She couldn’t wing it.
A British woman was left in tears at a London-area airport when authorities told her she couldn’t take off on her $1,300 all-inclusive vacation to Mallorca, Spain, as a consequence of a strict and little-known European Union passport rule, SWNS reports.
Before Brexit began in 2020, British passport holders could travel anywhere within the EU before their passport expired.
Now, Brits wanting to go to Europe need a passport issued throughout the last 10 years.
This was unlucky news to Kirsty Hawes, 28, whose passport was issued on Aug. 15, 2013 — 10 years and someday before she was set to jet on Aug. 16, 2023.
“They took our passports and said you may’t fly,” Hawes told SWNS, which reported her passport didn’t expire for seven more months. “I believed it was a joke.”
Hawes was “distraught,” as she had been looking forward to her vacation, which her best friend booked for the each of them in April.
The friend allegedly included their passport numbers and expiration dates within the booking form — but not the problem dates.
Hawes said she attempted to get an emergency passport to rectify the situation, however the earliest appointments weren’t for 2 weeks.
She said she had “no idea” about this rule prior to traveling.
She claims her tourism company, TUI, wouldn’t provide a refund, because the “terms of conditions … was right at the underside of the e-mail, challenging to seek out and in small print.”
SWNS reached out to TUI for comment.
“I used to be panicking and burst into tears,” Hawes told SWNS. “This was the one thing I used to be looking forward to all 12 months.”
It was speculated to be a celebration for a promotion she got at work, following a difficult few months that included a breakup and deaths of several friends and relations.
Hawes said she will be able to’t afford one other holiday and is warning others about reading the fantastic print before happening vacation.
“Holiday corporations must add a problem date of passport onto their web sites when booking and checking in so this may raise the problem, so people usually are not left stranded on the airport, crying their eyes out,” Hawes said.
US travelers attempting to go to European Union countries, meanwhile, will soon face recent rules.
Starting in 2024, US visitors may have to get pre-approved via the European Travel Information and Authorisation System for 30 European countries, including Greece, France and Spain.
The appliance costs about $8.
Travel documentation and other details, akin to education level and criminal history, are required.
The authorization is valid for up to a few years, or until the visitor’s passport expires.
