From New Zealand to Barbados Not Via USA.

[JohnnyK]

Hi folks,

Have just scored a job in the Caribbean and need to get there ASAP. Dont want to go via States because I will need a visa to do so costing me much in time and money simply to transit. If I was passing through both ways within 90 days there would be no problem because I would be eligible for the visa waiver. Therefore can anyone more familiar with the region than I offer any alternative routes that wont take me through the States? Any South American carriers perhaps? I can get flight to Santiago and Buenos Aires from Auckland but onwards from there the Trail runs cold.

Cheers,

JK.

[Panama Jack]

What you are proposing will probably cost you more in the end than going through the United States and buying a visa.

If you are hell bent for leather to avoid the USA, try Air Canada, with connections to Barbados via Toronto.

For a large part, air travel to to/from the Western Hemisphere still relies on transiting through the United States.

[Gooneyone]

Or try thru London. Both Virgin and BA have regular (daily?) flights to BGI. Not familiar with how (which carrier) you'd get to London from NZ.

[garthicus]

Air NZ (Or BA) from AKL to LHR, then from Stansted you can go direct to Bridgetown.

[malagajohn]

From scl or eze go to Caracas

Then from Caracas hop to Port Of Spain with Aeropostal - this flight quite often does not show on int reservation systems but is availbale on their website

http://www.aeropostal.com/aero2004/home.asp

The last time I left CCS fro POS , the flight left at 07.30

Then from POS to Bridgetown with BWIA or whatever they are called this week

[Panama Jack]

BWIA is now Caribbean Airlines (http://www.caribbean-airlines.com/)

[malagajohn]

PJ

Sorry i should have been more accurate with my intent on satire / irony

Most of the guys i work with know that they are now called Caribbean but some system,s still show them as BWIA Int

For example if you use www.rumbo.es ( part owned by AMADEUS) it still shows as BWIA

All the best

MJ

Como todos los mejores pasajeros, algo borracho y aun mas mujeriego:) :)

[Wadadli]

JohnnyK, the Caribbean is a fairly large area. Can you be a bit more specific :confused:

[Panama Jack]

Wadadli, the title of the post is "From New Zealand to Barbados Not Via USA." ;)

I know malagajohn, I wanted to make some sort of comment related to pirate rape and pillage, but opted not to. :E

I just gave the Caribbean Airlines website to not further confuse our antepodian colleague.

Hakuna matata :ok:

[Flightmech]

Garthicus,
Who flies direct to Bridgetown from Stansted then?

[Check 6]

Unless the rules have changed, I don't believe that you need a U.S. visa if you are in transit only. At the larger US airports there are in-transit "holding" areas specifically for pax without US visas.

Maybe this has changed since 9/11 (11/9).

Check 6

[Sindree]

Well, as far as I know, a NZ national does not need a transit visa, but has been long since I have had a NZ national going from OSL to the states (has happened though ;) )

Anyways, there might be other factors in the picture..

But as a handling agent, I have mostly worked with KL and AF, and I know it is just a lot of hassle there, in the sense of a lot of shocons.
But is there nothing through HKG or BKK or similar?
Not to big on knowledge of the Asian hubs, but there has to be someone going to, at least the middle/south American region?

I guess there would be quite a few shocons there as well, but would think it might be easier.

Anyways, hope I might have been of some assistance :)

Best regards,
Sindre

[Panama Jack]

Sindree is right. New Zealanders do not require a Visa to enter the United States-- rather, they qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. Here is a quote from IATA's TIM:

National NEW ZEALAND (NZ) /Destination U.S.A. (US)

U.S.A. (US)


Passport required (must be valid at time of entry; passenger
may be authorized to stay until expiry date of passport). For
validity, please run transaction: For details, click here - Item 2.

Visa not required if travelling under the U.S. Visa Waiver
Permanent Program (V.W.P.) and following conditions are met:

Passenger:
- holds machine-readable passport (MRP) (issued for each
accompanying family member, including infants); and
- holds a passport, if issued (or has been extended):
a. on or after October 26, 2005 but prior to October 26,
2006, containing digital photograph or integrated chip
with information from the data page (exempt are Temporary
or Emergency Passports); or
b. on or after October 26, 2006, containing integrated chip
with information from the data page (exempt are Temporary
or Emergency Passports); and
- travels for holiday, business or transit purposes only; and
- will stay up to 90 days or less; and
- arrives on a carrier that has signed agreement I-775 with
the U.S. Immigration; and
- holds a signed Form I-94W (Visa Waiver arrival/departure
form issued either by a carrier having signed the agreement
I-775 or by a travel agency); and
- holds onward/return ticket (or electronic ticket record or
return passages) with a final destination to a country other
than Canada, Mexico or countries/islands situated in or
bordering the Caribbean Sea, unless passenger holds proof of
residence in or transits to such country/islands, in which
case onward/return ticket to that country accepted. Ticket
validity is considered 1 year regardless of fare type; and
- is a non-immigrant; and
- waives the right to protest any action for deportation.

Deportation will follow if Immigration Officer determines that
passenger is inadmissible.
Passenger can make side trips to Canada, Mexico or Caribbean
countries/islands provided first entering the U.S.A. on a
carrier participating in the V.W.P. and provided all other
conditions of the V.W.P. are met.
Total stay in the U.S.A. not to exceed 90 days. No additional
time is given (extension) based on the departure to contiguous
territory. Passenger is admitted for up to a 90-day period and
a specific date of departure is given on the Form I-94.

