The couple's holiday to the Canary Islands was ruined after airport staff misinterpreted post-Brexit passport rules.
Grant Hardy and his wife were traveling from Guernsey to Tenerife in February when they were stopped by airport officials who said Hardy's passport was not invalid for travel.
Passports issued in March 2015 expire in October this year and will give you eight months of validity beyond the couple's return date.
You can travel until your passport is 10 years ago (in this case, March 27th).
However, Swissport officials reportedly applied for “regulations that do not exist,” telling Hardy that his passport is no longer valid for travel and that the couple is stuck in their jerseys.
The couple spent hundreds of pounds going home, missed the holidays and had to make their total losses to around £4,000. Their travel insurance did not cover the incident.
Hardy claims that Swissport officials called police when they asked them to record their responses after they showed government guidance on the validity of his passport. He says he is calm and polite, with the police officer waving at the end of the encounter.
A Swissport spokesman said, “Our team adheres to official travel document guidelines to ensure entry restrictions at destinations. The decision to investigate this incident and refuse boarding was in line with available guidance on the Schengen Rules.”
But Hardy told the email that this was a widespread issue. The airport taxi driver told him that other passengers have had similar issues over the past two weeks.
The Wright family faced a similar challenge at Gatwick Airport when Norwegian Airlines officials misinterpreted the 10-year passport rules and refused to board. In that case, Norwegian Airlines acknowledged the mistake and apologized.
Travelers are encouraged to use the official UK government website to reassess the validity of destination passports and entry requirements.
