Make sure you have onward travel.

[SlowlyMan]

I'm sitting at Chicago waiting for my one way EVA Air flight. We had a bit of a fuss at check in. 

My retirement Visa expires in April. They told me I need onward travel before the Visa expires. Having considered this ahead of time I had purchased a throw away ticket to Laos. That was sufficient for them to let me board.

Just proof, yet again.  we are totally at the mercy of the airline and how they interpret the RULES. I fully intend to renew the Visa, but obviously they have no way of knowing that.

[momo5]

3 minutes ago, SlowlyMan said:

I'm sitting at Chicago waiting for my one way EVA Air flight. We had a bit of a fuss at check in. 

My retirement Visa expires in April. They told me I need onward travel before the Visa expires. Having considered this ahead of time I had purchased a throw away ticket to Laos. That was sufficient for them to let me board.

Just proof, yet again.  we are totally at the mercy of the airline and how they interpret the rules. I fully intend to renew the Visa, but obviously they have no way of knowing that.

More precisely, they have no way of knowing ahead of time that it would be approved … same concept behind the extension of visa exempt, though it doesn’t stop plenty from making nonsensical comments in this regard. 

[Max5151]

https://onwardticket.com/ $16 - ticket is real but expires after 48 hours

[SlowlyMan]

Yeah, that's what I bought. 

[Geordie59]

I would have stood my ground. You know the RULES and they obviously don’t. It’s a bit like saying if your visa had 12 months to run you’d still need an onward ticket before expiry which we both know is nonsense. The internet or a supervisor is always there for such situations. 
That said you can’t expect poorly trained check in staff to know the RULES for every country they might deal with. 

[Greg_B]

59 minutes ago, Geordie59 said:

I would have stood my ground. You know the rules and they obviously don’t. It’s a bit like saying if your visa had 12 months to run you’d still need an onward ticket before expiry which we both know is nonsense. The internet or a supervisor is always there for such situations. 
That said you can’t expect poorly trained check in staff to know the rules for every country they might deal with. 

One-way ticket, and no long-term visa = Questions & concerns on the part of the airline. 

You are aware that Thai Immigration can fine the airline for any mistakes made with a passport or visa..?

 

Edited January 9, 2025 by Greg_B

[Arnie85]

Yeah, all common sense stuff. 

[Geordie59]

11 hours ago, Greg_B said:

One-way ticket, and no long-term visa = Questions & concerns on the part of the airline. 

You are aware that Thai Immigration can fine the airline for any mistakes made with a passport or visa..?

 

He had a Non O visa based on retirement. That is a long term visa even if it did expire in a couple of months. 
And yes I am aware of the airlines responsibilities. Just as they should be aware of the RULES. I’ve arrived quite legally with 2 days left on my Visa on a one way ticket. Got it extended for another year the day after it expired as Immigration was on holiday. 

[Luv2Phuket]

11 hours ago, Geordie59 said:

I would have stood my ground. You know the rules and they obviously don’t. It’s a bit like saying if your visa had 12 months to run you’d still need an onward ticket before expiry which we both know is nonsense. The internet or a supervisor is always there for such situations. 
That said you can’t expect poorly trained check in staff to know the rules for every country they might deal with. 

"Stood your ground" how?  The airline has the ability to refuse to allow you to board the aircraft, so you are at their mercy on these types of things.  Better to get a throwaway ticket for $16 than to argue with a ticketing agent or showing them a page from Google that says you're right.

I would say on about 60% of my flights I am NOT asked about onward travel.  That doesn't mean the airline cannot ask for proof and refuse to allow me to board if I do not have it.

@Rocketboy is a former Gate Agent for a major airline.  I'm guessing he has a story or two about people who wanted to argue with him and tell him their "rights"....

I personally always have an onward ticket, but, if not, I would opt to get a fully refundable ticket and just refund it to my cc after I cleared security.  Years ago when my Mom came to visit me, that's how I got through security and took her to the lounge to relax before her flight.  Once I got her on the plane, I cancelled the ticket and went home.  Same concept would apply here.  It saves the $16, BUT you have to wait for the refund to be processed to your cc.

[Geordie59]

5 hours ago, Luv2Phuket said:

"Stood your ground" how? 

@Rocketboy is a former Gate Agent for a major airline.  I'm guessing he has a story or two about people who wanted to argue with him and tell him their "rights"....

I would have moved it up the line until I found someone who knew the RULES.
As for @Rocketboy no doubt he has stories to tell, but probably only about when he was in the right. I doubt he would have refused someone with a Non O based on retirement boarding a flight to Thailand. 

[Greg_B]

10 minutes ago, Geordie59 said:

I would have moved it up the line until I found someone who knew the rules.
As for @Rocketboy no doubt he has stories to tell, but probably only about when he was in the right. I doubt he would have refused someone with a Non O based on retirement boarding a flight to Thailand. 

I did 20 years at a major airline myself. I know shit rolls downhill and if I had any doubts about the passport or visa status, I did talk to my supervisor. He or she made the final decision, but your attitude played a part. I'm the one who gets the reprimand if an immigration fine is imposed, not you. 

