"Huge headaches as U.S. suspends layover loophole"

Saturday, August 9, 2003

Huge headaches as U.S. suspends layover loophole
By Morgan Lee
The Associated Press

  
MEXICO CITY -- The suspension of two programs that allowed travelers without
visas to pass through the United States is causing logistical nightmares for
thousands of Latin American and Asian passengers who are scrambling to
reroute flights or get emergency documents.

If the suspension becomes law, it could discourage passengers from using
U.S. airlines in the future, travel agents warned.

The U.S. government on Aug. 2 suspended for at least 60 days the programs
that allowed foreigners to stop over in U.S. airports without visas while
awaiting flights to other countries.

The Homeland Security and State departments said terrorist groups had been
planning to exploit the programs to gain access to the United States and its
airports.

But while the government's latest action may prevent terror attacks, it
creates huge headaches for thousands of passengers around the world who took
advantage of the loopholes to travel through the United States while
avoiding the extra hassle -- and $100 fee -- of obtaining a U.S. visa.

"People can't afford another $100 on top of all the other expenses," said
travel agent Rocio Valderamma of Lima, Peru. "People will travel less."

Travelers in every Central and South American country and every nation in
Asia except Brunei and Singapore must now apply for a visa and pay a $100
fee to make a stopover in U.S. airports.

Passengers from 27 "visa-waiver" countries -- mostly in Europe -- are not
affected by the suspensions. Those countries include France, Germany,
Britain and Italy.

About 73,000 Mexican flyers each year used the non-visa transit programs,
according to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, which received about 240
expedited visa requests in just two days this week.

As the U.S. government gathers public comments on the suspension during a
60-day period and weighs intelligence information, passengers may choose to
avoid the United States, travel agents warned.

"It's not worth the trouble," said Alfredo Jimenez of the Viajes Alexandria
travel agency in Mexico City.


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