Peter and Rogelyn Wiles were left distraught and out of pocket after their dream getaway to Cappadocia, Turkey, ended at Manchester Airport. The couple, from Crewe, had saved up for the May 2025 trip, with Peter paying £973.30 for flights. However, a confusing rule over which visa number to use led to Rogelyn being denied boarding.
Conflicting advice on visa number
Rogelyn, who holds a UK spouse visa, had her old Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card expire at the end of 2024 due to the UK's switch to digital eVisas, although her immigration status remains valid until 2027. Before applying for Turkey's eVisa, she called the Turkish Consulate, which advised her to use her BRP number rather than her UK "share code" as the "additional visa number" on the form.
However, once at Manchester Airport, a Turkish Airlines gate agent rejected this, insisting the share code should have been used instead. This was despite the eVisa printout they presented, which stated that "eVisas of other countries are NOT accepted as supporting documents."
Denied boarding and financial fallout
Ultimately, Rogelyn was denied boarding, and the couple's plane left without them. Peter has been fighting to get his money back, attempting to claim it via his bank and Turkish Airlines, but so far without success. He claims Turkish Airlines refused to give a clear written explanation for the refusal, at various points citing a vague "issue" with the visa, then claiming the couple were a "no show".
Following a request from Peter, Tesco Bank raised a chargeback, which the airline contested twice, before Tesco Bank ultimately dropped it. The bank accepted the airline's "flight operated as scheduled" explanation, despite that not addressing why boarding was denied.
Ombudsman ruling and ongoing frustration
Peter reported the incident to the Ombudsman, but she ruled against him on technical grounds: no valid Debtor-Creditor-Supplier agreement existed for the wife's ticket because she, not Peter, was the one denied boarding.
The lengthy process has left Peter doubting himself. "I've developed a complex about being misunderstood and feel I have to explain everything in detail," he added. A Tesco Bank spokesperson said: "We were sorry to hear about the experience Mr Wiles had when attempting to travel with his wife. After careful consideration, we concluded that his case didn't meet the criteria for a successful Section 75 claim. He referred his claim to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which upheld our decision." Turkish Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.
