British Airways passport refusal after ignoring UK government advice costs Florida holidaymakers thousands

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

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British Airways has become the latest airline to wreck holiday plans by applying its own, incorrect rules on passport validity.

Kathleen Matheson, 62, had planned to spend the weekend in Orlando at the start of a two-week trip to Florida with her husband Allan, 56.

But ground staff working for BA at Gatwick airport turned them away. They claimed that Ms Matheson’s passport – due to expire in November 2024 – was not valid for travel to America. They even refused to accept the word of customer service staff on the British Airways helpline.

Ms Matheson, an NHS receptionist, felt “devastated and exhausted” by BA’s decision to ban them from the flight, and the subsequent scramble to make alternative travel arrangements to rescue their Florida holiday.

Three days after the event, British Airways blamed “human error” by a member of staff.

The couple, from Skye, had verified in advance that the US is one of many countries with no minimum validity requirement for British passport holders. They both had the required Esta online permits and had successfully checked in online for flight BA2037.

They arrived in good time for the 10.40am departure from Gatwick’s South Terminal – which is where their nightmare began.

Ms Matheson told The Independent: “We went to bag drop, where the agent asked if I realised my passport expired soon?

“I replied I was aware and showed him the screenshot from the UK government website on passport validity for the US.”

The Foreign Office travel advice for the US makes clear a British passport must simply be valid for the length of the planned stay.

“He then sent for a manager. They both stated that I would not be allowed to board as my passport didn’t have ‘the required six months left’.

“I said that did not apply to US, but they refused to accept this.”

Ms Matheson then called the British Airways customer service line.

“They agreed with me that the website was correct, but said it was the agents’ decision that was final.

“There was no mention of booking me on to the next day’s flight as the manager stated a new passport would not be through by then.”

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After the Boeing 777 departed without them, the couple cancelled their car rental and accommodation bookings.

Ms Matheson secured an appointment at the Passport Office in London for the following morning, and the couple checked in to a hotel.

The replacement passport was duly issued, and Ms Matheson managed to get a fresh Esta permit within minutes. They then booked on a Virgin Atlantic flight for Sunday and went to Heathrow for another night in a hotel.

So far they have spent over £8,000 on the trip – much of which has been lost.

Ms Matheson said: “I am devastated and exhausted with what has happened, and very much out of pocket.”

Passport validity for travel to the European Union after Brexit has been a constant source of problems for travellers.

Both easyJet and Ryanair applied their own incorrect rules for many months until they finally agreed to comply with the actual EU regulations. In contrast, British Airways, along with Jet2 and Wizz Air, have long adhered to the correct rules.

But American regulations have never been in doubt. For many years, the US has allowed British travellers to visit without a minimum spell of validity on their passport. In principle a UK citizen could arrive on the day before their passport expired, be legally admitted and then fly back to arrive in the UK on the expiry date.

“This honestly has been so stressful,” said Ms Matheson said before she boarded the Virgin Atlantic flight to Florida.

A spokesperson for British Airways said: “This was human error by one of our colleagues and we’re in touch with our customer to apologise and put it right.”

The Independent has asked BA what steps the airline is taking to investigate if other passengers have been wrongly denied boarding by the same staff at Gatwick airport.