I was BANNED from Ryanair flight because of tiny mark on my passport – anyone could make the same mistake
A GRIEVING pensioner was banned from a Ryanair flight and made to feel 'like a criminal' because of a harmless mark on his passport.
David Burton, 70, was trying to fly from
Advertisement
2
David's passport was not considered valid and stopped him from flying home that day
Credit: Thomas Godfrey
The
David had planned to get the 5.35pm Ryanair flight to the holiday hotspot but was turned away at check-in when staff spotted the mark – caused years ago by a luggage sticker.
It tore off the surface paper of David's official observations page, even though there are none listed.
The father-of-two said he had travelled across Europe for years using the passport and never had a problem at border control.
Advertisement
Travel
Yet his treatment at the hands of
2
David wasn't able to travel home until the following morning
Credit: Thomas Godfrey
Retired David told The Sun: 'I gave the agents my passport and they just went off with it.
'He came back and said it was being checked, to see if it's valid.
Advertisement
'Eventually they came back and said that Ryanair is very strict with documents.
Most read in Travel
'He came back with another young man and he said, 'You won't be travelling to Portugal today from this airport. You might be able to travel from Bristol or Gatwick'.
'He was trying to assert himself, so I thought there was no point in arguing.
'Not that they would know, but I'd just laid one of my friends to rest.
Advertisement
'My wife told me to go outside and get some fresh air. I wouldn't treat anyone the way I was treated.
'They were looking for a problem and a reason not to let me fly. You can use the word criminal, but it certainly felt like they had been trained to boot me off.'
The rejection, for which David was not offered a refund, meant he had to book a new Jet2 flight from Bristol the next morning, setting him back hundreds of pounds in
The next day, David sailed through check-in with no issues, and agents told him his passport was perfectly valid to fly.
Advertisement
The shocked pensioner added: 'Once I got to Faro, I asked the border agent if there was anything wrong with my passport.
'He looked at me like I was stupid, said no, stamped it, and sent me on my way.
'I'm just staggered this happened, and it's really shaken me.
'I'm lucky I could re-book the flight, or I really would have been stuck.'
Advertisement
A Ryanair spokeswoman said: 'This passenger was correctly refused travel on this flight from Exeter to Faro by the gate agent at Exeter Airport as his passport was damaged and therefore not valid for travel.'
What are passport rules?
What are passport rules?
The Sun's Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know."
Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one.
"But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months."
In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination.
"And you'll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK."
Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old.
"The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted - some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Magaluf looks empty as Brits ‘shun hols hotspot because they are tired of being demonised' while resort cleans up image
MAGALUF is looking unusually bare as Brits shunned the popular holiday spot after feeling "tired of being demonised". Dozens of beach sunbeds lay empty as the usual UK Advertisement 9 Deck chairs lay empty in the Spanish resort Credit: Solarpix 9 Restaurants that were once filled with boozing Brits appeared bare Credit: Solarpix 9 Figures published last week showed Benidorm's leading visitors were Brits and its average hotel occupancy rate had reached almost 85 per cent in May. Meanwhile, pictures of the Spanish resort showed Deck chairs that would previously have been filled with boozing Brits sat empty, whilst The barren resort is a positive change for many locals, who despaired at the "touristification" of their town. Advertisement Read more on World They're welcoming instead a new wave of tourists hailing from different Nightclub boss, Migue Perez-Masra, told local press that Playa de Palma, near the Majorcan capital, has seen a sharp increase in German tourists. 9 Once crowd-stricken streets now seemed visibly empty Credit: Solarpix 9 The barren resort is a positive change for many locals Credit: Solarpix Advertisement 9 Magaluf was branded a lawless party resort Credit: Solarpix He claimed young Brits are turning their backs on Magaluf after feeling 'demonized" by locals. The area is now seeing more and more French and Italian visitors too. Most read in The Sun Breaking Attempts to clean up the resort's image come as Magaluf was branded a lawless party resort after a shocking sex video emerged in June 2014 showing a British tourist performing sex acts on 24 men in a bar. Advertisement The 18-year-old at the centre of the viral footage was reportedly duped into performing the sex acts for what she thought was a free break that turned out to be a cocktail named 'Holiday'. At the time, Spanish politician Jose Ramon Bauza, branded Punta Ballena - Magaluf's strip - as '500 metres of shame'. Anti-tourist mob attacks holidaymakers with water guns as they vow Spain faces 'long hot summer' of protest carnage The bar was ordered to close for a year whilst authorities cracked the whip on unruly behaviour. Fines of up to £50,000 were introduced for holidaymakers caught leaping off their hotel balconies, whilst limits were set on the amount of alcohol served at all-inclusive hotels. Advertisement Further restrictions in Spanish party resorts were introduced last year. In parts of Majorca and Ibiza, tourists can be fined up to £1,300 for drinking on the streets and shops are now only allowed to sell alcohol at certain times. Britain's then-Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott urged holidaymakers in the Majorcan party resort to 'show responsibility' and remember they were "guests" in Spain. This Sunday Advertisement The demo has been organised by activist organisation Menys Turisme, Mes Vida, with 60 groups already pledging to take part. Protestors from other cities including A Menys Turisme, Mes Vida spokesman said last week: 'We will demonstrate for the right to a decent life and to demand the brakes are put on the touristification of this island.' 9 Many locals lamented at the loss of their town to boozing Brits Credit: Solarpix Advertisement 9 Residents said they're welcoming in a new stream of tourists from Europe Credit: Solarpix 9 Restrictions in Spanish party resorts were introduced last year Credit: Solarpix
