When booking your holiday at travel agents do you need your passport
phantom sneeze
Posts: 1,064 Forum Member
✭✭✭
I'm going through Thomas Cook holidays and booking on Monday, I was wondering do you need your passport details or can you book without passport? Thanks. If you do would a photocopy on a sheet of paper do?
0
Comments
Oh good advice! I never knew that! It's a good job I was only going to Spain then.
There can be ridiculous charges for corrections after the booking is confirmed, and don't expect the travel agent to admit responsibility even if it is caused by a typo by their staff in the shop.
You can do that at home though.
The other reason a passport is required (though not at the time of booking), is as said by the poster above, because certain Countries require the passport information (API), but this usually only has to be given about a week before departure, and can be done either via the agent or by yourself at home.
Which ones are those?
I think Ghana is one but I've never been so I'm not sure.
Also many package tour operators insist that you demonstrate to them that you have travel insurance in place. I do believe the law was changed a couple of years back so they could not mandate you to use their insurance.
I'm sure we needed 180 days left on our passports (and 2 blank pages) to get a visa for India last year. We're going to Russia next year and the requirements are the same as India.
I thought USA was another but UK citizens are exempt from that rule
A lot of airlines still won't let you fly to the US on a passport with less than 6 months' validity though, and really it's pointless to even try.
As far as I can remember Turkey is another that requires a specific minimum passport validity, though it may be 3 months rather than 6.
All airlines will let you fly to the US if you are a UK citizen carrying a UK passport no matter how long is left on it.
Such as?
I deal with Ryanair, Easyjet, BA, and Monarch regularly and it's none of them.
Yes, lots of people saying 'certain' airlines and 'certain' countries but not many people saying which ones.
To be fair i also know these rules exist. But i don't know the exact details and would only check the country/airline i was travelling with and not learn all the lists and rules. So people may be vague but with good reason
Indeed, the only instance I have ever heard of an airline denying boaring on a short haul European flight is this one - http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/easyjet-admits-bungle-after-barring-passenger-with-two-months-left-on-his-passport-8665863.html and Easyjet owned up to making a mistake.
Validity: What counts
Within the EU, a full British passport is valid for travel up to and including the last day of validity. The same applies to many non-EU countries within Europe, and to the USA – so long as a visa or “Esta” is obtained.
Many countries outside Europe stipulate a minimum period of validity, usually three or six months – often calculated from the intended date of departure, not arrival.
Those imposing a six-month minimum include popular destinations such as Egypt and Thailand.
Wow, rolling your eyes at me for not knowing something - how positively delightful of you. Not. When I booked that package holiday with the travel agent, not one word was said about my passport, so I'm assuming British Airways isn't included in that "a lot of airlines" you mention? Or did I somehow slip into Spain as an illegal immigrant?