Travel risk on pseudonym

Press, 10 February 1981, Page 3

Travel risk on pseudonym

PA’ Wellington Air passengers who travel to Australia under assumed names are risking fines, confiscation of luggage, and even deportation, the Minis-i try of Transport’s Civil Aviation Division has warned. Transport officials in both New Zealand and Australia are concerned about the illegal practice of selling ad-vance-purchase air tickets. Sales may take the formi of direct deals with travel; ; agents or answering news-i paper advertisements offer- j ling a ticket for sale. The! |“catch” is that the ticket is; I not legally transferable. soj i the person who buys it must I travel under the name that] appears on the ticket. I This is possible between] iAustralia and New Zealand.] | where no passport is re-i jquired for identification. j The senior air services i policy advisory officer in ■the Ministry of Transport Mrs Cathy Lythe, said the problem arose with advancel purchase (Epjc) tickets. These offer a legal low-cost fare, provided the person books and pays 21 days before the flight. Before that, a reservation must be followed by pay ment within 14 days. Cancellation of. the ticket within 21

days of the flight entails forfeiting half the cost of the fare. “This means that a pas-i senger wishing to travel; mid-year, when fares are; lowest, may make a booking: now to travel in June or! July. However. circum-l stances may force them to change their mind within 211 days 'of the flight,” Mrs! Lythe said. ; "If. they fail to travel, without an adequate medical I reason, such as the death of la close relative, then they ■ forfeit half the amount they I paid. This is something they I should insure against, but ■some don’t. j “There are then two ways they can try to save their (deposit. They can try to I twist the arm of their travel 'agent to amend the booking I— and most reputable] ] agents would not get tied up] in that — or they may place ] a newspaper ■ advertisement! to sell or swap the ticket.” ' Mrs Lythe said that on; reaching Australia. the; temptation Was to use the assumed name when filling in Customs and immigration forms. This rendered them liable for prosecution and fines under immigration laws, and the seizing of luggage under Customs regulations. There was also the possibility of losing insurance cover through making false declarations, as well as the risk of the Australian t authorities deciding upon de-j portation. For the person! who sold the ticket, there! was the risk of prosecution] under international tariff' regulations carrying a max- i imum fine of $5OOO. Mrs Lythe said the Minis-] try and other Government departments were having a closer look at the matter. One case was now under investigation. The Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand was being asked to make sure, that its members did not . help the resale of Epic fares and the Ministry of Trans- ( port was considering asking newspapers to reject such j advertisements. ; ‘‘There is a shared concern ( in both-countries to preserve , the accuracy of information . without the need for pass- ] port control. If that does not ’ work, there will be pres- ] sures from both sides to ( bring in passports” Mrs | Lythe said.