A holidaymaker has been left heartbroken was left £820 out of pocket after being denied boarding for a winter sun break, because of a small rip in her passport.
Donna Fairclough, 42, had been due to jet off to Malta from Manchester Airport with her fiancé Gary Broadley, 55, on January 3 for a winter sun break.
However, the pub landlord was told she would not be allowed to travel due to what she described as a “little” rip in her passport.
Photographs show a tear running along part of the photo page, though she insists it was originally much smaller and did not affect her personal details.
“I don’t actually know (when it ripped). We went to Tenerife last year, and everything was fine,” the disappointed passenger said.
She explained: “The rip wasn’t as bad as it looks in the photo. At the time, it was a tiny rip above the picture.”
When Ms Fairclough went to drop their bags at the EasyJet check-in desk, her holiday plans unwravelled.
“We got to Manchester Airport and printed off our labels for our bags. We walked round to the baggage check-in desk and she asked for our passports and boarding passes,” she said.
Donna Fairclough and Gary Broadley were prevented from a Malta holiday because of a ripped passport
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KENNEDY NEWS
“I gave them mine and she said ‘one second’. Jokingly my partner said, ‘what have you done?’
“She came back and told me I couldn’t fly because my passport was damaged.
“I was gobsmacked and heartbroken,” the EasyJet passenger explained.
Ms Fairclough said she could not understand the decision, insisting the damage did not obscure her identity.
‘You can still see my face and my passport number and it didn’t affect any of that. That’s what I couldn’t understand’
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KENNEDY NEWS
“It was just a little rip above the picture. I don’t know how the rip got bigger. I might have caught it.
“The rip was initially about a quarter-of-an-inch.
“I was excited to go away. It was heartbreaking because we lost out on a holiday because of a rip.
“I said to my partner, you can still see my face and my passport number and it didn’t affect any of that. That’s what I couldn’t understand.”
The couple were left with no option but to return home and miss the trip altogether.
Ms Fairclough later contacted EasyJet but claims the airline refused a refund because the damage was classed as accidental.
She has since paid for a replacement passport ahead of a planned trip to Thailand and is now urging other travellers to check their documents carefully.
“I would tell people to thoroughly check through,” she said, adding that: “Even if it’s a little rip or a little crease. Anything they might think might stop you from flying.”
‘I was excited to go away. It was heartbreaking because we lost out on a holiday because of a rip’
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KENNEDY
“Some people might think it’s fine, but it’s obviously not, as I’m one of the people it’s happened to.”
Government guidance warns that damaged passports may not be accepted for travel, stating: “If your passport is damaged you must replace it. You may not be able to travel with it.
“HM Passport Office will consider your passport damaged if… any of the pages are ripped, cut or missing.”
An EasyJet spokesman said: “We’re sorry to hear that Ms Fairclough was not able to go on her holiday due to her passport being damaged, and we understand how disappointing this must have been.
“Our airline works closely with the authorities and complies with their guidance to ensure the safety and security of customers and crew, and this means we can’t allow anyone to travel if their documentation is damaged.
“As soon as Ms Fairclough reached out to us, we advised on how she could obtain a new passport.
“We have been back in touch to offer any further support, and we hope we can take her on holiday soon.”