A British holidaymaker has recounted his humiliating ordeal after being branded a "security risk" and barred from his flight home by airline staff who were baffled by a passport stamp from the European microstate of Andorra.
Glen Parkes was attempting to board a Jet2 flight from Alicante to Manchester when check-in staff singled him out for additional scrutiny. The point of contention? An entirely legal entry stamp from the tiny principality located between France and Spain.
A Surreal and Humiliating Interrogation
"I was treated like a criminal for simply having a stamp from a legitimate country," Glen explained. "The staff insisted the stamp was suspicious and represented a ‘security risk’. I was subjected to a surreal and humiliating interrogation in front of a packed terminal."
Despite his protests and attempts to explain that Andorra is a well-known tourist destination, the airline staff remained unconvinced. He was refused boarding and left stranded in Spain, forced to book a new flight home with a different airline at significant personal expense.
Jet2's Inadequate Response
The frustration was compounded upon his return to the UK. After filing a formal complaint, Jet2's response was a mere apology and a £150 voucher—a sum that didn't even cover the extra cost of his replacement ticket, let alone the distress caused.
"The entire experience was utterly ridiculous and incredibly stressful," Glen stated. "It highlights a staggering lack of basic geographical knowledge and training among airline personnel. This wasn't a stamp from a conflict zone or a disputed territory; it was from a peaceful country in the Pyrenees."
A Warning to Fellow Travellers
This incident serves as a stark warning to UK travellers about potential pitfalls when carrying stamps from lesser-known destinations. It raises serious questions about the training protocols for airline staff and their authority to make complex immigration judgments.
Glen's story is a cautionary tale of how a dream holiday can quickly turn into a logistical nightmare, all due to an inexplicable and costly error at the check-in desk.
