Warning for holidaymakers as British Airways wrongfully turns away passengers

British Airways unit astatine Gatwick Airport person mistakenly turned distant 2 passengers, citing incorrect passport validity rules, which caused some to miss their holidays

British Airways unit person been criticised aft incorrectly turning 2 passengers distant from boarding their flights, it has been reported.

Workers for the hose blocked 1 rider erstwhile they were attempting to committee their formation to Florida astatine at London Gatwick Airport. Later the aforesaid day, they wrongly turned distant different passenger, who was owed to spell connected a golfing interruption successful Spain, according to the Independent.

Both of the passengers had UK passports, which were valid for their destinations. The customers made aggregate appeals to staff, but each attempts were ignored by staff.

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The customers past some contacted The Independent, which confirmed the passengers should person been allowed to travel.

Kathleen Matheson, 62, from Skye, told the work that she was "devastated and exhausted with what has happened". She claimed that unit had wrongfully told her that she needed to person a minimum of six months near connected her passport successful bid for it to beryllium valid for her to question to America. However, the American authorities bash not person specified a rule, and volition judge UK papers up to their expiry date.

Travelling with her hubby Allan, 56, the mates presented impervious to the unit from the Foreign Office website that her passport was so valid. Yet, unit ignored the evidence, she claimed.

After calling British Airways' helpline, she was told by the cause connected the telephone that helium could not overrule the crushed unit — contempt agreeing that she was successful the right. The mates had nary prime but to not committee the British Airways flight, and instead, flew to Florida with Virgin Atlantic 2 days later.

A British Airways spokesperson said: “This was quality mistake by 1 of our colleagues, and we’re successful interaction with our lawsuit to apologise and enactment it right.”

David Muir, 65, who was owed to caput to Spain for a golfing trip, had a aforesaid acquisition astatine the aforesaid British Airways check-in country successful the South Terminal astatine Gatwick Airport, helium claimed. David was owed to observe his status with 4 friends, golfing successful Spain, aft being a chartered surveyor for 35 years. However, British Airways unit erstwhile again expressed the aforesaid incorrect rule, claiming his passport was not valid for the EU aft reaching 9 years and 9 months.

David, from Oxford, told The Independent however helium was directed to lawsuit services, wherever it was confirmed to him helium was not allowed to travel. After getting connected a autobus to question backmost to Oxford, David decided to probe for himself the rules and learnt that helium was entitled to travel.

He British Airways and adjacent took a autobus to Heathrow to enlist assistance from staff, but had nary luck. David described the lawsuit work arsenic "shocking" and spent the play astatine location alternatively of Spain.

A British Airways spokesperson said: “We are highly atrocious for the disruption caused by this genuine error. We are contacting our lawsuit to apologise and resoluteness this for them.”

According to the rules governing aerial passenger's rights, David is entitled to £350 successful currency compensation, arsenic good arsenic recompense for out-of-pocket expenses.

As 'third-country nationals', British travellers to the European Union and wider Schengen country (not Ireland) indispensable person a passport that meets 2 conditions:

• Not older than 10 years connected the time of outbound question to the EU
• At slightest 3 months’ validity earlier the expiry day connected the intended time of return