Do airlines have to check the visa status before selling a ticket?
My daughter bought a ticket for a flight with a layover in Emirates (from Dallas, Texas to India). She had a stop of 48 hours in Dubai. When she was checking in in Dubai for Delhi, she was informed that her visa for India has expired in 2012. Did Emirates not have an obligation to check the visa for India before selling a ticket?
Best Answer
You are shouting (unnecessarily) and blaming Emirates for what is your fault. Emirates provide lots of very helpful visa advice, such as:
Please double-check foreign entry requirements for travellers from your country of nationality
from their website, and their Terms and Conditions (in this respect effectively identical to all other passenger airlines) include:
Passports
Please insure you have a passport valid for the duration of your trip. (Some destinations require your passport be valid for a certain length of time; in general, 6 months after completion of travel). You may also be required to obtain a visa for some destinations and it is your responsibility to do so.
When making a booking you must ensure that your name (and the name of any person(s) for whom you are making a booking) matches exactly the name as it appears in your (or the person(s) for whom you are making the booking’s) passport.
If you require any further information on passport or visa requirements, please contact one of our local offices or the embassy of the country to which you will be traveling. A failure to travel with the correct documentation could result in the passenger being refused travel, entry to the country of their destination or stop-over, deportation or incarceration and in such circumstance(s) you will be solely responsible for any cost, loss or damage which you or we (or our agents or servants) incur.
My emphasis.
Emirates did you a favour by picking this up in Dubai rather than have the passenger refused entry in India.
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Do they check your visa at the airport?
The officer at primary inspection will verify your identity and check your name against various computer databases. The officers are on the lookout for people who might be a security risk or who are using a tourist or other nonimmigrant visa to gain entry to the United States for illegal purposes or a permanent stay.How are tickets verified at the airport?
Most airports and airlines have automatic readers that will verify the validity of the boarding pass at the jetway door or boarding gate. This also automatically updates the airline's database to show the passenger has boarded and the seat is used, and that the checked baggage for that passenger may stay aboard.Should I book ticket before getting visa?
Should I Buy a Return Air Ticket Before Applying for a Visa? No, it is not recommended to buy a return air ticket before you apply for a visa. Because if your visa gets denied, you will lose your money. We recommend getting a flight itinerary, and once your visa is granted, you can purchase a real travel flight ticket.Why an airline might deny boarding to US visa holder?
If you are traveling on a tourist visa, the airline might stop you from boarding based on its suspicion that CBP will deny you entry because you don't intend to return to your home country or you intend to work in the United States.HOW TO CHECK SAUDI AIRLINES E-TICKET/TICKET STATUS/SAUDI AIRLINES/SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES/SAUDI AIR.
More answers regarding do airlines have to check the visa status before selling a ticket?
Answer 2
In many cases it is impossible for the airline to require a visa or to check for a visa prior to selling you a ticket.
Tickets can be purchased up to 330 days in advance of travel, but many countries will not issue a visa more than 60 days ahead of arrival.
Many countries require proof of travel in the form of an e-ticket or confirmed itinerary before they will issue a visa.
As others have already discussed, the airline did exactly what was required of it. The burden of responsibility to make sure their personal documents are in order lies solely with the traveler. It is not the responsibility of the airline or tour company or hotel or travel agent.
Answer 3
An airline is not required to check your visa and entry compliance before selling you an air ticket. You can buy a ticket for any destination even when you do not have a passport.
Check-in staff normally checks your visa before they give you your boarding pass and the first flight was to Dubai where your daughter did not require a prior visa so the airline staff would have issued a boarding pass and I don't blame them. When your daughter turned up at Dubai airport for check-in, that's when the airline staff checked her visa for India as that's what the destination was and they didn't let her fly because she didn't have a valid visa.
I do not think airline staff/airline was at fault. Had this been a flight where you through check-in your luggage to the final destination and get both the boarding passes at Dallas then it would have been Airline's fault.
Answer 4
Short answer to an easy question: the airline is not responsible for your legal issues regarding obtaining a visa. They don't have to jump in as a consultant when you purchase a ticket. Obtaining a visa often implies, among other requirements, to already have a ticket, so, if the airline required a visa, it would be impossible to obtain a visa without a ticket and a ticket without a visa. That would make traveling impossible.
Answer 5
Some countries require you to purchase a return ticket before issuing a visa. So no, the airline won't check your visa when you purchase the ticket. I am surprised The visa wasn't checked when she boarded the flight in Dallas
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