A mother was prevented from boarding an easyJet flight with her family and left £700 out of pocket after falling foul of a critical passport rule.
Bolaji Omisade, 35, was brimming with anticipation as she made her way to London Gatwick Airport with her husband and three sons ahead of a family holiday to Greece. However, upon arriving at the airport, staff informed her that she would not be permitted to board her easyJet flight, although the rest of her family were able to.
Baffled by the situation, the social worker and content creator from Rainham in Essex was told at check-in that while her passport had not expired, it had been issued more than 10 years previously, meaning it failed 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, all UK passports must have been issued less than 10 years before the date of entry when travelling to most European countries. Bolaji had checked that her passport remained valid before setting off for the airport, but was unaware of the vital rule concerning the issue date.
It was a crushing blow for Bolaji as the reality of missing the holiday with her husband and three sons sank in. "I had to hold back my emotions because my children were watching everything unfold," she said. "As a parent, that was one of the hardest parts. They were so disappointed."
With no refund available and their departure time drawing near, the family decided that Bolaji would head back home with their youngest son, while her husband and two older boys would board the easyJet flight to Greece. Amid the holiday chaos, Bolaji revealed she witnessed another traveller being turned away at the airport for the very same reason.
"That was the moment I realised this wasn't an isolated incident," she said.
In a bid to rescue the holiday, Bolaji quickly booked an appointment to obtain a new passport using the one-day premium service through His Majesty's Passport Office. With no suitable appointments available in London owing to the bank holiday weekend, the mother managed to secure a 9.30am slot in Newport, Wales, travelling there the evening before.
After waiting several hours, Bolaji was eventually issued a brand new passport and promptly booked replacement flights. She and her youngest son rejoined the rest of the family in Greece on Thursday, though by that point just two days of the holiday remained before they were due to fly home on Saturday.
While the ordeal proved incredibly stressful for the family, it also turned out to be a costly one. Between the emergency passport fee, hotel accommodation in Wales, travel costs, and additional flights, the family found themselves spending an extra £700 on top of their already pre-booked holiday.
Since the incident, Bolaji has posted about her experience on social media, cautioning other travellers and calling on booking platforms to make the rule clearer. "I believe airlines and booking platforms could do much more to highlight this rule," she said.
"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."
To renew or replace your passport, either online or at the HM Passport Office, visit the government website.
EasyJet has a specific page on its website to alert passengers to passport rules and requirements, including for the EU. As part of these alerts it states: "Please check your passport's expiry and issue date before you travel. If you're a UK passport holder travelling to the EU (except Ireland), or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican City or Switzerland, your passport will need to meet the following criteria:
- It must be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to depart from the EU or above countries.
- It must be no more than 10 years' old on the date of travel to the EU or above countries.
Visit the UK government's advice page for more information.
Citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland may travel within Europe using a valid EU/EEA/Swiss National Identity Card or Passport Card.
