Back from Odessa. Having Jamaican Wedding.

[Ravens9273]

Just got back from Odessa after a month trip. Was supose to get married during trip but we were not happy with the weather and decided to have a wedding in Jamaica. Took care of all the planning while in Odessa.
We will marry in April in Jamaica. Mailed all documents already for license.

She will fly into JFK in New York. I will meet her there and together we will fly to Jamaica. Worse part is we will have to stay in airport over night for next flight since she cannot leave airport and flight times just do not work well with each other.

However we will be in Jamaica for 7 nights in a private villa at the resort. It is what the resort calls a weddingmoon.
We are both looking forward to the trip and she will have chance to swim with Dolphins at Dolphin Cove.

Will post photos when return.

[Lit_1nce]

First let me get the congrats out of the way.. congratulations !

Usually, there would be many such posts.. but lately everyone seems engrossed in proving their country either is or isn't feeding them propaganda.. or they are trying to disprove global warming.. I'm thinking that global warming has fried their brains... that's my conspiracy theory anyway.

The trip report section of RWD has always been my favorite. Perhaps if you get time you could do a report ?

Best of luck to you and your intended !

Lit

[UTRO]

Lots of Details Is this your way of inviting us all to your Wedding!!! Can't wait   Ocho Rios, ya Mon!
P.S.... Screw JFK and US Immigration Services. Fly her from Kiev via Moscow, Frankfurt, Paris,, whatever, to Jamaica! You take a separate flight from Continental USA and meet her in Jamaica within a few hours, or even a few minutes, of each other's flights! JFK, or any other American Transit, is completely unnecessary,  a waste of time, stress and her good nature )))
*** by the way, for Russian GF's.... www.Transaero.com has direct flights from Moscow to Punta Cana. Ukraine and Russian Nationals don't need Visas to Visit the Dominican. So if you're completely bought on the Caribbean as a place to Wed, you might want to rethink Jamaica and go with the Dominican!?! FYI. Stay at Excellence Punta Cana.... All Couples, no Singles and nobody under 18 years old!! Very Cool!!!

[William3rd]

you have her US transit visa already, right? She gets inspected, enters and then travels out of the US the next day. What about the return flight?

[DKMM]

I second Williams concern, Ravens you must have a transit visa for her.  That was exactly why I had to cough up extra $$ the first time I took a RW to the Caribbean (I ended up flying her through Canada)

[UTRO]

you have her US transit visa already, right? She gets inspected, enters and then travels out of the US the next day. What about the return flight?

If US Immigration Services is anything like Canada's, there is only about a 1% chance that they'll give a Single Russian or Ukrainian Woman a Transit Visa to depart JFK to spend the night in a hotel. Even if she has airline tickets through to Jamaica and return. There's that 99% mentality she won't show up the next day.
The Ukraine is not a country listed on the US Visa Waiver Program.
I would suggest making some enquiries.

[Ravens9273]

