The totally off-topic thread

[ozbeachbabe]

I think Flight Centres really need to give their consultants a geography lesson as part of their 'training'. Rule number one - Hawaii is part of the United States of America and therefore customers must have a visa to enter. :evil:

The culprit this time was FC Nundah but their colleagues at FC Mary St in the city did the same thing recently too.

At least pax checked in with plenty of time before their BNE/SYD flight so they had a chance to get visas online otherwise it could've ended in tears. If you have plenty of time up your sleeve most issues can be rectified.

 

[Simo]

That is a major oops...

 

[docjames]

Just when you thought you'd run out of reasons (NOT) to use flight centre, another one comes along......


Edit: Thanks serfty

 

[Mal]

I think Flight Centres really need to give their consultants a geography lesson as part of their 'training'. Rule number one - Hawaii is part of the United States of America and therefore customers must have a visa to enter. :evil:

If I book direct with QF, I don't get a ticket issued until I provide my ESTA details. How are FC and their counterparts exempt from this?

 

[Must...Fly!]

I know someone who recently joined Flight Centre

Safe to say, I'd probably need to take a holiday just to get away from the T/A.

 

[serfty]

Just when you thought you'd run out of reasons to use flight centre, another one comes along......

Shouldn't that be "reasons NOT to use flight centre"?

 

[anat0l]

If I book direct with QF, I don't get a ticket issued until I provide my ESTA details. How are FC and their counterparts exempt from this?

I didn't know that booking USA flights (at least through QF) requires one to add ESTA details first. (Or rather, to be issued a ticket).

Perhaps QF added this to their system online (i.e. no issued tickets without ESTA), or FC, just to push a ticket through (since they are merely an agent and not the airline who will pay the penalty if the pax are refused carriage), have a "bypass" or put in some dummy ESTA details.

 

[docjames]

Shouldn't that be "reasons NOT to use flight centre"?

Yes. I will correct it.

Dont post and watch cricket at same time!

 

[serfty]

ESTA not required by Qantas on booking; an email requesting APIS is sent. This does not seem to impact the ticketing of a booking.

When entering APIS information the following notice if very upfront:

[h=1]Important: It is mandatory for all individuals who plan to travel to the USA under the Visa Waiver Program to receive authorisation from US authorities through the ESTA website before travel to the USA.[/h]

 

[Mal]

ESTA not required by Qantas on booking; an email requesting APIS is sent. This does not seem to impact the ticketing of a booking.

When entering APIS information the following notice if very upfront:

Perhaps it changed recently. When I last booked a ticket to the US, Qantas were VERY clear that the ticket itself would not be issued until the ESTA or similar details were added to the booking. And true to their word, I didn't get the ticket until I had entered those details (I left it for a day or so).

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Had a look at our itinerary from Nov 2011 when we flew from the HNL to BNE on a JASA & despite the ticket being for one way travel from the US to Australia it still mentioned the following info in the body of the email below.

Important Information
For travel to the USA under the Visa Waiver Program you must obtain an electronic authorisation through the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation website before you board your flight.

Despite all the info below I've seen people that have done an award ticket to the US via the QF website only to turn up at the airport with no visa & saying "but no-one told us we had to get a visa". If you do a booking yourself direct on an airline website, who are they expecting will tell them any requirement for visas etc???

It also means they did not read their itinerary that mentions obtaining visas twice one page one, once on page five!

On the first page of the actual itinerary it says the following which appears above the flight details:

Important Information
l This is your E-Ticket Itinerary & Receipt. You must bring it with you to the airport for check-in, and it is recommended you retain a
copy for your records.
l Each passenger travelling needs a printed copy of this document for immigration, customs, airport security checks and duty free
purchases.
l Please familiarise yourself with the key Conditions of Carriage, Dangerous Goods guide and other information attached.
l For travel to the USA under the Visa Waiver Program you must obtain an electronic authorisation through the Electronic System for
Travel Authorisation website before you board your flight.

Then also on page one below the flight details is says:

Flying With Us
Before Check-in
l Ensure that each passenger
carries a printed copy of this
document when travelling.
l Have necessary visas and the
minimum passport validity
required for the countries you are
visiting.
l Label your bags inside and out
with your name, address and
contact number at your
destination.
l Check Carry-on baggage and
checked baggage allowances as
restrictions apply.

