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Couple stopped from travelling after airline staff spotted 'microscopic' detail on passport

Home> News> Travel

Updated 13:27 23 Sep 2024 GMT+1Published 13:16 23 Sep 2024 GMT+1

Couple stopped from travelling after airline staff spotted 'microscopic' detail on passport

Sean Ferres and his partner Brooke's dream holiday quickly turned into a nightmare

Callum Jones

Callum Jones

A young couple were refused boarding onto a flight after airline staff spotted a 'microscopic' detail on a passport.

If you want to travel the world the most important thing you're going to need is of course your passport.

So, if you are like me, you check your passport hasn't magically flown out the bag every two minutes on the way to the airport.

And while it's very important to remember your passport in the first place, such documentation needs to be in good condition too.

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If that is not the case, you may be denied boarding, as one couple found out the hard way.

Sean Ferres and his partner Brooke headed to the airport on the Gold Coast in Australia on Friday all excited for their holiday to Bali.

The couple had a nightmarish travel experience (Instagram/@bigmoomusic)
The couple had a nightmarish travel experience (Instagram/@bigmoomusic)

However, they claim Virgin Australia staff refused boarding for the couple because of a coffee stain on Brooke's travel document.

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They claimed the passport was 'unreadable' but that Ferres and Brooke could take a later flight at no extra cost while they sorted the flight out.

The couple were told to call Virgin's customer support team to rearrange their flight, with Ferres claiming the couple were marked as a 'no-show' for the flight they were refused entry on.

The passenger ultimately spent AUD$3,000 (USD$2,000) on Jetstar tickets that flew out at 5.50am the next day.

Taking to Facebook, Ferres wrote: "Funnily enough, Jetstar didn’t have an issue with the passport, just like the 100+ other flights we’ve taken with it. Landed in Bali, all e-gates and straight through with no hassles.

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"Absolutely blows my mind that 25 years after the invention of the internet - in an age where even a $500 phone has advanced facial recognition - we STILL rely on a flimsy a** piece of paper to leave the country."

The passport that saw refusal of boarding (Facebook)
The passport that saw refusal of boarding (Facebook)

In a statement provided to UNILAD, a Virgin Australia spokesperson said: "When a guest presents for check-in for an international flight, Virgin Australia team members are required to ensure they have the necessary travel documentation and that the documents are in suitable condition.

"We assess travel documentation in line with guidance provided by the Australian Government and various immigration departments.

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"To assist our guests with preparation for travel we provide general guidance on damaged passports on the Virgin Australia website, in our Conditions of Carriage, and in pre-flight communication."

Virgin Australia says the stain covered the passport number and place of birth on the passport.

And as the couple didn't use Virgin Australia to get to Bali in the end, the value of their fare has been transferred to a credit.

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/bigmoomusic/Facebook

Topics: Travel, Australia

Callum Jones
Callum Jones

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