Thanks for Congratulations.
The whole trip is set up. We played with every option we could with the flights and honestly found no easy solution. We even looked into her flying to London etc. No matter where she flew she would have spent the night in an airport somewhere. I had travel agents and everyone working on it. In the end we decided her flying to New York was best bet this way I could at least be there with her and she wants to at least say she has been to New York.
It seems every flight coming in from over seas arrives after all flights going to Jamaica leave.
Well she is flying Aerosvit airline. She leaves Odessa a 8:30am. Flies to Kiev then Kiev to JFK. She will arrive at JFK at 4:35pm EST. At 7:30am next morning we leave on Jamaica Air to go to Montego Bay. Now we are booked at the resort for 7 nights. However Aerosvit does not have return flight to Ukraine on that day so instead of staying in JFK for 30 hours we decided to stay in Jamaica an additional night. I booked a night in a hotel a mile away from Montego Bay airport. This way we can also see the city for a day. But we will leave Jamaica at 8:30am and arrive back in New York at 1:10pm. Her return flight to Ukraine is 6:15pm so we avoided a very long wait staying another night.
I did mention to her to try for the transit visa but timing played a factor. She was busy finishing exams and with the odds of getting she decided not to bother trying. She says she is tough and can handle the wait. Would have been nice though to have been able to take her into New York. This is on top of our list when she is here for good to do. 
Good thing is the resort will do a video broadcast of our wedding for family and friends who could not attend so they can watch it live online. We actually got the last slot of the day so we did not have choice of time.
During my last trip I brought a prepaid Mastercard with me for her with her name on it. It was an easy way to send her money if she needed it. I can load money to card here and all she has to do is go to ATM machine. However she never asks for anything. But I did put money on card for her to get things she needed for trip.
One day talking to her about what would be good business we have in USA that would work in Ukraine one thing I mentioned was Victoria Secrets. Well she found their website. Then she learned how to buy online for the first time. I have now received several packages from Victoria's Secrets to my home.  .
Now do not get me wrong. She is not going crazy. All items were cheap and she was using money I gave to her to buy things for trip and in a way this is what she is doing. She bought bathing suit etc... as well as a few items I do not mind at all. I am glad she is having fun and very excited about the trip.

Now aside from the subject I did want to also say she has been going to school to become a Doctor. We were both concerned about her finishing school here and who would accept the education she has already received or would the schools here make her start over. For a long time now we have been talking to schools and she has been applying to them. Well the other day we received good news. She has been accepted into Medical School and they are allowing her to continue from where she is now so she does not have to go backwards. So I am very proud of of her.

Once again thanks to all congratulations. Will be posting photos when we get back.

[Turboguy]

Personally I think you should listen to what people are trying to tell you.  Since 9/11 they have not allowed anyone to transit through the USA.  I think what you will find is when she gets off the plane at JFK she will find herself on the next plane back to Kiev.

I don't mean to bust your bubble it is just is not going to work.  Get a direct flight or transit through Frankfurt or Paris where they will let her go on.   You have a big disaster ahead of you if you continue with your plans.

[William3rd]

It is not your choice. You better check with the airlines a little harder. I beleive that she will be required to have that transit visa to go to the next plane. She will not be allowed into NYC-or through immigration for that matter- for even one minute without a visa.

[Turboguy]

Here is the listing from the Immigration website.

The Transit Without Visa (TWOV) program and International-to-International (ITI) program were both suspended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Department of State on August 2nd, 2003.

I think having a wedding with a bride who is not there would seem to be less enjoyable than one with a bride.   

[I/O]

Is NYC different from elsewhere? As I understand it, the girl will not cross immigration, but will remain in the international transit area? Sumpin very strange here if she can't do that.

I/O

[Turboguy]

Perhaps I am wrong I/O but the impression I had was that sometime after 9/11 they had stopped allowing that because of the danger involved.  I researched it quite a bit last year when VWRW and I wanted to spend our summer in Grenada and Barbados and that was what the clear as mud wording with the immigration website seemed to say.   I posted that here and no one ever disagreed with me and we had conversations on RWD about direct routing.   I don't recall anyone mentioning their gals transiting the USA on the many Caribbean get togethers that have been posted here.  If you are coming from a Visa Waver country you can transit.  If you are not then at the very least you need a transit visa.

[I/O]

Turbo, honestly I haven't a clue regarding USA and the last time I transited through JFK was mid '04, but in any international airport anywhere else I have never seen a question asked until or unless the traveller wishes to exit the transit section into the airport proper and then they certainly require a transit or other visa. (Depending on the country and country of origin)

Unless I am completely misunderstanding the posters version and the rules are different in USA than others (I am not doubting they could be) then it is the strangest thing I have seen other than in China, where they kick you through immigration to transit, knowing very well you have no visa and simply expect you to come back through immigration when you check in again, albeit if that is like 63 seconds later. The ridiculous thing is you can walk onto the street once you're through immigration and disappear. Defies belief.

