Q: When is a multi-entry visa not a multi-entry visa?
A: When it's an Indian multi-entry and you use it more than once!
Caught out badly at Heathrow last night. It seems India has introduced a new rule two weeks ago preventing you from returning on your multi-entry visa to India within a two month period unless you have an interview and get some sort of certification from the Indian authorities (although the specifics of this given by Virgin were a bit vague). I returned from India in mid January so my Indian visa with 4 months remaining validity was actually not valid again until mid March.
Pretty disastrous for me, Adam OK as he was traveling on a new visa obtained since our January trip. So a well planned 5 day shoot of the elephant festival and Holi festival on Feb 28 and March 1 coinciding with Adam's 50th birthday was shot down in flames, for me at least. Adam got away fine and he will hopefully have a colourful March 1 and get some shots including the ones I was going to take!
You would think any of the airlines would be emailing passengers who have bought Indian tickets from them to warn them of this change. I am certainly getting a ton of sales emails from the airlines currently, looking after existing sales is equally important, perhaps more so. Virgin especially surprised me, given how good their service is typically. The Heathrow staff were specifically looking in passports for old stamps indicating prior visits to India, it wasn't random. Yet they hadn't thought to email passengers, can you work that out??? The cost is one thing (flight, lens hire, waterproofing) but the lost experience is the biggest cost. Boo Virgin and Boo Flight Centre.
Julie and Adam (from London and Jaipur respectively!)
Have a great weekend.
Holi Holi No Holi Saturday Feb 27, 2010
