Latest news with #LouiseMcMahon
The Irish Sun
16-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Mum banned from flight and forced to miss 50th birthday abroad due to easyJet passport blunder
A WOMAN missed her 50th birthday celebrations in Paris after easyJet wrongly denied her boarding. Louise McMahon was due to fly from Paris , France with her family for a birthday trip on June 28. Advertisement 3 A woman was denied boarding her flight to Paris, France as her passport was apparently out of date Credit: Alamy However, upon reaching bag drop-off, the early years education worker was told she would be unable to travel as her EasyJet staff told her passport was out of date, despite it actually being valid until September 24, 2025. The confusion comes over two different passport rules that Brits have to follow. According to the foreign travel advice for France, the country follows Schengen area rules and therefore your passport must: Advertisement Read more on travel inspo "have a 'date of issue' less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago" "have an 'expiry date' at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)" In simple terms, this means that if you travelled to For example, if your passport was issued August 1, 2015, you would not be able to use it to enter France after August 1, 2025. The rule used to be that before October 1, 2018, when you renewed your passport, any time left on your old passport up to nine months would be rolled over to your new one. Most read in News Travel This could mean that your new passport would be valid for 10 years and nine months in total. Advertisement And the three month rule is where your passport must be valid for three months after the day you plan to leave the What do you need to do to ensure your passport is OK for travel? 3 However, easyJet staff were mistaken and the woman could in fact travel Credit: Alamy For example, if you plan to leave France on August 1, 2025 - your passport must be dated until at least November 1, 2025. Louise told Advertisement Yet this is not true, with the three month rule and the 10-year rule do not have to both be followed separately, although most airlines are not abiding by this. The mum-of-two didn't argue, but told her family to go on without her - which they refused. In total, the value of the family's The airline has since apologised to the passenger and reimbursed the family's lost costs and £220 in denied boarding compensation. Advertisement Louise added: "The whole experience was very upsetting. "I felt I had ruined a trip that we had all looked forward to and spent a lot of money on." An "We have raised this with our ground handling partner at Glasgow Airport to ensure action is taken to make sure all their team members are clear on the correct rules. Advertisement "We have been in touch with Ms McMahon to apologise and reimburse her in full as well as process the compensation she is due, along with a gesture of goodwill for her experience." What are the passport rules? The Sun's Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know. "Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one. "But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months. "In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination. "And you'll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK. "Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old. "The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted - some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page." There is also a There have been multiple similar cases to Louise's recently, including a couple in January who were 3 Brits must have three months left on their passport to travel to the Schengen area Credit: Alamy Advertisement
Scottish Sun
16-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Mum banned from flight and forced to miss 50th birthday abroad due to easyJet passport blunder
Plus, what the passport rules actually are PAY UP Mum banned from flight and forced to miss 50th birthday abroad due to easyJet passport blunder Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN missed her 50th birthday celebrations in Paris after easyJet wrongly denied her boarding. Louise McMahon was due to fly from Glasgow to Paris, France with her family for a birthday trip on June 28. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A woman was denied boarding her flight to Paris, France as her passport was apparently out of date Credit: Alamy However, upon reaching bag drop-off, the early years education worker was told she would be unable to travel as her passport was out of date. EasyJet staff told her passport was out of date, despite it actually being valid until September 24, 2025. The confusion comes over two different passport rules that Brits have to follow. According to the foreign travel advice for France, the country follows Schengen area rules and therefore your passport must: "have a 'date of issue' less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago" "have an 'expiry date' at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)" In simple terms, this means that if you travelled to France and arrived there today - your passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago. For example, if your passport was issued August 1, 2015, you would not be able to use it to enter France after August 1, 2025. The rule used to be that before October 1, 2018, when you renewed your passport, any time left on your old passport up to nine months would be rolled over to your new one. This could mean that your new passport would be valid for 10 years and nine months in total. And the three month rule is where your passport must be valid for three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. What do you need to do to ensure your passport is OK for travel? 3 However, easyJet staff were mistaken and the woman could in fact travel Credit: Alamy For example, if you plan to leave France on August 1, 2025 - your passport must be dated until at least November 1, 2025. Louise told The Independent: "I was told that I missed the travel cut off by three days because I needed 'three months before the 10 years'." Yet this is not true, with the three month rule and the 10-year rule do not have to both be followed separately, although most airlines are not abiding by this. The mum-of-two didn't argue, but told her family to go on without her - which they refused. In total, the value of the family's flights and non-refundable hotel in Paris was £1,975 - which they then missed out on due to the easyJet staff members' mistake. The airline has since apologised to the passenger and reimbursed the family's lost costs and £220 in denied boarding compensation. Louise added: "The whole experience was very upsetting. "I felt I had ruined a trip that we had all looked forward to and spent a lot of money on." An easyJet spokesperson said: "We are very sorry that Ms McMahon was incorrectly denied boarding on her flight from Glasgow to Paris as this is not our policy. "We have raised this with our ground handling partner at Glasgow Airport to ensure action is taken to make sure all their team members are clear on the correct rules. "We have been in touch with Ms McMahon to apologise and reimburse her in full as well as process the compensation she is due, along with a gesture of goodwill for her experience." What are the passport rules? The Sun's Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know. "Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one. "But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months. "In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination. "And you'll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK. "Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old. "The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted - some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page." There is also a secret rule that mean flight attendants can turn passengers away at the boarding gate. There have been multiple similar cases to Louise's recently, including a couple in January who were banned from boarding flight because of their passport… despite being able to check in.