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Huge blackout hits Brit holiday hotspot leaving tens of thousands without power after ‘turbine failed'
A MASSIVE power outage has left a British holiday hotspot completely dark. Outages began around 5:30pm and were first detected in homes and offices on the island of La Palma. Advertisement 2 The entire island was left dark by the outage Credit: Getty The isle was left completely dark by the massive outage with tens of thousands of residents left without power. It is thought the outage was caused by the tripping of a generating turbine. An estimated 50,289 users across the island have been affected by the huge blackout. Previous outages have hit the island's major cities with the biggest, Los Llanos de Aridane, left dark in recent months. Advertisement Desperate restoration efforts are underway on the island with authorities scrambling to fix the issue. Authorities have instructed residents to stay calm as they work to restore power to the island. It comes after a series of blackouts have hit the island in recent months. Santa Cruze de Palma, Los Llanos de Aridane and El Paso have all experienced recent power outages. Advertisement Most read in The Sun The latest of these, on May 8, left the power out for hours and affected several of the eight municipalities in La Palma. Today's outage has been the worst of the recent blackouts with power out across the whole island and tens of thousands of users affected. The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres said: "I send all my support to the people of La Palma." He went on to promise that power would be restored as soon as possible. Advertisement 2 Authorities are working to restore power as soon as possible Credit: Alamy
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
We left the UK to live in a £2.5k caravan in Benidorm – now we don't pay any bills and get 300 days of sun a year
A COUPLE have revealed that they have ditched the UK to live in a caravan in Benidorm. Brits Gemma and Nicky now don't have to pay for council tax, energy bills or a TV licence, whilst they soak up the sun in the popular 2 Gemma and Nicky ditched the UK for sunny Benidorm Credit: tiktok/ 2 They love Benidorm because of the balmy weather and budget prices Credit: tiktok/ The duo are delighted with their decision to purchase an old Taking to TikTok, Gemma and Nicky revealed that their decision to move to the tourist hot spot has a lot to do with the city's They also boasted that their new home gets "300 days of sun a year." They shared that a ticket back to the UK costs them just £24, which they said is less than the cost of a taxi in to town back home. Read more real live stories The couple have parked their caravan at the Villamar camping site, and have already made pals with the "friendly staff and residents." Describing the campsite, they said it has "lovely cheap food, no big bills, no stress, [and] no problems." They added that is also boasts "cheap beer", "three beautiful pools, and an onsite supermarket and hairdressers." Currently, the couple are only allowed to stay at the caravan for 90 days in a 180 day period, as this is how long Brits can stay in Europe without a visa. Most read in Fabulous However, they hope to soon obtain residency, so they can make a permanent move to the caravan site. I bought a 24-year-old caravan off a traveller to stay in with my kids - everyone warned me not to, but it's immaculate When the couple first purchased the caravan, it had been left abandoned for seven years, and featured outdated upholstery and a grubby exterior. However, determined to turn it into their dream home, Gemma and Nicky revamped the caravan into a stylish pad featuring two bedrooms, a stylish kitchen, a living room and a bathroom. They have even installed an air conditioning unit to help them cope with Benidorm's scorching temperatures. Despite the cheap cost of the caravan, the couple also have to pay £5000 a year to place their caravan on the campsite, and to use its facilities. How much does it cost to live in a caravan? LIVING in a caravan can be an economical and flexible lifestyle choice in the UK. Here's a breakdown of potential costs: Initial Costs Caravan Purchase: £8,000 - £40,000 (depending on size, age, and condition) Caravan Insurance: £200 - £800 per year Ongoing Monthly Costs Pitch Fees: £150 - £600 (varies by location and facilities) Utilities (Electricity, Gas, Water): £40 - £120 Maintenance and Repairs: £20 - £80 Internet and TV: £20 - £50 Gas for Heating/Cooking: £15 - £40 Other Potential Costs Waste Disposal Fees: £8 - £25 Transport Costs (if moving locations): Variable, depending on distance Optional Add-ons (Awning, Solar Panels, etc.): £400 - £1,600 (one-time) Sample Monthly Budget Pitch Fees: £400 Utilities: £80 Maintenance and Repairs: £40 Internet and TV: £40 Gas for Heating/Cooking: £25 Total: £585 Annual Estimated Cost Total Monthly Costs: £585 x 12 = £7,020 Insurance: £500 Maintenance and Repairs: £480 Total Annual Cost: £8,000 Tips to Save Off-Peak Pitch Fees: Look for lower rates during off-peak seasons. DIY Maintenance: Handle minor repairs yourself. Energy Efficiency: Invest in solar panels to reduce utility costs. While initial setup costs can be significant, ongoing expenses for living in a caravan can be relatively low, making it a viable option for those seeking an affordable and mobile lifestyle in the UK. However, their beaming faces in their TikTok videos suggest that they believe it's worth every penny. Gemma and Nicky have been documenting their Benidorm journey via the Social media users have flooded the video's comments section to share their thoughts on the couple's move abroad. One person said: "Good for you, I'd love to do this." A second person said: "My dream. Congratulations. I love it. I want one." A third person said: "I would love this! "Much better than living in the UK!"
