Bugger... I Dropped A Bollock Now

[Farside]

Can anyone advise me on the matter, If they have done this before or know anyone that has done it...

My wife was granted her spouse settlement visa so I booked the her flights to the UK, She lands on 1st January 2009, But i just realised her visa isn't valid until the 3rd Jan... And the airline will not change the dates... dam_n IT!!

Do you think the UK immigration will let her through?

[Damman2]

The airline at Swampy wont let her board the flight - this happened to a friend of mine last year - the visa started a week after the flight was scheduled to leave - I would suggest changing the flight to avoid any unecessary upset or expense.

[PhilHarries]

The airline won't or can't change the dates? It may be they are fully booked Jan 3rd. I find it hard that they will not change the date of travel even for a fee. But whatever happens change the flight date you gotta do.

[Farside]

The airline at Swampy wont let her board the flight - this happened to a friend of mine last year - the visa started a week after the flight was scheduled to leave - I would suggest changing the flight to avoid any unecessary upset or expense.

Opodo (travel agent) said that if i want to change the date to the 3rd then it will cost me nearly £3000 in fees and raised ticket price. The original 2 x one way tickets cost £1200, I have £0 left in my bank account now.

[Farside]

The airline won't or can't change the dates? It may be they are fully booked Jan 3rd. I find it hard that they will not change the date of travel even for a fee. But whatever happens change the flight date you gotta do.

They won't change it without a massive FEE and upped fare cost. And if i cancel it they will not refund me anything at all.

[PhilHarries]

Opodo (travel agent) said that if i want to change the date to the 3rd then it will cost me nearly £3000 in fees and raised ticket price. The original 2 x one way tickets cost £1200, I have £0 left in my bank account now.

Enough said, I appreciate your predicament but haven't a clue what to suggest.

But, hold on a minute, 3000 sterling is worth 150,000 THB. That is taking gouging to a new level!

Not that that makes any difference if you have nowt in the bank. Have you tried contacting the airline direct?

[Farside]

I can't seem to find a Etihad UK phone number, I'll look when i get home from work later this afternoon.

[imaneggspurt]

English ill bet ! .id suggest going to the airline office, tell them you are prepared to go standby/waiting list,. take the wife, a few crocodile tears wouldnt go amiss

[theoldgit]

Try this address and phone number, I think it's worth explaining your predicament and throwing yourself at their mercy, I did the same at the Thai office a few years ago. I am sure they will find you a seat, though your good lady may have to wait a few days.

Good luck

Etihad Airways

200 Hammersmith Road,

London, W6 7DL

Telephone: + 44 0 870 777 0793

Fax: + 44 0 20 8 735 6701

[theoldgit]

Interestingly "my vacations" who sell Etihad flights from their London office, are advertising availability on 3rd Jan at £700 each from Bangkok to London, still a lot of money and might not help you, but shows what a rip off Opodo is.

Have you considered asking UK Visas in Bangkok if they could alter the dates on the visa, it's a long shot and it would cost, but might be worth a go.

[Cuban]

Etihad Airways - is that a direct flight ?

If no other course of action is open AND you can get on the flight IS is possible to miss the connection midway? Hold up there and say that she fell ill and needed 48 hours in a hotel somewhere?

Or suffer the same illness at Swampy, if you ae travelling together might be better for you to fall ill? Get some raw chicken juice a few days prior to departure - drink about four hours prior to checkin.

[dantilley]

Get some raw chicken juice a few days prior to departure - drink about four hours prior to checkin.

This is a joke obviously.

Think changing the visa date is the best bet - with a valid flight ticket in your hands it might be do-able. Could cost, but certainly not £3000.

[Cuban]

...clearly.

Raw pork juice is a much better choice.

[malcolminthemiddle]

Can anyone advise me on the matter, If they have done this before or know anyone that has done it...

My wife was granted her spouse settlement visa so I booked the her flights to the UK, She lands on 1st January 2009, But i just realised her visa isn't valid until the 3rd Jan... And the airline will not change the dates... dam_n IT!!

Do you think the UK immigration will let her through?

Just a thought. Is Jan 3rd the earliest or latest date the visa can be initiated?

[Farside]

You cannot change the date on the visa, To do that you have to re-apply for the visa from scratch again.

[Farside]

Can anyone advise me on the matter, If they have done this before or know anyone that has done it...

My wife was granted her spouse settlement visa so I booked the her flights to the UK, She lands on 1st January 2009, But i just realised her visa isn't valid until the 3rd Jan... And the airline will not change the dates... dam_n IT!!

Do you think the UK immigration will let her through?

