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@ddmcghee I generally fly American or Jetblue to DR never have I been asked to show a return ticket even though when you book a ticket on JetBlue a popup appears that says "you MAY need a return ticket go travel" so much for enforcing the rules

    You said exactly what I said our constitution allows us the right to travel we cannot be denied for any reason other then those I mentioned ie: bad behavior alcoholism it's up to DR or any other country to deny us entry once we arrive but to deny us the right to board a plane or ship in the USA because we overstayed ain't happening
   

    -@JRP55

AND  I am telling you it did happen, more than once!

You are absolutely wrong.

It just doesn't make sense that someone would not be allowed to board a flight in the USA because they overstayed on a previous trip especially considering the USA doesn't put restrictions on how long we Americans can stay out of the country why would any US airline care how long you stayed if the USA govt doesn't care and earlier today I posed that question to Abreu and Associates DR immigration attorneys the text said they weren't aware of anyone's passport being red flagged for anything but suspected criminal activity or non payment of certain debts

I would never say your wrong that someone was denied boarding but it had to be something more than overstaying for an airline to know one overstayed on a previous trip they would have to go thru everyone's passport page by page to see when someone entered a country and when they left what airline has the time or resources to do that all the airline wants to see is a valid passport and visa if necessary

Airlines work with immigration in the country they are headed to.  Those countries regulate who can and who cannot go there. It makes perfect sense

I don't know when the last time you flew into DR but I'm back and forth 3 or 4 times a year and I have flown American Delta and Jetblue and never once have I been asked by any airline to show a return ticket or any ticket showing my departure from DR so I'll just stick with my own experience

The law is very clear here - the airlines are responsible for the cost of repatriating anyone who arrives without a return ticket of some kind. This applies to non citizens and non residents.

The airlines choose how to enforce this.  Meaning they take the risk.  Just because they dont ask you doesn't mean it's not the law!

Immigration refusing someone boarding is a separate issue.

Then the question becomes who's law?  if the airlines don't ask for a return ticket and immigration in DR stamps my passport without asking for proof of a departure from DR then this so called law is not worth the paper it's written on

The law is a Dominican law making the airlines responsible and their are financial penalties for noncompliance.  This is NOT hard to comprehend. Your "American" rights do not override this or any countries right to determine who comes her and how. 

This has nothing to do with American rights if this law is not being enforced by either party the airlines or DR immigration then the law is worthless plain an simple

If the airlines do have financial penalties for non compliance those penalties are probably so small that it's not worth their time to comply and probably cheaper for the airlines to just absorb any penalties

@JRP55 Based on posts of yours from a couple of years ago, you have Dominican residency. Is that still the case? If so, that is why the airlines don't care if you have a return ticket! If you are a Dominican Citizen or a legal Dominican resident, there is no requirement that you have a return ticket! For all of our trips here prior to January 2020, we had to have a return ticket. Once we got our Residency Visa (January 2020) and then our Residency (September 2020), we no longer have to have one because our US passports reflect our residency, and the return ticket requirement no longer applies.

I'm glad to see that you've done some research you should also research our constitution which if you do it will state all US citizens have the "right" to travel whether it be between states or to a foreign land you can only be denied boarding for criminal activity,intoxication, or obnoxious behavior but to answer your question I decided not to renew my residency prior to the pandemic since then I have made 6 trips in and out of DR never once being asked to show a return ticket by either the airline or DR immigration

@JRP55

Your E-Ticket record tells immigration on both sides exactly how long you're in and out. The US government, in agreements with other countries, tries their best to facilitate immigration law. Why not only flaunting but encouraging breaking another countries rules as an ok practice has always baffled me.

The key words in your statement are "the US tries their best" sometimes their best isn't good enough

Ok this can stop now. YOUR constitution had NOTHING to do with your rights to enter this country. Period.

Apparently you don't comprehend well nowhere did I ever say Americans have the right to bully their way into any country only the "right" to travel period

    Apparently you don't comprehend well nowhere did I ever say Americans have the right to bully their way into any country only the "right" to travel period
   

    -@JRP55

Having a right to travel and requiring a private company (an airline) to transport a US citizen are two entirely different things! The constitution might prevent the airlines from discriminating against protected classes, but it does not  - in any way, shape, or form - demand that they allow anyone to board who does not meet the requirements of the destination country.

The exact same thing applies to foreign carriers bringing people to the US. If you are not a US citizen, US legal resident, visa holder, or citizen of a country for which visas are not required, they will not allow you to fly to the US.

I agree with you 100% everyone must meet the requirements ie: passport visa and maybe vaccination requirements but no airline will stop you from boarding because you overstayed on your previous trip

Next week I'll be traveling to Miami for 10 days when I return I'll find out first hand if I'm forced to have a departure ticket leaving the DR within the 30 day tourist visa I don't plan on buying one but of course if push comes to shove I'll have to purchase one I will post whether or not I have any issues

We have said often and apparently you are not listening, it's up to the airline to enforce the rule about return ticket. Some do and some don't.

