Parents Stranded in India

[kai]

Seeking advice (or if anyone has any tips, as i am getting nowhere and being passed from pillar to post). My parents (both in their mid-late 60s) who are currently stranded in Goa.

Their original Qatar Airways flight on March 1st was cancelled due to the Middle East conflict, and the airline has provided no support. They have managed to book new flights from Goa to Mumbai on March 13th and then to London on March 14th, but we are facing a crisis with my father’s visa.

My father’s Indian visa expired today. We applied for an FRRO extension like near a week ago; while my mother’s was approved, my father’s status is still stuck as "Under Process" with no explanation. To make matters worse, their hotel is insisting they cannot stay without a valid visa, and local government offices have repeatedly turned them away, claiming they cannot help. My parents are not tech-savvy and are becoming extremely distressed.

What i have done so far:

• Contacted the FCDO and British Embassy, this morning and have not been much help - they have logged the details. and said they would send an email to India Embassy, to reach out. No time-frame guaranteed)
  -The British Embassy has warned that he will likely be detained if he tries to leave the country without an active visa. At this point, I’m not even sure if that’s a bad thing if it actually gets the situation sorted, but it’s terrifying for them.
  
  
• Emailed the British Consulate in Goa and FRRO Mumbai directly with proof of their new flights and challanges.
• Filed a complaint with their travel insurer (AXA), but they denied the claim citing "Force Majeure, they are not on their "gold" package and silver does not cover this.

I have also given my parent's telephone number for local India govement offices and they simply cant get through. Even calling from the hotel Reception (thinking it was a data-roaming issue).

They are racking up large costs for new hotels, Gatwick airport parking, and dog boarding back home, new flights etc. Well over £1500 now.

 

[Ali195]

• Filed a complaint with their travel insurer (AXA), but they denied the claim citing "Force Majeure, they are not on their "gold" package and silver does not cover this.

Once this is all over get ready to fight that one because travel insurance companies are not far behind estate agents for being scum of the Earth. They’ll lie and cheat their way out of paying a claim.

Probably worth getting legal advice on it as well.

 

[Quartz]

and local government offices have repeatedly turned them away, claiming they cannot help.

I expect they're fishing for a bribe.

 

[kai]

Once this is all over get ready to fight that one because travel insurance companies are not far behind estate agents for being scum of the Earth. They’ll lie and cheat their way out of paying a claim.

Probably worth getting legal advice on it as well.

I have asked the following from the travel insurance

My formal grounds for dispute are as follows:

1. I require the specific policy clause(s) you are relying upon to reject this claim, in writing. A verbal statement that a higher tier would have been needed is not sufficient under FCA complaint handling rules.

2. Your own policy wording states that: "The insurance period is automatically extended in the event that your return to your country of residence is unavoidably delayed due to an event covered by this policy." My parents' delay is entirely involuntary and caused by an external event. This clause should apply.

3. The circumstances constitute force majeure. My parents did not choose to remain in India. They were stranded by an airline cancellation caused by an international conflict. Any policy exclusion must be clearly and specifically applicable — a general reference to plan tier level is insufficient.

4. If you are relying on a war or conflict exclusion, I require you to confirm in writing exactly how that exclusion applies to passengers stranded by a third-country airspace disruption, when my parents were not travelling to or through a conflict zone.

Formal requests:
1. Provide the specific exclusion clause(s) relied upon to reject this claim, in writing, within 5 working days
2. Reconsider the claim in full in light of the above grounds
3. Confirm whether any elements of the claim (additional accommodation, travel costs, meals) are covered under any section of the Essential plan

Please be aware that if I do not receive a satisfactory response, I will be escalating this matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service without further notice. The FOS has clear guidance on force majeure and involuntary stranding situations and I am confident this case warrants independent review.

 

[Efour]

Better than being stranded in Minehead

 

[Thekwango]

Better than being stranded in Minehead

dunno about that, least they could drink the tap water in minehead. and probably get a taxi home.

