meanwhile... help needed

[rm]

yuki_onna got married, went on her honeymoon and then got stranded in Frankfurt. It's a long, complicated clusterfuck of a story, but now she and her spouse need help. reannon sums up with links and info well here: http://reannon.livejournal.com/1785169.html

Comments

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I can't believe the luggage got through, but real live people didn't. The unfair in this is just amazing.

[rezendi.livejournal.com]

I am truly astonished that Expedia told them they didn't need visas. AFAICR, Russia hasn't actually updated their tourism rules since the Berlin Wall fell: basically, everybody needs visas.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I was similarly astonished and when I first heard the story I was like "well did you all check" because I always check no matter where I am going. I mean shit, I needed a visa for Australia! What a mess.

Also, why do terrible things always happen to people I know in the fucking Frankfurt airport. It's ALWAYS that airport.

[rezendi.livejournal.com]

I once spent three days on the military side of Frankfurt airport waiting to go to Iraq. Long weird story. Anyway, as a result, I too have negative and surreal associations with that place.

[don-negro.livejournal.com]

Dollars provided. I like the concept of the story; thanks for alerting me to it's existance.

[msp-hacker.livejournal.com]

Ack. I'm confused why they called Expedia, when the people they really should have called was the State Department.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Expedia told them they didn't need a visa to get into Russia, so I think they were trying to get Expedia to cover the expense of the error while the legal stuff gets sorted out.

[msp-hacker.livejournal.com]

I meant why did they not call the State Department while they were planning this trip to see whether or not they would need a visa.

Though there should have been a big flag on the the Expedia's part that people going to almost any foreign country needs a visa. Though I have such a low opinion of travel agents and travel booking sites that I'm not surprised that this happened, either.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I mean I always check a bazillion times too. I needed a visa for Australia after all. Western Europe you don't, more or less, but after that it's fair game. I should actually check for our cruise. I'm pretty sure it's a non issue, but I should find out anyway so this doesn't happen to me.

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

I'm of two minds on this story.

On the one hand, yes, they should have known to check the state department.

On the other hand, Expedia is absolutely responsible for some of the situation, given that their employee gave out disastrously erroneous information.

Also, since the couple in question were in the middle of planning both their wedding and honeymoon at the same time, I can understand the ball drop on their end.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yup.

Also, you know, I've done shit infinitely stupider and more irresponsible than not calling the State Department and people bailed me out. And I wasn't even in the middle of wedding/honeymoon. It's one of those times we want to be generous, I think.

[dsmoen.livejournal.com]

Yes, but for cruise ships at least, you can buy them upon landing, so it's lately seemed like a formality.

[dsmoen.livejournal.com]

I sent a few bucks (what I had basking in my PayPal account).

[dsmoen.livejournal.com]

I used to work for Classic Vacations (then a division of Expedia), but we always had good information, and I had Europe memorized because I worked the Europe desk (Turkey, mostly).

I know how hard it is to remember everything; some of the sites I used to sell I didn't fully get until I personally visited them.

BTW, I have a good travel agent, the one who used to seem the best when he called me all the time. :)

[copperwise.livejournal.com]

I suspect they will have no footing with Expedia because Expedia's ToS covers travelers being responsible for their own documents. Expedia's website also has links to all of the necessary State Department websites to check on passport and visa requirements per country. So Expedia is pretty much covered, especially since it's basically her word against theirs as to what the rep told her, and she's put it online in writing that she herself doubted the rep but didn't investigate further. Sigh.

[miep.livejournal.com]

poor Cat and Dmitri! M and I have done what we can...

I was stuck in Frankfurt for 3 hours once, inexplicably ran into a colleague (!), then got to spend the night in Iceland, since it was an IcelandAir flight that was delayed, and they only connect to the west once a day.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

FUCKING FRANKFURT!

Oh man. That's awful.

[splix.livejournal.com]

Agreed; I don't think they'll get any satisfaction at all from Expedia. Plus every Russian-travel site I've visited for my impending trip is very clear that visas are required for US visitors.

It's unfortunate, but I think they're out of luck. :(

[timelady.livejournal.com]

Just FYI, but this actually made the front cover of AOL today.

Honeymooners Triumph Over Expedia