Return Ticket Required ?

[DElliott]

Hi
My partner and I are planning to go to Malaysia (entering via KL) next March , we are thinking about purchasing a one way ticket to KUL - have family there who tell us it's much cheaper to buy one way ticket back to Aust from there . So the question is , would Malaysian authorities have a problem with Aust passport holders entering the country for 2 weeks on a one way ticket ? Any advise would be appreciated .
Cheers

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi
My partner and I are planning to go to Malaysia (entering via KL) next March , we are thinking about purchasing a one way ticket to KUL - have family there who tell us it's much cheaper to buy one way ticket back to Aust from there . So the question is , would Malaysian authorities have a problem with Aust passport holders entering the country for 2 weeks on a one way ticket ? Any advise would be appreciated .
Cheers

From TIMATIC:

- Nationals of Australia not holding a return/onward ticket

could be requested to purchase one or refused entry.

What this likely means is that you will be refused boarding in Australia on your way to Malaysia without having a return ticket.

However - 'return ticket' doesn't mean that one ticket has to cover both ways. Your return could be an entirely separate ticket, purchased on-line here (but for departure ex Malaysia), or even your family could buy it for you in Malaysia and send you a copy by email.

Purchasing the ticket exMalaysia on-line here in australia is likely to be pretty much the same price as your family could buy it for.

This type of ticketing is common - Jetstar, Air Asia - lots of them sell one-way tickets cheaper from Asia. So passengers can buy two one ways no problem.

At check-in in Australia you will likely be asked to show the return ticket.

 

[DElliott]

Ok - thanks for that MEL_Traveller . Will look at getting prices ex KUL and have family purchase them etc . Cheers

 

[Hvr]

Who are you flying with? I have found JetStar to be very strict in checking for onward/return tickets.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Ok - thanks for that MEL_Traveller . Will look at getting prices ex KUL and have family purchase them etc . Cheers

As I mentioned - probably the same price if you buy them from here... just search for one way, or depending on the particular airline, change the country to 'malaysia' and then search one way.

 

[ermen]

won't have a problem with immigration. never had an issue with immigration asking for proof of onward travel.

 

[Cynicor]

Issue will be checkin, not immigration. Immigration won't know or care (unless you tell them).
I doubt your family can buy a ticket significantly cheaper than you can get online ex KUL or wherever, so just check the prices and then buy online.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Hi
My partner and I are planning to go to Malaysia (entering via KL) next March , we are thinking about purchasing a one way ticket to KUL - have family there who tell us it's much cheaper to buy one way ticket back to Aust from there.

So the question is , would Malaysian authorities have a problem with Aust passport holders entering the country for 2 weeks on a one way ticket ? Any advise would be appreciated .
Cheers

The real question should be why do you need to wait until you arrive in Malaysia to buy the ticket home. I would definitely do your homework with the prices as it may not always be the case.

Nothing to stop you puchasing a ticket ex KUL via an online travel agency or get the relatives to purchase on your behalf.

Some people may remember when it was viable to purchase tickets via Expedia Brazil so your credit card statement would have a purchase from "Qantas Airways Sao Paolo" even though you might have made the booking from the comfort of your lounge room in Brisbane.

I would not attempt to fly to any foreign country without a paper copy of my ticket out of that country unless I was a dual national ie also held citizenship, permanent residency or some kind of work or study visa that didn't specify I needed to have an onward ticket.

Airlines will refuse to check you in unless you can provide this as they don't want to cop a USD5,000.00 fine pp for transporting you into that country without the required documents.

 

[harvyk]

won't have a problem with immigration. never had an issue with immigration asking for proof of onward travel.

That is highly likely because they already have a copy of your itinerary if all on the one ticket.
The assessment towards working out if you will be accepted into the country or not starts well before you turn up at the border.

I strongly suspect that if there was any doubt as to your leaving again, you'd be questioned about it. They are pretty good with data matching these days, especially data matching exact strings.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That is highly likely because they already have a copy of your itinerary if all on the one ticket.
The assessment towards working out if you will be accepted into the country or not starts well before you turn up at the border.

I strongly suspect that if there was any doubt as to your leaving again, you'd be questioned about it. They are pretty good with data matching these days, especially data matching exact strings.

I don't know if there is any evidence to support this theory? other than no-fly watch lists and interpol (neither of which are particularly concerns about onwards tickets).

A passenger may present themselves for check-in in Australia with a return ticket outside visa limits. But have a nested ticket to satisfy entry requirements. This won't necessarily trigger any advance warning to the intended country of entry.

 

[JohnK]

won't have a problem with immigration. never had an issue with immigration asking for proof of onward travel.

At times Qantas have refused to check me in without proof of return travel. This was to SIN/BKK/HKG.

 

[DElliott]

The plan is we fly JQ from CNS direct to DPS ,overnight there and then MH to KUL, then do the same on the return . Another question springs to mind , rather than overnight on the way back , is it possible to transit DPS without having to pass through immigration and collect bags etc , wait in the lounge for the connecting JQ flight back to CNS ?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The plan is we fly JQ from CNS direct to DPS ,overnight there and then MH to KUL, then do the same on the return . Another question springs to mind , rather than overnight on the way back , is it possible to transit DPS without having to pass through immigration and collect bags etc , wait in the lounge for the connecting JQ flight back to CNS ?

In this case - buying two one way tickets for the itinerary you propose is unlikely to be the cheapest.

The cheapest combination will be three tickets: 1. CNS-DPS 2. DPS-KUL-DPS (as a return on MH, because as a legacy carrier, one-ways are priced higher than round-trip) 3. DPS-CNS.

Slightly more expensive than buying the series of tickets (but not much more) would be a direct CNS-DRW-KUL on Qantas and Malaysia Airlines. But that skips bali (not sure if you want a stopover there for a few days?).

 

[DElliott]

Thanks MEL_Traveller , the connection times in DRW are crazy when coming in on MH ,then have to wait until 8pm that evening for a direct flight to CNS .

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks MEL_Traveller , the connection times in DRW are crazy when coming in on MH ,then have to wait until 8pm that evening for a direct flight to CNS .

That is a downside. Although with potential volcano disruption in Bali - travelling on separate tickets you could stand to lose one of your flights, or be stranded.

If you want a stopover in Bali on the way to KUL, the JQ-MH option is a reasonable one.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

The plan is we fly JQ from CNS direct to DPS ,overnight there and then MH to KUL, then do the same on the return.

Have you priced both CNS/DPS/CNS on the one booking via the JQ AU site vs CNS/DPS as a one way fare then DPS/CNS on the JQ ID site to compare the costs?

What dates are you looking at travelling?

Another question springs to mind, rather than overnight on the way back, is it possible to transit DPS without having to pass through immigration and collect bags etc, wait in the lounge for the connecting JQ flight back to CNS ?

I doubt MH will through check your bags to JQ so you'd need to clear customs and immigration in DPS, and more than likely pay the visa on arrival fee (around AUD50.00 pp), collect your bags then checkin again with JQ.

You won't get lounge access if you are a QP member when travelling on JQ in whY ex DPS as the Premier Lounge is not a QF Lounge. The only way to get access is to either pay for Star Class with the plus bundle that gives lounge access, points & SC and that would only be on B787 or A330 flights which operate in J & Y.

The CNS/DPS/CNS non-stop flights are operated by an A320 one class aircraft so the only way you'd get lounge access in DPS would be if you had Priority Pass membership which would allow you entry into the Premier Lounge.