Just a thought. Is Jan 3rd the earliest or latest date the visa can be initiated?

The earliest

[Farside]

Etihad Airways - is that a direct flight ?

If no other course of action is open AND you can get on the flight IS is possible to miss the connection midway? Hold up there and say that she fell ill and needed 48 hours in a hotel somewhere?

Or suffer the same illness at Swampy, if you ae travelling together might be better for you to fall ill? Get some raw chicken juice a few days prior to departure - drink about four hours prior to checkin.

You cannot, You wil not be allowed on the flight in bkk, They check the visa before you check in.

[Farside]

Try this address and phone number, I think it's worth explaining your predicament and throwing yourself at their mercy, I did the same at the Thai office a few years ago. I am sure they will find you a seat, though your good lady may have to wait a few days.

Good luck

Etihad Airways

200 Hammersmith Road,

London, W6 7DL

Telephone: + 44 0 870 777 0793

Fax: + 44 0 20 8 735 6701

Cheers for that, I Called them and they have no seats until the 5th. No good for me as i start work then.

[dotcom]

What if he flies to England & then instead of clearing immigration fly to Paris for 2 days? Or Dublin.

Edited December 18, 2008 by dotcom

[2008bangkok]

What if he flies to England & then instead of clearing immigration fly to Paris for 2 days? Or Dublin.

he will need a visa for that also

[tattoodrob]

Try this address and phone number, I think it's worth explaining your predicament and throwing yourself at their mercy, I did the same at the Thai office a few years ago. I am sure they will find you a seat, though your good lady may have to wait a few days.

Good luck

Etihad Airways

200 Hammersmith Road,

London, W6 7DL

Telephone: + 44 0 870 777 0793

Fax: + 44 0 20 8 735 6701

Cheers for that, I Called them and they have no seats until the 5th. No good for me as i start work then.

so will they let her fly 5th and you stay on original flight or if not then cant you tell your boss the predicament and start a day later??(i can understand if you dont want to ask him as who wants to employ someone who cant even organise there own flights)

[Farside]

Try this address and phone number, I think it's worth explaining your predicament and throwing yourself at their mercy, I did the same at the Thai office a few years ago. I am sure they will find you a seat, though your good lady may have to wait a few days.

Good luck

Etihad Airways

200 Hammersmith Road,

London, W6 7DL

Telephone: + 44 0 870 777 0793

Fax: + 44 0 20 8 735 6701

Cheers for that, I Called them and they have no seats until the 5th. No good for me as i start work then.

so will they let her fly 5th and you stay on original flight or if not then cant you tell your boss the predicament and start a day later??(i can understand if you dont want to ask him as who wants to employ someone who cant even organise there own flights)

My boss is a cock, He has already said if i am late back from Thailand he will sack me. Well, He's not even my boss really, He's the bosses boss (company director), He's only doing this job because our manager fuc_ked off and left. So the he had to take over until he could find someone else, He's been doing it for 6 months now as all the people who applied for the job told him to shove it in the end due to what they saw on the induction.

Also he's after legally sacking me as i'm making a claim and taking him (the company) to court due to the bad health and safety at our work, I had a accident due to them and took a month off with a injury, He gave me a final written even though i gave them a docs note and it was the companys fault, He's now pissed of that i took it over his head and to my solicitor.

So you see, I will not ask the little nob anything, It's not worth the hassle of abuse he will shout at me, I will just end up in a cell because i'll knock him out.

[7by7]

I'm sorry, but how the hel_l did you manage to cock this up?

Visas are valid from the day they are issued, unless the applicant requests otherwise. So somebody must have asked the embassy to date the visa from the 3rd Jan. Yet knowing this you booked flights to arrive on the first?

There is no way any airline will allow her to board until her UK entry clearance is valid. If they did so and she was refused entry to the UK, which she would be as her visa wouldn't be valid yet, then not only would the airline have to bear the cost of returning her to Thailand but they would also have to pay a hefty fine.

You have two choices:-

1) Stump up the money to change both flight dates so you can travel together and to hel_l with your boss. (He sounds like an arsehol_e anyway, and you may find you have a good case for unfair dismissal.)

2) You come back alone on the 1st and she comes on the first available flight on or after the 3rd.

[Farside]

I'm sorry, but how the hel_l did you manage to cock this up?

Visas are valid from the day they are issued, unless the applicant requests otherwise. So somebody must have asked the embassy to date the visa from the 3rd Jan. Yet knowing this you booked flights to arrive on the first?

