Aussie holiday ruined by $10,000 travel blunder: 'I'm not going there again'
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Names marked with an asterisk (*) are pseudonyms used to protect the individual’s privacy and identity.
For many of us, travel is one of life’s greatest joys—especially in retirement, when we finally have the time (and hopefully the savings) to explore the world.
But as one Queensland woman recently discovered, even the most seasoned globetrotter can be tripped up by a simple administrative error—one that ended up costing her more than $10,000 (A$11,147.40) and left her facing a three-year ban from the United States.
Michelle*, a 71-year-old retiree from Queensland, has visited the US more times than she can count.
But her most recent adventure—a dream holiday that included a cruise from Japan to Alaska and a journey through Canada—turned into a travel nightmare she’ll never forget.
Michelle*’s troubles began when she tried to board a flight from Calgary to Seattle, the next leg of her trip.
Arriving at the airport in the early hours of the morning, she handed over her passport, expecting nothing more than a routine check.
Instead, she was told by airline staff that US immigration had denied her boarding.
According to their records, Michelle* had overstayed her Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa by a staggering 333 days.
'I’m not going there again. It’s just not worth it, it’s so terrifying,' Michelle* told reporters. 'All I want to do is get rid of this thing that’s hanging over my head.'
Stuck in limbo in a Canadian airport, Michelle* was left to fend for herself. Her travel insurance was about to expire, flights back to Australia were nearly full, and she was thousands of kilometres from home.
In the end, she managed to secure a last-minute premium economy ticket from Calgary to Vancouver, then on to Brisbane—at a jaw-dropping cost of $10,749.20 (A$11,983.58).
Add in the price of an extra night in a Vancouver hotel and the money lost on her pre-booked Seattle accommodation, and the total bill for this bureaucratic blunder soared even higher.
The culprit, it seems, was a technical glitch in the US immigration system. When Michelle* left the US on a cruise from Hawaii in 2024, her departure was never properly recorded by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
As a result, the system believed she had overstayed her 90-day ESTA visa by almost a year, triggering an automatic three-year ban from re-entering the country.
This isn’t an isolated incident. According to immigration experts, the US relies on flight and cruise manifests to track when foreign visitors leave the country.
But sometimes, especially with cruise passengers, departures aren’t logged correctly. Melbourne-based immigration lawyer Sherwin Noorian explained, 'At times, they fail to record departures for foreign nationals, and this may result in an ‘overstay’ being recorded for the traveller that is not accurate.'
Michelle* has since submitted evidence to the US Embassy in Canberra, the Department of Home Affairs, and US Customs and Border Protection to prove she didn’t break any immigration laws.
She’s also waiting to hear back from the US authorities after lodging a complaint with the Traveller Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP).
In the meantime, she’s hoping her travel insurance will reimburse her for the $10,000 (A$11,147.40) she had to spend to get home.
Michelle*’s story is a cautionary tale for all Australian travellers, especially those over 60 who may be planning cruises or multi-country trips.
While most trips go off without a hitch, Michelle*’s experience is a reminder that even the best-laid plans can go awry.
As international travel becomes more automated and reliant on digital records, the risk of administrative errors increases.
For older Australians, who may be less familiar with online systems or who prefer cruises and multi-leg journeys, these risks are especially relevant.
It’s also worth noting that the US is not the only country where such issues can arise.
Many nations now use electronic travel authorisations and automated border controls, which can be prone to glitches or human error.
Staying informed, organised, and proactive is the best defence.
Have you ever had a travel disaster or been caught out by a visa or immigration error? Do you have tips for fellow members on how to avoid these pitfalls? Share your stories and advice in the comments below.
Read more: Young Aussies are being made to choose: super or chasing their dreams—what would you do?
For many of us, travel is one of life’s greatest joys—especially in retirement, when we finally have the time (and hopefully the savings) to explore the world.
But as one Queensland woman recently discovered, even the most seasoned globetrotter can be tripped up by a simple administrative error—one that ended up costing her more than $10,000 (A$11,147.40) and left her facing a three-year ban from the United States.
Michelle*, a 71-year-old retiree from Queensland, has visited the US more times than she can count.
But her most recent adventure—a dream holiday that included a cruise from Japan to Alaska and a journey through Canada—turned into a travel nightmare she’ll never forget.
Michelle*’s troubles began when she tried to board a flight from Calgary to Seattle, the next leg of her trip.
A retired Queensland woman in her 70s was forced to pay over $10,000 (A$11,147.40) for a last-minute flight home after US immigration wrongly claimed she overstayed her visa. Credit: Facebook
Arriving at the airport in the early hours of the morning, she handed over her passport, expecting nothing more than a routine check.
Instead, she was told by airline staff that US immigration had denied her boarding.
According to their records, Michelle* had overstayed her Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa by a staggering 333 days.
'I’m not going there again. It’s just not worth it, it’s so terrifying,' Michelle* told reporters. 'All I want to do is get rid of this thing that’s hanging over my head.'
Stuck in limbo in a Canadian airport, Michelle* was left to fend for herself. Her travel insurance was about to expire, flights back to Australia were nearly full, and she was thousands of kilometres from home.
In the end, she managed to secure a last-minute premium economy ticket from Calgary to Vancouver, then on to Brisbane—at a jaw-dropping cost of $10,749.20 (A$11,983.58).
Add in the price of an extra night in a Vancouver hotel and the money lost on her pre-booked Seattle accommodation, and the total bill for this bureaucratic blunder soared even higher.
The culprit, it seems, was a technical glitch in the US immigration system. When Michelle* left the US on a cruise from Hawaii in 2024, her departure was never properly recorded by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
As a result, the system believed she had overstayed her 90-day ESTA visa by almost a year, triggering an automatic three-year ban from re-entering the country.
But sometimes, especially with cruise passengers, departures aren’t logged correctly. Melbourne-based immigration lawyer Sherwin Noorian explained, 'At times, they fail to record departures for foreign nationals, and this may result in an ‘overstay’ being recorded for the traveller that is not accurate.'
Michelle* has since submitted evidence to the US Embassy in Canberra, the Department of Home Affairs, and US Customs and Border Protection to prove she didn’t break any immigration laws.
She’s also waiting to hear back from the US authorities after lodging a complaint with the Traveller Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP).
In the meantime, she’s hoping her travel insurance will reimburse her for the $10,000 (A$11,147.40) she had to spend to get home.
Michelle*’s story is a cautionary tale for all Australian travellers, especially those over 60 who may be planning cruises or multi-country trips.
As international travel becomes more automated and reliant on digital records, the risk of administrative errors increases.
For older Australians, who may be less familiar with online systems or who prefer cruises and multi-leg journeys, these risks are especially relevant.
It’s also worth noting that the US is not the only country where such issues can arise.
Many nations now use electronic travel authorisations and automated border controls, which can be prone to glitches or human error.
Staying informed, organised, and proactive is the best defence.
Read more: Young Aussies are being made to choose: super or chasing their dreams—what would you do?
