American Samoans returning from Samoa have expressed frustration about the hurdles they have to go through to get back.
All flights are fully booked up to June 9.
According to 93KHJ reports, when the plane actually takes off from Faleolo Airport heading to the Pago Pago International Airport, there are usually a few people bumped off because their names are not on the list that’s provided to the airline.
So the travelers end up paying a penalty, staying in Samoa longer than they were planning to incur more costs, paying for another Covid-19 test and phone costs to track down people who make the decisions on who can board the plane.
Airline staff in Samoa have said the TalofaPass system has been very challenging for them and travelers.
“Almost every flight since we started with TalofaPass, there’s two or three people bumped off the flight,” said an airline staffer in Apia.
People who’ve purchased tickets in order to comply with the requirements of TalofaPass end up not going if they’re not on the list of approved passengers issued by the American Samoa Government.
One traveler who was bumped off last Friday said she registered on TalofaPass for her trip to Apia and she kept checking with the staff in the Governor’s Office who handle the Samoa flights if she needed to do anything more to secure her return flight.
And she was assured that after she registers on TalofaPass and upload the required documents, she would be okay.
But when she went to Faleolo Airport Friday to return home, she was told her name was not on the list which was signed by a member of the Governor’s Office staff.
Several calls were made to no avail, and eventually, the flight left without her.
Covid-19 tests for travelers from Samoa have to be done within 72 hours before departure. If a traveler tests positive and can’t depart on their scheduled flight, the Samoa Ministry of Health will conduct another test for free.
Otherwise, the traveler who’s bumped off their original flight will have to pay for a new test which is $300 for non-Samoan citizens and $150 tala for Samoan passport holders.
Tests are free for everyone in American Samoa.
