Would you have expected to need a Vietnam visa for this Qatar Airways itinerary?
Hi everyone,
I'm genuinely looking for opinions from people who travel frequently or work in the airline industry.
Two months ago, I booked a single itinerary directly through the Qatar Airways website.
My itinerary was:
- KHH → SGN (operated by VietJet)
- SGN → DOH (Qatar Airways)
- DOH → BCN (Qatar Airways)
Everything was booked directly with Qatar Airways under one booking reference and one e-ticket.
I noticed that the first flight was operated by VietJet, so I did wonder whether I might need to enter Vietnam and check in again.
Because of that, I reviewed the information provided by Qatar Airways, including my e-ticket and booking confirmation, to see whether there were any transfer requirements or warnings. I could not find any indication that I would need to enter Vietnam, collect my checked baggage, or check in again for my onward Qatar Airways flight.
Based on the information provided by Qatar Airways, I understood this to be a normal connecting itinerary and therefore did not apply for a Vietnam visa.
When I arrived at the airport on the day of departure, I was informed that I had to enter Vietnam, collect my baggage, and check in again. Since Taiwanese passport holders need a visa to enter Vietnam, I was denied boarding.
I immediately checked whether I could obtain an urgent Vietnam visa, but that wasn't feasible within the required timeframe. To avoid cancelling my entire Europe trip, the only practical option was to purchase a different ticket via Hong Kong on the same day, which cost me an additional fee.
I later contacted Qatar Airways. Their response was that passengers are responsible for ensuring they have the necessary visas and travel documents.
I completely understand that principle.
My question is slightly different.
If you were booking this itinerary directly from Qatar Airways as a single booking, would you have expected that you needed to enter Vietnam to collect baggage and check in again?
Or would you have expected Qatar Airways to clearly disclose that requirement during booking?
I've attached a redacted copy of the e-ticket and a screenshot of the recent booking page for reference. And I'm genuinely interested in understanding whether my expectation was unreasonable, or whether you think this kind of transfer requirement should be more clearly communicated.
Thanks in advance!
