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Laura Savage arrived at London Heathrow Terminal 5 on Friday, November 4th with plenty of time before her British Airways flight to Oslo departed.
She possessed a ticket for flight BA762 to the capital of Norway, along with a passport that was valid for travel to Norway and any other country in the Schengen area until October 12, 2024.
However, British Airways employees at the departure gate prevented Ms Savage, who is 35 years old, from boarding. They informed her that UK passports over nine years old were no longer valid. Despite Ms Savage’s attempts, the staff did not allow her to board and British Airways did not refund her fare.
Ms. Savage, a property stylist from Oxfordshire, then reached out to British Airways to express her displeasure at being incorrectly denied boarding.
BA stood firm in their choice to refuse her entry. The customer service team stated: “Since you did not possess a valid passport, our employees could not permit you to board the flight.”
Despite sending over 10 emails to the airline, providing evidence that her passport meets post-Brexit standards, she has not received a response.
Ms Savage reached out to The Independent and expressed her frustration with attempting to file a complaint and receive compensation from them. She stated that the only method of making a complaint is through email, but they have not been responding to her.
Following an early departure from her residence, Ms Savage parked at Heathrow and went through the usual security procedures at Terminal 5. However, upon reaching the gate for her 7.55am flight, British Airways employees informed her that her passport was not valid due to its proximity to its expiration date.
They demanded that UK passports become invalid for traveling to the European Union and wider Schengen area after nine years from their date of issue.
This has not been the situation before. When the UK was part of the EU, passports were considered valid until their expiration date. However, since Brexit, UK citizens are now seen as “third-country nationals” by Europe. Passports must not exceed 10 years of age on the date of departure and must have at least three months remaining before their expiration date on the day of return.
Ms Savage’s passport is eligible for travel to Norway and other Schengen area countries until January 2025, as it expires on October 12, 2024.
She explained, “I was forced to give up my vacation and also spend money on the flight, parking, and gas, even though it was not my mistake, but theirs.”
According to the regulations for European air travelers’ rights, Ms. Savage is entitled to a complete reimbursement for the flight and an additional £220 as compensation for being unfairly denied boarding.
A representative from British Airways expressed regret for the customer’s experience and mentioned that their teams are diligently working towards finding a solution for this issue.
Source: independent.co.uk
