British holidaymakers have been warned about a little-known passport rule that could see them turned away at the gate as they are about to board their flight.
This rule applies to a damaged passport. If the authorities doubt the validity of your passport, you may not be able to fly.
If they have concerns about the condition of your luggage, you may be detained at the airport for further questioning, even if you have already landed at your destination.
Minor damage and folded pages in your passport are generally acceptable, but you should still be extremely careful. Always make sure your passport is in the best possible condition to avoid being unable to travel.
Please keep this in mind and avoid adding new stamps or stickers to your passport as this may cause a delay to your flight.
British holidaymakers have been warned about a little-known passport rule that could see them turned away at the gate as they are about to board their flight
According to the British Passport Office website, a passport is considered damaged if “you cannot read any of your details, any of the pages are torn, cut or missing, there are holes, cuts or tears in the cover, the cover is coming loose or the pages are stained, for example by ink or water damage.”
One example is the British holidaymaker who had to pay £1,200 for an alternative flight to her dream holiday in Mexico after she was blocked from boarding her original TUI plane because of a “small stain” on her passport.
Laila March, 25, a private tutor from Croydon, south London, thought she had got a “cheap deal” with TUI for less than £1,000 per person when she booked a week’s holiday to Cancun with her sister Kaemarnie, 21, to celebrate her university graduation.
However, when Laila arrived at Gatwick Airport on 7 June, she was told she would not be allowed to board the plane because her passport was damaged. This despite the fact that she regularly uses the passport to travel for work and had just flown back from Morocco the day before.
They arrived at the check-in desk at TUI Terminal North two hours early, expecting to be able to collect their tickets and have plenty of time to relax before their flight.
Laila said the check-in assistant scanned their passports and was about to hand over their boarding passes when she noticed a small stain in the top right corner of her photo page.
“She said something like, ‘What happened to your passport? What is this mark on it?’” Laila said.
‘Apparently there was a small stain on the photo page, but it didn’t cover the details and you could still read everything.
“She called someone who took my passport and disappeared for half an hour, even though I explained that I had arrived at this airport yesterday and that I had traveled many times in the past year.”
After waiting for 45 minutes, Laila was told she would not be allowed to board the plane.
Laila, who is studying to become a French and Spanish teacher, was told she could not go to school
The error in the passport is almost invisible to the naked eye, but it did not get past TUI. One of the security markings (circled) in the upper right quarter of the page has a marking running through the middle.
“They said Mexico has very strict passport controls and that I might not be allowed into the country because of that,” Laila said.
‘According to them, my passport was damaged and that’s why I couldn’t fly with TUI. If I arrive in Mexico and they send me back, they will have to pay costs for that.’
Laila said she had three options: she could apply for an emergency passport and travel a few days later, she could change the name on her booking so someone else could travel in her place, or she could see if another airline would accept her passport.
With time short, Laila went to the South Terminal to plead her case.
In a desperate attempt to travel, Laila decided to try her luck with British Airways. They had ‘no problem’ with her passport and were happy to let her fly.
Not wanting her sister to travel alone, Laila bought a ticket at the last minute for £1,200 and got through customs without any problems, arriving in Mexico just a few hours later than expected.
But having to pay an extra £1,200 has eaten into Laila’s savings, which she planned to spend in September when she starts her postgraduate degree in education at Cambridge University.
She complained in the hope of getting her money back for the expensive ticket. After initially being told that TUI had closed her case, the company agreed to refund her money.
According to the British Passport Office website, a passport is considered damaged if “you cannot read any of your details, any of the pages are torn, cut or missing, there are holes, cuts or tears in the cover, the cover is coming loose or the pages are stained, for example due to ink or water damage” (File image)
