eTravel - BIG BROTHER is watching

[Viking]

20 hours ago, GeoffH said:

Not surprising, so did Jennifer Terri in her original YouTube video as the original announcement said "all travellers" (later clarified to all travellers who would have had to fill in a paper exit card).

She gets a lot of her info from PAL website.

We departed April 18 and we didn't have to show any etravel or fill in any paper at all.

[Possum]

Prior to our travel in May. We acquired all the "required" documents, CFO document for my wife [took a trip to Manila to accomplish that], SRRV travel notice for me, dual passports for the kids and eTravel for my wife's departure. Since we were told everyone had to have eTravel for return we did that prior to our return today. They asked for nothing but passports going and coming even though there were signs for separate lines for green and red eTravel holders. Didn't see that made any difference. The ONLY question we were asked was why they kids didn't have a dual citizenship document. Wife told him DFA said it was not needed at their age. He said, that's not the correct procedure. She said take it up with DFA and gave him their phone number.

So my recent one time personal experience most of this stuff isn't looked at BUT knowing the way things work here it's best to have everything in case they are "in a mood" when you go thru.

There was an issue with Delta Airlines on departure from the USA because I didn't have an onward ticket. I showed them my SRRV visa and card. They went thru their list of approved visas they are issued by the Philippine BOI and it wasn't listed. I told them that doesn't surprise me as BOI doesn't issue the SRRV.  They said in the past they could approve flying without a return ticket if everything looked good but the policy had changed at Delta and they had to get a supervisor to approve. Took about 5 minutes and all was well. They said the standard fine from the PH government to carriers is 10,000usd for not following their onward ticket rule just as it always has been but many airlines did not and do not worry about it. Delta recently tightened up

 

[BrettGC]

28 minutes ago, Greglm said:

PH government to carriers is 10,000usd for not following their onward ticket rule just as it always has been but many airlines did not and do not worry about it. Delta recently tightened up

Isn't it funny how everyone's experience varies.  In all my years of coming in and out of PI I have never been asked at immigration about an onward ticket.  Even when I entered on a 9a PI embassy issued visa due to the pandemic (allowed entry due to being married to a Philippine national pandemic restrictions - January 2022), I wasn't asked by immigration then.  All they  wanted was my marriage certificate which I had to produce to receive the 9a in the first place.  

On the other hand, almost every time my exit carrier has been different to my entry carrier I've been asked at check-in prior to my last port before PI by the airline staff.  This includes Qantas, Singapore Air, Silk Air, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific and even Air Nuigine (PNG's national carrier - don't ever fly with them, ever).  Singapore and Qantas even asked  for proof when I was departing with them and the entire itinerary was on the screen at check-in.  

YMMV in this case for sure. 

[Possum]

1 hour ago, BrettGC said:

Isn't it funny how everyone's experience varies. 

Absolutely. This is the first time Delta ever asked me for an onward ticket. They were nice about it. They explained it is not the Philippines that is suddenly requiring this it is our management which "suddenly" realized that is you don't abide by the requirements to the letter your airline may be fined. She said the rank and file knew how things worked in real life but they had no choice currently. She said the funny thing is you are traveling with two daughters with dual passports and a wife with a non-immigrant business/visitor visa but you are the one which our corporate bureaucracy flags even though you are a US citizen and have a residence visa in the country you are traveling to

Nothing surprising me anymore. Years ago I was working in Haiti, not one of the greatest places, and when I was ready to depart they wanted to charge me $200 departure tax because the visa my employer arranged did not cover the number of days I had been there. I told the immigration guy I would go back and get the employer to straighten this out. He said, "Yes you could but that may be days. Why don't you just pay the $200 and go home. Then get the money from your employer. I told him that was a good idea and he said most people say the same thing, they'd pay a lot to leave my country and I would too.

[OnMyWay]

15 hours ago, Greglm said:

They explained it is not the Philippines that is suddenly requiring this it is our management which "suddenly" realized that is you don't abide by the requirements to the letter your airline may be fined. She said the rank and file knew how things worked in real life but they had no choice currently.

I remember Delta mentioned as a stickler for the onward ticket, over the years.  I flew one way on Delta when I moved here, and they asked,  They were just plain wrong for asking, in your case.

[Possum]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

I remember Delta mentioned as a stickler for the onward ticket, over the years.  I flew one way on Delta when I moved here, and they asked,  They were just plain wrong for asking, in your case.

I don't think they were. They showed me the information on their computer as to acceptable visas as per the Philippine BOI and the SRRV isn't listed likely because the BOI doesn't issue them the PRC does. The solution would be to get the PRC to tell BOI to include it on their list but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

[Kingpin]

19 hours ago, Greglm said:

dual passports for the kids

Do you stamp both passports when departing and also arriving back in the Philippines?

Edited June 10, 2023 by Kingpin

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, Greglm said:

I don't think they were. They showed me the information on their computer as to acceptable visas as per the Philippine BOI and the SRRV isn't listed likely because the BOI doesn't issue them the PRC does. The solution would be to get the PRC to tell BOI to include it on their list but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

You could place the blame on DL or BI, but someone dropped the ball.  I believe BI has oversight for all entries to the country, and they certainly are very aware of SRRV.  DL and other airlines have been boarding SRRV holders for years, and just now this comes up?

Let me speculate.  Entry on SRRV was suspended during Covid.  Delta still has a list that is not updated.

[Possum]

4 hours ago, Kingpin said:

Do you stamp both passports when departing and also arriving back in the Philippines?

Yes they did.

[Possum]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Entry on SRRV was suspended during Covid.  Delta still has a list that is not updated.

That's very likely. They did mention that a lot of their people took early retirement during Covid, so there was a brain drain.