Which airline is responsible for checking visa requirements on an interline PNR?
May 21, 2019, 3:10 pm
#1
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 297
Which airline is responsible for checking visa requirements on an interline PNR?
Which airline would be responsible for checking visa/entry requirements to final destination if the first airline is only operating a domestic segment while the second airline is handling the international segments where all flights are on one PNR with the same ticket stock?
May 21, 2019, 3:15 pm
#2
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Which airline is responsible for checking visa requirements on an interline PNR?
Which airline would be responsible for checking visa/entry requirements to final destination if the first airline is only operating a domestic segment while the second airline is handling the international segments where all flights are on one PNR with the same ticket stock?
The passenger is always responsible to ensuring the visa/entry requirements for the various countries are complied with.
But would expect to first airline to check, escpically if interline checked luggage involved.
May 21, 2019, 3:16 pm
#3
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Either one of them could check. “Responsibility” to check isn’t really the right way to think of it, as neither are required to.
Airlines check because if they deliver a passenger without proper docs, they get fined and have to also bear the cost of flying the passenger back. So the reason they check is because if their own self interest - they want to avoid those fines and costs.
The carrier flying the domestic segment doesn’t have any exposure to those risks, so there is a good chance they won’t perform the checks.
Airlines check because if they deliver a passenger without proper docs, they get fined and have to also bear the cost of flying the passenger back. So the reason they check is because if their own self interest - they want to avoid those fines and costs.
The carrier flying the domestic segment doesn’t have any exposure to those risks, so there is a good chance they won’t perform the checks.
May 21, 2019, 3:26 pm
#4
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 297
Just to clarify here is something that transpired with a friend of mine.
-friend booked from canada to south asia with canadian carrier and gulf region carrier
-all flights on one pnr ticketed by the gulf carrier
-first airline only checked travel documents required for domestic travel but checked bags to final destination in south asia
-after completing the domestic flight the second airline denied passenger boarding because they did not have a return ticket as part of the entry requirement to final destination
-first airline says they are only required to check requirements for the segments they operate
-second airline says that the airline who initially accepted the bags and tagged them to final was supposed to perform a TIMATIC check
-friend has obviously reached out to both airlines customer relations teams but i was unable to google any clear answer to assist so i said i would inquire here
-friend booked from canada to south asia with canadian carrier and gulf region carrier
-all flights on one pnr ticketed by the gulf carrier
-first airline only checked travel documents required for domestic travel but checked bags to final destination in south asia
-after completing the domestic flight the second airline denied passenger boarding because they did not have a return ticket as part of the entry requirement to final destination
-first airline says they are only required to check requirements for the segments they operate
-second airline says that the airline who initially accepted the bags and tagged them to final was supposed to perform a TIMATIC check
-friend has obviously reached out to both airlines customer relations teams but i was unable to google any clear answer to assist so i said i would inquire here
May 21, 2019, 5:05 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2009
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To what end will this help? The passenger did not conform to visa requirements and was denied boarding.
Your friend could have purchased any cheap ticket from the S. Asia country to another via plane, train or bus to be in compliance.
Your friend could have purchased any cheap ticket from the S. Asia country to another via plane, train or bus to be in compliance.
Just to clarify here is something that transpired with a friend of mine.
-friend booked from canada to south asia with canadian carrier and gulf region carrier
-all flights on one pnr ticketed by the gulf carrier
-first airline only checked travel documents required for domestic travel but checked bags to final destination in south asia
-after completing the domestic flight the second airline denied passenger boarding because they did not have a return ticket as part of the entry requirement to final destination
-first airline says they are only required to check requirements for the segments they operate
-second airline says that the airline who initially accepted the bags and tagged them to final was supposed to perform a TIMATIC check
-friend has obviously reached out to both airlines customer relations teams but i was unable to google any clear answer to assist so i said i would inquire here
-friend booked from canada to south asia with canadian carrier and gulf region carrier
-all flights on one pnr ticketed by the gulf carrier
-first airline only checked travel documents required for domestic travel but checked bags to final destination in south asia
-after completing the domestic flight the second airline denied passenger boarding because they did not have a return ticket as part of the entry requirement to final destination
-first airline says they are only required to check requirements for the segments they operate
-second airline says that the airline who initially accepted the bags and tagged them to final was supposed to perform a TIMATIC check
-friend has obviously reached out to both airlines customer relations teams but i was unable to google any clear answer to assist so i said i would inquire here
May 22, 2019, 8:56 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
Either one of them could check. “Responsibility” to check isn’t really the right way to think of it, as neither are required to.
Airlines check because if they deliver a passenger without proper docs, they get fined and have to also bear the cost of flying the passenger back. So the reason they check is because if their own self interest - they want to avoid those fines and costs.
The carrier flying the domestic segment doesn’t have any exposure to those risks, so there is a good chance they won’t perform the checks.
Airlines check because if they deliver a passenger without proper docs, they get fined and have to also bear the cost of flying the passenger back. So the reason they check is because if their own self interest - they want to avoid those fines and costs.
The carrier flying the domestic segment doesn’t have any exposure to those risks, so there is a good chance they won’t perform the checks.
May 22, 2019, 2:56 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Japan/Thailand
Programs: AS, UA
Posts: 1,201
This has been my experience as well - for D-I on different airlines, only the international one has checked, while I-I they both always check.
Just to clarify here is something that transpired with a friend of mine.
-friend booked from canada to south asia with canadian carrier and gulf region carrier
-all flights on one pnr ticketed by the gulf carrier
-first airline only checked travel documents required for domestic travel but checked bags to final destination in south asia
-after completing the domestic flight the second airline denied passenger boarding because they did not have a return ticket as part of the entry requirement to final destination
-first airline says they are only required to check requirements for the segments they operate
-second airline says that the airline who initially accepted the bags and tagged them to final was supposed to perform a TIMATIC check
-friend has obviously reached out to both airlines customer relations teams but i was unable to google any clear answer to assist so i said i would inquire here
-friend booked from canada to south asia with canadian carrier and gulf region carrier
-all flights on one pnr ticketed by the gulf carrier
-first airline only checked travel documents required for domestic travel but checked bags to final destination in south asia
-after completing the domestic flight the second airline denied passenger boarding because they did not have a return ticket as part of the entry requirement to final destination
-first airline says they are only required to check requirements for the segments they operate
-second airline says that the airline who initially accepted the bags and tagged them to final was supposed to perform a TIMATIC check
-friend has obviously reached out to both airlines customer relations teams but i was unable to google any clear answer to assist so i said i would inquire here
May 22, 2019, 5:24 pm
#8
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
Programs: AA 2MM, Bonvoy LTT, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 14,636
The airline(s) operating the international segment(s) will check (for their own benefit). The airline operating only domestic segment have no reason to check regardless of where the bags are going.
May 22, 2019, 6:51 pm
#9
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There is no requirement that either carrier check documents. Carriers do doc checks to protect themselves because they are fined, flights may be delayed, and they may be forced to return a passenger if the passenger arrives at the international destination without proper docs.
From your friend's perspective, it is completely irrelevant. It was 100% his responsibility to assure that he had the proper documents for entry and he did not. Whether one or both carriers checked and how many times they checked, will not affect what happens to him and to his ticket.
The bags are also irrelevant as I presume that when he did not board his flight, they were pulled or not loaded.
From your friend's perspective, it is completely irrelevant. It was 100% his responsibility to assure that he had the proper documents for entry and he did not. Whether one or both carriers checked and how many times they checked, will not affect what happens to him and to his ticket.
The bags are also irrelevant as I presume that when he did not board his flight, they were pulled or not loaded.