A British couple holidaying in Europe missed their flight home because of new EU border patrol changes and were charged £380 to rebook their tickets. Tim and Lorna Shelley, along with 15 other passengers, were denied boarding an easyJet flight from Copenhagen to London Gatwick on March 8 after being delayed at passport control.
EU Rules and Denied Boarding
Under EU law, passengers who have checked in on time should not be refused boarding. However, the group was refused entry onto the flight despite having checked in. The Shelleys told Sky News that they were made to rebook their tickets for £380, and both easyJet and the airport have denied responsibility.
“The airport blames the Danish authorities. Our travel insurance will not pay. easyJet referred us to ABTA, who referred us to the independent arbitrator. FCDO and our MP have ignored us. We cannot be liable for something out of our control. What do we do next?” the couple said.
EU Entry-Exit System Causes Delays
Journalist Jess Sharp noted that the couple’s case is one of many examples of new airport restrictions delaying holidaymakers. “Since the EU’s Entry-Exit system was introduced in April, we have heard from lots of passengers reporting longer waits to get through passport control,” she wrote. “Under the system, Britons must provide fingerprint and facial scans during their first arrival, followed by a single biometric scan on each subsequent arrival and departure.”
The delays at Copenhagen passport control were attributed to the new system, which led to the Shelleys and other passengers missing their flight. easyJet stated that the situation was outside their control, blaming border authorities for the delays.
easyJet’s Response
In a statement to Sky News, an easyJet spokesperson said: “We’re really sorry to hear that due to delays in EES processing by border authorities, Mr Shelley experienced a very long wait time at passport control in Copenhagen, which meant he missed his flight home to London Gatwick. The issues some passengers have experienced due to EES are unacceptable and so we continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed, so our customers’ travel plans are not impacted.”
The spokesperson added that easyJet holidays contacted Mr Shelley to offer support and issued an airport duty tax refund for his missed flight. “While this is entirely outside of our control, we encourage all our customers to allow for extra time when travelling to and through the airport,” the statement concluded.
No Compensation for Passengers
The couple were not compensated for missing their flight, as easyJet maintained they were not at fault. Border control and IT delays were cited as the cause. easyJet expressed frustration with the “unacceptable” Entry-Exit system and urged border authorities to improve processing times.
The Shelleys’ experience highlights the ongoing challenges for British travellers under the new EU border rules, which have led to increased waiting times and confusion over responsibility for delays.
