Ontario couple en route to India forced to turn back due to document issue
An Ontario couple had been saving for three years to go to India for two months to attend a wedding, a family reunion and spend time with family and friends.
But the trip came to an abrupt end when they were about to board their connecting flight in Paris, because even though they had the right visa documents, they were copies and not the originals, which was not allowed.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“I was so excited I was looking forward to it I couldn't wait to get there. To be turned back it was such bad news and we were exhausted,” said Pamela Nazareth of Scarborough.
Nazareth and her husband Ed are both in their 80s and were travelling to Mumbai through Paris on Feb. 19 and while they knew they needed their visa documents, they took copies, not the originals.
Ed said they couldn’t find their original Person of India Visa documents but they had notarized copies which they felt would suffice.
“We couldn't find the originals, but we found the duplicates so we took the duplicates that were notarized," Ed told CTV News Toronto.
Their son Andrew also felt the documents would be accepted for their trip.
“What they had taken was a notarized copy. It was a copy of this document notarized by the government of India," Andrew explained.
When they arrived at Pearson airport in Toronto, they were allowed to board an Air France flight to Paris, but when they tired to board their connecting flight to Mumbai, they were told they needed the original visa documents not copies and were denied boarding.
They were told to fly back to Toronto. The two tickets they had purchased for the trip had cost them $4,900.
"They told us the tickets have been cancelled you have to go back," Ed said.
When CTV News Toronto contacted Air France the airline said, "Passengers are responsible to ensure they have the right documents for their journey.”
The Consulate of India also told CTV News Toronto, "Any traveler to India will be allowed entry if he/she carries valid travel document i.e. Passport along with a valid Visa or PIO/OCI card in original.”
Air France said it could not comment on individual files but the airline did apologize to the Nazareths.
“I am sorry to learn that you were unable to travel to travel to India as planned on the 19th February. Our data shows that because you were not in the possession of the correct documentation for your whole journey you were stopped by the French Authorities in Paris- Charles de Gaulle,” correspondence between the couple and Air France read.
“Although your travel documents were verified before departure in Toronto, it is the passenger's responsibility at all times to meet the prerequisite conditions for entry into any country as stated in our General Conditions of Carriage.”
“It has been decided to offer the full refund for your tickets as a commercial gesture. Also, as a sign of regret for this unfortunate situation a compensation of 500 CAD as a non-refundable voucher will be issued for you as soon as the bank details are received.”
The Nazareths were relieved to get their $4,900 refunded and used the funds to buy new tickets to India and are now there visiting with friends and family.
“This is such a relief for us,” said Nazareth.
It's a good reminder for anyone traveling outside of Canada to check not only what kind of documents you need for a trip, but if copies are allowed or they must be the originals as it could save you being turned back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.