|
Originally Posted by Often1
(Post 18440191)
As part of a carrier obtaining landing rights in a foreign country, it must agree to repatriate any pax who is denied entry into that country. The carrier is also responsible for substantial fines as well as reimbursement for security costs for the pax. Some countries have been known to physically hold the aircraft until the pax is back onboard.
According to the COC of every carrier I've seen, all of these costs are then subject to recoupement from the pax. Cost of fine, security and one-way full Y fare can be enormous. Needless to say, if the pax has a CC with sufficient credit limit, the carrier will see its money, otherwise it's expensive and like trying to get blood from a stone. Right you are. Fines definitely occur against the carrier. I often wonder how much "really" (??) is recouped from the passenger as far as the price of a return ticket (they don't pay the fine). Frankly, I think the airlines just eat it. Most of it could be obviated by careful Timatic entries by the customer service agents at check-in. There has to be a better way because airlines are still being fined for these mistakes - we're talking millions over a period of six months to a year and apparently, things slip through (i.e., wrong information entered). |
Originally Posted by FlyingNone
(Post 18440323)
-------------------------------------------------
Right you are. Fines definitely occur against the carrier. I often wonder how much "really" (??) is recouped from the passenger as far as the price of a return ticket (they don't pay the fine). In the case of United, as clearly outlined in the terms, it's not the full fare same day walk up ticket price. |
If you have to interline your checked baggage, you have to check in with an agent.
On a recent trip to LCA from JFK, I had two separate tickets (DL: JFK - ATH and Cyprus Airways: ATH-LCA) and had the agent in JFK interline my checked bags. Cannot do this with OLCI. |
Originally Posted by cordelli
(Post 18440623)
In most cases, there's nothing to recoup. The contract is worded so that the cost is the cost at the time of the ticket purchase. See the quote above from United's contract. If you are traveling on a round trip ticket, that just means they take the return portion of your ticket and call it even. I would assume the majority of those who get caught in this have a return ticket.
In the case of United, as clearly outlined in the terms, it's not the full fare same day walk up ticket price. |
Originally Posted by DCBob
(Post 18439657)
First of all, you cannot check in online to an international destination (at the beginning of a trip).
That's never been my experience. I've always been issued a boarding pass for my international flights, and have been able to go straight to the gate unless I was checking baggage. Document checks are done at the gate. Or were you specifically talking about international flights originating in the USA? |
Originally Posted by emcampbe
(Post 18440211)
Saying this should "never" happen is an overstatement - a valid passport and visa does not guarantee entry to a country. For example, some countries will deny entry with a valid passport if it is not valid beyond X (typically 6) months (though I suppose UA should know this beforehand). Most countries that I have seen stipulate that a valid visa does not guarantee entry to a country. A passenger can have the wrong type of visa, be carrying equipment that the arrival country won't allow in, etc.
|
Originally Posted by DCBob
(Post 18439684)
The airline has to pay to transport the person back. In theory, this should NEVER happen unless the passenger has a forged passport or visa, because the airline isn't going to let you get on the flight without checking your documents. Also, the passenger more than likely has a R/T ticket so he has already "paid" his way back.
DCBob brings up an interesting point about forged documents. Who should be liable if the passenger has forged documents? Would they just be deported, or would they be charged with a criminal offence? |
to get out of usa, i seem to be required to present my valid passport to the agent in person.(wife cannot do it).
is a waste of time to attempt to checkin on line(any form of on line) |
Originally Posted by DCBob
(Post 18439657)
First of all, you cannot check in online to an international destination (at the beginning of a trip). When you try to do this, you will not get a BP. Instead, you will get this rather useless document:
"THIS IS NOT A BOARDING PASS. You will need to complete your check-in at an airport kiosk." At the airport, you have to scan your passport at a kiosk to get a BP. If a visa is required, you will need to go to the check-in counter to see a live person OR your documentation will be checked at the gate before you board. The reason you can be checked in automatically on your return flight is because your documentation has already been checked. And you probably need to return to your own country! For domestic flights, you can check in online. That at least gives the airline some comfort that you have indicated within 24 hours of your flight that you intend to board that flight. Of course, there are always some passengers who don't make the flight, but the airline knows it's a very small number that check in and don't board. So the procedure works and it limits the lines at the check-in counter, saving the airline money. Does that make sense? Yes, you do still have to go to a check-in counter and see an airline agent (and deposit your luggage and have it tagged) but there is usually a much shorter line for those who have done OLCI than for those who have not. Therefore, it saves time at the airport. Even if only for that reason, I prefer OLCI. |
Originally Posted by DCBob
(Post 18439657)
First of all, you cannot check in online to an international destination (at the beginning of a trip).
