First up, TIMATIC was installed to give agents and airlines a database to query to decide if the documents are complete or not. Agents are advised not to deviate from the database.
This is what an agent would see in TIMATIC if they entered that a US citizen is boarding in WAS for destination BRU and destination MOW:
Code:
>TIRV/NAUSA/EMWAS/DEBRU/DEMOW
TIMATIC-3 / 16OCT15 / 1331 UTC
NATIONAL USA (US) /EMBARKATION USA (US)
DESTINATION BELGIUM (BE) /DESTINATION RUSSIAN FED. (RU)
VISA DESTINATION BELGIUM (BE)
...... NORMAL PASSPORTS ONLY ......
PASSPORT REQUIRED.
- PASSPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS ACCEPTED FOR ENTRY MUST BE
VALID FOR A MINIMUM OF 3 MONTHS BEYOND THE PERIOD OF
>MDTI
>MD
INTENDED STAY.
VISA REQUIRED, EXCEPT FOR A MAX. STAY OF 90 DAYS(SEE NOTE
56075):
- FOR HOLDERS OF PASSPORTS ISSUED TO NATIONALS OF USA;
NOTE 56075: THE MAX. STAY IS GRANTED WITHIN 180 DAYS.
MINORS:
- >TIDFT/BE/PA/MI/ID1150
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- VALID VISAS IN TRAVEL DOCUMENT THAT ARE FULL AND
>MDTI
>MD
INVALIDATED, ARE ACCEPTED WHEN ACCOMPANIED BY A NEW TRAVEL
DOCUMENT.
- VISITORS ARE REQUIRED TO HOLD PROOF OF SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO
COVER THEIR STAY AND DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THEIR NEXT
DESTINATION .
WARNING:
- PASSPORTS AND/OR PASSPORT REPLACING DOCUMENTS ISSUED MORE
THAN 10 YEARS PRIOR TO DATE OF TRAVEL ARE NOT ACCEPTED.
- VISITORS NOT HOLDING RETURN/ONWARD TICKETS COULD BE REFUSED
ENTRY .
>MDTI
>MD
VISA DESTINATION RUSSIAN FED. (RU)
...... NORMAL PASSPORTS ONLY ......
PASSPORT REQUIRED.
- PASSPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS ACCEPTED FOR ENTRY MUST BE
VALID ON ARRIVAL.
VISA REQUIRED.
>MDTI
>MD
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
- VISITORS ARE REQUIRED TO HOLD DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THEIR
NEXT DESTINATION. (SEE NOTE 43399)
NOTE 43399: EXEMPT ARE HOLDERS OF A VALID VISA.
- VISITORS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO HOLD A HEALTH/TRAVEL
INSURANCE TO COVER FOR ANY MEDICAL EXPENSES.
WARNING:
- VISITORS NOT HOLDING RETURN/ONWARD TICKETS COULD BE REFUSED
ENTRY. (SEE NOTE 43399)
NOTE 43399: EXEMPT ARE HOLDERS OF A VALID VISA.
>MDTI
>MD
SIMPLIFY YOUR REQUEST USE TIFA, TIFV AND TIFH
FULL TEXT AVAILABLE USE TIDFT
CHECK >TINEWS/N1 - SIMPLIFICATION OF TIMATIC
SCAN COMPLETE
>
>
Now, if transit in BRU is entered they see this:
Code:
>TIRV/NAUS/EMWAS/DEMOW/TRBRU
TIMATIC-3 / 16OCT15 / 1337 UTC
NATIONAL USA (US) /EMBARKATION USA (US)
TRANSIT BELGIUM (BE) /DESTINATION RUSSIAN FED. (RU)
ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW
VISA TRANSIT BELGIUM (BE)
...... NORMAL PASSPORTS ONLY ......
VISA NOT REQUIRED.
>MDTI
>MD
VISA DESTINATION RUSSIAN FED. (RU)
...... NORMAL PASSPORTS ONLY ......
PASSPORT REQUIRED.
- PASSPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS ACCEPTED FOR ENTRY MUST BE
VALID ON ARRIVAL.
VISA REQUIRED.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
>MDTI
>MD
- VISITORS ARE REQUIRED TO HOLD DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THEIR
NEXT DESTINATION. (SEE NOTE 43399)
NOTE 43399: EXEMPT ARE HOLDERS OF A VALID VISA.
- VISITORS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO HOLD A HEALTH/TRAVEL
INSURANCE TO COVER FOR ANY MEDICAL EXPENSES.
WARNING:
- VISITORS NOT HOLDING RETURN/ONWARD TICKETS COULD BE REFUSED
ENTRY. (SEE NOTE 43399)
NOTE 43399: EXEMPT ARE HOLDERS OF A VALID VISA.
>MDTI
So far so good. But remember, agents are not allowed to bend the rules, so what they usually do is pull up the reservation and click on a button or enter a command that tells them what to check for based on the booking.
Just fo kicks I just created a similar routing (IAD-BRU, one month break, BRU-DME, then back to JFK) in Amadeus and checked that reservation like an agent should:
Code:
1 SN 516 J 19OCT 1 IADBRU HK1 1750 0725+1 333 E 0 DB
SEE RTSVC
2 SN2835 J 17NOV 2 BRUDME HK1 1015 1545 319 E 0 S
SEE RTSVC
3 SU2168 J 21DEC 1 SVOBRU HK1 E 0940 1115 321 E 0 B
SEE RTSVC
4 SN 501 J 22DEC 2 BRUJFK HK1 1030 1320 333 E 0 LS
SEC FLT PSGR DATA IN PNR 72H BEFORE STD VIA INPUT SSR DOCS
SEE RTSVC
5 RM NOTIFY PASSENGER PRIOR TO TICKET PURCHASE & CHECK-IN:
FEDERAL LAWS FORBID THE CARRIAGE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS -
GGAMAUSHAZ/S1,4
>tirv/naus/s1-2
TIMATIC-3 / 16OCT15 / 1350 UTC
NATIONAL USA (US) /TRANSIT BELGIUM (BE)
DESTINATION RUSSIAN FED. (RU)
ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW
VISA TRANSIT BELGIUM (BE)
...... NORMAL PASSPORTS ONLY ......
VISA NOT REQUIRED.
>MDTI
>m
VISA DESTINATION RUSSIAN FED. (RU)
...... NORMAL PASSPORTS ONLY ......
PASSPORT REQUIRED.
- PASSPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS ACCEPTED FOR ENTRY MUST BE
VALID ON ARRIVAL.
VISA REQUIRED.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
>MDTI
>m
- VISITORS ARE REQUIRED TO HOLD DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR THEIR
NEXT DESTINATION. (SEE NOTE 43399)
NOTE 43399: EXEMPT ARE HOLDERS OF A VALID VISA.
- VISITORS ARE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TO HOLD A HEALTH/TRAVEL
INSURANCE TO COVER FOR ANY MEDICAL EXPENSES.
WARNING:
- VISITORS NOT HOLDING RETURN/ONWARD TICKETS COULD BE REFUSED
ENTRY. (SEE NOTE 43399)
NOTE 43399: EXEMPT ARE HOLDERS OF A VALID VISA.
>MDTI
>m
SIMPLIFY YOUR REQUEST USE TIFA, TIFV AND TIFH
FULL TEXT AVAILABLE USE TIDFT
CHECK >TINEWS/N1 - SIMPLIFICATION OF TIMATIC
SCAN COMPLETE
>
>
So once an agents reads what the system is telling him/her, he will insist on seeing a visa before letting you board.Common sense may tell them something else, but that is what they are trained to do. @:-)