The 6:30am BNE-SYD is gone and I am not on it [No ESTA]

[JohnK]

The 6:30am BNE-SYS is gone and I am not on it.

I didn't realise I needed ESTA and couldn't get it done in time this morning. So sad.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

The 6:30am BNE-SYS is gone and I am not on it.

I didn't realise I needed ESTA and couldn't get it done in time this morning. So sad.

They are usually approved instantly online. I've heard of quite a few people who don't know about them and end up doing it at the airport.

 

[marki]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

The 6:30am BNE-SYS is gone and I am not on it.

I didn't realise I needed ESTA and couldn't get it done in time this morning. So sad.

should be able to do it while flying considering internet is now available on many flights.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

should be able to do it while flying considering internet is now available on many flights.

Your ESTA must be approved before boarding your flight to the USA. Theoretically it could be done during your domestic connection, but there is no guarantee it will come through in time. Most of the times it is instant, but I had one take a couple of days because i filed it over the weekend.

 

[JohnK]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

Virgin refused to short check me to SYD. ESTA application approved at 6:10am so if I was on the BNE-SYD flight at 6:30am there wouldn't have been an issue.

Virgin now wants USD1050 to get me on the BNE-LAX flight. Seriously?

My dealings this morning with Virgin confirm that I was dealing with a LCC. Very ordinary service. I am extremely stressed. This should have been a fun weekend.

 

[marki]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

Virgin refused to short check me to SYD. ESTA application approved at 6:10am so if I was on the BNE-SYD flight at 6:30am there wouldn't have been an issue.

Virgin now wants USD1050 to get me on the BNE-LAX flight. Seriously?

My dealings this morning with Virgin confirm that I was dealing with a LCC. Very ordinary service. I am extremely stressed. This should have been a fun weekend.

Oh Blast sorry to hear that don't stress just get even. Your health is not worth it. Bloody ESTA it's like a Low Cost Visa not truly visa free travel LOTFAP for sure

 

[JohnK]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

Your ESTA must be approved before boarding your flight to the USA. Theoretically it could be done during your domestic connection, but there is no guarantee it will come through in time. Most of the times it is instant, but I had one take a couple of days because i filed it over the weekend.

ESTA was approved ~6:10am. International flight at 9:50am. Virgin refused to issue me boarding pass to SYD and now want USD1050 to get me on BNE-LAX flight.

This is partly my fault but the majority of the blame is with Virgin. Appalling.

Have been on phone to Orbitz for over 1 hour.

 

[marki]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

ESTA was approved ~6:10am. International flight at 9:50am. Virgin refused to issue me boarding pass to SYD and now want USD1050 to get me on BNE-LAX flight.

This is partly my fault but the majority of the blame is with Virgin. Appalling.

Have been on phone to Orbitz for over 1 hour.

OOh yeah horrible you actually had the ESTA before leaving for LOTFAP

 

[JohnK]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

OOh yeah horrible you actually had the ESTA before leaving for LOTFAP

Yes approved at ~6:10am.

The funny thing is they wouldn't let me on flight just missed but quite happy to sell me a seat in next BNE-SYD flight which doesn't make the connection.

Why wouldn't you issue someone a domestic boarding pass? Can't do it? Why?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

OOh yeah horrible you actually had the ESTA before leaving for LOTFAP

The irony is that had Virgin agreed to short check to SYD only, if for some reason the ESTA hadn't come through, the cost of the ticket to return the passenger to point of departure probably exceeds the fare paid - currently the cheapest available SYD-BNE today is $279.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

Why wouldn't you issue someone a domestic boarding pass? Can't do it? Why?

If they allow you to commence your journey and you don't meet the immigration requirements they have essentially take responsibility for you - they have to then get you back home. As I pointed out, the return sector to BNE is currently $279. By the time you reprice the ticket as a simple BNE-SYD-BNE it probably exceeds the fare you paid?

 

[marki]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

If they allow you to commence your journey and you don't meet the immigration requirements they have essentially take responsibility for you - they have to then get you back home. As I pointed out, the return sector to BNE is currently $279. By the time you reprice the ticket as a simple BNE-SYD-BNE it probably exceeds the fare you paid?

There is always a catch somewhere.

 

[JohnK]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

If they allow you to commence your journey and you don't meet the immigration requirements they have essentially take responsibility for you - they have to then get you back home. As I pointed out, the return sector to BNE is currently $279. By the time you reprice the ticket as a simple BNE-SYD-BNE it probably exceeds the fare you paid?

I understand that getting back would have been my expense. But that wouldn't have been an issue as ESTA approved before departing on domestic flight.

Now they have my money for 3 flights and it's tough luck?

 

[marki]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

I understand that getting back would have been my expense. But that wouldn't have been an issue as ESTA approved before departing on domestic flight.