 

[randal]

My old man is also in Goa, he's got ~50 days left to go on his Visa so less urgent then your folks. Although he'll probably just find another AirBNB and drink his way through the conflict knowing him.

Can't offer any specific advice, through will be keeping an eye on this thread. Wish your parents well and safe journey home with the minimum of fuss.

 

[Freefaller]

Have they physically been to the embassy? Relying on phone calls and emails rarely gets things moving. If they bring a copy or their cancelled flights it may make things easier. Odd that your mother's was done and not your father's though.

I believe Qatar airways has a duty of care here and should cover the costs? My parents are in the same predicament but are in Oz. AXA will claim force majeure and likely dodge the claim.

Don't rely on email. Ring or go in person.

 

[Efour]

dunno about that, least they could drink the tap water in minehead. and probably get a taxi home.

Drink the water are you insane
?

 

[Nasher]

Tap water in India? Forget that. You get the ***** over there just for touching things.

This is like the worst place to get stranded.

 

[Freefaller]

Tap water in India? Forget that. You get the ***** over there just for touching things.

This is like the worst place to get stranded.

I don't know I quite liked it there and didn't seem to suffer but maybe I was lucky.

 

[Nabinium]

Better than being stranded in Minehead

Stranded in a town in Somerset? Huh?

 

[NVP]

Looks like for the short term... they aint Goa-ing no where.

 

[Diddums]

I don't know I quite liked it there and didn't seem to suffer but maybe I was lucky.

Ignore him, he just parrots whatever dross he reads elsewhere, I don't think the dude's had an original thought in his entire life.

India, like almost any other country is perfectly fine if you know where to go and what to do.

 

[NVP]

India, like almost any other country is perfectly fine if you know where to go and what to do.

Unfortunately India has been on a rapid decline since Modi. The north has been poisoned by corruption, the south split by propaganda. India is becoming more and more unrecognisable

But yeh, allow drinking the tap water.

 

[jpaul]

What i have done so far:

you contacted the UK indian embassy to explain the case , and see if they can initiate local-goa action/provide advice
... they'd be granting the visa extension ?
perhpas they will just say speak to FRRO goa

 

[kai]

you contacted the UK indian embassy to explain the case , and see if they can initiate local-goa action/provide advice
... they'd be granting the visa extension ?
perhpas they will just say speak to FRRO goa

I contacted the UK consulate as I have been unable to get through to the Indian Embassy in the UK — no one has been willing to take my call. The UK consulate was unfortunately not very helpful and said they would send an email.

My parents are now staying in a decent hotel (Hyatt) and have spoken with management, who said they will try to help resolve the situation, including going to the Goa police station if necessary as they handle FRRO applications there. I’m not sure what actions they will take yet, but the application is still not approved.

The hotel has also said that my father can stay there until his flight home on the 13th. They have explained he would likely be detained upon check-in with the correct VISA

 

[Rroff]

and didn't seem to suffer but maybe I was lucky

Plenty of people don't get lucky - though some just seem unlucky - one of my colleagues husbands had as she put it "Delhi Belly" on visiting both Egypt (or it might have been Turkey I forget now) and India. Though I suspect some is people not having the right instincts when it comes to basic hygiene to avoid this kind of thing in the first place where it might not be as good as the UK.

 

[potatolord]

Drink some tap water and use the embassy's letterbox?

Edit: buy a funnel

 

[Freefaller]

Plenty of people don't get lucky - though some just seem unlucky - one of my colleagues husbands had as she put it "Delhi Belly" on visiting both Egypt (or it might have been Turkey I forget now) and India. Though I suspect some is people not having the right instincts when it comes to basic hygiene to avoid this kind of thing in the first place where it might not be as good as the UK.

I think it's much more probable about people not being savvy / well travelled and not researching things rather than tarring a country as the issue with that person