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Honeymooners banned from jet
Jun 16 2004
By James Cartledge, Evening Mail
A marriage made in heaven turned into a honeymoon from hell for newlyweds Matthew and Lydia Hill.
The couple tied the knot on Saturday and were looking forward to a week of sun-kissed luxury in Corfu.
But their dreams came crashing down when they checked in at Birmingham International Airport, only for Matthew to be barred from the flight by tour operator First Choice because of his worn passport.
Now they have lost their £900 holiday and may have to use money given to them as wedding gifts to pay for a new honeymoon.
"What a start to married life. I felt terrible and Lydia was in tears," said Matthew, a 24-year-old electrician from Elizabeth Mews, in Tividale.
Passport to problems
Birmingham airport is gaining a reputation as the riskiest place to fly from - if your passport is not in mint condition.
The Hills honeymoon horror is the latest in a string of hitches with zealous security staff.
Last year businessman Leslie Hinks lost out on a £4,000 job in Majorca after he was refused permission-by airline staff to fly.
He said My-TravelLite would not let him board because the plastic cover on his passport was starting to peel away. It was later accepted at East Midlands airport, he added.
Jack Smith, 13, was forced to fly off on holiday alone when his aunt, Anne Wilde, was grounded at Birmingham because her passport photo had come unstuck.
City holidaymaker Jamie Begley was also barred from a flight because his passport had been through the washing machine.
"I had checked in with the passport, but at the boarding gate a woman from First Choice said the laminate on the identification page was coming away so it could be a forgery. We explained it was our honeymoon, but she just didn't care."
First Choice said Matthew should not have been allowed to check in with that passport.
The company offered to fly them out this Friday with a new passport, but they would only have had a few days in Corfu.
"Mr Hill's passport was accepted at check-in and then declined at the departure gate due to being defaced," a spokeswoman said.
"We accept the issue should have been addressed by our check-in team.
"However, as security is paramount to us, we have additional measures in place and so Mr Hill's damaged passport was picked up at the gate.
"Travellers are responsible for ensuring their passports are valid and intact," she added.