No onward ticket, or an expiring retirement visa, is a red flag, 

Honestly, your attitude would probably get you the "DB" (Denied Boarding)

Edited January 9, 2025 by Greg_B

[Geordie59]

1 minute ago, Greg_B said:

No onward ticket, or an expiring retirement visa, is a red flag, 

So are you saying you would refuse boarding to someone with say a month left on their retirement visa, even though I’m sure you know it is a perfectly good document to enter Thailand without an onward ticket? 

[Greg_B]

8 minutes ago, Geordie59 said:

So are you saying you would refuse boarding to someone with say a month left on their retirement visa, even though I’m sure you know it is a perfectly good document to enter Thailand without an onward ticket? 

On a one-way ticket, with no onward travel & an expiring visa with a month left

+ Entitled Attitude

Yes = DB

 

Edited January 9, 2025 by Greg_B

[Geordie59]

6 minutes ago, Greg_B said:

On a one-way ticket, with no onward travel & an expiring visa with a month left

Yes = DB

 

Even though you know it is a perfectly good travel document. 
I guess that says a lot about the industry and standard of training then.

Out of interest, how long would you want to see the validity before you’d let the passenger board? And why would you find that acceptable as compared to one months validity? 

Edited January 9, 2025 by Geordie59

[Greg_B]

18 minutes ago, Geordie59 said:

Even though you know it is a perfectly good travel document. 
I guess that says a lot about the industry and standard of training then.

Out of interest, how long would you want to see the validity before you’d let the passenger board? And why would you find that acceptable as compared to one months validity? 

Buy a throw-away ticket as others said and you will be on the flight.

Sarcastic remarks wouldn't help you with the issue at the gate

 

Edited January 9, 2025 by Greg_B

[Max5151]

53 minutes ago, Greg_B said:

Sarcastic remarks wouldn't help you with the issue at the gate

 

I totally agree with this. The punter will always get a worse result off a customer service agent by being annoying/entitled/rude etc regardless if they are right or wrong.

A smile, good attitude and willing to work with the customer service agent will always get a better result

 

[gusincebu]

No mention of a re-entry permit ? 

Did OP have one ? 

And would it have made a difference if he had ? 

[Rocketboy]

3 hours ago, Geordie59 said:

As for @Rocketboy no doubt he has stories to tell, but probably only about when he was in the right

Quite an assumption to be making. And one that's absolutely incorrect! 

 

 

[Rocketboy]

3 hours ago, Greg_B said:

Sarcastic remarks wouldn't help you with the issue at the gate

Wouldn't at my gate!!! 

[Kandinski]

1 hour ago, gusincebu said:

No mention of a re-entry permit ? 

Did OP have one ? 

And would it have made a difference if he had ? 

Can't recall how [or if] the re-entry permit shows in passport; will have to have a look,  but its regardless only a technicality and wouldn't change issues with short validity of visa and no onward flight

[beyondthenorm]

Arguing with airline personnel about how they are wrong and you are wrong won't get you very far with the airlines. But good luck with that.

As other have noted, a simple $16 US throw away return ticket will resolve the issue. I would just buy this ticket through the companies that specialize in this and not worry about it.

[momo5]

5 minutes ago, beyondthenorm said:

Arguing with airline personnel about how they are wrong and you are wrong won't get you very far with the airlines. But good luck with that.

As other have noted, a simple $16 US throw away return ticket will resolve the issue. I would just buy this ticket through the companies that specialize in this and not worry about it.

That’d be quite the entertaining argument … claiming they are as wrong as you are, so who would be correct?

Also, with the wide variety of visas available across over a hundred destinations and frequently changing regulations/requirements, airlines wouldn’t claim to be experts in all the nuances therein … most rely on commercial databases, Timatic being the bigger of them, to feed into their systems the entry requirements for destinations served and updating as these requirements change … I wouldn’t expect airline personnel to know much more than what they see on their computer screen in this regard. 

Edited January 10, 2025 by momo5

[Rocketboy]

6 minutes ago, momo5 said:

most rely on commercial databases, Timatic being the bigger of them, to feed into their systems the entry requirements for destinations served and updating as these requirements change

Yes!!!!

[forqalso]

You shouldn’t have to be an expert on every visa available worldwide, but on how calendars is visa with an expiry date in April close to being invalid in January? It looks like; in addition to a completely valid visa, a fraudulent e-ticket is a travel requirement.  

[Geordie59]

A lot being said about arguing at the check in counter. I certainly wouldn’t argue. I’d explain the situation and if I was still denied boarding I’d take it up the line until I found someone who knew what the RULES were. I had this situation once with KLM in Glasgow. A 30m walk to their handling desk and the issue was fixed. 
Many of the comments on here, some from people who have worked in the field, say buy a throw away ticket. So is that what they suggest for those traveling the world with an open agenda. Keep buying throw away tickets every time you enter the country  as you don’t know where you might go next or how you’ll get there (backpacking overland through Asia for example which many people do). So many countries have the ticket out rule, but one reason to get a visa that that allows one way entry is exactly to avoid that situation.