One-Way Flight Tickets Into Thailand.

[Mr Dome]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

What's the point?

I stated that often an onward flight is not required by particular airline and often an onward flight is required. 

More often than not it concerns particular routes and low cost vs other carriers.

 

I had explained the point but you seem to have an issue with others taking different approaches. Don't want to bicker, Mr. Know It All.

[oldcpu]

On 5/13/2023 at 2:49 PM, DrJack54 said:

You would not miss your flight.

You would step away from check in and either book the cheapest flight out of Thailand OR 

Buy a rent a flight ticket from company such as "onwardfligh.com" 

Both work.

If one has time.

 

They called me to the counter seconds before boarding,  and I note a standy passenger was also standing there being told to wait. The flight left on time.

 

I defy anyone to book a second ticket in the time I had available (if they were not already prepared in advance).

 

[DrJack54]

55 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

If one has time.

 

They called me to the counter seconds before boarding,  and I note a standy passenger was also standing there being told to wait. The flight left on time.

 

I defy anyone to book a second ticket in the time I had available (if they were not already prepared in advance).

 

Your post is confusing.

Called you to what counter.

How would a standby passenger be airside.

 

The thread is about having a fully paid for fight to Thailand and since flying without a visa and planning  to enter Thailand visa exempt.

 

The airline requests onward flight to issue boarding pass.

That would be 2 hours + prior to flight. 

Plenty of time to book an onward flight.

Takes one minute. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by DrJack54

[Caldera]

4 hours ago, oldcpu said:

If one has time.

 

They called me to the counter seconds before boarding,  and I note a standy passenger was also standing there being told to wait. The flight left on time.

 

I defy anyone to book a second ticket in the time I had available (if they were not already prepared in advance).

Booking an onward ticket and downloading the confirmation literally takes a few minutes. As for being prepared, you need to have internet connectivity and credit card details ready, that's it.

 

It's not quite clear where they asked you. At the gate? That would be stressful, but still doable. It's more likely to be asked when checking in though. 

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, Caldera said:

It's not quite clear where they asked you. At the gate? That would be stressful, but still doable. It's more likely to be asked when checking in though. 

Only posting this for others.

Apart from flying into Thailand and asked for onward flight by airline.

When flying out of Thailand visa exempt for Thai citizens to places such as Japan (where Thai have 15 day visa exempt entry) 

The airline requires flight out at boarding pass and again airside at gate. 

[Seeall]

On 4/28/2023 at 10:42 AM, nigelforbes said:

Age is not the issue, type of visa and/or re-entry permit is. If you don't have a long stay visa and a re-entry permit, a return ticket is required.

Its quite simple and logical for a change....

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, Seeall said:

Its quite simple and logical for a change....

Apart from the fact that it's incorrect.

While a reentry permit will indeed not require an onward flight so also would any visa 

Example SETV. 

That is not a "long term visa" 

[Pattaya57]

2 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Apart from the fact that it's incorrect.

While a reentry permit will indeed not require an onward flight so also would any visa 

Example SETV. 

That is not a "long term visa" 

But SETV does require a return/onward flight at application of visa, no flight no visa (so of course you don't need at check-in as you've already proved you have one)

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, Pattaya57 said:

But SETV does require a return/onward flight at application of visa, no flight no visa (so of course you don't need at check-in as you've already proved you have one)

Depends if it's an eVisa application or setv at a consulate.

In both cases it's an easy work around.

Basically can be side stepped.

Do some research

 

[oldcpu]

On 5/15/2023 at 7:19 PM, DrJack54 said:

Your post is confusing.

Called you to what counter.

How would a standby passenger be airside.

this is VERY common in Europe. One has a ticket for a flight on a later date (or for some other reason) but not on the flight I was booked on. Or their flight was cancelled and they were put standby for another flight.

 

Again, this is very common for a standby passenger to be airside.

 

On 5/15/2023 at 7:19 PM, DrJack54 said:

The airline requests onward flight to issue boarding pass.

That would be 2 hours + prior to flight. 

Plenty of time to book an onward flight.

Takes one minute. 

Yes - agreed if one decides to pay attention to the warning. 

 

But I dare say some may not pay attention to such and think they will not be checked.

