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A question or two from a newbie here



 
 
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  #11  
Old November 26th, 2005, 12:31 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

Hans-Georg Michna wrote:
On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 13:03:06 -0700, Caveat wrote:
I was already three layers up their Customer Relations hierarchy when
I got the final "no." When I asked who else I could appeal to, I was
told "no one." Sounds pretty final to me.


Still hard to believe. Anyway, in your situation I would fly. I can also
not imagine that they actually send you back. If they do, at least you
have an incredible story to tell. (:-)



Yep -- I can see the headlines now: "Scofflaw Senior Citizen Tourist
Deported; Wife Stranded at Airport in South Africa."

Oh well...
  #12  
Old November 26th, 2005, 05:45 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

In article , Michael Kilpatrick
writes
I have visited South Africa 4 times since 1999, most recently in July 2004
and Aug 2005.

I'm an Australian and I have never been asked for my flight ticket or been
asked any questions. The Immigration stuff has been over in less than a
minute every time.

Maybe they treat Americans differently, but the info you were given by SAA
certainly doesn't match my experiences with entering Sth Africa.


Same here. I wouldn't worry.

In this day and age, though, I would certainly have a plane ticket
issued in my 'real' name. You only need a petty immigration officer
somewhere to spoil it all for you (and don't discount problems returning
to the US if you find a real nitpicker behind the desk).

--
JohnM
Author of Brazil: Life, Blood, Soul &
Rainbow Diary: A Journey in the New South Africa
http://www.scroll.demon.co.uk/spaver.htm
  #13  
Old November 27th, 2005, 03:57 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

Caveat:
I'm in a similar situation: I go by my first initial/middle name, but
my passport has my first and middle name, while some of my credit cards
have first name/middle initial. I just explain it to the passport
control person, who smiles and stamps my passport. I've gone through SA
customs dozens of times, and never had a single problem as it is
abundantly clear that I am the legitimate carrier of the ticket and the
passport holder.

I wouldn't worry about it at all. The people at SAA and Orbitz have
their heads in the books, thats all. If you really want to be
reassured, call the immigration folks at Joberg and ask what
documentation you need to verify that you are, indeed, the same person
on the tickets. They'll probably say a birth certificate or something,
and I bet you anything that no one ever asks for it at the border. They
will NOT refuse you entry.

--riverman

  #14  
Old November 27th, 2005, 05:54 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

"riverman" wrote:

Caveat:
I'm in a similar situation: I go by my first initial/middle name, but
my passport has my first and middle name, while some of my credit cards
have first name/middle initial. I just explain it to the passport
control person, who smiles and stamps my passport. I've gone through SA
customs dozens of times, and never had a single problem as it is
abundantly clear that I am the legitimate carrier of the ticket and the
passport holder.

I wouldn't worry about it at all. The people at SAA and Orbitz have
their heads in the books, thats all. If you really want to be
reassured, call the immigration folks at Joberg and ask what
documentation you need to verify that you are, indeed, the same person
on the tickets. They'll probably say a birth certificate or something,
and I bet you anything that no one ever asks for it at the border. They
will NOT refuse you entry.



Thanks, riverman, you have been an excellent source of relevant
information on both the immigration and debit card concerns. We are
proceeding with the trip plans and are now dealing with the potential
problem in getting onto our Delta connecting flight here in Phoenix,
and through the International Flight Security checks with a
mis-matched name between ticket and passport.

We are having notations made in the reservation record at Delta, and
I'm getting a notarized letter explaining the various truncated
versions of my first and middle name used over the past 68 years
(before all this security tightening was an issue). At this stage, it
would be impossible to go back and get changes made in all these
accounts to conform to my formal name -- which I have never really
ever used during my lifetime except in passports and driver's
licenses. It has just never come up before.

It sure is a PITA, but it's looking like all this might work to get us
to SA and back on schedule. But as someone else here pointed out, all
it would take is one rules-slave hard-ass at a ticket counter,
immigration counter, or security checkpoint to stop this trip cold.
Doesn't help our positive attitude about traversing the minefield.

But still hanging in there...


Caveat



  #15  
Old November 27th, 2005, 11:39 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

On 26 Nov 2005 18:57:04 -0800, riverman wrote:

They'll probably say a birth certificate or something


Perhaps it's a good idea to take such a document along in this
case.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.
  #16  
Old November 27th, 2005, 04:54 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

No worries, Caveat. But again, don't get too concerned about it. I'm
willing to bet that upwards of 15% of the population uses their middle
name, or even some nickname that might not even resemble their proper
name, so the border people and the airlines are quite familiar with
technically mismatched tickets and IDs. Their objective is to find
people flying on tickets that were purchased for someone else, not to
bust people who go by their middle names. I've even had tickets that
erroneously listed me as a MRS, not a MR and had no problem, just a
laugh. And this was on an international flight.

I fly dozens of flights a year, all international, all through the
morass of post-911 security, and all with a concoction of name
variations. My partner has IDs with three different last names, from
two previous marriages, and we have never had a single problem at any
border or security crossing. I think you should put this completely out
of your mind, and if your passsport has your first and middle name, you
have even less reason to be concerned.

Even if you have an experience such as I have NEVER had, and were
detained, since you are obviously not a terrorist, they will quickly
breeze you through. Its easy to see why the airlines won't bother
reissuing the tickets: even they don't see this as a worry at all.

--riverman

  #17  
Old November 28th, 2005, 08:59 AM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

Seeing as we have all contributed information, opinions etc. over the
past few days, I think Caveat at least owes us the courtesy of telling
us the name that he's too embarased to use :-)

C'mon Caveat, you're amongst friends... we promise not to laugh ...
much.

Marc
  #18  
Old November 28th, 2005, 01:39 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

Marc Lurie wrote:

Seeing as we have all contributed information, opinions etc. over the
past few days, I think Caveat at least owes us the courtesy of telling
us the name that he's too embarased to use :-)

C'mon Caveat, you're amongst friends... we promise not to laugh ...
much.



Um, would you believe my real name is "Caveat" bfg?

  #19  
Old November 28th, 2005, 02:02 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

LOL. I somehow suspected that. g

I just reread your original post, and if I'm not mistaken, your concern
is that your ticket actually only has middle initial, last name...is
this correct? If so, then you should be even LESS worried than before.
As I said, I go by my middle name, and my tickets are ALWAYS made out
to "Mr M Buck" (except that one time it said "Mrs M Buck"), and I have
never once had even an inkling of a problem. Never.

In fact, as one poster mentioned, I don't think they even look at your
ticket at passport control in Joberg! Its a pretty busy place, and they
process folks very quickly. Just hand them whatever they ask for, give
them a pleasant smile, and don't even start chatting. If you don't
bring it up, they probably won't either. The worst thing you could do
is voluntarily start into some sort of explanation which may force some
hapless border agent to HAVE to start asking questions and calling
bosses and making a ruckus. Once they have affixed that cool little
green stamp in your passport, its a done deal.

Nonethess, I just reviewed this with SWMBO, my partner, who is South
African, and she just rolled her eyes and said "if he wants to waste
some time and calm his nerves, tell him to go to a police station and
have them sign a letter stating 'Mr. Caveat Emp Tor is also commonly
known as Mr. M Tor, and we verify that this is indeed, the same
person'. But", she added "absolutely no one at passport control will
ever ask for that letter or even look at it."

--riverman

  #20  
Old November 28th, 2005, 02:04 PM posted to rec.travel.africa
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Default A question or two from a newbie here

Um, would you believe my real name is "Caveat" bfg?

And your middle name is "emptor", right? Sure sure ...

 




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