She lost her vacation for 5,000. zloty. All because of one information in the passport
One tourist will remember this holiday for a long time. And unfortunately it wasn’t because of the positive impressions during the trip. Because of one piece of information in her passport, she didn’t go on her long-awaited trip and lost a lot of money.
Sometimes one mistake during check-in is enough to force us to say goodbye to our dream flight or long-awaited vacation. A British tourist who was planning to fly to Majorca experienced this clearly. She bought the trip for $1,300 (approximately PLN 5,000) and went to the airport on the appointed day. Here a nasty surprise awaited her.
She didn’t go on holiday because of one piece of information in her passport
The British woman went to the airport in London, from where she was supposed to fly to Majorca for a holiday. Unfortunately, the authorities informed her that she could not go on her dream all-inclusive holiday for $1,300 to Majorca. All because of the strict and well-known passport regulations in the European Union.
Before Brexit began in 2020, British passport holders could travel throughout the EU with a valid document. They could freely move the borders until it expired.
However, currently Britons who want to visit Europe need a passport issued within the last 10 years. Therefore, two conditions must be met – the date of issue and the validity of the document.
An unfortunate coincidence before the holiday
Kirsty Hawes, 28, who experienced this situation, was truly unlucky. Well, it turns out that she was supposed to go on holiday on August 16, 2023, and her passport was issued on August 15, 2013 – that is, 10 years and one day before the planned trip.
“They took our passports and said we couldn’t fly. I thought it was a joke,” Hawes told SWNS.
Hawes was “devastated” because she was looking forward to the holiday her best friend had booked for the both of them back in April.
The friend allegedly provided passport numbers and expiry dates on the booking form, but not the dates of issue. Hawes said she had tried to obtain a temporary passport to quickly rectify the situation, but the earliest the document would be issued was in two weeks. Before the trip, she said she had “no idea” about this rule.
The girl paid $1,300 for the vacation, or approximately PLN 5,000. zloty. It turns out that he cannot get a refund from TUI, which organized the trip. At the bottom of the e-mail confirming the reservation, the conditions for recovering the money are described in detail. This situation does not qualify for them.
