A father has criticised TUI after being refused boarding on a £4,000 family holiday to Lanzarote due to a small tear in his passport. Jimmy Gould, 48, from Wolverhampton, claims check-in staff at East Midlands Airport deemed his passport too damaged to travel.
The tear, approximately 10mm long, was on the data page and allegedly caused by a staff member removing a sticker from a previous flight. Mr Gould said the employee pulled the sticker off without warning, ripping the page. He was then told the passport was invalid.
Mr Gould's partner Zowie Buckley, 35, and their three children flew to the Canary Islands on July 28, while he remained at home. He described the situation as a 'total nightmare' and said his family were 'crying' at the airport.
TUI confirmed that passengers cannot travel with passports containing stickers, but stated their agents are not trained to remove stickers from passports. Mr Gould attempted to obtain an emergency passport but was unsuccessful.
Ms Buckley said the holiday has been 'ruined' and that she feels anxious being abroad alone with the children. The family had saved for months for the trip.
