Adding 2 passports in APIS? Dual AU/US citizen flying EU->USA->Australia

[transpactraveller]

I'm a dual US & Australian citizen, currently living in Spain. I've got an upcoming flight on 1 PNR which is MAD-DFW-MEL (it was cheaper than flying via Asia or the Middle East)

I can only enter 1 passport into the booking APIS.

If I add my US passport details, it expects an ETA on my US passport to be allowed to travel to my final destination, Australia. This is not possible, as an Australian citizen. I can only use my Australian passport to travel to Australia.

If I enter my AU passport details, I'd need an ESTA for the flight to DFW. I can't apply for an ESTA on another passport as a US citizen. I can only use my US passport to travel to the US.

So I can't check-in online, but if I present both passports at the airport check-in, would they be able to enter both for each flight, or override the system?

I tried calling and asking but the agent said she couldn't help, just that it's up to passengers to ensure they have the right visas etc, so not really helpful.

 

[kpc]

@madrooster knows the answer and how to get both passports into the system

 

[madrooster]

Who is the carrier for MAD-DFW?

 

[transpactraveller]

Who is the carrier for MAD-DFW?

AA

 

[madrooster]

AA

In that case, don't check in online at all. At MAD, show them both passports. They will need to swipe the USA passport which will give you a boarding pass to DFW, then at DFW give QF the AUS passport to get the DFW-MEL boarding pass.

 

[transpactraveller]

Thankyou that sounds simple enough, just do it the old fashion way (before online check ins existed!).

My main concern is trouble at MAD about the connecting flight to Australia. But it sounds like they’ll just not give me the 2nd boarding pass and tell me to get it in DFW at one of the transit desks?

Being the US, I’d have to collect and recheck any bags regardless, so it won’t really cause any issues there.

Assume for the return I can put the US passport into the booking and check in online and get both boarding passes. Although my Spanish resident visa is linked to my Australian passport, the EU doesn’t care which passport I use and doesn’t (currently) have an ETA/ESTA-like requirement for non-citizens.

 

[Tiki]

I just did this so documenting it before I forget. I have US and Australia passports. Flying to Chile where US citizens don’t need a visa and Aussies do. I put US passport in the Apis. I was able to check in online and get boarding passes for both BNE-SYD and SYD- SCL. At SYD passport control the smart gate beeped when scanning Aussie passport and sent me to a human. I showed both passports and was processed quickly by the human. In SCL, find the foreigner line, there were a lot more Chileans than visitors. Passed fairly quickly didn’t need SAG customs form. Just incoming bag xray.

 

[LondonAussie]

In DFW they don't make you collect your bags and re-check anymore when transiting from international to international.

There's an article on Business Traveller about International-To-International (ITI) baggage transfer service being available at Dallas (Fort Worth) between AA and Qantas.

 

[madrooster]

At SYD passport control the smart gate beeped when scanning Aussie passport and sent me to a human.

The correct process is you use the passport you checked in with in the smartgate, so that means you use the USA passport in the smartgate, not the AUS passport.

 

[Tiki]

The correct process is you use the passport you checked in with in the smartgate, so that means you use the USA passport in the smartgate, not the AUS passport.

OK I thought you have to use your Aussie passport to enter and exit Australia.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

OK I thought you have to use your Aussie passport to enter and exit Australia.

No! As madrooster points out, it is possible for your passports to be linked by Border Force, so you can then leave in the passport you checked-in with.

However, interestingly last week I used my UK passport to check-in, but had to use my Aussie to leave. Dunno what the check-in agent did, but they swiped both passports, and did some typing.

That’s different to last year where I did the same thing with my UK passport, but when i got to the smart gate the aussie passport rejected, and I had to use my UK one.

 

[Princess Fiona]

No! As madrooster points out, it is possible for your passports to be linked by Border Force, so you can then leave in the passport you checked-in with.

However, interestingly last week I used my UK passport to check-in, but had to use my Aussie to leave. Dunno what the check-in agent did, but they swiped both passports, and did some typing.

That’s different to last year where I did the same thing with my UK passport, but when i got to the smart gate the aussie passport rejected, and I had to use my UK one.

Don’t ever give the check-in agent both of your passports. Only give them the one you will be entering the destination on.
They are guaranteed to stuff it up if you do IME.

 

[transpactraveller]

Don’t ever give the check-in agent both of your passports. Only give them the one you will be entering the destination on.
They are guaranteed to stuff it up if you do IME.

Last time when checking in to leave Australia, QF asked me do you also have an Australian passport. I said yes, then they asked to see it. The agent then made a phone call to Border Force to “report” that I had 2 passports and “link” them in the system?

I’ve not had this happen anywhere else. But most other countries also don’t have passport checks on exit.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Last time when checking in to leave Australia, QF asked me do you also have an Australian passport. I said yes, then they asked to see it. The agent then made a phone call to Border Force to “report” that I had 2 passports and “link” them in the system?

I’ve not had this happen anywhere else or with any other airline leaving Australia, 1 passport valid for the destination has been enough.

My passports have been linked previously. I now avoid all questions from the agent about second passports. Noting that in Australia this is easy for me as I do not have an Aussie accent.

 

[madrooster]

No! As madrooster points out, it is possible for your passports to be linked by Border Force, so you can then leave in the passport you checked-in with.

However, interestingly last week I used my UK passport to check-in, but had to use my Aussie to leave. Dunno what the check-in agent did, but they swiped both passports, and did some typing.

That’s different to last year where I did the same thing with my UK passport, but when i got to the smart gate the aussie passport rejected, and I had to use my UK one.

If you know your passports are already linked (the link lasts for the life of the foreign passport, even if you get a new AUS passport the links are automatically carried over), never hand over both passports, only the one you will enter the destination with.

The fact you had to use the AUS passport in the smartgate means that check in swiped the AUS passport.