I may/may not have a passport problem with an upcoming trip

[straitman]

The cost of a standard Oz passport is currently $233 for 10 years.

The "Priority processing fee" is an additional $103 [-]on top of that[/-].

To keep the pedantic happy.

1/20th of $238 equals $11.90 plus $105 for two day turn around.

See: Passport Fees.

Still cheap peace of mind IMHO (if available though it appears not)

 

[Aussie_flyer]

First you tell me not to worry, now you say get a new passport!
In case you didn't read my previous posts, I cannot get a new passport in time due to the passport office not processing anything till Monday..and Tues is a public holiday.
Also...I am flying with VA, not Thai, not QF...and I cannot get into the Timatic site without a subscription, so cannot print anything off nor see what VA sees.
If I hadn't of realised so close to departure, I would have gotten a new passport weeks ago to not cause myself this hassle, nor start a thread asking for advice. VA, the passport office and both the embassy and consulate websites are giving different information. My query about the being inside the 6 months rule by one day hasn't been able to be answered by any of the legal organisations.

Visa And Health - Star Alliance <<< -- here is Timatic courtesy of Star alliance.

I was being sarcastic re saying get a new passport as most people here seem to think that is what you should do.... If I was flying I wouldn't be getting one.

If there is nothing else you can do now just turn up at the airport with a timatic printout at hand. My friend working at the airport looked at TIMATIC from the check-in desk this evening and confirmed that it states 'PASSPORT VALID FOR PERIOD OF INTENDED STAY'. Anyway - I have nothing further to add really. I can keep repeating the same cough over and over but there is little point really.

 

[serfty]

To keep the pedantic happy.

1/20th of $238 equals $11.90 plus $105 for two day turn around.

See: Passport Fees.

Still cheap peace of mind IMHO (if available though it appears not)

$127 is a little more than $25.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I think this thread has had a little bit of everything

As usual I am a better traveler for reading it.

Mella here's to your safe hassle free trip and we look forward to your response on your return.

HNY everyone !!

 

[Travelqueen]

I was being sarcastic re saying get a new passport as most people here seem to think that is what you should do.... If I was flying I wouldn't be getting one.

If there is nothing else you can do now just turn up at the airport with a timatic printout at hand. My friend working at the airport looked at TIMATIC from the check-in desk this evening and confirmed that it states 'PASSPORT VALID FOR PERIOD OF INTENDED STAY'. Anyway - I have nothing further to add really. I can keep repeating the same cough over and over but there is little point really.[/QUOTE]


Wow...and to think that I was told to "keep my comments to myself" from mella2007 when I posted at the beginning of this thread.....

I should have waited a while before I just told my story.

Im hearing you dazz81, I don't think mella2007 is though.

 

[SFSC]

My advice for any things in life is to only worry about outcomes you can change. If it's too late to get a new passport now just go with the one you have.

 

[QF WP]

Mella2007, hope everything goes smoothly for you today.

 

[kpc]

The lack of reply from the OP suggests to me she got on the flight OK

 

[mella2007]

I'm here! Relaxing in our villa after an eventful day inc Mum being given oxygen twice on the plane after feeling sick and faint. Excellent support by VA crew. No issues with passport. They didn't blink an eye, I picked the females all the way inc a trainee! I will be sure to updating my passport on my return. Thanks all for your help yet again!

 

[IrishPete]

I'm here! Relaxing in our villa after an eventful day inc Mum being given oxygen twice on the plane after feeling sick and faint. Excellent support by VA crew. No issues with passport. They didn't blink an eye, I picked the females all the way inc a trainee! I will be sure to updating my passport on my return. Thanks all for your help yet again!

Interesting discussion this one, and now that the crisis is over, I'll thrown in my 2c worth:

mella2007 was facing a couple of issues (at least a couple):

1) would they be allowed to check-in and board their flight leaving Oz - almost every response addressed this issue;

2) almost no-one addressed the question of whether, even if allowed to check-in and board, they'd be allowed to enter Thailand. The Thai immigration authorities are not going to rely completely on Virgin's judgement, they're going to make their own decision too. So this question actually needed to be answered too.

There's even the (slim) chance that they might had problems on the return trip, i.e. when checking in again in Thailand, getting in trouble for not having 6 months left on their passport. You can see how they might want to crack down on this, as otherwise it would be possible for someone to enter Thailand with 6 months left on their passport, but then change their flights so as to stay longer and beyond the validity of their passport, ending up stuck in Thailand which is presumably what Thai Immigration are trying to prevent happening!

Even if you are eventually allowed entry/exit, being grilled at immigration or check-in is not something you want on a holiday. I had an unpleasant passport/visa experience returning to Australia a year or so ago, and it made a very long flight quite nerve-wracking for me, as I wasn't 100% certain I'd be allowed to re-enter Australia (Irish Passport, Permanent Residency visa).

I'm glad mella2007 had no problems in the end, but it might have been worthwhile for people offering advice to actually have broken the question into its constituent parts, instead of just talking about the airline check-in procedures.

IP

 

[prozac]

I'm here! Relaxing in our villa after an eventful day inc Mum being given oxygen twice on the plane after feeling sick and faint. Excellent support by VA crew. No issues with passport. They didn't blink an eye, I picked the females all the way inc a trainee! I will be sure to updating my passport on my return. Thanks all for your help yet again!

