A mother of three was left devastated after being barred from boarding an easyJet flight to Greece due to a little-known passport rule, costing her an additional £700.
Passport issue derails family holiday
Bolaji Omisade, 35, a social worker and content creator from Rainham, Essex, arrived at London Gatwick Airport with her husband and three sons, excited for their family holiday. However, at check-in, easyJet staff informed her that she could not board because her passport, though unexpired, had been issued more than 10 years ago, failing to meet EU entry requirements.
“Until that moment, I had absolutely no idea this rule existed,” Bolaji told creatorzine.com. Under post-Brexit travel rules, UK passports must have been issued less than 10 years before the date of entry to most European countries.
Emotional turmoil at the airport
Bolaji struggled to hold back her emotions as her children watched. “I had to hold back my emotions because my children were watching everything unfold. As a parent, that was one of the hardest parts. They were so disappointed,” she said. With no refund available, the family decided that Bolaji would return home with their youngest son, while her husband and two older boys boarded the flight. Bolaji also witnessed another traveler being turned away for the same reason, realizing it was not an isolated incident.
Emergency passport and extra costs
Determined to salvage the holiday, Bolaji booked an emergency appointment at His Majesty’s Passport Office using the one-day premium service. With no slots available in London due to the bank holiday, she secured a 9:30 am appointment in Newport, Wales, and traveled there the night before. After waiting several hours, she obtained a new passport and booked new flights. She and her youngest son joined the rest of the family in Greece on Thursday, but had only two days left before flying home on Saturday.
The ordeal cost an additional £700, covering the emergency passport, hotel stay in Wales, travel expenses, and extra flights, on top of the prebooked holiday.
Warning to other travelers
Since the incident, Bolaji has shared her story on social media to warn others. “I believe airlines and booking platforms could do much more to highlight this rule. If sharing my story helps even one family avoid being turned away at the airport, then something positive will have come from what was a very upsetting experience,” she said.
EasyJet has a dedicated page on its website explaining passport rules for EU travel: passports must be valid for at least three months after departure and no more than 10 years old on the date of travel. The UK government also provides advice on passport requirements.
For more information, visit the government website or EasyJet’s travel advice page.
