On 11/07/2014 01:42 PM, Michael Richardson wrote: > > If I needed a VISA to get to Hawaii (I don't... I sit at gate E80 in YVR, on > the US side of customs... easiest crossing yet I think), and it hadn't > arrived by Oct. 1, I would have had to cancel because the bump in airfare > would have been a major problem. > > Do airlines give full refunds if you don't get a VISA, I doubt it. Not at all. > I suspect that some airlines won't even book a ticket until you have a visa; This is incorrect. No airline that I know of check that you do have a visa when booking or buying a ticket (after all, it's in their own interest that you bu the ticket, even if you're not going to be able to board!) > I also > know that some countries' won't even issue a visa until you have a ticket... IIRC, in most cases, what they require is an itinerary/reservation rather than a ticket. The problem here is that, as you note, you have two options: 1) Buy the ticket prior to getting the visa -- with the risk of not getting it in time and hence wasting the ticket/money, or, 2) Wait till you get the visa before buying the ticket -- at which point the ticket prices can be insane. All the above sad, I should say that, as far as central/south-americans are concerned, e.g. Europe tends to be way more friendly than North America: I can travel anywhere in Europe (except Russia, I think) without a visa... but need a visa for US and Canada. Thanks, -- Fernando Gont e-mail: fernando@xxxxxxxxxxx || fgont@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx PGP Fingerprint: 7809 84F5 322E 45C7 F1C9 3945 96EE A9EF D076 FFF1