BootsnAll Travel Community

What's the quickest / cheapest flight from Busan to Vancouver? I'm Australian, & intend to travel overland from Vancouver to Calgary (3-4 weeks in October 2008), & then fly into the US in late Oct / early November (4-6 weeks in the US). Perhaps Denver or Las Vegas?

I will depart San Francisco mid December, spend a few days in Hawaii, & be home by Christmas in Australia. I'm aware of the US visa waiver program requirements. But am clueless, as to Canadian visa requirements. Purpose of travel is sightseeing / tour. Found this in a quick search:

Quote:
Visitor Visa Exemptions
Many people do not require a visa to visit Canada. These include:

citizens of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia et al

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

Will I need to depart Seoul? Or are there direct flights from Busan? Air China, & Cathay Pacific go via Beijing & Hong Kong. Other flights stop in Narita, Tokyo.

Quickest and cheapest will be two very different things. Flights from HKG to YVR seem to be disproportionately cheaper than anywhere else on any normal day. Going through Japan isn't cheap for airlines, and they pass the savings onto you, but that is certainly the FASTEST way to Canada. Sometimes Air China runs deals, too, but you'll have to transit in Beijing or Shanghai, usually. Check the Korean English newspaper for published specials if you can find that. Otherwise maybe try www.xanadu.co.kr for some other options. You should be able to fly out of Busan, but usually it is cheaper out of ICN. Usually, but certainly not always. Good luck!

Thanks, Bideshi

This raises an additional question. How strict are Canadian, US & Oz Immigration, on one way tickets these days? I purchased a return ticket in Korea last year, & was almost refused permission to board in Brisbane, because I didn't have a return ticket from Korea back to Brisbane. A phone call to Korean Air, & I was allowed to board.

The plan is Korea > Canada > USA > Australia > Korea. I won't be leaving Brisbane, until late February. The Korean school year doesn't resume until March 2, 2009.

I cannot purchase a return ticket in Korea, with OVER 30 days, out of the country. I'm looking at several months between October 1st & February 25th..

Well, I'm not really sure what to tell you as far as a solution goes because I don't know your exact visa situation and requirements, but what I can tell you is that the US department of Homeland Security doesn't have much of a sense of humor. At all. If you're going to get trouble in any place, that would be it. Sorry for my government, but that's just the way it is. Maybe another Australian could help more with the specifics? If you aren't allowed to enter on a one way ticket, you WON'T be allowed to enter on a one way ticket. Plain as that. The USA is not Thailand. I would just STRONGLY suggest having an answer to the hard questions BEFORE you show up at the US border if you don't want to be turned away unceremoniously. I get grilled at the US border more than all other borders combined... and I'm a US citizen! I hope you enjoy the USA, though... if you can come....

Thanks again Bideshi.

Yes, Immigration in Australia are equally rude / officious. I recall having to raise my voice, when the woman officer told me "I'm sorry, you CANNOT board that flight!" (from Brisbane, Au., to Korea). Her supervisor rushed over, & offered to ring the Airline for me. Korean Air allowed me to board. And that was in my home town, & I'm an Australian citizen!

1 October 1 2008 Seoul to Vancouver (Canada)
2 Overland: Vancouver > Calgary
3 Calgary > Denver (USA) taking a flight late October 2008
4 Denver > Las Vegas > San Francisco (overland, late Oct to mid Dec)
5 San Francisco > Hawaii 15 Dec
6 Hawaii > Brisbane (22/12/08)
7.Brisbane > Seoul (25/2/2009)

The list above is a tentative plan. To complicate things, my employer is offering a free return flight from Korea to Australia, at the end of my contract, on October 1st. I don't have to take the Korea > Brisbane flight immediately on Oct 1st or 2nd, but could hold it over, until late December. I may have to fly from Hawaii to Seoul, then Seoul to Australia, on or around December 20, & then come back to Korea on January 20. Mid-winter in Korea is not much fun, either. Korean air will not allow me to stay in Australia for more than 4 weeks. (At least, that was last year's advice).

Spoke to another Aussie, & he said yes, I will definitely require tickets out of the US, & ALL of North America too, including Hawaii & Canada. He also advised bringing documents proving that I intend returning to Korea. Work Contract(s), Apartment lease in Korea, etc.

Cheers