Then on page five under 'conditions of carriage' it has:

Some key conditions:
Travel Documents: It is your responsibility to comply with the requirements of the country to which you travel (for example, passports and
visas). Your contact details (for example, destination accommodation arrangements), and your fingerprints and/or photograph may be
required before entry into a foreign country.

 

[PineappleSkip]

If you do a booking yourself direct on an airline website, who are they expecting will tell them any requirement for visas etc?

Akshully, last time we flew to US we booked online at qantas.com.au and not only did large warnings appear on the booking pages themselves, but we got emails more than once reminding us to get ESTAs and add the numbers to the bookings before they would ticket. Two itineraries, Mrs P booked and paid with points and I paid with $$$. Same warnings. Both in J and booked several months in advance, not sure if that made any difference.

Not sure how more obvious you could make the requirement. Bigger font? Flashing lights? Emission of smoke and acrid smell from computer?

perhaps the 'noone told me' people expected phone calls on top of all the emails...


Cheers Skip

 

[Simo]

This getting to be more and more that people don't want to take ownership and responsibility of themselves.

I had a customer that used there mobile phone overseas and blamed me for there big phone bill.

I didn't say how expensive it would be to use the mobile phone overseas.

They logged a complaint about me and then they got a credit off there bill.

Yes it was 23K but why drag me into it as I hadn't seen him for app 12 months.

 

[Mal]

This getting to be more and more that people don't want to take ownership and responsibility of themselves.

I had a customer that used there mobile phone overseas and blamed me for there big phone bill.

Yep, unfortunately society is moving to a "no personal responsibility, blame others" mentality. Don't know where it came from, but suspect it's too much exposure to the US via various means.

 

[JohnK]

Those who have calculated a $25000 or $50,000 superannuation salary sacrifice might get it wrong by going over by a twenty sixth.

Don't be too concerned as I am guessing there are only a few people with that type of salary sacrifice and if they are salary sacrificing that much then they can afford to lose a couple of dollars.

Do TAX OFFICE fines build a better Australia??

In what way? The answer is still no though....

 

[Simo]

Some cancelled flights to MKY today.

To my knowledge bad weather?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Yesterday evening's flight to PER left minus one pax that was not 'fit to travel'. Not a happy camper about being taken off the flight however IMHO had he been allowed to travel that would've been the kind of behaviour displayed if he was put off tap mid-air. Not the kind of situation you want to have at 30,000 feet. :shock: :shock:

 

[PineappleSkip]

Yesterday evening's flight to PER left minus one pax that was not 'fit to travel'. Not a happy camper about being taken off the flight however IMHO had he been allowed to travel that would've been the kind of behaviour displayed if he was put off tap mid-air. Not the kind of situation you want to have at 30,000 feet. :shock: :shock:

Should probably happen more often. Booting him off would have avoided a lot of unhappy campers in nearby seats

Cheers shkip

 

[Nigelinoz]

Has anyone had success with putting their laptop in their checked in baggage? for various reasons I don't want to lug my rather weighty laptop around
ABX,SYD and BNE airports on Friday and was thinking about wrapping it in bubble wrap then putting it in my laptop bag and wrapping that in towels etc and
putting it in my suitcase but am slightly concerned about possible damage.
Does anyone have any views on the topic?
Cheers
N'oz

 

[amaroo]

Has anyone had success with putting their laptop in their checked in baggage? for various reasons I don't want to lug my rather weighty laptop around
ABX,SYD and BNE airports on Friday and was thinking about wrapping it in bubble wrap then putting it in my laptop bag and wrapping that in towels etc and
putting it in my suitcase but am slightly concerned about possible damage.
Does anyone have any views on the topic?
Cheers
N'oz

Done it many times.

I just stick it in the middle of the bag with plenty of clothes/soft things around it.

Never had a problem & that includes LH flights to US, Asia, UK as well as domestic.

Decided it was safe when I noticed that I never had any glass/bottle broken. The only risk in my opinion is if your bag is lost or a baggage handler opens your bag & steals it.

I always use one of those large external straps around the bag.....this is only a safety precaution in case the bag opens.