A TUI staff member based at Manchester Airport has reported that holidaymakers are arriving with passports in a state that could result in denied entry to their destination. Speaking on the new Martin Lewis BBC podcast, the personal finance guru invited aircraft pilots and flight crew to share the biggest mistakes travellers are making this year.
Passport Validity Checks
Steve, a TUI employee at Manchester Airport, told the podcast: “Scary how many people are turning up to the airport with a due to expire passport.” Martin Lewis explained the consequences in no uncertain terms: “So let’s be really plain about the passport check. There are two checks. On the day that you enter the country, there needs to be at least 6 months left before the expiry date, or three months if you’re going to the EU. Even so. If you’re going to the EU, you need to check if your passport will be under 10 years old. Because it used to work that you could get your passport, if you have 8 months left on your passport, you could get that eight months added to your new one, so your new one would last 10 years and 8 months.
“It means that you could be more than three months away from renewal of your passport, but your passport be over 10 years old, and that can stop you having entry. And I genuinely have people get in touch with me who this has happened to, who have been denied boarding on the plane, which is bad, but worse they’ve got on the plane and they’ve been denied entry when they land and sent back.”
Other Common Mistakes
Other flight crew also shared issues, including a toilet mistake many are unaware of. Sarah, who works for an airline, said: “Biggest mistake ever - people going to the toilet in the aircraft with no shoes on. Let’s not dwell on that - but we hear you.” Martin admitted: “I’m one of those people. Sometimes you’ve taken your shoes off - you’re tired, you’re sleepy and you’re not thinking.” Adrian added: “Well on a private jet it’s different.” Experts advise always wearing shoes in aircraft lavatories to protect against dangerous biohazards and potential injuries, as the liquid on the floor often contains bodily fluids like urine, vomit, or blood, which harbour harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can enter through tiny cuts.
Behaviour and Insurance
Co-host Adrian Chiles highlighted advice from an air crew member named Simon: “Being air crew takes you abroad don’t get too drunk before you board the plane. You can be refused boarding. Don’t vape, don’t misbehave the aircraft could end up being diverted, have you disembark, ruin your holiday. Basically, you could get your pants sued off as well. It’s only a few hours - enjoy the flight and come up and say hello to us at the front once we land.”
Martin reiterated his golden rule on travel insurance: “Insurance is important because let’s just remember my golden rule - you get insurance as soon as you book, or if you’ve already booked and you haven’t got it, you get it as soon as you hear me say this because half the point of travel insurance is to cover you if something happens before you go that stops you going.”
Medication and Temperature
Cabin crew Gemma noted that passengers often forget to bring simple painkillers: “Travelling without simple painkillers. Not all airlines can give you paracetamol or others without a doctor present. It’s much easier if you have your own with you. Some passengers really think the aircraft's first aid kit is a personal pharmacy.”
Air crew Sam advised holidaymakers heading to hot destinations: “So many people would get on a late night flight from a winter sun destination wearing little more than a bikini and then wonder why they were freezing on the plane and then on landing back in the UK. And no, we do not have any blankets we can give you.”