One incident or experience does not make it "true or false always".

There are many many stories of people being forced to buy last minute tickets at the gates!

Airlines do not stop you for multiple overstays, that's immigration!

I arrived yesterday in POP from Miami it was smooth sailing from beginning to end in Miami no one asked for proof of return travel or anything however there was a big cardboard sign on the gate agents podium listing 3 requirement for US citizens to enter DR #1 valid passport with at least 6 months of validity #2 proof of onward travel within 30 days of arrival #3 the strangest one of all proof of solvency in other words your supposed to prove you can afford your stay in the DR but of course they never asked for anything other than passport when I arrived in POP my flight arrived at same time as 2 other flights so there was maybe 600 people waiting to go thru immigration when it was my turn they just looked at my passport to make sure the photo was me then scanned my thumb prints and stamped my passport never asking for proof of onward travel and never asking for my e ticket it wasn't until I was almost out of the terminal when your supposed to put your bags thru the xray machine that the security guard asked to see my e ticket she looked at it and waved me thru I never had to xray my bags I will say that maybe because it's Superbowl weekend and they know thousands of people are coming to party and spend lots of money they just tried to get people in and out as fast as possible but it was easy breezy from beginning to end

Most likely it was busy and you got lucky. 

Rule (cultural difference) number 1 of living here:  Nothing is consistent. 

So true RockyM.

So true RockyM.

Or possibly the airlines have found a loophole to eliminate any responsibility they post the rules but it's not their job to enforce them

No there is no loophole. They are taking the risk!  All airlines have the same rules. It actually is their job to enforce or they pay to repatriate!

There are 3 kinds of E ticket "checks":

1. When you fill it in. If not complete you will not get the QR code. I assume it is not checked at this time because you can change data afterwards and get a new code.
2. Visual checks like at check-in. They only see that you have one, not what is in it.
3. Automatic check when they scan your passport at migracion. This is where they should have full access to the data. They do not ask for your E ticket because they already have it. If the passport information in the E ticket does not 100% match your actual passport they get a warning and they will start asking about your E ticket data. However I guess these warnings are only set for the most important information like names and passports. I honestly put in a return date of 10 weeks later and they didn't ask about that.

So the only place where they (mandatory) seem to check a returnflight is at check-in of the airline. If they don't do that it seems like easy sailing. However you can get in big trouble when they DO a thorough check and there is bad information in the system. Resulting in needing to buy an expensive returnticket at the airport or get refused or problems at migracion. I wouldn't want to take the risk of gambling with returntickets or a foreign migracion. Planning a returnflight way past the 30 days so far does not seem to pose a problem. Of course everything depends in the DR..

Since your neither an airline exec or a DR immigration official your only speculating maybe as a Canadien citizen you and Canadien airlines are under stricter rules I can only give you my experience which occurred yesterday if you get something more recent that differs from what occurred yesterday let me know

@Papito NL I gave an earlier post of a website that will print a valid one way ticket good for 48hrs that shows onward travel for $16 in the websites comments it seemed the only people that needed to show onward travel in the DR were non US citizens

I live in DR and have been here 20 years. I have businesses and lawyers on retainers. I read and understand Spanish. I have investigated the rules as it comes up repeatedly on this forum!

The airlines ARE responsible. How they choose to handle it is up to them. You choose to not follow the rules the consequences are YOURS.

Many have come back on here and other places whining they had to buy an expensive return ticket. A few have been refused boarding in the USA for multiple overstays.

Your choices, your risks.

Listen I'm not saying my experience yesterday will be everyone's experience going forward I'm talking about my experience yesterday

@planner. I've been a client of Abreau and associates for nearly 7 yrs immigration is their specialty even they can't give a definitive answer on immigration policy in this country especially how it's handled at the airports

Of course not as this country lays out the rules, how airlines comply is up to them.  Clearly  DR is not enforcing across the board on many many issues not just this one.

It seems the one thing they do enforce is immigration policy for Haitians after that everything is up in the air

    Since your neither an airline exec or a DR immigration official your only speculating maybe as a Canadien citizen you and Canadien airlines are under stricter rules I can only give you my experience which occurred yesterday if you get something more recent that differs from what occurred yesterday let me know
   

    -@JRP55

When speculating I use the words "assume" "can" "should" etc. If not it is my own experience that I share. I am not Canadian but from the EU and it doesn't matter because these rules are DR immigracion rules, no matter where you are coming from. Yes in my experience most american airlines do not do the return check even when flying from Europe. Yes I once had to buy an expensive return ticket at the airport or I was not allowed to board (EU airline). Yes I had to correct the E ticket at immigracion because 1 item didn't match the passport when they checked.

I understand you posted your experience as how it went for you. No offence. However the risk is other people might use it as a guideline and that is why several posters here warn about the risks when you do rely on that.

    It seems the one thing they do enforce is immigration policy for Haitians after that everything is up in the air
   

    -@JRP55

Absolutely true. So when will they turn their attention to the other illegals?  I think they are already laying the groundwork.  Time will tell.