A mother of three was left £700 out of pocket after being denied boarding on an easyJet flight to Greece due to a little-known passport rule. Bolaji Omisade, 35, arrived at London Gatwick Airport with her husband and three sons, excited for a family holiday, only to be told she could not fly.
Passport Issue Date Rule
Staff at the check-in desk informed Bolaji that while her passport had not expired, it had been issued more than 10 years ago. Under post-Brexit EU travel regulations, UK passports must be less than 10 years old on the date of entry to most European countries. Bolaji, a social worker and content creator from Rainham, Essex, was unaware of this rule.
“Until that moment, I had absolutely no idea this rule existed,” she told creatorzine.com. She had checked her passport’s expiry date before leaving home but did not know about the issue date requirement.
Family Holiday Disrupted
The family had planned to travel together to Greece. With no refund available, they made a difficult decision: Bolaji stayed behind with their youngest son, while her husband and two older boys boarded the flight. “I had to hold back my emotions because my children were watching everything unfold,” Bolaji said. “As a parent, that was one of the hardest parts. They were so disappointed.”
At the airport, Bolaji witnessed another traveler being turned away for the same reason. “That was the moment I realised this wasn't an isolated incident,” she said.
Emergency Passport and Extra Costs
Determined to salvage the holiday, Bolaji booked an emergency appointment using the one-day premium service at His Majesty’s Passport Office. Due to a bank holiday weekend, no appointments were available in London, so she secured a 9:30am slot in Newport, Wales, traveling there the night before.
After waiting several hours, she obtained a new passport and immediately booked replacement flights. She and her youngest son finally joined the rest of the family in Greece on Thursday, but only two days of the holiday remained before they were due to return on Saturday.
The ordeal proved costly. Between the emergency passport fee, hotel accommodation in Wales, travel costs, and additional flights, the family spent an extra £700 on top of their pre-booked holiday.
Warning to Other Travelers
Since the incident, Bolaji has shared her story on social media to warn others and call on airlines and 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.”
EasyJet has a dedicated page on its website alerting passengers to passport regulations, including EU requirements. It states that UK passports must be valid for at least three months after the planned departure from the EU and must be no more than 10 years old on the date of travel.
For more information, visit the UK government’s advice page or EasyJet’s website.
