As the summer season approaches, anticipation builds for your annual journey to reunite with family in India. After diligent online searches, you snagged a flight ticket from Canada to India months ago. Excitement is mounting as you nearly finish packing your bags. But picture this: you reach the departure airport, only to face the heart-wrenching possibility of being denied boarding by the airline. It is a dreadful situation, especially for elderly parents who are anxiously awaiting you to arrive.
Airlines have the legal authority to deny boarding to passengers for various reasons, although travelling between the USA and India has become more streamlined. Flyopedia can assist you in understanding the most frequent reasons for denial of boarding on international flights, helping you avoid this travel setback.
Mismatched Passenger Names
Errors do happen, but when they occur on international airline tickets, they can have serious repercussions. If you book cheap business class tickets to India and the name on your ticket does not match the one on your passport, you risk being denied boarding. Upon receiving e-tickets, promptly review all details, especially your name. If your name is incomplete or misspelled, contact your travel agency or the airline for correction. However, rectifying passenger name errors in confirmed air tickets is often challenging.
Some airlines consider name correction requests, while others may not entertain them. The customer support team at Flyopedia.com is better equipped to guide travellers in such situations. Some airlines permit name corrections by cancelling and rebooking tickets within 24 hours of booking. If your name has legally changed due to marriage, divorce, etc., ensure your passport reflects the new name.
The ‘SSSS’ code
The ‘SSSS’ code on your boarding pass means ‘Secondary Security Screening Selection.’ If you see this code, TSA has randomly selected you for additional screening. Check out our ‘TSA Security Check- What You Need to Know About Wearing Jewellery’ for some worthy information.
It can include full body scans, thorough checks of your carry-on and personal items, and extensive questioning. If authorities find anything suspicious, they may deny you boarding. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) considers SSSS-tagged passengers high-risk. It is uncertain how individuals are selected, but a possible reason could be name matches with watch list or no-fly list entries.
Lacking visa arrangements
Lacking visa arrangements leads to denial of boarding for flights to India. Indian passport holders may require a Schengen transit visa for such journeys. In June 2022, four Indians bound for the USA were refused boarding due to lacking transit visas for layovers in Paris and Amsterdam.
Tip: Check out US Embassy launches new regulations to Reduce US Visa Time for Indians for more information.
Additionally, layovers exceeding 10 hours at certain international transit airports necessitate an airport transit visa to prevent denial of boarding for Indian nationals. For return journeys to India via Europe, not possessing a valid US visa or transit visa can result in boarding denial. Various visa-related scenarios can lead to denial of boarding for Indian passport holders.
Expired US Passport
If your US passport expires while you are on vacation in India or somewhere else, you can be in a difficult situation. It is a popular mistake that you can return to the United States with an expired passport. However, it is critical to understand that this is not achievable. Authorities temporarily eased this regulation during the Covid-19 outbreak, but it was reintroduced in July 2022. Since then, authorities have prohibited travellers from using expired US passports for direct travel to the United States. To avoid being denied boarding, travellers should highly advise contacting the US Embassy in Delhi or the nearest US Consulate for passport renewal. Additionally, you can explore A Detailed Roadmap for U.S. Citizens Seeking a 10-Year Indian Visa.
Visa Violation History
Violating a non-immigrant visa in the United States is a common reason for being denied boarding on flights from India. If you exceed the allowed time to stay on your B2 visa, you could get a three- or ten-year ban on reentering the United States, depending on how long you extend. Airlines going to the United States often refuse to board travellers having a history of visa overstay. Similarly, overstaying an H1B visa might result in comparable repercussions, such as denial of boarding for a set duration. Additionally, any breach of US immigration laws or participation in unlawful activities may result in rejection of boarding.
Admission into Colleges under Scrutiny
An unforeseen occurrence beyond your control may disrupt your trip plans. In a rare incident in 2015, US authorities offered crucial intelligence to Air India, preventing 19 Indian students from boarding a flight to San Francisco from Hyderabad.
Consequently, even students who had already travelled to San Francisco returned to India. Air India took this action to prevent inconvenience and issued full refunds to affected students. Thus, prospective students should exercise caution when considering admission to foreign universities, especially those under scrutiny.
Boarding Denial to Pregnant Women
Passengers in advanced stages of pregnancy or with problems may not be able to fly. Each airline has its policies regarding pregnant passengers. Many airlines allow expectant mothers to fly till 32 weeks of pregnancy, providing they have medical clearance. However, several airlines limit travel beyond 28 weeks.
Lastly, if you are in a hurry and looking for a last minute flight to India then you can now book a last minute flight with some clicks only on Flyopedia.
