Today I learned something new. My coworker is Ecuadorian, but has many friends in Germany. He was planning a summer vacation to Germany, but most of the reasonable priced flights out of Ecuador stop in the United States before the launch across the Atlantic. He cannot take any of these flights, because he does not have a US visa, and thus is not allowed to enter the United States. He would not be leaving the international terminal, just crossing to a new gate. However as of 2003 this process is not applicable for most residents of the planet.