TUI barred me from flight – as my valid passport was more than ten years old: SALLY SORTS IT

A family’s dream Lanzarote holiday booked with travel firm TUI for £3,935 turned into a nightmare at the check-in desk. The traveller, her 78-year-old husband, and their granddaughter were heading for a festive getaway, but the grandmother was denied boarding on December 30th due to her passport being over ten years old. Despite recently travelling to France without issue, she was informed her passport validity did not meet post-Brexit regulations. The distraught passenger had to remain behind, urging her husband and granddaughter to proceed with the trip. She questions why TUI, having issued her boarding pass, failed to check passport validity during the initial booking process.

J. N., Chichester, West Sussex.

Passport Problem Ruins Holiday Plans

Sally Hamilton replies: Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Numerous readers have contacted me regarding denied boarding due to passport validity issues, a problem exacerbated by post-Brexit rule changes for EU and Schengen Area travel.

Understanding Post-Brexit Passport Rules

For UK passport holders travelling to EU and Schengen countries, passports must now be less than ten years from the issue date on the day of departure and possess at least three months of remaining validity beyond the return date. Failure to meet these criteria risks denied boarding. In your case, your passport was issued on December 19, 2014, and expires on July 19, 2025.

France Trip Masked Underlying Issue

Your recent trip to France on December 19, 2024, occurred precisely on your passport’s tenth birthday. While technically not meeting the ‘less than ten years’ requirement, passport control likely exercised discretion. This leniency wouldn’t extend to the Lanzarote flight a few weeks later, where your passport had definitively surpassed the ten-year limit, correctly flagged by check-in staff.

Customer Service Concerns

Beyond the frustrating passport validity issue, your complaint highlights shortcomings in TUI‘s customer support. You felt the staff member who denied boarding lacked empathy and that a subsequent representative provided incorrect information regarding the rapid passport replacement service.

A later call to TUI customer services suggested an in-person visit to the Portsmouth Passport Office. Despite living nearby, you found the office accessible only to security personnel without an appointment. Your primary concern remains why TUI failed to alert you to potential passport validity problems during the booking process itself.

TUI Responds and Offers Goodwill Gesture

TUI maintains that the passport office number provided was accurate and, upon testing, I was able to reach the service. Premium passport applications require online completion due to photo uploads and online payment requirements.

Regarding the Portsmouth Passport Office advice, TUI acknowledges the guidance could have been clearer about the necessity of appointments. For this misstep, they offered a £200 goodwill gesture. TUI admits confusion surrounding the “over ten-year” EU passport regulations and has implemented an online passport checker.

While not integrated into the booking process, booking confirmations, amendments, and e-tickets now include a reminder and a link to the passport checker to verify passport validity.

Historical Passport Validity Issue

The British passport validity complication arises from a previous policy (2001-2018) allowing up to nine months of unused validity to be carried over upon renewal. This practice ended for adult passports issued after September 10, 2018, which are now capped at ten years. Children’s passports have a five-year limit.

However, numerous passports with extended validity remain in circulation, potentially causing issues until June 2029. Travellers to Europe are strongly advised to check passport validity and consult gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for specific country regulations.

Resolution and Holiday Salvaged

Ultimately, you secured a new passport through the premium service with an appointment at the London HM Passport Office. The same-day issuance allowed you to fly from Stansted Airport and enjoy the final four days of your Lanzarote holiday with your family.

Energy Bill Dispute: £7,000 Demand for Closed Shop

An 86-year-old mother received a distressing £7,000 electricity bill demand from energy company EDF for her closed soft furnishings shop. The shop ceased operations in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic and has not used electricity since. Her daughter seeks assistance in resolving this billing issue.

T. D., London.

Sally Hamilton replies: This reader’s mother has been engaged in a prolonged dispute with EDF regarding the shop’s energy bills. Despite informing EDF of the shop’s closure and cessation of electricity usage, the firm contested meter readings showing no change.

EDF engineers inspected the premises, but the issue persisted. Contact was made after EDF acknowledged no electricity usage but still demanded £7,000 in standing charges.

It appears the mother was on a high variable-rate tariff, where standing charges fluctuate with electricity prices, leading to the inflated bill. The standing charge seemed excessive, prompting further investigation by EDF.

The investigation revealed two meters at the property, one of which should have been removed, contributing to the escalating bills. Following a manual account review, EDF revised the bill to £2,615 and offered a further £515 reduction as a goodwill gesture, resolving the energy bill dispute.

• Contact Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email [email protected]— include phone number, address and permission for the organisation to discuss with Sally Hamilton. Do not send original documents as we cannot be responsible for them. The Daily Mail cannot accept legal responsibility for provided answers.