[Travelandtourism] Travel Troubleshooter: Why Can't I Transit Through London?

[cheryl echevarria]

awesome!
Thanks for posting this.

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> From: atlanticstar1 at gmail.com
> To: travelandtourism at nfbnet.org
> Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:06:32 -0500
> Subject: [Travelandtourism] Travel Troubleshooter: Why Can't I Transit	Through London?
> 
> Have your paper work in order before flying internationally.
> 
> Q: I'm an Indian national residing in the United States. I was scheduled to 
> fly from Houston to Mumbai on British Airways (www.ba.com) recently. My 
> itinerary involved a short stopover in London.
> 
> In Houston, while checking in with British Airways, I was denied boarding 
> because my work visa was not stamped in my passport. The original visa 
> stamped in my passport had expired and I was traveling to India in order to 
> get my renewed visa stamped at the U.S. consulate in Mumbai.
> 
> I was carrying an application that permits me to continue living and working 
> legally in the U.S. and to travel abroad. However, before re-entering the 
> U.S., I'm required to obtain a valid U.S. visa stamp in my passport.
> 
> I tried my best to explain this to the check-in agent; however, she was 
> adamant in not allowing me to transit through London. This was a Catch-22 
> situation for me -- I could not go to India without my visa stamped in my 
> passport and I could not get my visa stamped unless I visited the consulate 
> in India.
> 
> The British Airways check-in staff was very unsympathetic and unhelpful. I 
> was quoted a charge of around $500 to allow me to fly on my return ticket 
> when I said I was ready to fly out to Mumbai with a different carrier. I've 
> tried to get a partial refund from the airline for my unused ticket, but it 
> hasn't responded. Can you help me? -- Mita Upadhyay, Corpus Christi, Texas
> 
> A: British Airways should have made its travel policies regarding visas 
> crystal-clear to you. I checked with the airline, and it insists it did.
> 
> In order to transit in the UK without a visa on an Indian passport, you need 
> one of seven types of documents, which may include a valid U.S. visa sticker 
> in your passport or a valid U.S. permanent resident card.
> 
> "Our staff in Houston would seem to have been correct to deny this passenger 
> boarding," said an airline spokeswoman. "There are links on ba.com that 
> allow passengers to check their passport and visa requirements for their 
> journey."
> 
> At the same time, British Airways should have been more compassionate about 
> your situation, in the interests of good customer service. You couldn't get 
> the required stamp without visiting the consulate in Mumbai. Given your 
> predicament, it would have been a nice gesture of the airline to reroute you 
> on a flight that didn't require a stopover in London.
> 
> But it wasn't required to do that. Unfortunately, having all your paperwork 
> in order is your responsibility and yours alone. Even if British Airways 
> didn't disclose its visa requirements on its site, you would have still been 
> responsible. And yes, even if your travel agent had told you otherwise.
> 
> Still, British Airways offered a refund of $125 and a $600 flight credit, 
> which represents half of your airfare to Mumbai -- an exceptionally generous 
> resolution.
> 
> 
> Peachtree Travel
> Independent Travel Consultant
> 
> (phone) 770-280-5029
> 
> (website: http://www.peachtreetravel.net.
> 
> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
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