Flying into St Maarten without return flight ticket...

[Courtland]

Saint Marten Customs and Immigration
Princess Julliana Airport
St. Maarten, NWA

RE:  Name of person

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Please allow entry for , US Passport No. , as he is crew on board the sailing vessel “BoatName” (Cayman Islands  Official Doc No. ) currently at Marina Fort Louis, Marigot,

Mr. will be joining said vessel on 22 April 2015 and will added to the crew list for clearance from Marigot and departure to Newport, Rhode Island on or about 23 April 2015.

Thank you.


Very truly Yours,


, Captain

[gts1544]

Explanation: As an ex-airline employee based in Puerto Rico and flying the Caribbean some years ago, it should be noted that the airline is legally and financially responsible for you if you are denied entry into the destination country, hence their policies concerning boarding without a return ticket or a legally useable passport. George

[Dulcesuenos]

Last year friends of ours had same exact issue flying from miami to nassau to return w us as crew.they had a copy of the cruising permit. Silver would not allow them to board unless they bought a return ticket each. Which they did and explained it to american express when they fought the charges and were reimbursed by amex

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Grateful]

Thank you all for the advise, information and anecdotes.

Interestingly enough, I got a very helpful letter from St Maarten immigration.

Courtland - thank you for saving me the trouble of writing my crew letter - that's perfect.

[Bjooste]

You will find there is not mich difference in price between one way and return ticket
Just buy return tickets

[Grateful]

Originally Posted by Bjooste

You will find there is not mich difference in price between one way and return ticket
Just buy return tickets

I don't think you guys have traveled much by air lately. A few years ago, the airlines simplified their fare structure such that you pretty much pay by the leg. RT is twice the price of one way.

[Moontide]

Easiest way it just to buy a refundable one way ticket from the country you are going to to somewhere else. After you get there just go online and cancel the return/second leg.

Since you can never know ahead of time which side of the bed the airline gate agent, immigration person or whoever got out of that morning, the easiest way is just to buy a fully refundable one way ticket out of that country and get it refunded after you land.

Cost is zero, you avoid all the potential hassle with officaldom and it is easier than sending letters around to everyone.

[jmschmidt]

I've not had a problem one-waying it on Delta or US Air to foreign destinations but US Air is now part of AA, or will be soon. It seems though that if Dutch immigration on St. Marten is the problem it wouldn't matter the airline. But, AA could be just making that part up so as not to have to deal with it. AA is the only major airline I know of that won't let you take inflatable PFDs, either as carry-on or checked baggage. To bad too, I have a ton of miles on them.

[Moontide]

JMSCHMIDT - Have you had a problem lately with the PFD. The TSA has a page where they clarify that PFD' (and 2 cartridges) are OK with them. Cannot take the cartridges separagety, they have to have a vest accompanying them.

Have been on AA flights with friends that took them with no problem. Was a minor hassle as they had to go to the counter to check the bag, could not check curbside.

[jmschmidt]

Thanks, that's good news. Maybe AA changed their policy, it has been a couple of years. As in all regulations, airlines can make up their own policies that are more restrictive than FAA or TSA but of course they can't make policy that is less restrictive. I speak from almost fifty years in the airline business.

[sck5]

You dont actually need a return ticket to your origin - Just a ticket out of the country you are flying into - The airline is off the hook if you leave the country they fly you to. You dont have to return to where you started. That means you can, e.g. get a refundable ticket from ST. Maarten to Antigua and that will do the trick. No need to buy a return all the way back to the USA

[karabil]

We have spent 3 years flying to SXM on one way tickets (Australian passports). We normally book return LAX or NYC from Aus, then one way to SXM on Jetblue via internet. When questioned we state we have a boat that lives in SXM at Oyster Pond. Immigration at SXM wants to know where we stay, answer with Boat name and Marina. We carry our reg papers but bill of sale would do. Any crew just carry a letter from skipper. We were booking our flight back from SXM to USA short notice again with Jetblue.
Hubby and 2 friends flew in April on one way to USA and then one way to SXM, sailed out across Atlantic to Europe.
We have certainly found Jetblue cheap and very easy to deal with, included baggage, and much better staff than the larger US companies.

[Grateful]

Thanks for all the input folks.

My wife and I flew in to SXM on June 21, and our crew on the 23rd, with no issues. We completed our delivery to Gulf Port MS two days ago, and yesterday accomplished the the next batch of red tape - importing the boat. USCG documentation is next and we should be done with the red tape dance for a while....