- Mum and son arrive in Spain after expensive passport oversight
A mum and her young son had to miss their flight to Alicante-Elche airport after a mix-up with her passport which was first issued more than a decade ago.
Shirelle Quinn and her son Freddy, from South Tyneside, were due to fly to Alicante in Spain from Newcastle Airport on August 13.
When they arrived at the airport check-in staff at TUI informed them that they wouldn’t be able to fly – due to a travel rule that has come in as a result of Brexit. Spain is one of the 26 countries which make up the Schengen Area of free movement, requiring passports to be issued within the previous 10 years on the date of arrival into the EU.
It must also be valid for at least three months from the return date of travel from the EU, which came to force when the UK left the bloc and became a third country on January 1, 2020.
Shirelle’s passport was issued on August 9, 2012, that saw her being turned away as TUI staff could not guarantee she would be permitted entry into Spain.
Shirelle had used a third-party online passport checker, which said that her passport was valid for travel, but it turned out this was not the case.
This rule meant that the holiday she had paid £2,000 for had been lost: “I was just gutted for my little boy. He was in tears, but I was quite calm.
“It wasn’t the staff’s fault, it was my own. They couldn’t let me fly, because I might have been refused entry when I arrived in Spain,” she said
However, Shirelle jumped into her car and headed for the passport office in Durham, in a bid to get to Spain.
Within hours, she was issued a passport and had rebooked flights with Ryanair that cost another £457 for flights and £177 for a new passport. Shirelle said: “The passport office couldn’t have been more helpful, they did it for me there and then.
“I’m delighted, while I was waiting I went up to the centre of Durham and bought the lady in the passport office a big bouquet of flowers, she was absolutely lovely. I did a little skip out of the passport office and they were all looking at me!”.
Shirelle’s error means that she has not been entitled to any money back from TUI, who she originally booked the package through.
“I’ve paid everything out of my own pocket and TUI rang me to say I need to find my own way to the hotel. So TUI haven’t been very helpful at all, but the passport office have been spot on,” said Shirelle.
The mum and son Freddy eventually arrived in Spain and are now enjoying their holiday.
A statement from TUI read: “We understand Ms Quinn’s disappointment in being unable to travel on her holiday as planned.
“We must always follow the FCDO’s passport validity guidance, which clearly state passengers’ passports must not be more than 10 years old on the date they enter their destination.
“Unfortunately Ms Quinn’s passport did not meet this requirement and we therefore could not allow her to board the flight.
“We always do our best to support customers and this passport guidance is available on the TUI website during the booking process. It’s the customer’s responsibility to ensure that their travel documents are valid for the destinations they are travelling to, as clearly stated in the booking process.
“As Ms Quinn has booked a new flight with another airline, we advise her to reach out to her travel insurance provider to see if they are able to support with compensation or refunds for any services lost.”
Caption: Shirelle Quinn and son Freddy, eventually arrived at Alicante-Elche airport.
