Transit Visa requirement at Auckland
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 36
Now I have heard everything. The travel agent also did not bring this little hassle up.
I am looking at QF/VA/AC.
#18
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: YSB & YAM, Northern Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG Gold Elite, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 1,100
Perhaps routing via HKG would be easier?
It's not clear where in Canada OP's mother will travel from nor where she is going to in Australia.
If it's not too late and the price is right then perhaps routing via HKG on CX might be worth investigating.
Also, a point worth considering is that flying from HKG to Canada both CX and AC are more likely to be familiar with the Permanent Resident Status of foreign residents of Canada.
It's very wise to be checking all this out in advance as someone who is arranging such a journey for a(possibly) elderly parent doesn't need any slip-ups at all!
If it's not too late and the price is right then perhaps routing via HKG on CX might be worth investigating.
Also, a point worth considering is that flying from HKG to Canada both CX and AC are more likely to be familiar with the Permanent Resident Status of foreign residents of Canada.
It's very wise to be checking all this out in advance as someone who is arranging such a journey for a(possibly) elderly parent doesn't need any slip-ups at all!
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 36
It's not clear where in Canada OP's mother will travel from nor where she is going to in Australia.
If it's not too late and the price is right then perhaps routing via HKG on CX might be worth investigating.
Also, a point worth considering is that flying from HKG to Canada both CX and AC are more likely to be familiar with the Permanent Resident Status of foreign residents of Canada.
It's very wise to be checking all this out in advance as someone who is arranging such a journey for a(possibly) elderly parent doesn't need any slip-ups at all!
If it's not too late and the price is right then perhaps routing via HKG on CX might be worth investigating.
Also, a point worth considering is that flying from HKG to Canada both CX and AC are more likely to be familiar with the Permanent Resident Status of foreign residents of Canada.
It's very wise to be checking all this out in advance as someone who is arranging such a journey for a(possibly) elderly parent doesn't need any slip-ups at all!
I happen to talk to the New Zealand High Commission inquiring about a visitor visa timelines and then this transit visa requirement popped up!
I thought when the travel agent drew up the itinerary, the flag should have come up regarding the visa requirement for the return journey on Air NZ via AKL. But it did not.
This is a good "need-to-know" on a valuable forum like Flyer talk.
CX is an option with the really nice PE product. But the travel time is way too long!
#20
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Not to berate OP or his mother, but this is a public board and odd transit documentation issues arise all the time. There are always two issues to consider and these are as much part of trip planning as hotels or anything else. It is 100% the sole responsibility of the passenger to determine that s(he) is properly documented. TA's and air carriers have no responsibility to warn in advance.
1. What will the air carrier do? Carriers check documents solely because they are subject to hefty fines and the duty to return the passenger to her origin if not admitted for lack of documents.
2. Often, local immigration authorities may be lenient. But, it does not matter if one does not get to the destination.
3. IATA populates the TIMATIC database for its member carriers for just this purpose. What you see through the various public interfaces linked above is what the check-in agent will see when you show your documents. IATA gathers the information from foreign ministries (or equivalent) and then rewrites into short paragraphs and asks the foreign ministry to recheck. If TIMATIC shows a visa as required, the likelihood of a carrier boarding a passenger unless it makes a mistake is close to nil. Some countries such as Germany do maintain a hotline which carriers --- not passengers --- may access, but that is a time-consuming process and is not direct from a counter agent somewhere in the world.
While this is all an annoyance and can be a costly and logistical mess, the when and why of visa and other documents is not always clear and if there is a remote doubt in your mind, ask yourself whether it is better to obtain the visa (presuming that there is not some issue with that) rather than leaving an elderly relative stuck somewhere, in this case Australia.
1. What will the air carrier do? Carriers check documents solely because they are subject to hefty fines and the duty to return the passenger to her origin if not admitted for lack of documents.
2. Often, local immigration authorities may be lenient. But, it does not matter if one does not get to the destination.
3. IATA populates the TIMATIC database for its member carriers for just this purpose. What you see through the various public interfaces linked above is what the check-in agent will see when you show your documents. IATA gathers the information from foreign ministries (or equivalent) and then rewrites into short paragraphs and asks the foreign ministry to recheck. If TIMATIC shows a visa as required, the likelihood of a carrier boarding a passenger unless it makes a mistake is close to nil. Some countries such as Germany do maintain a hotline which carriers --- not passengers --- may access, but that is a time-consuming process and is not direct from a counter agent somewhere in the world.
While this is all an annoyance and can be a costly and logistical mess, the when and why of visa and other documents is not always clear and if there is a remote doubt in your mind, ask yourself whether it is better to obtain the visa (presuming that there is not some issue with that) rather than leaving an elderly relative stuck somewhere, in this case Australia.
#21
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Auckland
Programs: NZ*E
Posts: 186
Not to berate OP or his mother, but this is a public board and odd transit documentation issues arise all the time. There are always two issues to consider and these are as much part of trip planning as hotels or anything else. It is 100% the sole responsibility of the passenger to determine that s(he) is properly documented. TA's and air carriers have no responsibility to warn in advance.
Agree this isnt the Airlines job, although in this case it sounds like AirNZ was pretty helpful and the OP has also been very proactive.
Side question though, knowing the transit arrangements in Auckland, assuming an airside transit is there actually any immigration facility to check that a passenger has a transit visa? I havent taken the transit lane, but I always thought it was just security and then straight back to airside departures?
