Changing passport expiry date with Virgin

Fabio · 19-02-2016 01:31PM #1

Hi all,

I entered an incorrect passport expiry date while booking a trip to NYC with Virgin. I booked through e-Dreams, the online travel agency, and am not sure how I should go about changing the incorrect expiry date.

E-Dreams want €7.50 to go and change it but should I just contact Virgin and ask them directly? Also, I can't access "My Booking" on Virgin right now. Is this normal when booked through a third party???

coylemj · 19-02-2016 01:46PM

Fabio wrote: »

Hi all,

I entered an incorrect passport expiry date while booking a trip to NYC with Virgin. I booked through e-Dreams, the online travel agency, and am not sure how I should go about changing the incorrect expiry date.

E-Dreams want €7.50 to go and change it but should I just contact Virgin and ask them directly? Also, I can't access "My Booking" on Virgin right now. Is this normal when booked through a third party???

I'd just pay it, it's not worth the hassle of trying to bypass the travel company. They have the booking reference, you don't so you can't deal direct with Virgin. It's needed as part of the Advance Passenger Information (API) that has to be supplied to the US authorities before you can travel.

As things stand, there is a mismatch between your ESTA approval and the API so you'd better get it fixed or they will tell Virgin not to allow you on board.

You could risk gettting it done on the day you travel, the check-in clerk should be able to do it but do you want the worry hanging over you before you go to the airport?

Edit: It's probably not safe to leave the correction to the API data for a US flight until check-in. You'd get away with it for travel to Spain and Portugal (who also require API) but the US authorities tend to scan passenger manifests relatively late so it's very possible that a couple of hours before you arrive in the airport, they tell Virgin not to allow you on board and it will be too late to sort things out when you get to the check-in desk. So pay the €7.50 and be done with it.

Fabio · 20-02-2016 02:11PM

Thanks a million, that was a really comprehensive explanation. It was my own fault, I'll just pay up and be done with it.

Thanks again!

coylemj wrote: »

I'd just pay it, it's not worth the hassle of trying to bypass the travel company. They have the booking reference, you don't so you can't deal direct with Virgin. It's needed as part of the Advance Passenger Information (API) that has to be supplied to the US authorities before you can travel.

As things stand, there is a mismatch between your ESTA approval and the API so you'd better get it fixed or they will tell Virgin not to allow you on board.

You could risk gettting it done on the day you travel, the check-in clerk should be able to do it but do you want the worry hanging over you before you go to the airport?

Edit: It's probably not safe to leave the correction to the API data for a US flight until check-in. You'd get away with it for travel to Spain and Portugal (who also require API) but the US authorities tend to scan passenger manifests relatively late so it's very possible that a couple of hours before you arrive in the airport, they tell Virgin not to allow you on board and it will be too late to sort things out when you get to the check-in desk. So pay the €7.50 and be done with it.

Changing passport expiry date with Virgin

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