QF PNG Visa failure and who is to blame?

[puppysparkes]

PNG is regarded as the land of the unexpected. Nothing is ever straightforward. Screenshots won't necessarily be considered.

 

[QPR1975]

At the end of the day i put my hand up and accept i should of double and triple checked. I have visited PNG 5 times over the past couple of years and every time just turned up and got a visa on arrival for business. Obviously things have changed, both my corporate travel company, qantas and myself didn't pick it up. Tried to get an express visa from the PNG consulate in Cairns the next day but was told it takes 7-30 days, they were unwilling to help even though customs in Port said they could do a 1 day express if you asked nicely. Back to Sydney...

 

[pagingjoan]

At the end of the day i put my hand up and accept i should of double and triple checked. I have visited PNG 5 times over the past couple of years and every time just turned up and got a visa on arrival for business. Obviously things have changed, both my corporate travel company, qantas and myself didn't pick it up. Tried to get an express visa from the PNG consulate in Cairns the next day but was told it takes 7-30 days, they were unwilling to help even though customs in Port said they could do a 1 day express if you asked nicely. Back to Sydney...

With that history, QPR1975, you could be forgiven for expecting a smooth entry. Especially as QF did not pick up the omission either.
Live and learn, eh?
Or sometimes, we just live.

 

[QPR1975]

I also was probably a bit too honest, a guy ahead of me turned up and told them he was staying in a Air BnB and was a tourist from Australia. He got a visa and went through.
I said Business which is no longer allowed at the Airport....

 

[moa999]

Assume the issue is that you declared Business, or were pulled up as a frequent traveller who likely wasn't a valid tourist.

Had a HK client a few years ago, who after flying in and out of Australia 8 times in a few months was warned that they needed to get a multi-entry Business visa rather than Tourist Visa.

I suspect many here have travelled into Asia for business purposes and entered in tourist VOAs

 

[QPR1975]

Yes i declared business on arrival which was my mistake.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes i declared business on arrival which was my mistake.

So the question is then whether Qantas check-in should have asked you if you were travelling on business or holiday. They found out the costly way that they probably should have asked you (their fine), but I don't think they owe you for not having the correct documentation to enter the country.

 

[juddles]

Yes i declared business on arrival which was my mistake.

Sorry,but making a true declaration is never a mistake. The mistake was not getting the visa approved prior to travel.

But given the changes this is understandable. But it is noone elses fault :0

 

[Happy Trails]

IME Qantas have been slack with this lately.
Departing SYD this week was the first they've checked my passport (outbound from Aus) in nearly two years.

 

[williamsf1]

IME Qantas have been slack with this lately.
Departing SYD this week was the first they've checked my passport (outbound from Aus) in nearly two years.

Then what ID do you use to check in and where are you travelling to ?

 

[Happy Trails]

Then what ID do you use to check in and where are you travelling to ?

I used OLCI and wasn't asked to show any ID other than my boarding pass.
All departures were to BKK or HKG, always HLO.
Previously I'd get pinged in the the lounge or at the gate, which was what happened this week.

 

[Mick1969]

With regards to PNG, a visa on arrival for Australian citizens was approved in July this year and widely reported in PNG media, the previous requirement for a visa was causing a significant loss for tourism. The linked PNG Govt Immigration VOA pages are dated 2014 and PNG Government pages are rarely updated to reflect current practice.

for my PNG travel Qantas always checked my Visa, but that was prior to the new VOA process.

 

[PineappleSkip]

The 'new' tourist visa on arrival scheme reinstated something that was in place for many years before it was withdrawn in 2014, as a tit for tat thing because PNG citizens couldn't get the same to go to Oz. The withdrawal was an own goal which had cruelled the PNG tourism imdustry.

I saw a few occasions under the old scheme where people tried to get in for business on a tourist visa, usually by wearing down the customs official. Possibly that gambit is less successful now than in the old days.

Cheers skip.

 

[Happy Dude]

I also was probably a bit too honest, a guy ahead of me turned up and told them he was staying in a Air BnB and was a tourist from Australia. He got a visa and went through.
I said Business which is no longer allowed at the Airport....

I could have sworn that in an earlier post you said you were visiting family??

 

[pagingjoan]

I could have sworn that in an earlier post you said you were visiting family??

You may be thinking of the post from puppysparkes, #15 above.

 

[Happy Dude]

You may be thinking of the post from puppysparkes, #15 above.

You're right pagingjoan. I knew I'd read it somewhere. Sorry OP - and yes you were too honest.

 

[puppysparkes]

Yes i declared business on arrival which was my mistake.

Hi Op, when you approached the Cairns embassy for assistance was that in person or over the phone?

Also, how many staff were processing VOA in POM and how quickly did the line move?

Cheers

 

[puppysparkes]

I spotted this when I wandered through immigration yesterday

 

[waltervp]

PNG is most unpredictable and have ridiculous charging for business visas.
I used to go there but refuse to pay the exorbitant fees to go and help them.

I've had valid PNG work visas and been refused to board on Qantas planes because the visa is hard to understand (for Qantas ground staff). They reimbursed my hotel and flight change fees in the end, but face it... PNG is a banana republic that exploits foreigners of they dare come to help them out and Qantas is a B rate airline these days.

 

[puppysparkes]

Qantas failure with visas and who is to blame?

PNG is most unpredictable and have ridiculous charging for business visas.
I used to go there but refuse to pay the exorbitant fees to go and help them.

I've had valid PNG work visas and been refused to board on Qantas planes because the visa is hard to understand (for Qantas ground staff). They reimbursed my hotel and flight change fees in the end, but face it... PNG is a banana republic that exploits foreigners of they dare come to help them out and Qantas is a B rate airline these days.

1. Well that's good that Qantas did the right thing by you.

2. You stated: "but face it... PNG is a banana republic that exploits foreigners of they dare come to help them out"

Who, what, where?

3. Cheers but I'll stick with http://www.airlinequality.com/ratings/qantas-airways-star-rating/

4. You need to consider changing the tone of your post.