Well if that's true, then are you forgetting the part where the guy said he would have bought the onward ticket, and still got denied by the agent anyway, on purpose?

You fly into Thailand, as a US citizen, you get thirty days. You fly out of Thailand and back in by air, you get another 30 days. A visa makes things a lot easier (and it's what I did), but if the guy's able to show he's going to leave the country within 30 days, then that's no longer Delta's problem.

If Delta were so worried about him overstaying his visa waiver, then we go back to why they allowed him to buy the ticket in the first place.

I agree with the other FTers that OP needs to make Delta pay for this. I certainly hope he's finding another way to South America.

As usual, you missed my post before yours. DL should flag those reservations of more than 30 days. I said that a while back. Perhaps you missed it. Way back I suggested.... Well....anyway....you obviously hopped in at the end here. Go back and read every post as I have, and we can talk. But not before you do that, which you probably won't. By the way, it's easy to jump in at the end isn't it?

Actually, I did read it, along with all your other posts, which is what makes your stance (if that's what you can call it) even more confusing.

I realize that Delta has its own policy as you gave in the Timatic link. But if Delta is going to be zero-tolerance in their enforcement of the policy, then they shouldn't have even allowed him to book the itinerary. But I'm sure Delta didn't want to miss out on the revenue.

It's funny, though, how a Delta CSR managed to make a THB20,000 fine ($620) become a $20,000 fine :)

Well, we're off to Panama tomorrow (Copa Airlines, not Delta of course!) for a three week trip. My friend and I only have until mid April to finish our travels, and didn't want to wait around to see what would happen with our Thailand trip. I thought 6 weeks was a minimum needed to see the region, and I am hoping to go with my brother when he is available in June, or solo in November.

I am very grateful for all the help I got from this forum, especially those who PMed me with advice. I haven't gotten any replies from Delta high-ups or the FAA, and I'm not quite sure where to go from here. At this point, a clear statement on Delta's policy would be nice. Compensation would be amazing. But for now, I'm going to enjoy my time Central America.

My brother will be checking my e-mail periodically to see if I get any responses. I'll be sure to keep you all updated. Again, thanks for all the help!

If you had shown up at the airport in Gainesville, with your onward ticket already purchased, your credibility would be 100%. You did not do that, and DL owes you nada. Good luck, though. Hope you enjoy your trip.

:rolleyes:

Just because you keep saying this doesn't make it true.

I'm truly sorry to hear about the hassle, but I'm glad that you've regrouped and make some grand plans. Have a safe trip! ^

Call their Senator? Their Florida Senator? This is Florida...Gainesville...hicksville. I'm surprised the doofus agent at GNV even knew what or where Thailand was. Their Senator's likely response is "Boy, now why don't you go on and spend your vacation time right here in the USA". The only reason most of those people even know other countries exist is due to the number of foreign students who study (for some odd reason) at UF.

I'm sorry to hear the OP's trip was ruined - rather than begging for compensation, my suggestion, especially given the 'tude from the nasty hick supervisor is to file a lawsuit in Small Claims Court to force Delta to admit wrongdoing, compensate for the cancelled trip and be given a better reason to get their documentation and training in order. Small Claims cases are cheap to file and often a good way of slapping a company in the face when they won't do what's right.

The Delta agent and Supervisor gave the OP incorrect information! They should have just told him to buy an onward ticket.

You get in one last potshot on the guy after it causes him to cancel the trip, after he graciously thanks thanks everyone for their help, after he says the situation's over, and after he decides to make the best out of a crappy situation?

Just, wow. Can I curse at him, mods?

This is what I would do. In the meantime, forget about it and enjoy your trip! :D

Nice. :rolleyes:

and again I say:

Delta still denying responsibility
 

Hi there,

This is the brother of the original poster. I've been helping him through this process (drafting letters, etc) and while he's away in Central America I'm continuing to contact Delta.

After some back and forth in writing with Delta, they still deny any responsibility whatsoever. I have explained and re-explained the situation. We already filed a complaint with the DOT. I told them we were exploring small-claims court. I also told them about the many fliers here who would like to know that Delta doesn't randomly deny boarding to passengers who follow all immigration laws. Still, I just meet a wall of resistance. Here is the latest response from Delta:

Please know our agent followed company policy as it relates to boarding
passengers flying between the United States Mainland and international
destinations. Like all airlines, Delta staff is instructed to deny
passage to any passenger if questions arise regarding the validity of
their international documentation, or to any passenger who fails to
present sufficient evidence of proper international documentation.

Respectfully, there is nothing more I can add. I am sorry to disappoint
you, as I understand this is not the answer you were hoping for.

Ugh, unbelievable. Well, I guess it's time to escalate some more. Thanks to everyone for all their help so far.

Don't waste more time and energy - spend the $300 or so and file in small claims court and get it over with.

Yes, the Senator can help work through the Govt bureaucracy at DoT and FAA.
Your conjecture about the response from a senator is not to far fetched. I got a similar response from Mississippi senator's office when I was working in Mississippi. I, then contacted Maryland Senator, (my wife and children lived in MD). Their office helped me immediately.
It's neither fair nor proper to make a comment such as " I'm surprised the doofus agent at GNV even knew what or where Thailand was."