Oct 8, 2024 • 9 min read
30.09.2024 - 15:53 / insider.com
After nearly a day-and-a-half of flights that took me from Phoenix to Dallas to Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh City, I was exhausted but thrilled to finally reach my destination.
It had been six months since I last visited Vietnam and I was looking forward to exploring new-to-me cities in this beautiful country.
Upon deplaning, I headed to the passport-control area with my passport and a print-out of the visa I had applied for — and was granted — about six weeks earlier.
When I got to the front, I handed over my two documents and awaited the inevitable stamp of approval. Instead, the employee handed them back to me and said, "Denied."
I was so confused — I've traveled to 46 countries and had not had issues gaining entry to any of them before.
After bouncing around the airport and waiting in lines I found an employee who would review my documents to tell me what the problem was.
It turns out they didn't match: My middle name was on my passport but not on my visa.
Visa applications can be denied if your name doesn't match the one on your passport, and I'd missed this discrepancy.
Eventually, the employee told me I had two choices: I could fly back to Japan, where I'd just arrived from, or pay for a "very, very expensive" emergency visa.
I knew flying back to Japan wasn't an option, as I was embarking on a river cruise out of Vietnam in less than 12 hours. So, I chose the latter.
I let out a sigh of relief when I learned my new visa would be $130 — I'd expected it to cost much more. But I panicked again when I pulled out my credit card, and the employee told me they only accepted cash.
Fortunately, I found a few $20 bills shoved in my bag. After a stressful wait, I had my new visa and was free to go.
I still don't understand how my visa application was approved in the first place — I had to submit a photo of my passport to get it — but now I know to be extra vigilant.
Later, I also realized why I'd forgotten to include my middle name: The electronic visa application didn't have a specific spot labeled for it.
The form says "Given name" and "Surname" — I didn't think to include my middle name in the same spot as my first because I'm used to seeing a separate spot for it on applications.
From now on, though, I'll remember that names on a passport and visa must match perfectly, which means including every detail (even if the application doesn't ask for it in a way you'd expect).
I'm glad I was able to continue on my trip — and I'll never travel again without money on hand for emergencies. Cash is still king in most places, and I'm lucky this mistake only cost me a few bills and few hours.
Oct 8, 2024 • 9 min read
To many younger LGBTQ travelers, going on a gay cruise often means setting sail on a large 3,000+ passenger ship in the Caribbean, with days of onboard EDM concerts, sun-kissed ports of call, and maybe a bit of foolishness during the evening hours. But today’s queer cruise market is diverse in nature, and there’s also a growing need for luxury itineraries to ports of call in places like Vietnam, Egypt, Norway, and the Seychelles.
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From #BookTok to celebrity book clubs to high-profile literary film adaptations, it's safe to say that reading hasn't been this cool in years. So it's not a big surprise that our favorite nerdy pastime has also begun to seep into the world of nightlife.
A popular low-cost air airline is expanding globally. Southwest Airlines recently announced a partnership to offer international flights by partnering with carriers who operate international fights in Southwest markets. “Southwest is formalizing partnerships with international carriers to expand its network and connect Customers with more global destinations to generate additional demand for travel across the Southwest network,” Southwest shared in a news release. The launch of this new international flight program will take place in 2025, with Icelandair as the first partner airline, and will depart from the Baltimore, MD (BWI) airport. There, travelers can fly on Icelandair to Iceland, where they can connect to a variety of European destinations including Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Dublin, Oslo, Prague, Rome, and more. Icelandair is a discount carrier that operates international flights, and similar to Southwest, does not have a first or business class section on their aircraft. “The partnership will unlock many exciting travel options for our customers, and our extensive network in Europe will open for Southwest customers,” Icelandair President and CEO Bogi Nils Bogason said in a statement. “As part of our strategic focus on expanding our global partnership network, we seek out airlines known for exceptional service and connectivity.” As an example, a traveler would start their journey on Southwest from Nashville to Baltimore, and then continue on Icelandair from Baltimore to Iceland.