Originally Posted by
adamFF
Also, if it is not their responsibility then why would the Dutch immigration authorities fine the airline. the airline does have responsibility to ensure that the passengers have valid travel document. I understand that they are not liable to compensate me but they do have the responsibility to verify that appropriate documents are in place.
The airline has a responsibility
TO THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT to check your papers. They didn't do that very well, so they are paying a fine to the party to whom they owed this responsibility.
There is nothing that says they have a similar responsibility
TO YOU - in fact, the language cited above specifically says that the airline does not owe you the duty to check your papers.
When you look at it in this light, you see the reason why airlines check your travel documents: To prevent themselves from incurring a fine from the applicable governments. It is not to prevent you from being inconvenienced at the border.
As an aside, I wonder whether/how the fine from the Dutch government affects the employee who checked the documents. I'm sure NWA can track down the person who checked your passport and visa, and whose failure led to the fine. At the least, not something good to have in one's personnel file....