Terry Winter, 56, and his wife Molly were left £1,000 out-of-pocket when they were denied boarding at Birmingham Airport for their first foreign holiday in eight years due to an unexpected passport issue.
The couple had checked in their luggage and received boarding passes for their flight to Tenerife on Friday, June 12, when Terry's passport scan revealed the problem. Although his document was still valid, it had been issued more than 10 years before the date of their arrival, breaking post-Brexit rules for travel to the European Union.
Shock at the Airport
Terry, from Oxford, said: "I put my suitcase on the check-in to get my tag, and that's when the warning sign came up through easyJet." He waited for assistance from a staff member and was informed his passport was not valid. "I didn't know about this rule. I was shocked," he added. "There were two other people at the airport, and this was happening exactly at the same time. So this isn't just a one-off thing."
Last week, a mother of three was also unable to board her easyJet flight to Greece with her family because of the same issue. She discovered at the airport her passport was invalid and was forced to spend nearly £700 in extra costs, while another traveller was reportedly turned away for the same reason.
No Warning from easyJet
Terry expressed surprise that he had not received any warning about the regulation before arriving at the airport. He had booked the holiday in January and entered his passport details on easyJet's website. "They accepted the booking, didn't tell me there was anything wrong at the time, and then three weeks before the flight, I had to put all my passport details in again to check in. It didn't flag anything again, and my boarding passes were downloaded," he said.
An easyJet worker at the airport told Terry that the problem "happened daily."
Urgent Passport Appointment
Terry urgently arranged a Passport Office appointment using the one-day premium service. His wife, whose passport was valid, stayed in the UK with him. He booked a 9:10 am slot for Monday, June 15 in Peterborough. The couple stayed near the office the night before and finally flew to Tenerife on Tuesday, June 16.
Terry said the problem cost him nearly £1,000 in extra expenses: £40 in petrol, £50 for the Peterborough accommodation, just under £100 for another evening at the airport hotel, roughly £400 for two passengers flying one-way to Tenerife, and £239.50 for his new passport. The couple also lost around £400 on the first flights they could not take.
easyJet's Response
An easyJet spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, Mr Winter was unable to fly as his passport did not meet passport validity rules. We remind customers during booking, check-in and by email before they travel to ensure they are aware of the travel documentation requirements for their trip, and it is customers' responsibility to ensure they have valid documentation for travel."
EasyJet has a section on its website alerting travellers to passport regulations and requirements, including those applicable to EU travel.
