Job Discussion Forums

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

A student at my school told me today that he has an opportunity to work in Beijing during our summer break. It would be a fantastic opportunity for him, but of course the airplane ticket would be very expensive for him. The cheapest tickets by far are through Los Angeles or San Francisco, but as a Mexican national a transit through the USA can be quite problematic.

I let him make use of my computer to check prices. For example, a round-trip ticket from DF to Beijing can be found for as low as $1100 plus taxes - but the flight is through LA. If I look at flight on, say Air Canada or Air France, he could avoid a transit in the US, but the ticket price doubles (or more!).

Anyone have any ideas how he might find a very cheap ticket. I find that all the search engines keep pulling up fares that travel via the US.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I had been looking for flights to Australia and Korea and never never came across anything cheaper than going through LA. A Mexican friend here was recently issued a US visa to pass through to get to Australia. It can be done but one has to show proof of destination.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

Yeah the cheapest way is to go through the US, but for a Mexican, the best way might be to go through Canada since they do not need a visa for Canada. It is easy to buy a ticket on JAL, or any airline that flies to canda directly, to Vancouver then pick up a cheap flight tfrom Vancouver to Beijing. Since you are from Vancouver, Guy, you might be able to scout out some cheap tickets. You woul dbe looking at $1500 plus to take JAL all the way to Beijing so plitting up the travel might make a lot more sense.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Vancouver is a very beautiful place, but unfortunately, I'm from Ottawa.

I had always thought JAL was one of the most expensive...

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

MELEE · Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:25 pm Post subject:

What surprises me is that the US airlines haven't protested this no transit without visa thing. I know a couple of Mexicans married to Europeans, and they used to always fly through the US on their way to Europe, on Contential, or United, now they purposely choose British Airways, Luftansa, or Iberia. Aren't the US airlines loosing business?

ilovebdt1 · Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 7:38 am Post subject:

Would it be too expensive to fly via Europe?
Do Mexican citizens require a visa for that?

Sorry, I can't think of any airlines to suggest at the moment.

Ilovebdt1

gordogringo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 159 Location: Tijuana

JAL is the best airline for Asia travel.The only one I ever wanted to take back in Taiwan and Indonesia teaching days.Also very affordable.Are there no directs out of Mexico City?

gordogringo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 159 Location: Tijuana

JAL is the best airline for Asia travel.The only one I ever wanted to take back in Taiwan and Indonesia teaching days.Also very affordable.Are there no directs out of Mexico City?

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

scott14 · Joined: 30 Oct 2004 Posts: 50

Last year, there was only one direct flight from Asia to Mexico. I flew direct from Tokyo to Mexico City last summer for about $1,000. The plane does stop in Vanouver for some reason, but you are put in a sterile room and nobody is allowed to transit. Check the JAL website for more info.

gordogringo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 159 Location: Tijuana

Put in a sterile room?Sounds like being a prisoner of Canada.How bad could that be.Watch a few hockey reels,drink some beer,complain about those damned Americans and GW Bush,and back on plane.A good time to be had by all. Very Happy

Not St Louis · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 38 Location: Asia

Might wanna contact the Chinese embassy and see when the direct Beijing-Mexico City and Hong Kong-Mexico City flights will begin. They signed a bilateral agreement to start the flights.

reddevil79 · Posted: Thu May 11, 2006 11:12 am Post subject: Those Americans...

About this transiting through the US on the way to Mexico for EU passport holders, does anyone know the story with that? As far as I understood, you couldn�t turn up with a one way ticket from Europe-Mexico via the states, they would just send you packing. You need a return a ticket, with the return leg no later than 90 days of the departure date, otherwise you need to apply for a visa.

I couldn�t agree more with Melee on this one. Surely airlines from the states are losing millions in revenue with paranoid passengers choosing European airlines as opposed to travelling via the US. And airports must be losing money too with passengers not spending money during transit. Or maybe the Europe to Latin America market just isn�t big enough to merit lodging a complaint.

I�ve just returned to the UK for hols and flew via Atlanta. Immigration was incredibly friendly, sent me through to transit with no problems, didn�t even look at my tickets. I then had to use one of the machines located near the departure gates which takes your picture and fingerprint and prints out a piece of paper confirming your departure from American soil. This would surely confirm then that I arrived and left American soil in the space of a few hours, so why the need for a return ticket of less than 90 days!? I will definitely fly via Atlanta again though, those Georgia folk are friendly! I didn�t think �friendly� and �US Immigration� could ever be used in the same sentence