 

If one thinks they can 'wait until challenged by the airline' at the counter, and then book an onward ticket at the last minute - well .... in my case if they had done that they would have missed their flight.

 

That is pretty clear IMHO.

[oldcpu]

22 hours ago, Caldera said:

Booking an onward ticket and downloading the confirmation literally takes a few minutes. As for being prepared, you need to have internet connectivity and credit card details ready, that's it.

 

It's not quite clear where they asked you. At the gate? That would be stressful, but still doable. It's more likely to be asked when checking in though. 

They asked me at the board gate. Seconds before boarding.  

 

People were already lined up at the gate, and I had to leave the line to go to the gate and after they checked my passport, walk back to my place in line.  They opened the gate to boarding while they checked my passport.  I had to walk back to my spot in line , which was a big line (but my wife kept my place in line).  There was one standby passenger within a couple of yards of me at the gate (being asked to wait) and another dozen standing in a group not far from the boarding gate, all with anxious looks on their faces  - I suspect wondering if they would be successful in their standby efforts.

 

If one does NOT know the web site to go to obtain such a throw away ticket ... and then has to do a mad scramble to surf for such (assuming one has internet on their phone/portable device) .... I defy anyone to find such in time.  Further, the closest ticket booth in Frankfurt was a good 10 minute walk from the boarding gate, and its not uncommon to have more than a 10 minute wait (sometimes 20 to 30) while trying to buy a new ticket.

 

In my view, its best NOT to take the chance.  Buy a legitimate cheap throw away ticket before - long before.

 

Each to their own opinion, but as I typed, I defy anyone, who has not researched this prior (and is prepared) to obtain a ticket at the last minute (with their portable device) if they experience such timing as occurred to myself (although in my case I had the throwaway ticket, even thou not asked for such) could cause them not to catch their flight ... which if the ticket is not refundable would be bad news (and not cheap).

Edited May 16, 2023 by oldcpu

[DrJack54]

52 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

Again, this is very common for a standby passenger to be airside

Amazing. 

Do they provide them with sleeping bags if cannot board. 

Edited May 16, 2023 by DrJack54

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, oldcpu said:

Again, this is very common for a standby passenger to be airside.

My own experience has been that you cannot pass security without a boarding pass.

Occasionally, I have seen standby passengers airside, but only in special situations. The main one is where connecting passengers arrived too late to take their planned flights, and the airline is trying to fit them in on a later flight.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, oldcpu said:

Again, this is very common for a standby passenger to be airside.

Erm... I’d argue its not common at all... 

In excess of 500 flights in the past 20 years....    

 

Only once did I find myself ‘air-side’ as a standby passenger. 

 

That was in Turkey, having flown UK to Istanbul, I was issued a STBY boarding pass for my onward flight (which I was not permitted to board - a separate story, but I successfully claimed 600 Euros compensation). 

 

Thus: the only reason I’d found myself Air-side we due to a connecting flight. 

 

A person cannot find themselves ‘air-side’ without a boarding pass. 

 

Anyone on ’standby’ for a direct flight has to wait before they can check-in (especially which checked luggage). 

 

So... I’m still confused how you managed it, also your explanation of being checked in for another flight on a different date and being standby on another flight on that date and being allowed through on that day. I can see it happening if travelling with hand cary and flights are an hour apart, but not on a different date. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, oldcpu said:

If one thinks they can 'wait until challenged by the airline' at the counter, and then book an onward ticket at the last minute - well .... in my case if they had done that they would have missed their flight.

 

That is pretty clear IMHO

Your posts are fabrication. 

 

Read other copies of your quotes from other posters.

Seriously? 

Edited May 16, 2023 by DrJack54

[soi3eddie]

Thai Airways have started to show this on their website recently. Say's nothing about being denied boarding though.

 

[oldcpu]

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Your posts are fabrication. 

 

Read other copies of your quotes from other posters.

Seriously? 

You and some of the others clearly have not traveled much.

 

Standby passengers are quite common, and can happen for a number of reasons.

 

Typically  standby passengers are present because the flight they were supposed to be on was cancelled, so they were rebooked 'standby' on another flight.  Or, sadly, which happens FAR TOO OFTEN is the airline simply overbooks the same flight.

