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Please help FAST... Booking mult dest flights for Visa Interview

My wife's visa interview is upcoming, and I plan to meet her in Barranquilla, and then fly with her to Bogota. After that, we will be leaving from Bogota to return to the USA.

FYI: Interview = 4/10/2007. Depart from USA = 3/30 or 3/31. Return to USA with wife = 4/12.

Problem is...

1. It has always been a no-brainer to book my previous trips, since they were just from Point A to Point B, and only me flying. Expedia.com has always given me the lowest prices in comparison to other sites.

NOTE: The one time I tried to use a travel agent, AAA, they quoted me about double what I could find on Expedia.

2. I used the "Multiple Destination" feature of Expedia to run scenarios for the visa interview trip.

A. I entered my flight dates.

B. I entered my wife's travel dates (same as mine without the initial flight from USA of course).

C. The travel time/best price scenarios for her don't necessarily match mine.

D. Since the ticket price is "bundled" (i.e. 2-3 destinations under one price), it seems each scenario has to be dissected, and the airlines have to be called to verify pricing for EACH SCENARIO!

Am I overlooking someing obvious here... or is it really this hard?

By Looking4Wife on Mar 9, 2007, 04:33 in Friendly Talkzone.

utopiacowboy says on Mar 9, 2007, 05:59:

It may be cheaper to fly in and out of BAQ and buy separate tickets to and from BOG within Colombia. Flights within Colombia are fairly cheap if you buy the tickets there.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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Azul says on Mar 9, 2007, 08:52:

Your dates I might be a little concerned with your dates.... Her interview is on the 10th and then you plan to fly with her to the US on the 12th. If all goes well that will work fine. Visa's are often times issued the next day, but I've heard that they can sometimes take up to a week to issue after the interview. Maybe others can tell you personal experiences of how fast they were issued the visa. To be safe I might stay longer after her interview instead of going to Colombia early.

las cosas caen por su propio peso

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Mononoke28 says on Mar 9, 2007, 09:59:

Try... ... booking with the airline directly. Expedia and Travelocity usually post the same rates as the airlines. The customer service rep should be able to help you out with that.

Diana

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cali373 says on Mar 9, 2007, 10:11:

I would re-think your date for heading back to the U.S. with your wife. While most likely the visa will come through, YOU CANNOT BE CERTAIN until you get the phone call to pick it up and it is in your hands. In my experience it took 3 weeks from the interview date. I was not there nor did I accompany her when she came over on the plane. the fact that you will be there does not guarantee she will get a visa, nor does it speed things up.

Book the trip when the visa is in your hands, the worst thing is that you will have to stay in Barranquilla for an extra two weeks. hmmmm, I wish that was my worst case scenario, LOL!

Smile if you are a thinker!

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Robert Jorge says on Mar 10, 2007, 01:00:

We just did the interview. My fiancee had the interview on a Wednesday, and we picked up her visa on Friday at 4pm. I would give yourself a few more days to play with. Assuming everything goes well, you will still need some more breathing room. But, you shouldn't expect to wait 3 weeks if approved. That just doesn't happen anymore. At least that I have ever heard of. It does help if you are there with your fiancee. I gambled, and bought return tickets for my fiancee before the interview. But, I gave myself / her 7 days from the interview date until we were to leave. My opinion, is with 2 days, you are cutting it way too close. Give yourself more time.

He who farts in church, sits in his own pew.

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Gator says on Mar 10, 2007, 15:11:

Big Question Have You purchased any ticket yet? To get the best price at least 30 day advance

"Brevior Sltare Cum Deformibus Mulieribus Est Vita!" .

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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