Holiday Nightmares

A COMMON passenger mistake is causing huge problems on flights – and even causing planes to divert.

Earlier this week, a United Airlines flight was forced to land in in Dublin rather than London.

The cause? A laptop sliding down the side of the seat.

While this may not seem like a large cause for concern, airlines warn against any technology that falls down the side of the seat.

This is due to them potentially being damaged if they fall into the seat reclining mechanisms.

If a passenger then damages the laptop by reclining, it can lead to the batteries in them catching on fire.

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And it’s not just laptops, but mobile phones can also cause this problem.

Back in 2018, crew were forced to extinguish a fire onboard a Qantas flight from Melbourne to LA after a plane stuck between seats set on fire.

And in 2020, a British Airways passenger’s phone caught o fire after it slipped down while she slept, and she then reclined without realising.

When it come to laptop issues, just last year a United flight from Zurich to Chicago had to emergency land in Ireland after a laptop got stuck in the seats.

Patrick Smith, a pilot, and author of Ask the Pilot previously warned about the dangers of this.

He said: “If you’re in an electrically controlled lie-flat seat, of the type common in first or business class, there are a number of nooks and crannies into which your phone can slip – beyond your reach and down into the mechanisms that control the seat’s various positions.”

Passengers are urged to alert flight crew if any of their devices fall down the side of the seat.

If they can’t be retrieved, then the seat shouldn’t be reclined until the plane has landed.

In British Airways‘ latest onboard safety announcement, they warn: “If you do lose your device within your seat, please don’t move your seat yourself.

“Ask a member of crew for some help.”

A rise in onboard fires has also been caused by portable charges, leading ot many airlines banning the use of them.

Most recently, power banks are no longer allowed to be used on a number of Australian airlines, and must not be put in the overhead lockers.

Other airlines like Emirates are also not allowing passengers to use them during a flight, and encourages the use of the in-seat charging instead.

Only Korean Air fully bans power banks being taken onboard, after one of their aircraft was decommissioned due to fire damage caused by one.

Back in 2020, a passenger’s laptop was destroyed after someone reclined their seat onto it, crushing the screen.

A GROOM en route to his £2,000 honeymoon has claimed he was banned from boarding an international flight because of a faint “stamp smudge” on his passport.

South Yorkshire newlyweds Josh, 31, and Eden Reekie’s plan to fly to Thailand in October was foiled when Etihad Airways staff flagged an issue with the pair’s travel documents.

The couple had booked a TUI holiday package to Phuket, forking out £2,400 to celebrate a second honeymoon after tying the knot in 2024.

Staff at the Etihad check-in desk at Manchester Airport “immediately” flagged an issue with both passports, making the couple wait.

After an anxiety-riddled 30 minutes, Eden’s passport was cleared, but Josh was told he would be unable to fly due to his passport being “water damaged”.

Josh said: “The duty manager started checking [the passports] and taking photos of them”.

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“No one told us anything about what was happening, she just turned around and said ‘I’m really sorry but you can’t fly’,” he said.

Ironically, the faint smudge on a 2019 Thai travel stamp left him unable to board the flight.

The revelation shocked the industrial electrician from Barnsley, who said he had used his passport for international travel 12 times this year without issue.

“I hadn’t long flown with that passport so I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it,” he said.

“I travelled 12 times in 11 months with that passport and had no issues.

“Fair enough there’s a smudged stamp, but who’s to say that didn’t happen when they stamped it and closed the passport.”

In a bid to get on their holiday, Josh and Eden scrambled to apply for a new passport; however, holiday provider TUI cancelled their return flight and accommodation.

“We were really looking forward to it,” Josh said.

“We went and stood outside and just didn’t know what to do.

“It’s a very surreal feeling walking into an airport then walking out of the departure lounge.”

With Josh able to get a new passport within two days, the dismayed couple coughed up more cash for a last-minute trip to Cyprus.

They have since demanded compensation from Etihad and TUI.

