one-way plane tickets

I can't say for sure, but you probably won't raise any eyebrows with immigration.

Regardless of whether a country has some sort of regulation/rule/law that any visitor must have an onward ticket out of the country they are entering, it is still the immigration official on duty who makes the decision of whether or not you're allowed to enter the country.

Without an onward ticket, you COULD be refused entry. It helps if you carry proof that you have sufficient funds to support yourself, and your appearance is such that you appear to have money to support yourself.

In Belize, for example, I have checked with immigration, and it is not illegal to enter Belize with a one-way ticket.

Your main concern is with the airline.

The issue with the airlines, as I understand it, is that the airline has to pay the cost to get you back to your departure point IF you are refused entry. Therefore, it's the airline (and/or the travel agent) that tries to ensure you have a return ticket.

It is the AIRLINE that must enforce the rules, once in a given country, Immigration may not even inquire.

But, should the 'onward passage" not be observed by the airline, they are fined up to $3500, and have to fly you back on next flight.

Airline policies vary, but most have rules against using only half of a round-trip ticket. Often one-way flights are more expensive than roundtrips, so people get the round-trip ticket planning to only use half of it. Many airlines reserve the right to retroactively charge your credit card the difference between the two costs if you don't show up for the return - and if you try to use the second half without flying the first, they will almost always catch you and refuse boarding.

From your question, in sounds like you are finding a one-way that is cheaper than the round trip - pretty unusual. But if you check with them about not having a return ticket, you will probably learn that it is their policy to refuse you boarding if you show up with the one-way with no return. And they won't tell you that, if you don't ask, until you get right there to check in.

For people looking for flexibility, the most cost effective usually ends up choosing the cheapest round-trip that allows for rescheduling the return flight. Some tickets can't be adjusted, but those that can usually have a specific fee - like $100 - that lets you change your return date. This usually works out considerably cheaper than two one way tickets.

Glad I asked that one. Many thanks for the advice. I'm looking more now toward the cheapest round-trip and see what I can do about paying the re-scheduling fees when I want to extend my stay.

Hi,
I don't know how this really works, but I just wanted to warn you that I had trouble not with the immigration at destination, but when checking in at departure. Apparently airlines are now only allowed to bring you to destinations where you are legal to stay infinitely. When I wanted to use a one-way from Germany to Costa Rica they made me buy a return before departure (and that was very costly!). Also just 6 weeks ago, flying out of Europe to Honduras they needed to see that my final flight is booked to a country where I have a residency (although I hda 3 other flights in between from Honduras to Florida...So, I guess what I am trying to say is, ask your airline what their policies are.

How does this work out though?

You can explain simply that you are planning to travel overland to an adjoining country, so a ticket is not neccesarily needed. So you are flying into Honduras, can't you explain that you are making your way overland back to the US, or by boat from Panama down to Colombia?!

I don't get it.

On top of that, how do they know that you don't have a flight out of the country with a different airline?