bmwe92fan

Looking for some quick advice here from the experts - I am currently stranded in hkg due to issues with my passport... UA sold me a ticket from nrt to hkg to sin to nrt on other carriers - and my passport expires in feb 2015. I made it to hkg but when tried checking into sin from hkg. I was informed upon trying to check in that my passport was invalid since it expired in less than 6 months - I called UA and they said your fault - I asked why they sold me a ticket they knew would not be valid - total silence.... So now I can't get to Sin and UA won't help me get home - what would you do? US consulate here in hkg is closed and can't help anyways - I need to get back to us to get new passport I guess but stumped as to what to do - as of now I spent another 2k to get from hkg to nrt (stupid timing - Obon) for my flight back next week but UA says I'm screwed - any ideas?

ERJ_12B

Dint take this wrong way, but aren't you responsible for checking what is required to enter a county? UA only check if you have a passport and if it's valid.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

You, as the traveler, are responsible for making sure your passport complies with entry rules for countries visited, NOT United. Hopefully, United will sympathize and you'll find a way back at a non-super-expensive way, but this is squarely on your shoulders. UA will check visas, if required, but passports themselves only have to be current in UA's eyes.

mgcsinc

I think you could start by not blaming UA for something that isn't their fault.

They won't take you back to the US?

denuaflier

I am no UA apologist but how can you blame UA on this? UA had no clue you will not renew your passport. It is YOUR job to make sure you have a valid passport and not UA's. BTW, you can renew your US passport in Hong Kong. See link below.

http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/acs_passports.html

Good luck.

enviroian

There was a similar thread about this a few months ago. I'll be smart on this one and not comment.

LASUA1K

Is this a normal rule? I've traveled to SIN on a passport within 6 months. I traveled to a ton of countries within 6 months of expiration.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

Each country sets it's own rules. Singapore is 6 months.

http://www.ica.gov.sg/page.aspx?pageid=95

bmwe92fan

I came back from the UK and Italy on this passport on Saturday and left for japan on Monday - all booked on UA on my passport with no data changes in two years.... I know it's my fault but shocked UA sells me a ticket with passport data confirmed at purchase they know is invalid....

wrp96

More and more countries are adding the 6 month requirement at least for US passports - because US requires it of their passport holders. Isn't reciprocity grand?

To the OP, was the stop in HKG just a connection or a stopover? If it was just a connection, then couldn't the airline that allowed him to board in NRT be responsible for at least getting him back to NRT?

wrp96

If you are mad at UA for selling you a ticket based on your old passport, then your anger is misplaced. I'd be really upset if a year out I couldn't buy a ticket solely because my passport/visa/whatever as of that date didn't work for something a year out. In fact, many countries require you to have the purchased ticket before you can get your visa - so how would that work if you can't buy the ticket unless you provide proof you can go?

In the eyes of all the airlines, it's not what travel documents you have available on the day you book that matter, it's the travel documents you have available the day you fly - and in this day and age of walk in embassies, electronic visas, things can change from day to day.

IAH-OIL-TRASH

nevermind

bmwe92fan

Not a connection - been here three days.... Had to give up my original ticket and buy totally new one on nh to get to Tokyo so I could get home as apparently Tokyo is only city available to accept my passport and get me to us (according to UA at 1am here in hkg)....

patchan8984

We had this same issue in SIN, but we signed a waiver that allowed us to travel and in SIN negotiated with the immigration agent to let us go straight to the embassy for a temporary passport. Worked out for us.

mgcsinc

There's no "passport data confirmed at purchase." You can choose to put in a passport at booking, but you don't have to, and no one is going through at booking and checking to see that you have the right expiration, and reminding you to renew. That's not how things work. Many, many people do not have the appropriate documents to travel when they book. That's utterly normal. No airline plays babysitter, checking to make sure you've gotten what you need to travel, until day-of.

I know this situation is upsetting, but UA is 0.000000% to blame, and you probably shot yourself in the foot by saying otherwise to UA agents.