Condor / Thomas Cook - Schengen Denied Entry in FRA
Jun 20, 19, 9:45 am
#1
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Condor / Thomas Cook - Schengen Denied Entry in FRA
OK here goes...Don't have all the details, but will try to summarize best I can. Summary question, does Condor/Thomas Cook bare any of the responsibility since they ask for the info?
Daughter's college roommate & her mom bought a trip top Santorini through TC. Provided all passport info, including exp date to the agency. They were subsequently denied passage in FRA as they had a day layover. When they were going to leave the airport for the day, they were detained, asked to pay a fee and put back on a flight back to the US the next day (condor charged them a change fee!). The daughter's passport expired in 3 months, and even though she was in Holland a few weeks prior, as per Schengen it has to be a 6-month expiry. To make it worse, not only did they lose their $10k on the trip but had to sleep in the terminal. The German customs officer told them they see up to 20 a day (seems high) and its very routine for them to send people back. I realize the airline gets a hefty fine, but does the agency not carry any responsibility?
Thanks for any insight I can relay.
Daughter's college roommate & her mom bought a trip top Santorini through TC. Provided all passport info, including exp date to the agency. They were subsequently denied passage in FRA as they had a day layover. When they were going to leave the airport for the day, they were detained, asked to pay a fee and put back on a flight back to the US the next day (condor charged them a change fee!). The daughter's passport expired in 3 months, and even though she was in Holland a few weeks prior, as per Schengen it has to be a 6-month expiry. To make it worse, not only did they lose their $10k on the trip but had to sleep in the terminal. The German customs officer told them they see up to 20 a day (seems high) and its very routine for them to send people back. I realize the airline gets a hefty fine, but does the agency not carry any responsibility?
Thanks for any insight I can relay.
Jun 20, 19, 10:02 am
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which agency? the travel agency? Then no they don't.
Passenger is responsible for making sure they have the right documentation / passport / visas / unexpired length etc etc
What also matters is what passport the daughter has. Is this this your daughter or her friend as it's not clear from your post. Makes no difference that a Dutch immigration official let her in a few weeks before.
Passenger is responsible for making sure they have the right documentation / passport / visas / unexpired length etc etc
What also matters is what passport the daughter has. Is this this your daughter or her friend as it's not clear from your post. Makes no difference that a Dutch immigration official let her in a few weeks before.
Jun 20, 19, 10:04 am
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Originally Posted by skywardhunter
100% their fault, nothing to do with TC/Condor, other than that they should not have been permitted to board ex US
Jun 20, 19, 10:06 am
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Originally Posted by UKtravelbear
which agency? the travel agency? Then no they don't.
Passenger is responsible for making sure they have the right documentation / passport / visas / unexpired length etc etc
What also matters is what passport the daughter has. Is this this your daughter or her friend as it's not clear from your post. Makes no difference that a Dutch immigration official let her in a few weeks before.
Passenger is responsible for making sure they have the right documentation / passport / visas / unexpired length etc etc
What also matters is what passport the daughter has. Is this this your daughter or her friend as it's not clear from your post. Makes no difference that a Dutch immigration official let her in a few weeks before.
Jun 20, 19, 10:57 am
#8
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As this is a second hand telling of the denial there may be some info lost.
Germany requires three months from the date of departure so if the passport is valid for the 3 months at date of entry that is not long enough.
Not sure about the 6 month — maybe just to be safe?
however airline is not responsible.
Germany requires three months from the date of departure so if the passport is valid for the 3 months at date of entry that is not long enough.
Not sure about the 6 month — maybe just to be safe?
however airline is not responsible.
Jun 20, 19, 11:49 am
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Daughter's college roommate & her mom bought a trip top Santorini through TC.
They were subsequently denied passage in FRA as they had a day layover. When they were going to leave the airport for the day, they were detained,
I assume they were connecting in Frankfurt to Santorini (possibly with Condor via Mykonos), they had to enter the Schengen area here in Frankfurt.
Whether they had a day layover or not - it does not matter. German immigration officers (Bundespolizei) wont let her in.
The German customs officer told them they see up to 20 a day (seems high) and its very routine for them to send people back.
Jun 20, 19, 1:35 pm
#10
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Originally Posted by jpschoubert
OK here goes...Don't have all the details, but will try to summarize best I can. Summary question, does Condor/Thomas Cook bare any of the responsibility since they ask for the info?
