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VISA Required for Final Leg, Can I start travel with UA while awaiting documents?

VISA Required for Final Leg, Can I start travel with UA while awaiting documents?

Old May 28, 2019, 1:14 pm
  #16  
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Originally Posted by everetl
Just so you are aware, and this is also in TIMATIC, Approval Letter is all that is required for travel. You get the VISA on arrival. My issue is I am awaiting approval letter via email.

Interestingly enough, if you put in NIGIERIA as transit point in TIMATIC onto another country, there is no requirement for VISA in TIMATIC.

Thanks,
And this was my experience as well. I actually flew from IAH-LOS on UA and then LOS-JNB on SA. I had no visa--the only thing needed was my yellow fever vaccination card.

I wrote about it here (disclaimer - link to my blog).

Transit in Lagos: Bribing My Way Out
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Old May 28, 2019, 4:17 pm
  #17  
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The visa is issued on arrival. What OP is required to show on departure from the US and Germany is a letter approving the visa. He does not have that yet, so UA will not permit him to board on his US departure.
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Old May 29, 2019, 8:07 am
  #18  
 
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After multiple trips to Nigeria, I would not get on any airplane without documentation in hand. You never know what happens and I have been stopped in Nigeria for all sorts of "irregularities" that didn't really exist...
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Old May 30, 2019, 12:04 am
  #19  
 
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Originally Posted by Often1
Presuming that you are travelling on one ticket and are connecting at FRA rather than stopping over, UA will likely deny you boarding at IAH unless to have proper documents for Nigeria in hand.
I'm not doubting this per se, but is it reasonable to expect that a check-in or gate agent in IAH would be familiar with every possible entry document that exists in the world? Yes, TIMATIC, I know, but does TIMATIC store images of examples of documents, and is said agent able to make correct interpretations of everything that TIMATIC says?

What about outsourced agents in, say, AMA, if that happened to be the origin instead of IAH?

Originally Posted by Often1
UA can be quite decent about waiving change fees when a document problem develops and is addressed far enough in advance that the seat can be resold.
And in the worst case, non-refundable fare rules almost always accommodate refunds in the scenario that proper documentation for an INTL trip cannot be obtained, although an embassy statement is usually required.
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Old May 30, 2019, 7:45 am
  #20  
 
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Any update to what happened?
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Old May 30, 2019, 8:32 am
  #21  
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Originally Posted by mozilla
I'm not doubting this per se, but is it reasonable to expect that a check-in or gate agent in IAH would be familiar with every possible entry document that exists in the world? Yes, TIMATIC, I know, but does TIMATIC store images of examples of documents, and is said agent able to make correct interpretations of everything that TIMATIC says?

What about outsourced agents in, say, AMA, if that happened to be the origin instead of IAH?
.
Believe it or not, TIMATIC is quite specific and has a detailed listing of possible document/combinations. For any exceptions to normal entry requirements, it will list out what are the requirements to prove the exception. It does not have images of example documents, but the airline agent is not expected to prove the authenticity of the document - that's the passport control agent's job.

Yes, some agents are more familiar with the verification process than others, but that's part of their job duty.
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Old May 30, 2019, 10:30 am
  #22  
 
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Originally Posted by BThumme
Any update to what happened?
Presumably OP found a way to get on the flight, since we haven't heard from him
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