Just not my day! again...

On 18 February 2009, I started queuing at about 3.45pm to check in for my flight at 5.45pm on JQ110 to Perth. I had renewed my Singapore passport as it was due to expire. The counter staff highlighted that my student visa was attached to my old passport number. Since I had a new passport number, they directed me to the ‘Qantas’ counter.

A lady at the ‘Qantas’ counter informed me that according to the Australian Immigration Policy, the student visa is non-transferrable. She suggested that I could pay SGD$70 to apply for a vacation visa, and upon reaching Perth, I could go down to the Australian Immigration Office to re-apply for a student visa (which costs AUD$450!!!). She tried sending a message online to the Australian Immigration Office, but their reply would take some time. As the check-in counter had to close soon, I had no choice but to take up that alternative.

Upon reaching the boarding gate, a female representative from the Australian Immigration Policy checked my boarding pass and visa. She told me that the student visa is actually transferrable and is definitely more superior to the vacation visa. Therefore, she meant that my application for the vacation visa was not necessary. And I had to wait for all the other passengers to board the plane before I was attended to. After that, she said there was nothing much she could do for me, but she would enlighten the staff at the Qantas counter so that they would not feed the wrong information to future passengers.

At that moment, I really felt cheated by the lady who served me at the Qantas counter. I tried to check in 2 hours before the departure time so that I could spend a little more time with my family and friends. In the end, I wasted so much time and effort to go through the entire process, so much so that I could not have a proper farewell with them. Right after I rushed to check in for my flight after getting the vacation visa, I had to board the plane immediately. And after all that trouble to board the plane, only to realize the entire process previously was redundant. Due to the staff’s negligence, I encountered a terrible experience during the departure.

For all the hassle I had to go through for nothing, and paying SGD$70 for a vacation visa which was unwarranted...