Daughter's college roommate & her mom bought a trip top Santorini through TC. Provided all passport info, including exp date to the agency. They were subsequently denied passage in FRA as they had a day layover. When they were going to leave the airport for the day, they were detained, asked to pay a fee and put back on a flight back to the US the next day (condor charged them a change fee!). The daughter's passport expired in 3 months, and even though she was in Holland a few weeks prior, as per Schengen it has to be a 6-month expiry. To make it worse, not only did they lose their $10k on the trip but had to sleep in the terminal. The German customs officer told them they see up to 20 a day (seems high) and its very routine for them to send people back. I realize the airline gets a hefty fine, but does the agency not carry any responsibility?
Thanks for any insight I can relay.
Daughter's college roommate & her mom bought a trip top Santorini through TC. Provided all passport info, including exp date to the agency. They were subsequently denied passage in FRA as they had a day layover. When they were going to leave the airport for the day, they were detained, asked to pay a fee and put back on a flight back to the US the next day (condor charged them a change fee!). The daughter's passport expired in 3 months, and even though she was in Holland a few weeks prior, as per Schengen it has to be a 6-month expiry. To make it worse, not only did they lose their $10k on the trip but had to sleep in the terminal. The German customs officer told them they see up to 20 a day (seems high) and its very routine for them to send people back. I realize the airline gets a hefty fine, but does the agency not carry any responsibility?
Thanks for any insight I can relay.
I'm guessing when she was in Holland her passport had 90 days left on it and when she went to Frankfurt, the validity was less than 90 days.
Jun 20, 19, 1:43 pm
#11
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Originally Posted by JamesKidd
Probably fair to assume you don't have the correct information. US citizens require 90 days from the day of entry.
I'm guessing when she was in Holland her passport had 90 days left on it and when she went to Frankfurt, the validity was less than 90 days.
I'm guessing when she was in Holland her passport had 90 days left on it and when she went to Frankfurt, the validity was less than 90 days.
Jun 20, 19, 3:24 pm
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As most of the folks here have told, it's the responsibility of the passenger who must check that he/she has the required travel documents.
Condor is also responsible for checking them at the first point of departure ( in this specific case: the departure airport at USA )
AFAIK, Condor asks you to type in your passport details during OLCI ( and visa if applicable ) to complete the process. I really wonder if the traveler did check-in online or not? Did he/she succeed checking online if attempted?
Also, when being deported from a country. It's not obliged to pay a return ticket. It's the airline who brought the passenger to that country who is responsible to pay for the expenses, in case of a fault of them not checking travel documents at the first point of departure so the traveler shouldn't have paid Condor for the return ticket. They should have figured it out.
And, the travel agency does not carry any responsibility.
Condor is also responsible for checking them at the first point of departure ( in this specific case: the departure airport at USA )
AFAIK, Condor asks you to type in your passport details during OLCI ( and visa if applicable ) to complete the process. I really wonder if the traveler did check-in online or not? Did he/she succeed checking online if attempted?
Also, when being deported from a country. It's not obliged to pay a return ticket. It's the airline who brought the passenger to that country who is responsible to pay for the expenses, in case of a fault of them not checking travel documents at the first point of departure so the traveler shouldn't have paid Condor for the return ticket. They should have figured it out.
And, the travel agency does not carry any responsibility.
Last edited by ISTFlyer; Jun 20, 19 at 4:05 pm
Jun 20, 19, 3:45 pm
#13
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Originally Posted by jpschoubert
they were detained, asked to pay a fee and put back on a flight back to the US the next day (condor charged them a change fee!).
IIRC, that cost (and any fine) is paid by the airline that delivered them to the country with invalid travel documentation.
Doing so makes it more obvious to the carrier that an erorr was made in allowing them to board the plane. It still does not mean the passenger would be due a refund (unless their ticket class allowed for changes or refunds for free or a fee, right up until X hours before departure of the initial flight).
Otherwise, should she not have had the means or desire to pay, she would not be stuck in limbo.
Jun 20, 19, 3:50 pm
#14
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Originally Posted by ISTFlyer
However, the fact of 20-day wait is really funny. If the passengers arrived from Turkey, regardless of the city they arrived, they would be immediately sent back on the first available flight back ( regardless if the first flight is to the same airport that they arrived ). .
And like we see here some airlines can’t get document checks done properly... amazing this still happens, but it seems mitt hat unusual.
Jun 20, 19, 9:09 pm
#15
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Originally Posted by JamesKidd
Probably fair to assume you don't have the correct information. US citizens require 90 days from the day of entry.
US citizens in possession of a valid US passport (on the planned date of departure from Germany, your passport should have at least another three months validity) do not need a visa for airport transit, tourist or business trips (for stays up to 90 days).
So having exactly 3 months from date of entry is not enough -- needs to be date of departure --
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Jun 22, 19 at 4:53 pm Reason: Fixed quote tags
