Groom was ‘banned from Etihad flight’ to Thailand for his honeymoon due to ‘faint smudge’ on passport
A groom claims he was banned from boarding a flight for his honeymoon due to a faint ‘stamp smudge’ on his passport.
Newlyweds Josh and Eden Reekie were due to fly to Phuket, Thailand, with Etihad Airways after tying the knot last year.
The excited pair headed to Manchester Airport on October 7 for their two-week TUI package holiday, forking out £2,400 on flights and accommodation.
But after arriving at the check-in desk, the industrial electrician said Etihad staff immediately flagged an issue with both their passports.
The 31-year-old, who claims he has travelled with the same passport 12 times in the last year without issue, had an ‘anxious’ 30-minute wait while staff inspected their essential documents.
While his wife’s passport was deemed acceptable, Mr Reekie was denied boarding after being told his passport was water damaged because of a faint smudge on a 2019 travel stamp.
The pair left the airport before frantically applying for a new passport to try and make the rest of their honeymoon trip.
But holiday provider TUI cancelled the return flight and accommodation in Thailand after the couple were unable to board their outbound flight.
Newlyweds Josh and Eden Reekie were due to fly to Phuket, Thailand, for their second honeymoon after tying the knot last year
However, Josh claims he was told his passport was water-damaged because of a faint smudge on a 2019 travel stamp, and was denied boarding
Devastated, the couple forked out for a last-minute getaway to Cyprus but are calling for Etihad Airways and TUI should refund them.
Mr Reekie, who lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, said: ‘We were really looking forward to it. I hadn’t long flown with that passport so I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
‘I travelled 12 times in 11 months with that passport and had no issues. We arrived at the Etihad Airways check-in and we got to the desk. He looked at both our passports and said they were both water damaged.
‘The duty manager started checking them and taking photos of them. Half an hour passed, and I kept asking what was happening.
‘No one told us anything about what was happening, she just turned around and said “I’m really sorry but you can’t fly”.’
Mr Reekie continued said: ‘They just said mine had the issue in the end, they said there was damage to my stamp page.
‘They said there was a stamp that had smudged slightly from Thailand 2019.
‘Fair enough there’s a smudged stamp, but who’s to say that didn’t happen when they stamped it and closed the passport.
‘I can’t think of a time when it’s come into contact with water. The picture page was perfectly fine.
‘They said I couldn’t fly because it was damaged. We went and stood outside and just didn’t know what to do.
‘It’s a very surreal feeling walking into an airport, then walking out the departure lounge. We were stressed because of all the money we’d spent.’
Mr Reekie was able to get a new passport within two days, but accused TUI of cancelling their return flight and accommodation in Thailand after they failed to board their outgoing flight.
The couple, who were forced to stump up for another honeymoon in Cyprus, have since complained and are demanding compensation.
Mr Reekie added: ‘I felt really disappointed because there was no empathy or remorse from Etihad Airways.
‘I know they probably see it daily but people save up all year to go on holiday.
‘For someone on the check-in desk to just say ‘you’re not going’, I can’t understand how someone can have that authority to refuse you and not be able to get a second opinion.
‘If it was the picture page, I could understand it, but the fact it was the stamp page just annoyed me.
‘We were absolutely gutted, it was soul-destroying. I just hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else. We’d like our money back. We’ve had no help from TUI or Etihad.’
An Etihad spokesperson said: ‘A passenger flying from Manchester to Phuket on 7 October was denied boarding due to visible water damage in their passport at the time of check-in.
‘Etihad consulted Thailand’s immigration authorities who advised the airline not to board the passenger based on the passport’s condition.
‘Check-in staff therefore did not allow the passenger to board in compliance with regulatory guidance and destination entry requirements based on the condition of the passport at the time of travel.
‘British passports must be machine-readable and fully intact, with no torn pages, water damage, delamination or illegible details, to comply with Thailand’s immigration policy.’
TUI have been approached for comment.
