waltinsocal

If I recall correctly, this is your second kind offer to help the OP. Way back on about the second page of this mess, you made your first offer. In as bad a shape as the OP appears to be, would the OP care to explain why he has not taken up this poster on his offer? Somehow the OP found his way here. If I had done the same, and had received an offer of help and to PM someone here who could in fact possibly help, I can assure you I would have been all over that offer and taken advantage of it. It's not like this person who is offering is brand new here. Look at the number of this person's posts. It's just something I don't understand. Would not most of you here have PMed this person if an offer of help was made?

Yaatri

I don't think we, those who think Delta is wrong, are ignoring the need to have documents for onward joureney out of Thailand within the stipulated period of time. The point we are making is that once the OP obtains such documents, i.e., a ticket out of Thailand withing 30 days, Delta has ABSOLUTELY no reason to deny boarding.

udontknowme

waltinsocal, you are determined to hammer the OP.

It is quite possible that the OP doesn't spend all sorts of time on this or other boards, doesn't know what PNR is, nor realize that indogulf is connected at Delta. Not all posters will have the detailed knowledge that many here have, and asking if most of the people here would have PM'ed is not valid.

OP, private message indogulf and let him help you.

waltinsocal

Totally agree.

brenkarch

I had no idea indogulf was affiliated with Delta. I just shot him a PM.

BigFlyer

I don't see that there is any rule that one must have an onward ticket (i.e., there is a maximum stay, but you can buy a bus ticket out.) . Some countries, e.g, the US, have such a specific requirement, others which don't have that requirement For example, here's Timatic on the specific onward ticket requirement for people entering the US under the visa waiver program:

is holding onward/return tickets (or electronic ticket
record or return passages) with a final destination to a
country other than Canada, Mexico or contiguous (adjacent)
countries/islands situated in or bordering the Caribbean
Sea, TIRULES/R36 unless passenger holds proof of
residence in or is transiting to such country/island, in
which case onward/return tickets to that country accepted.

brenkarch

I just made a call to the standard Delta Support asking about the onward travel/visa overstay/boarding problem. Here is the conversation:

"If I were to travel to Japan, which does not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days, from April to September, but had ongoing tickets to Australia or India or anywhere else, would that be a problem."

"It seems that I don't have the information required. All I have to go by is that you have to have a visa issued in the U.S. if staying over 90 days."

"Is it generally Delta's policy to deny boarding to people who have tickets where they would overstay their visa? If I were to fly Delta to Poland on a round-trip ticket for 6 months but have tickets to Germany, UK, etc so I would never overstay my visa, would that be a problem?"

"It seems like it shouldn't be, but I don't want to give you wrong information. All the information I have to go by is the 90 day visa policy. I suggest calling the individual consulates. Usually people don't fly for such a long time and I don't want to give you a wrong answer."

stephem

The way the DL database comments are written are 2 separate issues, but I would suggest the text DL input in their systems is such that it will lead to recurring problems for folks going to Thailand who are transiting onward on another airline. It should be sufficient for someone getting ready to board to either (heck, you could go to jetstar.com and make a purchase of a cheap ticket from your mobile phone while standing at the DL counter!). That's the immigration regulation in Thailand and DL should clean up their system notes to make it clear that ANY ticket on ANY form of regularly scheduled transport out of Thailand within 30 days will do the trick.

Based on this scenario, I am guessing there are a few other countries where DL's US-centric managers have probably also input the wrong information about visas and onward flights. China comes to mind. There is a way to purchase a ticket such that you appear to merely be transiting in PVG (works in PEK and CAN as well, but I think you get fewer hours), and you can get a transit visa on arrival that is actually good for a couple of days and allows you to leave the airport (and travel around China for that matter). I've used this technique before to get into China for a couple of days of meetings when my visa had expired and the renewal was delayed. Something tells me if you went to board xxx-PVG on DL metal without a China visa that they wouldnt let you do this, even with proof of onward travel out of China w/in the transit visa time period.

Again, so much for all that NW institutional knowledge about Asia...

worldexpress

i'm quite surprised that the op's situation is even an issue.

a carrier can deny boarding in the absence of a visa where one is required but i've never heard of denial situation when a visa is not required.

i travel to bkk (including at least 1-2 times a year on DL) several times a year, frequently with return dates longer than 30 days, and this has never been an issue in the decades of travel.

bangkok is often used as gateway and base for thousands of american backpackers traveling in the region every year and most of their tickets have return dates of longer than 30 days. if the case was part of a massive problem, we'd have heard about it.

purely based on the OP, the DL agent was completely wrong. however, there is the possibility of us not knowing the full story to pass a judgment, though i have no reason to believe so nor fathom such a scenario.

soitgoes

The Timatic database references cited in this thread are maintained by the IATA, not by Delta. Most airlines use the same database.

Somewhat OT here, but Poland and Germany are both in Schengen, which means that your visit to Germany and Poland would have one accumulation of days to determine eligibility to travel in the countries that are a part of Schengen.

JetSet78

I think it's pretty clear. DL was not wrong (and I am no apologist).

Had an ongoing e-ticket or some other tangible form of onward journey been presented, the OP would be on their way to Asia as originally planned.

brenkarch

An update: My friend and I are hoping to rebook, this time JAX-BKK r/t, 3/9 to 4/19. DL is only reasonable airline, all other too expensive. We're waiting to hear from indogulf about chances of being denied again, ways to prevent that, etc. This time, of course, we will show up with a purchased ticket for onward flight travel. We're just unsure if we should roll the dice again, this time at JAX. We'd rather not have to buy a DL refundable ticket BKK-NRT or anything silly like that just to board, but we will if necessary.

UPDATE: indogulf just reviewed our PNR, said we should be fine as long as we bring proof of onward travel. He/she will make a note in our new booking for the check-in agents at JAX. It looks like we're going!

DaDaDan

Given that the OP has stated multiple times that he offered to purchase just such a ticket and give the eTicket number to the ticket agent and this solution was refused, I don't think you are correct.

idayvuelta

For the 100th time, OP offered THEN AND THERE to purchase a ticket, provide an e-ticket number, and provide any proof necessary. He has been told now and subsequently by several people at several different levels that the ONLY way he could accomplish his goal was to purchase a ticket on Delta or an affiliate, preferably on the same PNR. Both at check in and subsequently Delta has been unwilling to accept proof of onward travel. CHECK YOU READING COMPREHENSION.*


*I know this is incorrect grammar. It's a new internet meme. All the kids are doing it.

idayvuelta

I really would buy the refundable ticket. It will tie up your credit card briefly, but it's insurance against another agent who has never heard of Air Asia and doesn't understand why someone might stay more than 30 days in a foreign land. Then, I'd choose someone else for your international travel in the future.