Date change on DONEX flight after checkin and passing security
 

Hi guys,

What are the rules regarding changing the date of a flight (on a DONEX) AFTER you've checked in for that flight and already passed security? Is this allowed? Or would you have to have it treated as a no show and pay the $125 rebooking fee?

Cheers!

I've never done it on a OWE, but I have done it on other flexible tickets, and there was no problem and no charge. They can't regard you as a no show since you are at the airport, and there is no rebooking fee other than for no shows.

So I guess they just escort you back out through immigration again, or what? I've never not gone on a flight after already going through immigration so not sure what the procedure is once you're airside and no longer have a departing flight...

Generally speaking, you can't get past departure immigration without showing a boarding pass, so it's not as if lack of funds would be a reason for needing to not actually depart. I'm sure it varies by country, but I would suspect that in most countries that have departure immigration, the traveler does not have the option to voluntarily "undo" their departure, so if they want to change their mind, they would need to re-apply for admission. Depending on the country, your citizenship, and your type of visa, this may be as simple as another stamp in your passport, or it may be nearly impossible to complete at the airport if, say, you entered on a single-entry visa and new visas must be issued in your country of residence. Also, I'm sure that of all the countries that have departure immigration, there are at least some that would allow a traveler to voluntarily "undo" an immigration departure, either by formality of law or informality of airport procedure.

In either case, you'd probably also have to go through Customs inspection, as once you're past departure immigration, you're mingling with passenger on int'l-to-int'l connections that have not undergone Customs inspection, and you could have been handed something to take into the country. In fact, they're probably looking specifically for this case, as I'm sure it's been tried by smugglers before.

Yeah, I understand that you would have to re-enter the country, since you've technically left after passing immigration. The problem is though is that incoming immigration is generally not accessible from the airside departures area of most airports, so assuming visa formalities were in order, how would they process your re-entry back in to the country? Send you through the intl transit area in reverse? :D

Essentially yes. Exactly how is going to depend on the layout of the airport obviously. At major airports there must be dozens of people a day who get airside and then don't take their flight for one reason or another.

At most airports, I suspect that you'd need to get the help of an airline or airport worker to let you through a secure door to get from the departure hall to incoming immigration.

The one exception to this that I've experienced is the old international terminal at SEL. At that airport, all inbound passengers and their carry-ons had to pass security screening immediately upon arrival, before leaving the gate area, even if they were not connecting. Once past this, you entered a combined arrivals / departure hall. All international passengers were co-mingled in this hall: inbound, outbound, and connecting. So, if an outbound passenger were to change their mind, it would simply be a matter of getting in the inbound immigration line with all of the arriving passengers, although some explanation would be due at immigration control.

Interesitng are you technically a no show if you don't board the plane after checking in?

I agree with you that there would be dozens a day at big airports - nervous fliers "backing out", people getting ill after clearing customs, bad news from departure point that requires you to stay etc etc All will have an escorted back door pathway for this. Not and exact example but equivalent is that in HKG for example on long transits you can arrive from int'l destination (probably not possible to arrive from a domestic location in HKG - side issue?), transit up to the lounge (drop off carry on's etc), then get a pass from the lounge allowing you back downstairs to the incoming immigration area (you just walk back through a side lane of the transit point), head off to Central for the day on the express and then back through outgoing immigration. Done it plenty of times - the Wing is great but there's only so much time I desire to spend in any lounge.

Have you ever read what the pass says? It is "access to the transit desk". So they use the fiction that you are doing this (going through security in reverse) not because you want to exit the airport -- that is not allowed, it is a security breach to leave your things at the airport while you leave -- but that you are needing some help with your ticket. Never mind that the lounge staff are far better able to provide this ticketing help than the transit desk. An interesting dance with the bureaucracy.

All airports do have a specific procedure for pax to leave departures. As mentioned it is common and generally easy. As for validity of your ticket, it remains valid and in original state even after it is pulled. The flight may not operate even after it has left the gate, for example, for lots of reasons (weather, mechanical, illness, ...). Imagine the chaos if airlines could not routinely handle tickets of pax who have boarded the plane but not flown (so need to rebook that same sector). Not sure about LCCs, but all IATA member airlines can handle this smoothly.

All major airports will have some way of doing this, but the ease and implications depends greatly on country and airport (from trivial to hours of bureaucracy and visa issues).

Mind saying where you are thinking of doing this so some specific advice can be given?

I've done this in HKG on a DONE4 and also in VIE on a *A ticket with no problems. But as others have said, YMMV depending on the airport and the ticket agent(s) you end up talking to.