‘Heartbroken’ holidaymaker ‘gobsmacked’ as they’re denied boarding easyJet flight – as a result of rip in passport

One holidaymaker was left ‘gobsmacked’ after she was denied boarding her flight due to a rip in her passport. 

Donna Fairclough, 42, was set to jet off from Manchester Airport to Malta with easyJet with her fiancé Gary Broadley, 55, on January 3. 

However, the pub landlord from West Yorkshire didn’t even get through security before she was told she wouldn’t be able to fly. 

Donna claims she was informed she would not be allowed to board due to a ‘tiny’ rip in her passport, which she says was originally only ‘a quarter-of-an-inch’ long. 

She admitted she can’t pinpoint when the passport got damaged and when she used it to go to Tenerife last year, ‘everything was fine’.

‘The rip wasn’t as bad as it looks in the photo. At the time, it was a tiny rip above the picture,’ Donna claimed. 

She recalled: ‘We got to Manchester Airport and printed off our labels for our bags. We walked round to the baggage check-in desk and she asked for our passports and boarding passes.

‘I gave them mine and she said “one second”. Jokingly my partner said, “What have you done?”

Donna Fairclough, 42, was set to jet off from Manchester Airportto Malta with easyJet with her fiancé Gary Broadley, 55, on January 3

However, the pub landlord from West Yorkshire didn’t even get through security before she was told she wouldn’t be able to fly due to the condition of her passport (pictured)

‘She came back and told me I couldn’t fly because my passport was damaged. I was gobsmacked and heartbroken.’

Donna had to miss out on her £820 holiday in the end, and Donna described how ‘heartbreaking’ it was for the pair.

The Yorkshire woman claims that as easyJet would not let her fly, the pair were left with no choice but to drive home and not go away. 

She said: ‘It was just a little rip above the picture. I don’t know how the rip got bigger. I might have caught it. The rip was initially about a quarter of an inch.

‘I was excited to go away. It was heartbreaking because we lost out on a holiday because of a rip.

‘I said to my partner, you can still see my face and my passport number, and it didn’t affect any of that. That’s what I couldn’t understand.’

Photos show how the tear appears to be around half of the photo page of the vital travel document, though the passport number and picture are not damaged.

The UK Government‘s website warns that any passport that is ripped is considered ‘damaged’, so it should be replaced, and you may not be able to fly.

Donna had to miss out on her £820 holiday in the end, and Donna described how ‘heartbreaking’ it was for the pair

‘A damaged passport is one which the customer cannot use as proof of identity because of its condition,’ it states.

EasyJet explained they follow authorities’ guidelines and therefore ‘cannot allow anyone to travel if their documentation is damaged’.

Donna and Gary reached out to the airline but claim easyJet won’t refund them due to the rip being classed as ‘accidental damage’.

An EasyJet spokesperson said: ‘We’re sorry to hear that Ms Fairclough was not able to go on her holiday due to her passport being damaged, and we understand how disappointing this must have been.

‘Our airline works closely with the authorities and complies with their guidance to ensure the safety and security of customers and crew, and this means we can’t allow anyone to travel if their documentation is damaged.

‘As soon as Ms Fairclough reached out to us, we advised on how she could obtain a new passport. 

‘We have been back in touch to offer any further support, and we hope we can take her on holiday soon.’

Since the ordeal, Donna has bought a new passport and is planning a trip to Thailand in April.

EasyJet explained they follow authorities’ guidelines and therefore ‘cannot allow anyone to travel if their documentation is damaged’

She is now urging others to check their passports before going away to ensure they can board the plane.

Donna said: ‘I would tell people to thoroughly check through. Even if it’s a little rip or a little crease. 

‘Anything they might think might stop you from flying.

‘Some people might think it’s fine, but it’s obviously not, as I’m one of the people it’s happened to.’