Everywhere I have ever been (With the exception of China), providing you remain within the confines of the transit section of the airport, immigration is not interested in you. Whatever plane you take out of the country is no interest to them, so long as you ARE out. If you wish to enter the country proper, even for 1 minute, then immigration is VERY interested. I admit, I am simply curious to see the real story here as it may be of interest to me at a later time and please understand I am not arguing the facts as I don't know, I'd just like to get some defining evidence one way or another.

My question to you is why would they put her on the next plane back to Kiev when she doesn't need to go near immigration to board her next flight out of the country?

You and William really do have me curious on this one.

I/O

[UTRO]

As long as she remains in the International Transit area she should be fine, ala Tom Hanks in The Terminal!
Originally Ravens said he was going to try and get her out of the Transit area into a Hotel because their plane to Jamaica didn't leave JFK until the next day. At that suggestion you're right Turboguy.... especially since 911. There's no way she'd get out of the Transit area without a Transit Visa, which I'll bet my last dollar US Customs Control will not issue.  I still believe that flying her directly from Europe, through Airport International Transit areas, is the most comfortable way and will save her much unnecessary flying and transit time. She'll see NYC anothertime. Besides, what will she see of it locked inside JFK
I went through this same decision with my girlfriend. Flying her direct made more sense and I arrived 4 hours before she touched down. I enjoyed a cold beer, or two, waiting. Remember Ravens, your flight is only what, 3 hours vs her 12-15 hours?

[William3rd]

That assumes that there is a transit area available -

Russia in 1998 required an airport change for the various istans- so multiple entry visas

LAX requires ALL passengers to clear immigration and then recheck the bags for onward travel. Which means that every body has at least a transit visa.

No visa on arrival for Ukrainians.

All anybody is saying is to check further rather than just pretend you know what you are doing. As far as relying on the peanut gallery here and not doing your own diligence, if they are wrong and your wedding is ruined, then who will your fomrer girlfriend blame again?!?!?!?!?!

[Turboguy]

I have flown through JFK probably 30 times and can't say I have ever seen a "transit area"   There are no signs for transit passangers or a transit area.  You come down the long hallways and into immigration and exit immigration to baggage claim and customs and from there have two options, connecting flights and exit to city.  JFK has a number of terminals and to get from one to the other you exit that terminal and catch the train to the one you want. 

Terminal is a great movie but it does not depict the realities of JFK.   

[UTRO]

She'd definitely be okay passing through Europe via Charles de Gaulle, Schiphol, Frankfurt... or even Pearson International in Toronto like DKMM did.... but JFK? Good point William. Time to make some enquiries!

[Gator]

Ravens,

Life with a FSU woman adds a number of new wrinkles.  Travel is one of them.  Do not sit in "denial."  You need to change your flight plans and not come through the USA.  

William3rd's watchful eye caught this in time to make adjustments - be grateful and not upset that you discovered this before your lady took off with romantic dreams of her wedding with you.

In the future use this tool to define her visa requirements:

http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/index.jsp


I/O,

-  All passengers must deplane upon landing at JFK.

-  After deplaning, a passenger must go through immigration checkpoint (passport control).  Like Turbo, I do not recall seeing the alternative choice of "international transit."

-  Without a visa, a UW would be denied entry.

-  Even with a visa or from a country not requiring one, there is still much work to do.  No luggage is forwarded.  All luggage must be claimed by the passenger after passing immigration checkpoint.  The passenger must then carry the luggage pass customs inspectors and re-check luggage for the next flight.  Re-checking is not necessarily easy unless one is flying out of the same terminal.

-  The passenger is now in the same situation as one who is just starting a trip.  The passenger must find the airline check-in booth, obtain a boarding pass and check luggage, and pass TSA security before entering the departure lounge.


This revision in policy has prompted much complaint as discussed in this NY Times 2003 article.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE3D71E3CF931A25753C1A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

[START2]

When I read this I was a bit alarmed. First, and unless I'm mistakened, I actually witnessed a woman being turned away at the entrance where you check your bags in Kyiv because of a visa problem. Might not be the same circumstance but it sure sounds familiar. Next, there are several terminals at JFK. She will definately have to change planes and unless her next flight is out of that same terminal as she arrived, there's NO WAY immigration is going to let her pass to take that shuttle to another terminal unless she has a visa of some sort. I know you are excited about this trip but don't be surprised if there's a glitch. Maybe do a little more research.