I am not surprised your Mum needed oxygen, I thought I might as well after reading this thread. Hope Mum is ok btw.

I am so glad you made it safe and sound Mella and that you actually let us know....so many posters wouldn't have bothered. I would have hated to have read all these posts and then not had the result.

 

[The Rok]

Interesting discussion this one, and now that the crisis is over, I'll thrown in my 2c worth:

mella2007 was facing a couple of issues (at least a couple):

1) would they be allowed to check-in and board their flight leaving Oz - almost every response addressed this issue;

2) almost no-one addressed the question of whether, even if allowed to check-in and board, they'd be allowed to enter Thailand. The Thai immigration authorities are not going to rely completely on Virgin's judgement, they're going to make their own decision too. So this question actually needed to be answered too.

There's even the (slim) chance that they might had problems on the return trip, i.e. when checking in again in Thailand, getting in trouble for not having 6 months left on their passport. You can see how they might want to crack down on this, as otherwise it would be possible for someone to enter Thailand with 6 months left on their passport, but then change their flights so as to stay longer and beyond the validity of their passport, ending up stuck in Thailand which is presumably what Thai Immigration are trying to prevent happening!

Even if you are eventually allowed entry/exit, being grilled at immigration or check-in is not something you want on a holiday. I had an unpleasant passport/visa experience returning to Australia a year or so ago, and it made a very long flight quite nerve-wracking for me, as I wasn't 100% certain I'd be allowed to re-enter Australia (Irish Passport, Permanent Residency visa).

I'm glad mella2007 had no problems in the end, but it might have been worthwhile for people offering advice to actually have broken the question into its constituent parts, instead of just talking about the airline check-in procedures.

IP

I took my passport to the DIAC office and got a PR Visa Label put in my passport. It's free and only takes a few minutes. Saves a lot of messing around at airports with airlines having to go off & check the validity of your visa.

It's the requirement after 5 years to hold a Residency Return Visa that catches a lot of PR Visa holders out.

 

[IrishPete]

I took my passport to the DIAC office and got a PR Visa Label put in my passport. It's free and only takes a few minutes. Saves a lot of messing around at airports with airlines having to go off & check the validity of your visa.

It's the requirement after 5 years to hold a Residency Return Visa that catches a lot of PR Visa holders out.

Yep, that's the one. I hadn't checked the expiry of my PR visa. In the end I was allowed to re-enter when I told them I had Australian Citizenship, just hadn't obtained a passport yet. I presume they were able to check that, and didn't just take my word for it!


IP

 

[oz_mark]

1) would they be allowed to check-in and board their flight leaving Oz - almost every response addressed this issue;

2) almost no-one addressed the question of whether, even if allowed to check-in and board, they'd be allowed to enter Thailand. The Thai immigration authorities are not going to rely completely on Virgin's judgement, they're going to make their own decision too. So this question actually needed to be answered too.

The Thai authorities are not going to rely on Virgin's judgement in any way. Virgin need to satisfy themselves that the authorities will ok it. Having overstayed a visa in Thailand myself, I can tell you there is no going away into smoke filled rooms or anything like the some of the pictures that have been painted here.

There is no requirement to have six months on the passport at departure, so they don't have anything to grill you about there.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

there is no requirements to have 6 months for arrival either. if anyone should know it's the national carrier. honestly I wonder why I bother here at times

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I'm glad mella2007 had no problems in the end, but it might have been worthwhile for people offering advice to actually have broken the question into its constituent parts, instead of just talking about the airline check-in procedures.

IP

The airline checkin procedures are based on whether immigration will allow the passenger into the country at the other end, they are one and the same basically in this instance. If the airline does not know the requirements and sends someone who is not allowed entry they may be subject to fines and/or the cost of bringing the passenger back on the next available flight. That is the whole reason behind the IATA published Timatic system that basically all IATA airlines use. IATA get the information directly from the countries authorities.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

I just remembered there used to be a rule that you can only stay for a total of 90 days in Thailand on the visa exempt entries during any rolling 6 month period. This requirement was dropped back in 2008 but it is still mentioned on many websites, it seems to take a gazillion years for this stuff to be updated on embassy and consulate sites.

 

[IrishPete]

The airline checkin procedures are based on whether immigration will allow the passenger into the country at the other end, they are one and the same basically in this instance. If the airline does not know the requirements and sends someone who is not allowed entry they may be subject to fines and/or the cost of bringing the passenger back on the next available flight. That is the whole reason behind the IATA published Timatic system that basically all IATA airlines use. IATA get the information directly from the countries authorities.

If that were the case there would be no immigration checks on inbound passengers at airports. They're there for a reason.

IP

 

[Aussie_flyer]

If that were the case there would be no immigration checks on inbound passengers at airports. They're there for a reason.

IP

yes you are right . I am completely incorrect. in future best ignore my posts

 

[IrishPete]

yes you are right . I am completely incorrect. in future best ignore my posts

Sarcasm noted. You are of course right about airlines potentially being fined. My point is that being allowed to check in is not a guarantee of being allowed to enter the country, which is what your post implied (whether or not you intended to).

IP