#22
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 36
Not to berate OP or his mother, but this is a public board and odd transit documentation issues arise all the time. There are always two issues to consider and these are as much part of trip planning as hotels or anything else. It is 100% the sole responsibility of the passenger to determine that s(he) is properly documented. TA's and air carriers have no responsibility to warn in advance.
1. What will the air carrier do? Carriers check documents solely because they are subject to hefty fines and the duty to return the passenger to her origin if not admitted for lack of documents.
2. Often, local immigration authorities may be lenient. But, it does not matter if one does not get to the destination.
3. IATA populates the TIMATIC database for its member carriers for just this purpose. What you see through the various public interfaces linked above is what the check-in agent will see when you show your documents. IATA gathers the information from foreign ministries (or equivalent) and then rewrites into short paragraphs and asks the foreign ministry to recheck. If TIMATIC shows a visa as required, the likelihood of a carrier boarding a passenger unless it makes a mistake is close to nil. Some countries such as Germany do maintain a hotline which carriers --- not passengers --- may access, but that is a time-consuming process and is not direct from a counter agent somewhere in the world.
While this is all an annoyance and can be a costly and logistical mess, the when and why of visa and other documents is not always clear and if there is a remote doubt in your mind, ask yourself whether it is better to obtain the visa (presuming that there is not some issue with that) rather than leaving an elderly relative stuck somewhere, in this case Australia.
1. What will the air carrier do? Carriers check documents solely because they are subject to hefty fines and the duty to return the passenger to her origin if not admitted for lack of documents.
2. Often, local immigration authorities may be lenient. But, it does not matter if one does not get to the destination.
3. IATA populates the TIMATIC database for its member carriers for just this purpose. What you see through the various public interfaces linked above is what the check-in agent will see when you show your documents. IATA gathers the information from foreign ministries (or equivalent) and then rewrites into short paragraphs and asks the foreign ministry to recheck. If TIMATIC shows a visa as required, the likelihood of a carrier boarding a passenger unless it makes a mistake is close to nil. Some countries such as Germany do maintain a hotline which carriers --- not passengers --- may access, but that is a time-consuming process and is not direct from a counter agent somewhere in the world.
While this is all an annoyance and can be a costly and logistical mess, the when and why of visa and other documents is not always clear and if there is a remote doubt in your mind, ask yourself whether it is better to obtain the visa (presuming that there is not some issue with that) rather than leaving an elderly relative stuck somewhere, in this case Australia.
I have opted out of NZ and going either QF or VA. This discussion also provides a great reference point on Flyertalk.
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Hilton Honors
Posts: 36
Not sure I agree with the last sentence there. i would consider it a key function of a Travel Agent to either know or find out visa requirements for a proposed itinerary, particularly if I was on a passport that doesnt have visa free entry to a large number of countries.
Agree this isnt the Airlines job, although in this case it sounds like AirNZ was pretty helpful and the OP has also been very proactive.
Side question though, knowing the transit arrangements in Auckland, assuming an airside transit is there actually any immigration facility to check that a passenger has a transit visa? I havent taken the transit lane, but I always thought it was just security and then straight back to airside departures?
And yes, the TA itinerary did not flag the visa requirement.
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: MEL CHC
Posts: 20,921
As above I would expect a TA to offer visa information, if they had been told of all the travellers passports.
I have opted out of NZ and going either QF or VA
You have DL, AA & HA flying into SYD
But avoiding transiting in USA is worth it, since USA does not do transits. Need full visa etc for a full entry into USA.
#25
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Not sure I agree with the last sentence there. i would consider it a key function of a Travel Agent to either know or find out visa requirements for a proposed itinerary, particularly if I was on a passport that doesn’t have visa free entry to a large number of countries.
Agree this isn’t the Airlines job, although in this case it sounds like AirNZ was pretty helpful and the OP has also been very proactive.
Side question though, knowing the transit arrangements in Auckland, assuming an airside transit is there actually any immigration facility to check that a passenger has a transit visa? I haven’t taken the transit lane, but I always thought it was just security and then straight back to airside departures?
OP's mother's situation is a case in point. Indian passport, Canadian LPR, traveling on a connection from Australia to Canada through a third country. If the TA does not have all of that information from the passenger, there is nothing the TA can do.
Me, I'd prefer to look it up in TIMATIC and then rest easy that I am not depending on what someone else says what a publicly available website makes available.
There certainly are high-end TA's which provide all manner of ancillary services. But, one has to make certain that the specific service is included.
Last edited by Often1; Jul 4, 2018 at 8:05 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,618
Only use as much political as you need. No use burning that extra capital for a small number of potential pax. As Canada, US, Islands already have visa rules at easier end of spectrum so not much effort to get transit free for them.
#27
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,618
Side question though, knowing the transit arrangements in Auckland, assuming an airside transit is there actually any immigration facility to check that a passenger has a transit visa? I havent taken the transit lane, but I always thought it was just security and then straight back to airside departures?
#30
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Auckland
Programs: NZ Elite Partner/Silver (in own right), PR Classic, QF Bronze, UA Member, VA Red
Posts: 1,551
My corportate TA is good with the visa advice - but as my partner has a Philippines passport, when we travel we start from the premise that a visa will be required for him!