Innocent hand luggage mistake could ruin your entire holiday

Daily Record

17-06-2025

A travel expert claims stashing your passport in your cabin bags could bring your getaway to a premature end
As the summer holiday season approaches, Brits are being advised to keep their passports handy and not tucked away in their hand luggage, or they risk being turned away at their destination. The official start of summer is this Saturday (June 21), and many Brits are eager to jet off to sunnier climes as soon as the school term ends.
A recent YouGov poll has shown that Spain remains the top summer holiday destination for Brits (at 15.9%). Interestingly, the UK comes in second, with 14.3% of adults opting for a staycation. Italy and Greece are joint third, with 9.3% of tourists hoping to visit either country.
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With so many people keen to get away, there's an equal number making sure their passports are with them and up-to-date. In the first quarter of this year alone, more than two million passports were issued (2,035,154), according to HM Passport Office. Although this figure is 13% lower than the same period last year, the appetite for travel remains strong.
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Once at the airport, the temptation to put your passport in your cabin bag rather than keeping it in your pocket or passport holder can be high. But could this potentially ruin your holidays?
One travel expert has cautioned that passengers may face issues if they are forced to check their oversized cabin bags, particularly if their passport is stored in the luggage. Travel writer Katie Jackson emphasised the importance of keeping passports within one's reach, warning that failure to produce the document at passport control could result in being denied entry at the destination.
Writing for US magazine Travel and Leisure, she explained: "If you put your passport in your carry-on and are forced to check it at the gate (and forget to take it out before boarding your plane), you could find yourself in a serious predicament.
"For starters, if you're flying internationally, you typically go through immigration, also known as passport control, prior to being reunited with your checked luggage and going through customs. Without your passport, you could be denied entry to your destination or face a fine."
The situation can become even more complicated for those with connecting flights, as Katie noted: "If you're connecting to a domestic flight, you could easily miss that flight, too. For example, if you're flying from New York to Naples via Rome, and you don't have your passport with you when you land in Rome and go through immigration, you may miss your connecting flight."
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To highlight the importance of keeping travel documents safe, Katie recounted how a British pair were sent packing from Greece in 2018 after they disembarked without their passports. Lewis Mundy and Kimberley Floyd were plunged into a distressing situation when they discovered they had left their passports in the seat pockets on the plane upon landing in Kos.
Despite swift attempts to recover the missing items, Tui staff failed to locate the passports, resulting in the couple being placed on a return flight to the UK within 30 minutes of touching down.
Katie issued a stark warning: "Once you leave the aircraft, it can be very difficult to retrieve items forgotten on board, especially if the plane is scheduled to depart again soon. Replacing a passport is not only expensive, it's also time-consuming given all of the documents you have to gather."
She was not the only one emphasising the importance of not stowing your passport in your hand luggage. The UK Border Force has reminded holidaymakers to keep their passports within reach.
It warned against stowing them in checked bags since passengers are required to present them upon arrival, saying: "Don't be tempted to pack them away in your luggage as you will need to show your passport on your arrival."
In April, the Daily Record reported on another crucial tip, this time by a travel insurance specialist who cautioned British citizens to check their passports for damages to avoid the risk of being turned away when they land.