'I was forced to pay £1,200 at Gatwick after TUI rejected my passport'

A holidaymaker from Croydon was forced to cough up £1,200 for a last-minute British Airways flight to Cancun after being denied her original TUI plane over concerns a "slight mark" on her passport would cause her problems with Mexican border control. Laila March, 25, a private tutor, planned the trip with her sister Kaemarnie, 21, to celebrate her university graduation, and the pair thought they had struck a "cheap deal" when they found a package deal for less than £1,000 per person through TUI.

However, the holiday joy turned sour at Gatwick Airport on June 7, as Laila was told she wouldn't be allowed to board because of apparent damage to her passport - even though she regularly uses the same passport for work travel, including a return flight from Morocco just one day prior. Determined not to have her holiday ruined Laila, studying to become a French and Spanish teacher, decided to try her luck with British Airways and was relieved when the BA staff had 'no issue' with the condition of her passport.

Desperate not to leave her younger sibling high and dry, Laila bit the bullet and paid the significant sum for a last-minute fare and thankfully upon arriving in Mexico, encountered zero issues at customs. But having to shell out an extra £1,200 put a dent in Laila's savings which she planned on using in September, when she starts her postgraduate degree in education at the University of Cambridge.

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After lodging a complaint in the hopes of being refunded for her costly ticket, Laila was initially informed by TUI that her case had been closed. However, more than two weeks later, the travel company has now agreed to refund her.

"I think it's just insane that TUI can say my passport is damaged and not allow me to board for fear I'm not going to be allowed into Mexico by passport control, and then for another airline to have no issue with the same passport, let me fly to Mexico and then I get through passport control," Laila expressed to PA Real Life. "I'm studying to become a teacher, I start in September, and that money was money that I had saved up towards getting myself set up for university."

The UK Passport Office's website outlines that a passport is deemed damaged if "you cannot read any of your details, any of the pages are ripped, cut or missing, there are holes, cuts or rips in the cover, the cover is coming away or there are stains on the pages, for example ink or water damage".

"It was a very small mark, almost like a little scratch on the right hand side of the page but you would have to look very carefully to see it I hadn't even noticed until they pointed it out," Laila recounted. Eager to celebrate her younger sister's graduation from the University of Keele with a law degree, Laila was on the hunt for a holiday deal.

They stumbled upon "a really cheap deal" on TUI's website, offering a one-week stay at the Azul Beach Resort Riviera in Cancun, Mexico, for less than £1,000 per person, including flights. "It was the first time we were going on holiday just the two of us," Laila shared, recalling the excitement before their planned departure from Gatwick Airport on June 7. The trip was set to begin a day after Laila's return to the UK from Morocco, where she had been working as a private tutor.

The duo arrived at Gatwick's North Terminal TUI check-in desk two hours early, anticipating a smooth process to collect their tickets and some leisure time before boarding their flight. However, things took an unexpected turn when the check-in assistant scanned their passports. Just as they were about to receive their boarding passes, the assistant noticed a small stain on the top right of Laila's passport photo page.

Laila recounted the moment: "She was like, 'What's happened to your passport? What's this mark on it?' Apparently there was a slight mark on the photo page, but it wasn't over any of the details and you could still read everything."

She continued: "She called someone who took my passport and disappeared for half an hour, even though I explained, I flew into this airport yesterday and have travelled many times in the past year." After a tense 45-minute wait, Laila faced the crushing news that she would not be allowed to board the plane.

The reason given was stringent entry requirements: "They said Mexico has really strict passport control so I might not be let into the country," Laila said. "According to them, my passport was damaged so they couldn't allow me to fly with TUI because if I get to Mexico and they send me back, it's going to be a charge for them."

Laila was presented with three options: apply for an emergency passport and travel a few days later, change the name on her booking so someone else could travel in her place, or see if another airline would accept her passport. "They told me British Airways was flying out from the South Terminal this afternoon: 'Maybe you could try with them? '," Laila recounted. "But you've just said that my passport was damaged, how can you recommend I use another airline? ".

Laila didn't want to spoil her sister's graduation holiday, but she was also worried because she had never travelled alone before. With no time to waste, Laila made her way to the South Terminal to make her case.

She said: "I spoke to someone who works at Gatwick and showed them my passport. I told them what TUI had said and he was like 'that's not damaged, go speak to British Airways and see what they say'."

The BA desk inspected her passport and confirmed she could buy a new ticket for £1,200 and fly out that very afternoon. "They were able to scan my passport and print out my boarding pass, just like the lady at TUI," Laila shared. "There was absolutely no issue, I just had to pay an extra £1,200.."

Upon arrival, Laila was still nervous, thinking Mexican border control could still refuse her entry but again, they checked her passport and allowed her through. Laila handed over her passport, and thankfully could understand what the border control officers were saying as she can speak Spanish: "They were saying her passport isn't damaged because no pages have been ripped out, you can still scan it and everything is clear, readable and you can see her face."

Laila was hopeful for a full or partial refund from TUI for her BA flight, which cost more than her entire holiday, after raising a complaint. She was initially informed that TUI would look into the issue, but on June 16, she got an email stating her case was closed. However, in a turn of events last week, on June 21, Laila received another email confirming she would be refunded the cost of her BA ticket within the next fortnight.

Despite enjoying her time at the hotel, Laila admitted the "good holiday" was overshadowed by the unexpected expense. The £1,200 she had to fork out was part of her savings intended for her postgraduate studies at Cambridge University, where she plans to train as a French and Spanish teacher starting this September.

"I'm going to study at Cambridge University and it's not a cheap city, so that money could have gone towards my deposit," Laila lamented. With another TUI holiday to Jamaica booked for September, Laila, anxious to avoid a repeat of the ordeal, has applied for a new passport. She expressed her frustration with TUI, saying, "This whole experience with TUI has just left a sour taste in my mouth and I just want to avoid it happening again."

A TUI UK & I spokesperson said: "We're sorry to hear Ms March was unable to travel with TUI as planned due to the damage on her passport. Customers are informed by email, and on our website, at the time of booking and prior to travel that UK Government's passport requirements must be followed."

The spokesperson continued: "We strongly advise that customers check their passports are damage free as if there is any concern a passenger could be denied entry to their destination, they will be denied travel at the discretion of our check-in team. Details of passport validity can be found here: www.gov.uk/renew-adult-passport/replace".

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