Unknown to the passenger, the embassy had issued the wrong classification of visa and this was not noticed by the airline resulting in the immigration officer refusing entry. The classification should have been for a tourist visa but a crew visa was issued. This was therefore an obviously noticeable error that the airline would and should have known about but the passenger was not even aware of.
The visa was issued to a British national by the Chinese embassy in London U.K.
Finnair flight from London Heathrow to Chongqing China via Helsinki.
Permitted entry into China for only 72 hours.
This happened over Easter when Chinese Embassy in Hong Kong was closed.
Passenger suffered extra travel, hotel, food and clothing costs as well as distress by having to divert to Bali.
Is carrier responsible to reimburse?
Is there any further information that you need?
@HenningMakholm @Relaxed @Gayot Fow @Gagravarr @Tom
CLARIFICATION:
The visa was issued for 30 days stay after entry.
However a ‘crew visa’ only allows a 72 hour stay.
Passenger did not know a ‘crew visa’ was issued instead of a ‘tourist visa’.
Airline did not check or did not notice that the visa was wrong.
Chinese officials did not query the error with the airline.
The passenger saw visa had 30 day entry permitted and did not know anything was wrong.
The category of visa entered in the passport is identified only by a single letter and not a word.
The tourist visa category should have been identified with the letter ‘L’.
Instead, in error, the letter ‘C’ was entered identifying it as a crew visa.
Surely the airline has some responsibility as they would be very familiar with the initials that identify the visa category and would have known the passenger was not crew. If a business visa or a work visa was issued by mistake instead, the airline may not be able to see it was wrong but they should know that something was wrong when a crew visa is issued for a 30 day stay.
Your valued opinions would be appreciated.