[Turboguy]

If you do try to make alternative travel plans for a direct flight from Europe be careful of London.   They have gotten more strict since the situation with them and Russia has gotten more tense and sometimes you must change airports, such as a flight in to Heathrow and out through Gatwick and you would need a transit visa there.   Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid and others are not a problem.

[alantodd]

There is a transit area but it is not very nice.  No places to get food and bathroom is not available after 9 pm.  A prison cell would probably be nicer (not a good way to start a wedding weekend). Flights to Jamaica are cheap in April from Kiev right now.  Remember Easter was in March and April this year is non tourist season.  Meaning cheap flights.

I would recommend Kiev to Amsterdam to Jamaica.  Even if she has to wait in airport in Amsterdam she can go to Mercure hotel for over night stay.  Mercure is in the transit area.  I have done that several times on way back from Kiev.  Plus Amsterdam transit area is huge with many restaurants and shops. 

Ravens, you seem to have good intentions.  So I hope the best for you.

[UTRO]

I/O,

-  All passengers must deplane upon landing at JFK.

-  After deplaning, a passenger must go through immigration checkpoint (passport control).  Like Turbo, I do not recall seeing the alternative choice of "international transit."

-  Without a visa, a UW would be denied entry.

-  Even with a visa or from a country not requiring one, there is still much work to do.  No luggage is forwarded.  All luggage must be claimed by the passenger after passing immigration checkpoint.  The passenger must then carry the luggage pass customs inspectors and re-check luggage for the next flight.  Re-checking is not necessarily easy unless one is flying out of the same terminal.

-  The passenger is now in the same situation as one who is just starting a trip.  The passenger must find the airline check-in booth, obtain a boarding pass and check luggage, and pass TSA security before entering the departure lounge.


This revision in policy has prompted much complaint as discussed in this NY Times 2003 article.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE3D71E3CF931A25753C1A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

Yes, 100% Gator. You hit the nail on the head.  
I Transited(sp) through Atlanta recently. I had to claim my baggage and go through Immigration before I could get my connector through to Toronto. I thought, how ridiculous and time consuming! In fact I almost walked past the baggage carousel thinking my bags would have been passed through to Toronto. Luckily I saw a Canadian guy I was talking with on the plane waiting for for his and it got me thinking   It also got me thinking about how if I ever booked my RW through an Internet Travel Site I never would have known this! Good catch for Ravens! Hope he's listening  ???

[Ravens9273]

Thanks for info.
We did ask about this when booking flights and we were always told she would not need visa if getting on another plane, however I am going to look further into this today to be 100% positive.
I lookd at the link gator provided to visa's needed for travel. There it stated she will only need to go through inspection.
But one good thing so far is her arrival flight from Ukraine is the same terminal (terminal 4) for departing to Jamaica.

However I will really look into all of this today but we were told several times before when making arrangements she would not need visa if getting on another plane but I will look into this today to make sure we were not given false info. Thanks to everyone for bring this into light. Could be nothing or could be saving us from disaster.

[Gator]

Ravens,

I assume your lady purchased her tickets through an agent.  While they are supposed to know, they make mistakes.

It would be best if she called Aerosvit directly because Aerosvit would pay the penalty imposed by the US and be responsible for flying her back.

[I/O]

can't say I have ever seen a "transit area"   There are no signs for transit passangers or a transit area.  You come down the long hallways and into immigration and exit immigration to baggage claim and customs and from there have two options, connecting flights and exit to city.  JFK has a number of terminals and to get from one to the other you exit that terminal and catch the train to the one you want.

That's what I was digging for. Given there is no transit area, the foreigner who can't enter the country visa free is a shot duck. Wouldn't matter where it was.

I/O