British Airways wrongly turns away passenger at Gatwick – then blames her for ‘arriving late’ at airport
Passenger denied boarding as BA misinterprets passport rules
- A traveller was wrongly denied boarding for a British Airways flight from Gatwick to Ibiza, despite her passport meeting all post-Brexit EU validity rules.
- BA ground staff at Gatwick incorrectly claimed Claire Hannington’s passport was invalid, advising her to obtain a new one and purchase a new flight.
- Ms Hannington paid £392 for a later flight from Gatwick to reach her destination.
- British Airways initially failed to adequately address the issue, later offering a refund for the extra ticket but denying liability and falsely claiming Ms Hannington arrived late for check-in.
- Many British flight staff have misinterpreted the rules, which state passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day of departure to the EU and must have at least three months remaining on the intended day of departure from the EU.