 

The standby passengers have to be airside, because if they were outside of security and outside of immigration, they would never catch the flight at the last minute.  So the airline selects WHO they will allow on standby (taking into account immigration and luggage aspects) and the passengers are allowed through airside.  (where airside is through immigration and security, waiting at the boarding gate). Typically the standby passengers are called to the gate, many minutes before boarding, and given a status as to their possibility of boarding, and told to wait by the gate.  Then at the last minute, before the gate closes, they are called again to the gate and given last minute boarding passes.

 

As noted, my encounter here was in Frankfurt, airside, at the boarding gate. There had to be a dozen or so standby, hoping to get on the flight.

.

Edited May 17, 2023 by oldcpu

[oldcpu]

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

A person cannot find themselves ‘air-side’ without a boarding pass. 

 

 

That's not accurate.

 

They are given appropriate documents to get through security and immigration, but not to board.

Edited May 17, 2023 by oldcpu

[oldcpu]

18 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Amazing. 

Do they provide them with sleeping bags if cannot board. 

Is that a joke?

 

If those on standby can not catch that flight (and no other flights that day that they can be rebooked on) they either find a (likely expensive) airport hotel they can stay in over night and try again the next day, or they leave the airport to stay at a hotel, or stay with friends, or at home.  They probably visit the ticket office immediately after their 'standby' effort fails to see if they have other possibilities.

 

If those refused to be allowed to board, because they ignored the Thai airways warning of the need for an onward ticket (such as possible in the case of my flight) and when asked by the Airline (which I was not asked) they did not have an onward ticket, ....  and if for what ever reason they could not get an onward ticket (such as you suggest) , they obviously need to go to a Thai airways ticket agent, and see what they can do.  Best case they either get refunded their ticket (not likely for a non-refundable discount ticket), or get rebooked on another flight (possible) or simply lose their ticket with no financial compensation because they deliberately ignored the Thai airways warning.  And if no flight that same day, then they will have to find accommodations in the Frankfurt area while they try to find another flight (or if lucky the airline books them another flight).   As for their already booked Thailand accommodations ?? Again, if non-refundable (because they did not arrive on time) they could be out of luck.

 

There is a degree of gambling involved here for those who don't want to buy a one-way ticket in advance. Preparation (such as buying a one-way throwaway before, or knowing exactly what sites to go to get such a last minute ticket, AND ensuring one has internet on one's mobile device ... ) is clearly essential. Having some time to do a last minute scramble (in a mad panic to find a throwaway ticket if denied boarding) would be beneficial.

 

I think this is why there is a thread such as this - where we all describe our experiences and express our views.

 

Edited May 17, 2023 by oldcpu

[oldcpu]

17 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

So... I’m still confused how you managed it, also your explanation of being checked in for another flight on a different date and being standby on another flight on that date and being allowed through on that day. I can see it happening if travelling with hand cary and flights are an hour apart, but not on a different date. 

 

You quoted me, ... were you referring to me?  I think you misread my post - or I typed it in a manner that confused you?

 

I was not standby. 

 

Both my wife and I had proper tickets.  My passport was examined when my wife and I checked in with our luggage, and again when air-side, while waiting to board, seconds before (and during) the commencement of boarding, I was asked to go to the airline boarding counter.   I have no idea why they called me (a second time - the 1st was at luggage check-in).

 

They then at the gate asked for my passport, and sat for a good 20 seconds looking at the OA Visa extension stamp (which happened to be invalid - but its not obvious if one looks at it) ... and then they let me re-join the boarding line.  I had my throw-away legitimate ticket in my hand ready to offer it, but they did not ask for it.  ( over 12 hours later when at Thai immigration I entered Visa-exempt).

 

The standby people (and yes, there were about a dozen - and I have no idea as to why they were standby) were patiently waiting  in Frankfurt at that boarding gate to see if they would be given a boarding pass and allowed to board.

 

The gate closed not long after we boarded - I don't think any standby passengers got on board.  The flight was 100% full.

Edited May 17, 2023 by oldcpu

[stix40]

I flew into Thailand with a single ticket Emirates, no questions asked but I did have a cheap ticket booked to Cambodia just incase.