arttravel

MSPeconomist

Beltway2A

I doubt you'll get very far trying to convince Amex that TG doesn't sell refundable tickets

Steve M

That is indeed the key point.

That's the way I read it. But, given that he didn't have such documents, the only solution that TG could offer at their check-in desk was to sell him one of their own tickets.

I don't see any mention of a train by the OP - only that he planned to exit Laos via a land border and then take a domestic flight on another airline. I'm inferring from other things he said that the land border in question would be back to Thailand and that the domestic flight would be within Thailand and back to Bangkok on some other carrier. So, he has no proof of plans or means to exit Laos, which was his problem. Having a domestic flight in another country would not seem to cut it - if it were that easy, why not book a future refundable flight on WN in the US, and present that as proof, under the logic that you wouldn't have bought that ticket but for your intent to leave Laos? Would that cut it? I don't think it would.

There's more than one reason for requiring proof of return or onward travel in these situations: one is to establish intent to leave within the permitted time, and another is to establish means. If you already have the ticket purchased, then there's less chance of you becoming stranded and overstaying because you don't have money to leave, and thus become a burden to the country.

If there was a train journey involved, and the train itself crossed the border, then that might be acceptable proof. But just having domestic train tickets starting in another country doesn't really show anything.

What the OP planned to do may be a perfectly reasonable thing. It may also not be compatible with the Lao Visa On Arrival rules. There's no requirement that a particular country's visa rules accommodate what is convenient to a particular traveler. If they want to have a rule that VOA via an air arrival requires onward or return air ticket, then that's up to them. The fact that you otherwise are able to arrive by air and leave by land is irrelevant. It may be permissible to do that if you had a change of plans after arrival. Or, if you want to plan that in advance, you may have to skip the VOA and get a standard visa. In any event, this is all the OP's responsibility to know and get sorted. It's not TG's or Amex's fault that the OP tried to board a flight without the required travel documents.

And, how much money are we talking about anyway? Looking in ExpertFlyer, the cheapest walk-up fare on TG for VTE-BKK purchased at BKK is US$41.

Gasolin

I would like OP to share the conversation with AMEX or TG, it is:
- Very surprising that there was no way to prove he was leaving the country by land. Was that a car rental? Could OP show that the car will be returned to another city beyond the boarder or something?
- Why didn't TG have any refundable flight? That's quite rare, there is almost always a fully refundable ticket, they are the most expensive tickets in Y
- And how much is it really? If it's not a huge amount, it's probably best to take the hit and move on, some countries are really strict with those requirements and airlines are being fined for not checking those requirements

Jimmie Jet

Often1

The requirements for VOA as a US national could not be more crystal clear. OP did not meet them. His only option as he stood at the counter was to be denied boarding or to buy a return ticket. The rest of this is all a series of red herrings and is irrelevant.

Not sure what OP wanted. To be allowed to board, only to be denied entry, held in custody and marched back onto the return aircraft to BKK?

Transpacificflyer

I fly to SE Asia regularly, especially Thailand. For reference sake, when it comes to visa regulations written rules do not necessarily apply in some countries. The IO in countries like Laos and Thailand are leery of the type of travel shown by the OP and have sent people back if they do not have an onward or return flight. That's why the airlines are cautious.


Sure it does. There may be a small fee to refund or to change, but they are readily available.


Well, why post on here then? You obviously don't need anyone's assistance since you know it all.

Thank you!!! So many people oblivious to the requirements and practices show up at the airport and then have tantrums when they encounter difficulties. The OP should check out some of the Thai forums (there are 3 English language ones and a Thai language one.)

ricktoronto

That can't be right.
You could have bought any ticket anywhere out of Laos on the cheapest airline you could find if you were going to throw it away or a refundable one. You don't have to go back to BKK but they want proof you are leaving Laos.
TG has refundable fares in Y and U. $50 penalty but they also have OW fares for $42 so buy it and toss it. Lao Aviation has $25 fee refundable tickets. So somewhere between $25 and $50 to eliminate the problem.
I think if one were to check all fares there would be full fare Y or J with no penalty.
I guess Laos has a problem with overstayers and Thailand departure desks are making sure.
Thailand has the same rules that could be applied from a lot farther away on a lot more expensive tickets.

gsxsilver

I think he went for the low hanging fruit. Bought the cheapest ticket at check in stand. It's not surprising that airline would sell him their own ticket and being the cheapest; of course its non-refundable.

acenase

nancypants

TerryK

Best of luck.

acenase

Have you heard of Buyer Protection before? You should read up on it. Also did you know AMEX fully refunds you if you bought something and someone stole it? Or if a store tries to say "No refunds", AMEX will still be willing to refund you. Ah yes. Think about why Merchants hate accepting AMEX, because they always favor the buyer.[/left]

superbobbay

You don't even have to buy a refundable ticket if you cancel within 24 hours, assuming you are booking with a US based airline.

Under the DOT's regulations, as long as a customer books a non-refundable ticket at least seven days ahead of the scheduled departure, an airline is required to offer one of two options: allow that customer to change or cancel the trip within 24 hours without penalty.