Got refused to fly to Bali coz my partner's passport is expiring on 2nd Feb 14

hi all, today i was to fly to bali from broome with virgin australia. but at the airport we found out that my partners passport was expiring on 2of feb which is less than six months so we couldn't fly. the lady at the counter gave us a number to talk to v australia so we could get a credit to rebook our flight later. but v austalia has been hard to deal with. and they told us that they couldn't rebook our flights and that we lost our flights coz. it was our fault. can someone tell what to do in this situation . thanks

Comments

  • +5

    Rules are rules - but I'd have left him behind. I'm on my way Ketut.

  • +3

    There's probably nothing you can really do.
    Why should they refund or give you credit? they would not have been able sell your seats at that late stage.

    It's a standard rule, you need 6 months left on passport for overseas travel.

    Next time read terms and conditions

  • -1

    i dont get this

    if its expiring on feb 2, 2014, surely its valid up til then?

    no?

    • +3

      well most people know you need at least 6 months valid passport to travel.

      • +1

        And if you don't know that, it's written in the T&C's

  • This subject has been discussed via Whirlpool.

  • I traveled in June'13 and my passport was expiring in Nov'13. None at Melbourne airport asked any question but at my transit at Singapore, they checked and asked me about passport.

  • +1

    Hypothetically, If I'm here on an expired visa, and my passport expires in less than 6 months, can I fly back to my home country no problems? Or are there going to be problems?

    • Mate, even you know that you being deported is different from you taking a holiday.

  • What do the T/C's say

  • +5

    It depends on the country you are travelling to. Some countries require you to have 6 months left on your passport, others do not.

  • -8

    does the booking process tell you that you needed 6 months on the passport?

    either way .. complain everywhere on social media!!! EVERYWHERE. twitter. facebook. tripadvisor. etc. etc. etc.

  • +5

    Here it is - took about 5 seconds

    Indonesia Passport and Visa Information
    Visa and Passport

    Passport and/or passport replacing document must be valid at least six (6) months after the date of entry.

    https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/plan/flying-internatio…

  • +2

    Mate that is a very common rule/law in a lot of countries. I hold a passport from another asian country, and it is the same.

    Even if they let you on board and you fly over, worst case is you'll be stranded over in Bali with legal/immigration issues. I think the airline/airport did the right thing.

    They are under no obligation to give you flight credits.

  • +2

    it is addressed on the Australian passport page
    https://www.passports.gov.au/Web/FAQ.aspx#faq6

    Do I need six months validity left on my passport before I can travel from and then re enter Australia?

    Australian passports are valid for travel into and out of Australia regardless of the length of remaining validity. An Australian passport remains valid until the expiry date.

    However, it is the right of any country to control entry into their borders and this is usually done via visas or ensuring sufficient validity remains on the visitor’s travel document. Entry requirements are decided by foreign governments and are not something that the Australian Government can influence.

    You need to ensure that your passport has adequate validity to meet the entry requirements of the countries you intend to visit (or transit). Some countries require travellers to have at least six months validity remaining on their passports beyond the period of intended stay, and immigration authorities may refuse entry if you arrive with less than this. Airlines and passenger shipping lines may refuse to carry you if your passport has inadequate validity.

    Before travel you should contact the Embassy, High Commission or Consular representative of all the countries you will be travelling to, or seek advice from your travel agent, to identify each country’s passport validity requirements. If you are unsure, it is safest to renew your passport prior to travelling.

  • +1

    Before travel you should contact the Embassy, High Commission or Consular representative of all the countries you will be travelling to, or seek advice from your travel agent, to identify each country’s passport validity requirements.

    So its all there, I guess the OP's posting does alert us to being careful when traveling, something that many of us are guilty of doing, we dont look at all the details. Online self help bookings do miss some of the details that the old Travel Agent took care of, or personal experience teaches, albeit sometimes the hard way.

    (No I am not advocating Travel Agents, I am an Ozbargainer)

    Although it is a pity that the airlines dont alert us to these issues themselves. I just got an itinerary from my airline about a Bali trip and it gives me tips on what to do and see, but nothing about the 6 months validity of the visa. Now they do have that information, thats how the check in agent knows.

    But I guess it just hasnt occurred to them that they could do this. Pity

    • +1

      Yea, self service comes with a downside. No one is gonna tell you things, you have to take the effort to read it.

  • been trying virgin australia to give me a credit for the flights , at the airport , virgin representative gave me the number to call virgin for the travel credit , seemed like it is the norm. but no success with the credit. just wanted to know if someone has been in this situation at what happened. thanks in advance

  • wat about travelling to Aus….I am trying to find out if the 6 months validity on passport applies to ppl travelling here….where can i find that info??

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