for paying for his return.

This is a good question if you are beginning your trek. Some people don't even think that far ahead.

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Personally, I find it less and less true that round trip tickets are necessarily cheaper.

I travel often and find www.kiwi.com the best for one way flights. It really is amazing in terms of prices and the ability to search quickly on different criteria.

I agree with the above posters that you really don't know how long you will be there. It may be a month to three years before you leave the country. Another advantage of one way flights.

There are also a few sites for those who are google savvy to generate a dummy ticket. There is also one service I know of that will buy you a one-way ticket in your name. It costs 10 dollars and they do all the payment and refunding on their end.

The above is also a good option if the school insists on seeing a return ticket to your home country for reimbursement, but you intend to visit Bhutan instead.

doogsville · Joined: 17 Nov 2011 Posts: 924 Location: China

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

OhBudPowellWhereArtThou · Joined: 02 Jun 2015 Posts: 1168 Location: Since 2003

I always do look directly through the airline sites too. It is a little known secret that certain airlines will put up a few very low prices tickets that are not shared with online booking sites.

yup. sometimes the airline agents can get you connections that you can't find anywhere else. And interestingly, they can find the connections with the shortest layovers that you'd have difficulty finding yourself.