Once again, one way tickets

[costaricabill]

This certainly isn’t a new topic, but it is an update on the continuing saga of the need for return tickets when traveling to Costa Rica. I can’t say it will work for anyone else, but once again my wife and I have returned to Costa Rica on a one-way ticket.

We did it with total honesty and no deception.

We were asked:
[u]At the main terminal ticket counter[/u] – “Do you have a return ticket?” Our response was “No, we live in Costa Rica.” We handed the ticket agent copies of each of our expediente documents and she looked them over, and she asked me what it was. I responded that the document shows that we are in the process of applying for residency in Costa Rica. After a couple of minutes, she asked me “Where on here does it say Costa Rica?” I looked, and guess what – it doesn’t say Costa Rica anywhere on the form! She then disappeared into a back office, returning several minutes later with our documents and said “We found where it says San Jose, so that’s OK.”

[u]At the TSA security checkpoint [/u]– no questions.

[u]At the boarding gate[/u] – they now recheck your passport at the gate and stamp your boarding pass “Documents Checked” indicating that your passport has been checked and they do not need to see it as you board the plane. When we got to the front of the line the gate agent took our passports and asked if we had a return ticket. Our response was the same as in the main terminal ticket counter “No, we live in Costa Rica.” The gate agent looked at our passports, glanced at the expediente copies, stamped our boarding pass and said “Next in line, please.”

[u]Upon arrival in SJO at immigracion[/u], the officer asked “How long will you be visiting?” We responded “We live here, in Samara.” He said “I love Samara, but it is too hot for me.” All the while he was checking our immigracion forms, and scanning our passports. He then said “Will you be leaving within 90 days?” and my wife said “Oh yes, we love seeing our grandchildren as much as possible.” STAMP, STAMP, 90 Days – “Next in line, please”.

I have never been asked those questions before, certainly not by the airline personnel, so it appears that they are indeed checking more carefully and perhaps have increased enforcement, but we were honest with them and we are here.

But I will say that (just in case) I had checked future ticket prices on certain dates within the ninety day window and I was prepared to purchase full fare, refundable tickets for each of us if required to do so.

[rosiemaji]

I just returned to Costa Rica on December 21st and I encountered almost exactly the same scenario. I have a residency card so I had no problem but my granddaughter (we have permanent custody of her but they did not ask for any documentation in this respect) was traveling with me. The return flight I had booked for her was more than 90 days away. I told them that we had purchased another ticket for her to return that was within the 90 days however they did not ask to see it. The ticket for her is actually 90 days plus 2 weeks. This happened at the the American Airlines main terminal ticket counter. The next question was upon arrival at SJO immigration. So they are checking everyone now to make sure they not only have a return ticket but also a return ticket within 90 days.

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