A devastated couple turned to Oxfordshire for their holidays after their first international trip together was ruined when they were turned away at the gates.

Adam Robertson, 34, and Selina Bacon, 33, were stopped from boarding their flight from Bournemouth to Palma, Mallorca, due to a passport rule introduced after Brexit.

Trainee dental nurse Selina’s passport was 10 years and five days old, with nearly nine months until expiry.

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Self-employed businessman Mr Robertson said he had double-checked the rules and only found information saying a passport must be valid for at least three months to travel to the EU.

However, travellers' documents can't be more than 10 years old to travel to the region.

Having spent around £420 on flights, he said the couple were ‘upset, devastated and at a bit of a loss’ when they were turned away.

They were able to enjoy a lovely break in the Cotswolds, as well as visiting Oxford and Blenheim Palace in Woodstock instead.  

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But despite the joys of visiting the sights of Oxfordshire, the couple have still been left with a sour taste in their mouth. 

“Not half an hour before, we were sipping a glass of Pinot Grigio looking forward to our first international holiday,” Mr Robertson said.

“We were happy that we’d done as much checking as we could have done, and we were happy when we walked into the airport that day that there wasn’t going to be an issue.”

He criticised Ryanair for not flagging that there was an issue when they entered their passport details at booking or when checking-in on the day of the flight.

He said it ‘isn’t unreasonable’ to expect an email from the airline explaining the rules after booking.

“Had we been made aware there was an issue as soon as we’d booked, my partner and I would have made time, even if it meant travelling to the passport office ourselves,” he said.

“The first we heard there was an issue was when we were told on boarding.”

The couple wants to raise awareness of the rule to make sure others don’t suffer.

Mr Robertson is now seeking a refund from Ryanair for the cost of the flight they were due to take on July 23.

A spokeswoman for the firm said Selina was ‘correctly denied travel’ for not meeting the entry requirements.

“This passenger’s passport was issued on July 18, 2013 and is therefore no longer valid for travel to/from the EU after July 18, 2023 and was outside the 10-year validity period when this passenger attempted to travel on July 23, 2023,” she said.

 

“Ryanair requires each passenger to ensure that their passport is valid for travel on both the date of their outbound and return flight date.”

A spokesman for Bournemouth Airport said: "In our experience, these instances are not very common and we always advise passengers to check that their passport is valid for their destination.

"Our website warns them not to be caught out and where to go for travel advice."