We were on cloud nine, then that was a bit of a kick in the teeth. It really upset us both
A newlywed couple was left “heartbroken” after being denied boarding for their honeymoon flight due to a tear in one of their passports.
Joe Barnes and Beccy Bestwick-Barnes had planned to jet off to Cyprus for a four-day holiday on Wednesday, August 6, just four days after tying the knot. However, the Nottinghamshire pair’s £1,200 trip with TUI was ruined before they could even board the plane at East Midlands Airport.
Airline staff noticed a small rip at the top of Mr Barnes’ passport’s main page and declared it too damaged to travel with. The newlywed’s sadness comes after a disabled woman said her holiday was ‘ruined’ by EasyJet.
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“We were all excited and happy, but they wouldn’t allow us to use the passport. We were absolutely heartbroken at the airport. We were on cloud nine, then that was a bit of a kick in the teeth. It really upset us both,” Beccy told Nottingham Post.
Her husband added: “It’s annoying. It was heartbreaking more than anything. To get refused at the airport like that, in front of the queues, is just embarrassing. When everyone’s staring at you, it’s just not nice. It was horrible, horrible.”
Joe, a 35-year-old forklift operator, has been left confused about the rejection. He said he had used the same passport for his stag do in Magaluf, booked via Jet2, just three weeks prior. According to GOV.UK, the HM Passport Office may deem a passport damaged if any of its pages are “ripped, cut or missing.”
The document could also be considered damaged due to stains, holes or if the cover is detaching. TUI explained that Joe was denied travel at check-in because his passport was “very badly damaged”.
Airport staff believed the passport’s pages seemed water-damaged and one had a small tear in the corner, according to the airline, which noted that it was adhering to government guidelines. A spokesperson for Swissport added: “We follow the UK Passport Office guidance which states that damaged passports, including ones with ripped pages, must be replaced. We’d encourage all travellers to check their passports before travelling, and refer to official websites such as Gov.uk for guidance.”
The couple mentioned they were unlikely to receive an insurance payout, but are hoping to reschedule their honeymoon for when their children return to school. A friend has launched a fundraiser to finance the trip, which has so far collected more than £800.
Beccy, 38, added: “It puts a massive dampener on the whole thing. It’s just shocking. You don’t feel like it’s happening to you. We were in shock at the airport.”