I fly regularly with BA ex London airports to destinations in Europe, north America and Africa, and I have always checked in on line and printed the requisite boarding cards. If I am travelling to a non-European destination I show my passport at the BA visa check desk and then hey presto! I am on my way to security etc etc. |
Who pays?
As a follow-on to the posts discussing (theoretically) who pays to repatriate a passenger denied entry because of incorrect documentation:
We were booked from BKK to SGN. We have NZ passports and, at that time, we had to have a visa to enter Vietnam. We got our visas about 3 weeks before departure and checked in at BKK. The agent at the Thai Airways counter checked our visa at check-in. When we arrived in SGN, we were denied entry to Vietnam and, after much shouting by Vietnamese officials, at us and at the TG staff, Thai Airways was required to fly us back to BKK. When we arrived back in BKK, we were informed that, due to a Pan-Asian conference in Hanoi the weekend we traveled, Vietnam had declared our class of visa invalid. Previously, they had been phasing out our class of visa and phasing in the new class but, due to this conference, they had arbitrarily declared our class of visa to be invalid. Apparently, Thai Airways had been notified only the day before our travel that they should not let anyone with our class of visa onto their flights to Vietnam, but this information had apparently not filtered down to their check-in agents. We found Thai Airways' HQ in Bangkok and were issued with new tickets, BKK-SGN and SGN-BKK, at no cost to ourselves. I do not know if Thai were fined, but I do know that they had to bear the cost of our additional flights and that they made no attempt to recover anything from us. |
Originally Posted by lhrsfo
(Post 18439526)
Agreed entirely, and doubly so in the era where non-refundable tickets are predominant. As I understand it, refundable tickets used to become non-refundable on check in, so that was a purpose- to close in on the final tally. But I can't see any other real purpose, than seat allocation.
Neil |
Check in agents are typically only familiar with their own country's passport / visa requirements for the destination (ie an agent in the US knows the rules for US passport holders etc) so you do get instances where they fly people without visas especially if the 'home' country doesn't require them. I've had the opposite, where I have been traveling on an 'other' passport and had to point out I had no need for the visa their 'home' passport holders needed.
Originally Posted by DCBob
(Post 18439684)
Originally Posted by choijw
(Post 18439509)
What happens when the passenger doesn't have a valid visa and (s)he is sent back? I'm pretty sure neither the passenger nor the (refusing) arrival country will pay his/her way back.
|
I'm able to check in for international flights online with no issue - and have done so for a number of years.
Originally Posted by DCBob
(Post 18439657)
Originally Posted by WrongTree
(Post 18439491)
Now we have on-line check-in, which I can do from anywhere; so just because I am "checked in", the airline should not have too much confidence that I'm actually in the airport, rather than asleep, in a pub, changing a tyre on the expressway, etc. Since the advent of on-line check-in, have the airlines experienced significantly more people who are "checked in" but who do not board the flight?
And now, when I checked in for my flight at LHR at a kiosk, I received some message that I would automatically be checked in for my return flight, and the boarding pass mailed to me. "THIS IS NOT A BOARDING PASS. You will need to complete your check-in at an airport kiosk." At the airport, you have to scan your passport at a kiosk to get a BP. If a visa is required, you will need to go to the check-in counter to see a live person OR your documentation will be checked at the gate before you board. The reason you can be checked in automatically on your return flight is because your documentation has already been checked. And you probably need to return to your own country! For domestic flights, you can check in online. That at least gives the airline some comfort that you have indicated within 24 hours of your flight that you intend to board that flight. Of course, there are always some passengers who don't make the flight, but the airline knows it's a very small number that check in and don't board. So the procedure works and it limits the lines at the check-in counter, saving the airline money. Does that make sense? |
Are you not able to check in online, select sears etc, then ask at the baggage drop off for your bags to be interlined? I've not had an issue having my bags tagged to my final destination at the bag drop desk, having done 2 sets of online check in, but it may have been because they were both * Alliance?
Originally Posted by STBCypriot
(Post 18440688)
If you have to interline your checked baggage, you have to check in with an agent.
On a recent trip to LCA from JFK, I had two separate tickets (DL: JFK - ATH and Cyprus Airways: ATH-LCA) and had the agent in JFK interline my checked bags. Cannot do this with OLCI. |
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 1:01 pm. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.