Advice

[Jon Miller]

So I am sitting in Sao Paola. My family has gone on to our short vacation to see family in South Africa, but I was refused because when I went to the gate to ask for my boarding pass (I wasn't given one in Chile and was told to get one in Brazil) she went carefully through my passport (asking me questions about how long I was in Brazil, if I had a yellow fever vaccine, etc) and saw that my empty page was an endorsements page and not a visa page. Germany, US, and Chile (and Switzerland?) have all not been phased by this, but SAA decided that they would not take the chance of me being refused entrance when I arrived in South Africa and refused to fly me.

I think that I can get the flight refunded or get the date changed and take it later (for a fee). They suggested this.

Does anyone have experience with this?

JM
(I don't actually have a Brazilian visa and so am stuck here, at least even the less nice part of the airport now has internet and Starbucks.)
(Is it going to cause a problem for my wife's return if I am not in South Africa with her when she goes to the airport?)

[kentonio]

From what I gather, you need to start settling in for the long haul.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/

[Jon Miller]

Unfortunately that is looking more and more realistic.

The airlines companies are bouncing me between them.

JM
(about responsibility)

[Jon Miller]

Been up 24 hours at this point.

JM

[Jon Miller]

It has been suggested that I go and buy a ticket to the US (which seems like it is too expensive and where would I stay in the US?) or buy a ticket to Santiago (for 580) for this evening.

I really hope to be in the air somewhere before this evening though, it will be hard to stay awake past noon.

JM

[I AM MOBIUS]

Damn, sucks!

Unfortunately I have no advice, except hang in there and hope everything works out.

[I AM MOBIUS]

Damn, sucks!

Unfortunately I have no advice, except hang in there and hope everything works out.

Is the specific issue that you're travelling from Brazil to SA? If so, then it seems to me the easiest 'fix' is flying from a country where this isn't an issue. Can you do that from Chile? Also these ****ers have caused this problem, so I don't see why you should be paying a fee for them massively and hugely inconveniencing you!

Have you got travel insurance? Seems to me it might be easier trying to claim things via that in the medium term?

[Jon Miller]

I have travel insurance. It doesn't say it covers this, but I should contact them.

According to what I have read online and what they have said, they are responsible for returning me to my origin. Just both says that it is the others responsibility and they are only around 2x per day.

Chile doesn't have direct flights to SA, the quickest/best go through Brazil. The problem with Brazil is that I can not leave the airport. So sleeping isn't really an option.

I think they have already massively inconvenienced me.

I am inclined to spend the 700 USD so I can leave here this morning instead of waiting... but 700 USD is 700 USD.

JM

[OneFootInTheGrave]

My advice would be to screw the cost, buy the ticket and go back home wherever that is.

Once you get stuck in the cogs of a bureaucratic machine, for all that anyone cares they will leave you there for a month, as it is not "anyones" job to sort out this issue.

[I AM MOBIUS]

Agree.

Go or not go, there is no wait.

I imagine that would be Yoda's solution. Actually no, he would Jedi Mind Trick himself into 1st Class...

[Jon Miller]

There is only go or wait, no go doesn't work (I can't leave the airport).

JM

[I AM MOBIUS]

Also, airlines rely on people not knowing their rights and prob grinding you down through lack of sleep

I found this: http://www.iata.org/policy/documents/pax-rights.pdf

You definitely have rights and surely against the carrier refusing boarding - maybe if you hit them with those they might change their mind or something?

Also say that you'll start a twitter campaign and that you're a respected member of an international community that you can complain to - us!

That sort of stuff usually works too.

[Jon Miller]

I think my travel insurance does not cover this. (I am in contact with them)

From the discussion I have seen online and what SAA said (and I haven't seen the exact regulations linked to), one of the airlines is responsible to fly me back to Santiago. SAA says Sky and Sky says SAA. (They don't codeshare)

Maybe I make sure I fly codeshare flights in the future.

JM

[Jon Miller]

What I have looked into online and elsewhere says that SAA is the one responsible.

JM

[Jon Miller]

I am not sure I want to deal with SAA here though, they seemed like they were going to refuse me because of my lack of Yellow Fever vaccine and then I told them that I had only been in Brazil a couple of hours... then they came up with this passport page thing (and they kept on asking me, everyone who dealt with me, if I had a different passport I could use).

JM