[ttunny]

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font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> Dear Sirs:
My wife and I purchased airline tickets with Lufthansa through ORBITZ to travel from Minsk, Belarus to St. Petersburg, Russia on March 25, 2012 with return flights on March 31, 2012. The cost of the tickets was $1309.78.
We then needed to secure Tourist Visas in order to travel to Russia. We worked with a travel agency in St. Petersburg to secure Voucher and Confirmation forms for our trip.
On Monday, March 7 we went to the Russian Embassy in Minsk with our documents. The Visa agent refused to accept our applications because we did not have “original” Vouchers. The travel agent in St. Petersburg had sent us scanned copies of the Vouchers assuring us that these scanned copies would be accepted.
We were told by ORBITZ that we need a letter from the Russian Embassy stating that our application for a Visa was rejected in order to get a refund or credit on these tickets. The Russian Embassy informs us that they cannot give us such a letter since they did not accept our applications to begin with because we did not have “original” Vouchers.
We, therefore, have no letter to prove that our applications were rejected. We have only this letter of explanation to inform you that our applications were not accepted.
I hope that there can be some reasonable resolution to this problem so that we do not have to forfeit our $1309.78 to the benefit of Lufthansa Airlines.

[A320FAN]

Originally Posted by ttunny

Dear Sirs:
My wife and I purchased airline tickets with Lufthansa through ORBITZ to travel from Minsk, Belarus to St. Petersburg, Russia on March 25, 2012 with return flights on March 31, 2012. The cost of the tickets was $1309.78.
We then needed to secure Tourist Visas in order to travel to Russia. We worked with a travel agency in St. Petersburg to secure Voucher and Confirmation forms for our trip.
On Monday, March 7 we went to the Russian Embassy in Minsk with our documents. The Visa agent refused to accept our applications because we did not have “original” Vouchers. The travel agent in St. Petersburg had sent us scanned copies of the Vouchers assuring us that these scanned copies would be accepted.
We were told by ORBITZ that we need a letter from the Russian Embassy stating that our application for a Visa was rejected in order to get a refund or credit on these tickets. The Russian Embassy informs us that they cannot give us such a letter since they did not accept our applications to begin with because we did not have “original” Vouchers.
We, therefore, have no letter to prove that our applications were rejected. We have only this letter of explanation to inform you that our applications were not accepted.
I hope that there can be some reasonable resolution to this problem so that we do not have to forfeit our $1309.78 to the benefit of Lufthansa Airlines.

If you call Lufthansa They should be able to change your tickets with a change fee and difference in air fare. However you have to speak to the Travel agency who sold you these tickets and the one who gave you the
scanned visas and try to get them to split the cost since they are the ones who sold to you these tickets as well. If all else fails do what the "moderator" Jimwrocks says "take them to court" for out of pocket expenses. However you need to make sure you have all of your stuff in order including facts, dates, times, the scanned/photo copied visas and the names of the people you had to deal with.

[jimworcs]

I think your complaint is entirely with the Visa Agents. Their advice was mis-informed and negligent. You should seek any compensation from them for any additional costs. Lufthansa have not done anything wrong or improper.

P.S. I am delighted to find that I "rock"!!! A320FAN...lol