05 July 2023 , 14:14
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A woman missed her holiday after her passport was damaged at check-in, she claims.
Jennifer McKechnie’s dreams of basking in the sun on holiday fell apart following a mishap at check-in, where her travel document was ripped.
The would-be holidaymaker from Belfast alleges that she was blocked from the flight and had head home after a member of staff damaged the document.
"The check in girl ripped it when she scanned it and her supervisor said it was too damaged for me to fly..." Jennifer said on TikTok.
"Waiting to hear if they will refund it. Flight already left, but there’s another flight tonight.”
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Airport staff would not let her board (stock photo) (Getty Images)In a video taken after the alleged incident Jennifer is seen inside her car, seemingly outside the Passport Office where she is attempting to get her document renewed.
Jennifer claimed that the government body would not provide her with an emergency passport so she could catch a later flight as hers had not been lost or stolen.
As a result, she claimed she had to wait an entire month for a replacement, meaning all the holiday plans were left in tatters.
“Passport office said no!” she says at the end of the video before tossing the passport down onto the backseat of her car.
While most people know to check their passport's validity, it's worth also checking your passport for damage before you fly - or you could find you're not allowed to travel at all and your holiday is over before it's even started.
In fact the Home Office warns: "You must replace your passport if it has more than reasonable wear and tear because you may not be allowed to travel with it."
That's because a damaged passport may not be accepted as a valid form of identity for you to use when travelling.
But what exactly counts as 'reasonable wear and tear', and what counts as a damaged passport? In its guidelines for passport examiners, the Home Office says that wear and tear usually includes multiple visas and stamps on a well-travelled passport.
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However, there are some factors that could mean the document "isn’t in a condition to be accepted as proof of identity" and therefore not valid for you to travel with.
In its guidelines, the Home Office says that this includes passports where:
- details are indecipherable
- the laminate has lifted enough to allow the possibility of photo substitution
- discolouration to the bio-data page
- chemical or ink spillage on any page
- missing or detached pages
- the chip or antenna shows through the end paper on the back cover for the new style e-passports
- the chip has been identified as damaged after investigation
If you do have a damaged passport, you'll need to replace it. This will cost you £75.50 if you do it online, the same as getting a new passport. (If you opt for a paper application, for example by going to the Post Office, it will cost you £85).
You can find out more on the Home Office website.
The Passport Office has been contacted for comment.