There is no way any airline will allow her to board until her UK entry clearance is valid. If they did so and she was refused entry to the UK, which she would be as her visa wouldn't be valid yet, then not only would the airline have to bear the cost of returning her to Thailand but they would also have to pay a hefty fine.

You have two choices:-

1) Stump up the money to change both flight dates so you can travel together and to hel_l with your boss. (He sounds like an arsehol_e anyway, and you may find you have a good case for unfair dismissal.)

2) You come back alone on the 1st and she comes on the first available flight on or after the 3rd.

I have a bad memory lol, I will go to the top of my stair to go to toilet then when i get there i forget what i was going upstairs for lol (I kid you not!). Lol i think i'm getting alzheimers or parkinsons diesease or what ever the hel_l it's called haha.

Looks like i'm coming back on the 1st and the mrs is geting another flight when i can afford it, in a month or 2. We have 3 months to get it sorted anyway. Thing is she's proper moaning about having to fly on her own, I told her that she could get a direct flight to London and i'd travel 5-6 hours on the 5+ trains to meet her there so she doesn't have to change planes etc, But still she's moaning.

[riceboy66]

Hi another alternative you can travel back seperatly. You can go back on the 1st and arrange a flight for your misses on the next available flight. My wife was able to book and fly out by herself with my daughter and she's just a simple country girl. I hope this is a possibility?

[dee123]

....u sound just like me Farside,...I'm allways cocking things up,.....but if I were you I,d sit down next to the telephone book and phone around all the airline offices of Ethiad you can find,tell them your predicament, ask to speak to operations manager ect ect,.....have all your visa details available,.and....(BEG),....phone UK Immigration ect ect,...DO IT ASAP,.....if that doesn't work you must keep trying until the last moment,.....usually Thai travel agents have "connections" with the company's and can pull some strings,,......now many a time I've been in this situation, and If your bird is in or near bangkok I can recommend a superb travel agency which is right across the road from the British Embassy, if anyone can help you this lady would be the one,...Duangjai Mallam KS AND S Travel, 584 Ploenchit Rd, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Tel) ..(662)251-2173 email [email protected],.....it's probably a good idea for your bird to get down to Bangkok if she is far away,and try to sort things her end too,......good luck! p.s......the(662) of the phone number may have changed so check new codes

Edited December 18, 2008 by dee123

[Farside]

....u sound just like me Farside,...I'm allways cocking things up,.....but if I were you I,d sit down next to the telephone book and phone around all the airline offices of Ethiad you can find,tell them your predicament, ask to speak to operations manager ect ect,.....have all your visa details available,.and....(BEG),....phone UK Immigration ect ect,...DO IT ASAP,.....if that doesn't work you must keep trying until the last moment,.....usually Thai travel agents have "connections" with the company's and can pull some strings,,......now many a time I've been in this situation, and If your bird is in or near bangkok I can recommend a superb travel agency which is right across the road from the British Embassy, if anyone can help you this lady would be the one,...Duangjai Mallam KS AND S Travel, 584 Ploenchit Rd, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Tel) ..(662)251-2173 email [email protected],.....it's probably a good idea for your bird to get down to Bangkok if she is far away,and try to sort things her end too,......good luck! p.s......the(662) of the phone number may have changed so check new codes

Cheers for the info, i'll send them a e-mail now

[terryp]

Stop over in the Emirates one night (even transit in the airport if it saves even 500 quid it's worth the hastle); all you need is to chage the connection to the UK, possibly fly into a different UK airport with Etihad Manchester would be a good bet.

Booking has nothing to do with Opedo, you only talk with the carrier now as they are the ones that honour the ticket

This is not as difficult as you are making out

Edited December 19, 2008 by terryp

[mrbojangles]

We have 3 months to get it sorted anyway.

This will cause you alot of hassle and extra money, in 2 years when you go for ILR. Get her over at least before the end of Jan.

Thing is she's proper moaning about having to fly on her own, I told her that she could get a direct flight to London and i'd travel 5-6 hours on the 5+ trains to meet her there so she doesn't have to change planes etc, But still she's moaning.

My Mrs flew over to the UK on her own the first time. Just make sure you give her a piece of paper with all the contact details for you, address phone etc. I also gave my mrs a Pay As You Go Sim card so she was contactable from the minute she landed.

Good luck

[7by7]

We have 3 months to get it sorted anyway.

This will cause you alot of hassle and extra money, in 2 years when you go for ILR. Get her over at least before the end of Jan.

Not any more. The UKBA has finally seen sense and spouse visas are now valid for 27 months. This means that spouses can now enter the UK up to 3 months after the start of their visa and still satisfy the 24 months residency for ILR before the visa expires.