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A holidaymaker was forced to shell out \u00a31,200 for a same-day British Airways flight to Cancun after she was blocked from boarding her original Tui plane because of a \u201cslight mark\u201d on her passport.<\/p>\n
Laila March, 25, a private tutor from Croydon in south London, thought she was getting a \u201ccheap deal\u201d with Tui for less than \u00a31,000 per person when she booked a week\u2019s holiday to the tropical beach destination with her sister Kaemarnie, 21, to celebrate her graduating from university.<\/p>\n
When the pair arrived at Gatwick Airport on June 7, Laila was told she could not board the plane because her passport was damaged \u2013 even though she uses it to travel regularly for work and had just flown back from Morocco the day before.<\/p>\n
As a last-ditch attempt, Laila, who is studying to become a French and Spanish teacher, decided to try her luck with British Airways (BA) and was shocked to learn they had \u201cno issue\u201d with her passport and would happily let her fly.<\/p>\n
Not wanting her sister to travel alone, Laila purchased a last-minute ticket for \u00a31,200 and had no problem clearing customs after arriving in Mexico only a few hours later than expected.<\/p>\n
But having to shell out an extra \u00a31,200 put a dent in Laila\u2019s savings.<\/p>\n
She complained in the hope of getting refunded for the pricey ticket and, after initially being told Tui had closed her case, more than two weeks later the company has now agreed to reimburse her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s just insane that Tui can say my passport is damaged and not allow me to board for fear I\u2019m not going to be allowed into Mexico by passport control, and then for another airline to have no issue with the same passport, let me fly to Mexico and then I get through passport control,\u201d Laila told PA Real Life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m studying to become a teacher, I start in September, and that money was money that I had saved up towards getting myself set up for university.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the UK Passport Office\u2019s website, a passport is considered damaged if \u201cyou cannot read any of your details, any of the pages are ripped, cut or missing, there are holes, cuts or rips in the cover, the cover is coming away or there are stains on the pages, for example ink or water damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a very small mark, almost like a little scratch on the right-hand side of the page but you would have to look very carefully to see it \u2013 I hadn\u2019t even noticed until they pointed it out,\u201d said Laila.<\/p>\n
Laila wanted to book a holiday to celebrate her little sister graduating from the University of Keele with a law degree.<\/p>\n
They found \u201ca really cheap deal\u201d on the Tui website, a one-week holiday at the Azul Beach Resort Riviera in Cancun, Mexico, for under \u00a31,000 per person, flights included.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the first time we were going on holiday just the two of us,\u201d added Laila.<\/p>\n
The pair were due to depart from Gatwick Airport on June 7, a day after Laila arrived back in the UK from Morocco, where she had been working as a private tutor.<\/p>\n
They arrived at the North Terminal Tui check-in desk two hours early, expecting to collect their tickets with plenty of time to relax before their flight.<\/p>\n
Laila said the check-in assistant scanned their passports and was about to hand over their boarding passes when she spotted a small stain in the top right of her picture page.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was like, \u2018What\u2019s happened to your passport? What\u2019s this mark on it?\u2019,\u201d Laila said.<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently there was a slight mark on the photo page, but it wasn\u2019t over any of the details and you could still read everything.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe called someone who took my passport and disappeared for half an hour, even though I explained, I flew into this airport yesterday and have travelled many times in the past year.\u201d<\/p>\n
After waiting 45 minutes, Laila was informed she could not board the plane.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said Mexico has really strict passport control so I might not be let into the country,\u201d said Laila.<\/p>\n
\u201cAccording to them, my passport was damaged so they couldn\u2019t allow me to fly with Tui because if I get to Mexico and they send me back, it\u2019s going to be a charge for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laila said she was given three options: to apply for an emergency passport and travel a few days later, to change the name on her booking so someone else could travel in her place, or to see if another airline would accept her passport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey told me British Airways was flying out from the South Terminal this afternoon: \u2018Maybe you could try with them?\u2019,\u201d explained Laila.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you\u2019ve just said that my passport was damaged, how can you recommend I use another airline?\u201d<\/p>\n
Laila did not want to ruin her sister\u2019s graduation holiday but at the same time was concerned because she had never been traveling alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, I had to find a way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
With no time to spare, Laila headed for the South Terminal to plead her case.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to someone who works at Gatwick and showed them my passport,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told them what Tui had said and he was like \u2018that\u2019s not damaged, go speak to British Airways and see what they say\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018I don\u2019t see why they wouldn\u2019t let you board\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
The BA desk examined her passport and confirmed she could purchase a fresh ticket for \u00a31,200 and fly out that very afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were able to scan my passport and print out my boarding pass, just like the lady at Tui,\u201d said Laila.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was absolutely no issue, I just had to pay an extra \u00a31,200.\u201d<\/p>\n
Upon arrival, Laila was still apprehensive, thinking Mexican border control could still turn her away but again, they examined her passport and waved her through.<\/p>\n
\u201cI gave them my passport and they looked at the mark,\u201d said Laila.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understood what they were saying because I speak Spanish.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were saying her passport isn\u2019t damaged because no pages have been ripped out, you can still scan it and everything is clear, readable and you can see her face.\u201d<\/p>\n
Laila raised a complaint with Tui in the hope of getting a full or partial refund for her BA flight, which cost more than the holiday.<\/p>\n
She was told Tui would investigate the matter, but on June 16 she received an email saying her case had been closed.<\/p>\n
Then last week, on June 21, she received another message to say the company would be refunding the cost of the BA ticket in the next two weeks.<\/p>\n
After arriving at the hotel, Laila said it was a \u201cgood holiday\u201d but that the whole experience was tarnished by her having to pay so much money.<\/p>\n
Laila has another holiday booked with Tui to Jamaica in September this year and fearing she will be turned away again, has applied for a new passport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis whole experience with Tui has just left a sour taste in my mouth and I just want to avoid it happening again.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Tui UK & Ireland spokesperson said: \u201cWe\u2019re sorry to hear Ms March was unable to travel with Tui as planned due to the damage on her passport.<\/p>\n
\u201cCustomers are informed by email, and on our website, at the time of booking and prior to travel that UK Government\u2019s passport requirements must be followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe strongly advise that customers check their passports are damage-free as if there is any concern a passenger could be denied entry to their destination, they will be denied travel at the discretion of our check-in team.<\/p>\n