Now they have my money for 3 flights and it's tough luck?

I am rather shocked by this all as you had your ESTA before the Domestic flight

 

[anat0l]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

I am rather shocked by this all as you had your ESTA before the Domestic flight

I assume though that he was not checked in for the domestic flight whilst they were waiting for his ESTA. Otherwise, he would have been happily short checked (but there are issues with that as well).

If he wasn't checked in and he got the ESTA 20 minutes before departure, it would have been too late to get him checked in unless they somehow managed to override the system to allow it so (I assume there might be such an override but no idea what it would take to achieve that).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

I am rather shocked by this all as you had your ESTA before the Domestic flight

Had check-in closed? The ticket doesn't have an agreed stopover, so a short check might have had issues of its own.

Regarding the return to BNE 'at own expense' - possibly the airline might have agreed to this, but it would probably require a waiver of some sort to be signed. Was there time to do this before boarding?

 

[anat0l]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

Regarding the return to BNE 'at own expense' - possibly the airline might have agreed to this, but it would probably require a waiver of some sort to be signed. Was there time to do this before boarding?

I don't know - if you get deported from a country (e.g. USA due to no ESTA), the carrier which brought you there gets fined and is responsible for the expenditure of getting you out of that country, but I thought the carrier has its rights (either through Conditions of Carriage or otherwise via a legal instrument / process) to recover its impost, i.e. the fine and the cost of getting you home.

Wouldn't it be similar here? No special paperwork required?

Notwithstanding liability for pax out of position (which is not clear cut at best), I'm not sure what kinds of issues there are in short checking passengers, especially if it's the short segment and not the long one (i.e. not attempt to throwaway ticket). There might be some ticket acrobatics required to facilitate it, but that takes minutes, not hours.

 

[JohnK]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

I assume though that he was not checked in for the domestic flight whilst they were waiting for his ESTA. Otherwise, he would have been happily short checked (but there are issues with that as well).

If he wasn't checked in and he got the ESTA 20 minutes before departure, it would have been too late to get him checked in unless they somehow managed to override the system to allow it so (I assume there might be such an override but no idea what it would take to achieve that).

They wouldn't check me in for domestic flight. Something about the system not allowing it. The sad part is I had the ESTA before the domestic flight departed. They could have reopened domestic flight and issued boarding pass as I had carry on only.

The USD1050 to get onto BNE-LAX flight is a laugh. And then Orbitz said I could change the ticket to a later date but would have to do it today and have to pay USD250 change fee + fare difference. This is Virgins requirement to fix stuff up. Hahaha. I can get brand new flights with a reputable full service carrier for ~AUS800 and they want that in change fees alone. Hahaha.

Virgin have not heard the last of this episode. It has cost me ~AUD600 with flights, hire car and hotel. I can wear that cost as a rookie error but it's not my fault. I want the identical flights at a later date. That's not a lot to ask.

Need to work out how to go about it and my options. Ombudsman?

 

[marki]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

I don't know - if you get deported from a country (e.g. USA due to no ESTA), the carrier which brought you there gets fined and is responsible for the expenditure of getting you out of that country, but I thought the carrier has its rights (either through Conditions of Carriage or otherwise via a legal instrument / process) to recover its impost, i.e. the fine and the cost of getting you home.

Wouldn't it be similar here? No special paperwork required?

Notwithstanding liability for pax out of position (which is not clear cut at best), I'm not sure what kinds of issues there are in short checking passengers, especially if it's the short segment and not the long one (i.e. not attempt to throwaway ticket). There might be some ticket acrobatics required to facilitate it, but that takes minutes, not hours.

It really shows that this is not VISA free travel for Australians and not fee free especially that the dollar has tanked in recent times.

 

[marki]

Re: BNE-SYD-LAX-BNE VA Y US$266 on Orbitz [gone]

They wouldn't check me in for domestic flight. Something about the system not allowing it. The sad part is I had the ESTA before the domestic flight departed. They could have reopened domestic flight and issued boarding pass as I had carry on only.

The USD1050 to get onto BNE-LAX flight is a laugh. And then Orbitz said I could change the ticket to a later date but would have to do it today and have to pay USD250 change fee + fare difference. This is Virgins requirement to fix stuff up. Hahaha. I can get brand new flights with a reputable full service carrier for ~AUS800 and they want that in change fees alone. Hahaha.

Virgin have not heard the last of this episode. It has cost me ~AUD600 with flights, hire car and hotel. I can wear that cost as a rookie error but it's not my fault. I want the identical flights at a later date. That's not a lot to ask.

Need to work out how to go about it and my options. Ombudsman?

It almost looks like they had a motivation not to check you in wanting extra cash.....although you would have missed your connecting flight. Yet completly different picture when they stuff up.