How can airlines deny boarding based on blacklists despite issuing visas?

Jun 30, 2023
a year ago
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Hello everyone! I read somewhere that airlines can denied you boarding base on blacklist(banned)

How is that possible? How embassy is not aware of the blacklist and grant you a visa ?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
Travelers may be denied boarding by airlines based on various factors, including matching their names against a government blacklist or concerns regarding the legitimacy of their visas. Although embassies issue visas, airlines also conduct their own checks before departure, including verifying that passengers have onward flights. If a traveler's name appears on a list that indicates potential issues, or if airlines suspect that a passenger may not be allowed entry upon arrival, they have the authority to deny boarding. The process is primarily enforced through systems like the Advanced Passenger Processing System, which shares information between governments and airlines.
Daniel **********
Scroll down the page and you will see a story from someone who got denied boarding exactly like this. Immigration supposedly share info with airlines and they will deny you boarding if your name comes up.
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Daniel *********
yep it happened to me after this my post, last Monday.
Chelsey *********
@Kôrô ********
which city did you fly from that you were denied boarding? And were you going to Bangkok?
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Chelsey ********
Nepal to bangkok suvarnabumi
Chelsey *********
@Kôrô ********
oh sorry to hear that! So where did u end flying then? From Nepal to where?
Daniel **********
@Kôrô ********
just realized it was your post I had read. Good luck and fingers crossed 2024 is your year to return.
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Daniel *********
yeah hopefully 🤞 🙏🏾
Daniel **********
@Kôrô ********
sorry to hear that. Good luck!
Stephen *******************
Fly into Laos or Cambodia and do a border run, guess that depends on how long you’re staying in Thailand but it’s a safer bet?
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Stephen ******************
I think it’s same system with airport computer
Stephen *******************
@Kôrô ********
but the issue is with Thai immigration not Laos or Cambodia immigration so they should be allowed entry, getting back into Thailand is the issue and Land border controls are very receptive to a brown envelope 🤭
Ursula ***********
Blaclisted by who ?

Airline or country ?
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Steve ***********
Some nationalities don't require visas for other countries, so it's possible you could be "blacklisted" without knowing it, purchase a ticket, and be refused by the airline at the airport.
Chan *****************
I am a travel agent and I have seen few times that airlines deny boarding if they dont believe you are a genuine tourist or have a reason to believe that you may over stay your visa. Dont think they have black list database though.
David ******
@Chan ****************
you really dont know your job. I got denied entry while I was entering Thailand from Cambodia by land in 2018. Nobody detained me ,I was sent back to Cambodia. I bought a flight ticket to Thailand and entered by air without any problem.
Chan *****************
@David *****
We are talking about air travelling if you get deny by land border They wont detain you.
David ******
@Chan ****************
it is not deport. It is denied entry. They are different things. Immıgration officer can deny a tourist 's entry for any reason. Nobody can get guarantee to enter the foreigner country.
Chan *****************
@David *****
from what experienced They get Deny ---> Detain --> Deport.
David ******
@Chan ****************
how will airline know if the passenger deported or blacklisted ?
Ivan ************
@David *****
airlines submit passenger details to immigration in advance of the flight and are told then whether they are allowed board the passenger or not. It's called "Advanced Passenger Processing System". If they are told no, the passenger is rejected at check in.
Chan *****************
@David *****
If they have any reasons to suspect that you will get deported as soon as you step on the destination. They will not allow you to board the plane. If they take a chance to let you fly and on arrival you get deported. They will have to pay a big fine. Therefor the airline dont take a chance.
David ******
@Chan ****************
denied entry and deportation are different things, they are not same.
David ******
@Chan ****************
boarding does not mean to enter the foreigner country. Our entry is denied or accepted by immigration officer at the airport.Deciding if I am a geniue tourist or beliving if may overstay my visa is non of airline's business. It is immigration 's business.
Chan *****************
@David *****
If you get deported The airlines get fine so they are allowed to turn passengers away. Not entirely right but they are allowed.
Stéfan ********
Thailand is full of people with criminal records from all sorts of countries. They make here like normal law abiding people, so little bans must be a joke to airlines.
Sheen ************
You say you are not on a black list so what’s the point of your question
Cherie ********
In the US there is a ‘no fly’ list…the airline doesn’t know until they attempt to check you in and the response that comes up is to call a government agency for verification
Frank-Steven ***********
You are mixing two things up: The foreign ministry (consulates) SELL visa. But they are not responsible for admission to the country. The latter is the task of immigration police (part of interior ministry). A visa does not grant neither admission nor boarding.

Airlines submit passenger lists before the flight. If an authority in the destination country declares you black listed / unwanted, airlines don’t have to let your board.

There is probably a good reason a person is blacklisted. In that case I would suggest staying home or going to another country.
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Frank-Steven **********
thank you for making this clear
Linz ************
Airlines can deny you boarding for a number of reasons and yes, they do have blacklists but if you have managed to get yourself on a blacklist, you would usually know why to the point of not even booking a flight with that airline
John **********
Are you on a blacklist, or have you previously been?
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
John **********
@Kôrô ********
then you should have nothing to worry about
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Steve *******
Quite possible. Your name may match a screening list issued by another authority. That authority has no obligation to notify the embassy. Normally that match is then verified against personal ID and then released or confirmed. In addition, any transport company can have their own blacklist.
John ******
@Steve ******
do not expect airlines get blacklists. " From other authorities" unmost unlikely.
Ivan ************
@John *****
>Thai Immigration Bureau will pre-process every passenger arriving, departing or transiting through Thailand and reply back to airline with boarding directive Such as, “Board if DOCS OK” or “Do not Board”.

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Steve *******
@John *****
they do
Frank **********
Question is are you blacklisted by immigration?
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Frank **********
@Kôrô ********
maybe they entered your name wrong in their system.
Kôrô *********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Frank *********
no no I didn’t travel.I found this topic somewhere in a forum. So wanna get my mind clear about all this stuff
Wayne *********
@Kôrô ********
maybe they didn't have a visa from any embassy and was going 30 day visa exempt. Embassy and immigration very doubtful they communicate together
Frank **********
Roberto *********
Nope. Don't listen to everything you hear. Airlines can deny boarding if you don't have an onward flight leaving the country within the time allowed by your visa (tourism-based only), but airlines would not maintain a database on everyone in the world and what countries they are banned from
Ivan ************
@Roberto ********
airlines don't maintain a database, but they do submit passenger lists to immigration before the flight which gives immigration the opportunity to tell them to deny boarding at check in.

>Thai Immigration Bureau will pre-process every passenger arriving, departing or transiting through Thailand and reply back to airline with boarding directive Such as, “Board if DOCS OK” or “Do not Board”.

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