“I felt really disappointed because there was no empathy or remorse from Etihad Airways,” Josh said.

“I know they probably see it daily but people save up all year to go on holiday.

“We were stressed because of all the money we’d spent.”

Josh said he “couldn’t understand” how one airline staff member had total authority.

“For someone on the check-in desk to just say ‘you’re not going’,” he said.

“How [can] someone have that authority to refuse you and not be able to get a second opinion.

“If it was the picture page, I could understand it, but the fact it was the stamp page just annoyed me.”

Josh said they’d been left “gutted” and described the event as “soul destroying”.

“I just hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else,” he said.

“We’d like our money back. We’ve had no help from TUI or Etihad.”

In response, an Etihad spokesperson said Thailand‘s immigration authorities had advised airline staff “not to board the passenger based on the passport’s condition”.

“A passenger flying from Manchester to Phuket on October 7 was denied boarding due to visible water damage in their passport at the time of check-in,” the spokesperson said.

“Check-in staff therefore did not allow the passenger to board in compliance with regulatory guidance and destination entry requirements based on the condition of the passport at the time of travel.”

The spokesperson said “British passports must be machine-readable and fully intact, with no torn pages, water damage, delamination or illegible details, to comply with Thailand’s immigration policy”.

TUI has been contacted for comment.

Another newlywed recently suffered a honeymoon nightmare when her face collapsed after her trip was cancelled at the last minute.

Gail Morgan, 50, suffered a Bell’s Palsy attack, paralysing the muscles down one side of her face after the £6,000 cruise was postponed just prior to boarding – and then axed completely.

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Gail and new husband Pepe Davies, 53, from Wales, had flown out to Miami following their glam wedding only to be told the liner had suffered a “technical issue”.

Gail said “Celebrity Cruises didn’t even inform” the couple of the cancellation, however they were later issued a credit voucher, totalling £2,619.

A TEENAGE boy was banned from boarding his flight because of a sticker on his passport.

Thirteen-year-old Alix Dawson was due to fly to Thailand with his family last month for two weeks.

However, after arriving at Edinburgh Airport, his mum Meghan Law was told that he wouldn’t be allowed to board the flight with his passport at the check in desk.

Meghan, who lives in Aberdeen said: “We got to the airport and were checking in my bags when the [check-in staff member] looked at my passport then just walked away from the desk. She didn’t say anything.

“We were standing there for 20 minutes before I asked what’s going on. She came back and said that my passport was damaged.

“I said I’ve used this umpteen times. No one’s ever mentioned any damage on it before.

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“There were no rips or stains, I don’t know what she was trying to imply. I was really shocked.

“What they were trying to say was that the luggage check-in stickers that had been stuck on one of the pages [and] had damaged the page. But it wasn’t even on the photo page.

“There were no rips, it was just where the sticker marks had been. They said we couldn’t travel with it.

“I knew there were no issues with their passports. We’d probably travelled over a dozen times with them.”

She was then told that they would need to go to Glasgow Airport to get a new emergency passport.

Fearing for their £3,000 holiday, she contacted TUI, who they booked the trip with.

After sending photos of the reported ‘damage’, Meghan said the tour operator found no issues with the passport and put them on the next available flight to Thailand which was with Emirates rather than Qatar Airways.

The family were able to head on holiday with no further obstacles, albeit the next day, from a different airport.

Meghan said: “If I hadn’t booked through TUI and booked it myself, we just wouldn’t have been able to go on holiday.

“One way from Glasgow on the same day of travel would’ve been £2,800.

“We used it six times over the two-week holiday and no one said anything which confirms there were no issues with the passports.”

She said that it “ruined the start of the trip” for being so stressful and is calling for compensation.

Other passengers have been banned from their flights due to them being too damaged.

Countries such as Bali and Vietnam have some of the strictest rules in the world when it comes to passport condition, with airlines fined thousands if they let passengers fly with them.

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Here are some other passport rules you need to know about.

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