* If coming directly from Guam or Virgin Isl: pre-inspection
by the USA Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will have
taken place prior to embarkation, when passengers are
required to provide proof of their legal right to enter
the U.S.A.
If coming directly from Puerto Rico: pre-inspection may take
place by CBP prior to embarkation, when passengers are
required to provide their documents and proof of their legal
right to enter U.S.A.;
* if not holding tickets and documents required for return/
onward destination, entry may be refused and deportation may
follow. This is at discretion of Immigration Authorities;
* non-compliance with entry requirements will result in fines
varying between USD 2,000 and USD 3,000 per passenger
and either deportation or indefinite delay for passenger
at point of entry (detention costs at carrier's expense);
* fines for incomplete/inaccurately filled out I-94 or I-94W
Forms: USD 1,000.- per passenger;
* minors: for specific information see: For details, click here -
Item 11 and For details, click here - Item 2;
* for valid visas in an expired passport,
see: For details, click here - item 10;
* for validity of indefinite B1-B2 visas,
see: For details, click here ;

[Water Wings]

JK,

If you don't mind me asking, what have you got a job doing?

Just a curious fellow kiwi.

[Wadadli]

Panamaa Jack
Wadadli, the title of the post is "From New Zealand to Barbados Not Via USA."
The end of a looooooooooong day:zzz: :zzz: :zzz: :zzz:
Cheers, Wadadli:O

[Panama Jack]

If you do travel from NZ to Santiago de Chile, get a window seat-- might be able to spot falling Russian space junk. :}

[JohnnyK]

Guys,

Thanks for your input on this. There seems to be some confusion surrounding all this.But the final world belonged to the American embassy in AKL which told me that, if I intended to stay in the West Indies longer than 90 days, I would in fact need a visa if I was transiting through their country.(which I will be) For me this would involve a long and expensive trip to Auckland and 1 week processing time which is not much use because I leave tomorrow! So I'll go on the 90 day ticket which at least allows me to report for duty as arranged and deal with the rest of it later! Panama Jack, you seem like the font of all knowledge on this region-Whats the word on St Vincent? ok place to live for a while? Bear in mind I have recently completed a 2 year stint in a small dusty African town with goats and Donkeys wanderin downtown so have a little idea of different styles of living!

Regards,

JK.

[Panama Jack]

Panama Jack, you seem like the font of all knowledge on this region

Yikes! Not really. :uhoh:

I don't know much about the Caribbean. Central America is more my back yard. Maybe some of the others can help here, or try to do a search.

Good luck & send us a postcard (or an update here on PPRuNE) when you get there!

[JohnnyK]

Hi Folks,

Well im here now and I can tell y'all that it was worthwhile. Lovely spot here in St Vincent with some promising employers. I tell you what though. The travel here was a nightmare. It turns out that I needed something called a caricom visa, issued for the duration of the cricket world cup. Everybody told me-no problems- they issue it on arrival in Barbados. Everybody that is apart from the American Airline staff in Miami who refused to let me board then could offer precisely NO advice on what I should do next. I kept my cool but they were just a shade short of hostile when I persisted on seeking advice on what to do next. I was fobbed off to several other complete nincompoops until finally I got one lady who appeared to have had some humanity about her. Bear in mind that my luggage had also been lost and I hadnt slept for nigh on 30 hrs, what with stopping over in LA-more hostile and officious cattle herding staff-and the queing and outright crap that occurs at that airport. So I get this one good lady and she points out there is a Jamaican embassy in Miami. So I jump in cab in a big strange city with my piss poor spanish,luckily got an honest cabbie, and somehow manage to get the visa with some begging and whining and then its back to the airport for more fighting with AA staff who were trying to charge me for the later flight.
The final twist to this sorry tale is- I get the 90 days visa waiver in the States but they dont stamp me out which im told is common practice these days, and I ive just checked my passport and I wasnt stamped into Barbados-so as far as my passport is concerned, Im still in the US....except Im not. International travel is very complicated these days is it not? Oh, and to cap it all off, Barbados does issue that Visa on arrival. Sometimes you just feel that your existence depends on the mood of bad temperered people. You do everything your supposed to do, paid lots and lots of money for tickets, and you get treated like rubbish. Anybody else feel the same? Whats wrong with the picture here??

[Panama Jack]

Hi JohnnyK,

Thanks for the update and am happy to hear you made it in one form or another to your destination.

There is a joke that goes something like this:

A business man runs up to to an airline ticket counter in the airport, red in the face, sweaty, out-of-breath, saying, "Miss, you must help me! I need to get to (destination) in the worst possible way!"

The smartly dressed and polite airline employee points to the counter across the hallway and says "oh sir, that would be with American Airlines."

I've had my own "experiences" as a passenger with American Airlines. They are my last choice in travel if I have options. :hmm:

In the United States there is no exit stamp in the passport, however, the airline should have taken the Green or White landing card that they stamped upon your entry in the United States. They turn that over to US Immigration. If you still have it, I would contact the US Consulate there to ask for instructions on how to turn it back into the US Immigration authorities (assuming you are not returning to the United States within the 90 days of your original entry), otherwise, it can cause problems when you go to the United States in the future.

[JohnnyK]

Thanks Panama Jack. Will call the consulate tomorrow.

[malagajohn]

Johnnie

if you filled in a green or white landing card on arrival in USA . the immigration guyt would have given you a tear off part , which is a little bit bigger than credit card - AA would have taken this from you - if not you want yto talk to the consulate before you go back to the USA

[pyote]

Gidday!!!

From the land of the long white and drizzly cloud!!!

good to hear that all is well with you...

[pilotrv8]

Mate,

I really enjoyed our time together in Saint Vinny!

I will miss giving you those lashes on the tennis court! Come to Aus sometime my email is [email protected]

Cheers Bugga

[JohnnyK]

Simone,
Its been a pleasure. There is such a word as Federeresque and my punishing basline volley is in fact Federeresque. Cheers my man and see you later in the big jets. When you need a few coaching tips email me on [email protected].
Regards,
JK.