The Sun
16-07-2025
- The Sun
Mum banned from flight and forced to miss 50th birthday abroad due to easyJet passport blunder
A WOMAN missed her 50th birthday celebrations in Paris after easyJet wrongly denied her boarding. Louise McMahon was due to fly from Glasgow to Paris, France with her family for a birthday trip on June 28. 3 However, upon reaching bag drop-off, the early years education worker was told she would be unable to travel as her passport was out of date. EasyJet staff told her passport was out of date, despite it actually being valid until September 24, 2025. The confusion comes over two different passport rules that Brits have to follow. According to the foreign travel advice for France, the country follows Schengen area rules and therefore your passport must: "have a 'date of issue' less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago" "have an 'expiry date' at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)" In simple terms, this means that if you travelled to France and arrived there today - your passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago. For example, if your passport was issued August 1, 2015, you would not be able to use it to enter France after August 1, 2025. The rule used to be that before October 1, 2018, when you renewed your passport, any time left on your old passport up to nine months would be rolled over to your new one. This could mean that your new passport would be valid for 10 years and nine months in total. And the three month rule is where your passport must be valid for three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. What do you need to do to ensure your passport is OK for travel? 3 For example, if you plan to leave France on August 1, 2025 - your passport must be dated until at least November 1, 2025. Louise told The Independent: "I was told that I missed the travel cut off by three days because I needed 'three months before the 10 years'." Yet this is not true, with the three month rule and the 10-year rule do not have to both be followed separately, although most airlines are not abiding by this. The mum-of-two didn't argue, but told her family to go on without her - which they refused. In total, the value of the family's flights and non-refundable hotel in Paris was £1,975 - which they then missed out on due to the easyJet staff members' mistake. The airline has since apologised to the passenger and reimbursed the family's lost costs and £220 in denied boarding compensation. Louise added: "The whole experience was very upsetting. "I felt I had ruined a trip that we had all looked forward to and spent a lot of money on." An easyJet spokesperson said: "We are very sorry that Ms McMahon was incorrectly denied boarding on her flight from Glasgow to Paris as this is not our policy. "We have raised this with our ground handling partner at Glasgow Airport to ensure action is taken to make sure all their team members are clear on the correct rules. "We have been in touch with Ms McMahon to apologise and reimburse her in full as well as process the compensation she is due, along with a gesture of goodwill for her experience." What are the passport rules? The Sun's Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know. "Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one. "But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months. "In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination. "And you'll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK. "Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old. "The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted - some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page." There is also a secret rule that mean flight attendants can turn passengers away at the boarding gate. There have been multiple similar cases to Louise's recently, including a couple in January who were banned from boarding flight because of their passport… despite being able to check in. 3
Daily Record
16-07-2025
- Daily Record
'I was turned away by easyJet at gate over my passport and just assumed they were right'
Woman's 50th birthday holiday break from Glasgow was ruined - and she then found out budget airline had got post Brexit rules wrong A traveller has told of how her holiday was ruined after she was turned away from catching her easyJet flight - after ground staff got the passport rules wrong. Louise McMahon was aiming to fly away on June 28 to Paris from Glasgow for a special birthday celebration. But when they got to the gate she was denied boarding by staff who said the passport wasn't valid. She told the Independent that it was valid for travel outbound to France and the rest of the European Union up to 24 September 2025 for a stay of up to 90 days – until 22 December 2025. Ms McMahon, who works in early years education, said: 'We arrived at the airport having checked in online. We went to bag drop and I was told I could not travel on my passport because it was out of date. 'I questioned this and the woman got a colleague who confirmed I was unable to travel and the system would not allow it. I was told that I missed the travel cut off by three days because I needed 'three months before the 10 years'. easyJet has now admitted this was wrong and apologised to the traveller. Mr McMahon said at the time they just assumed the easyJet staff were correct: 'I didn't argue with the staff at easyJet, we believed what they said and put it down to my own stupidity but I have since learned that my passport was valid as it was within the 10 year rule and had three months before the expiry date. 'It was my 50th birthday the following day so we had planned a special trip to Paris. I was obviously pretty horrified and told my family to go without me. They understandably refused given it was a trip for my 50th.' The whole trip cost almost £2,000 - but now easyJet has agreed to reimburse her as well as adding £220 compensation. The Independent said initially the airline refused to compensate the three other members of the party on the grounds that they could have continued with the journey and celebrated without her. When she was told of the refusal Ms McMahon told the budget airline: 'I do not believe anyone would reasonably expect a family to go on a trip that had been organised to celebrate someone's 50th birthday when that person was refused. I believed I had no option to get to Paris because easyJet staff advised me that my passport was invalid.' In fact, Ms McMahon could have flown on Air France, Ryanair or any other airline. EasyJet then agreed to pay denied boarding compensation to her husband and children. ---------------------------- Official advice on EU passport rules after Brexit: If you're going on holiday to a country in either the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you need to make sure you: 1. First check there's enough time on your passport - It mustn't be older than 10 years on the day you enter the country of your holiday destination - check the 'date of issue'. It must also have at least 3 months validity on the day you leave your holiday destination - check the 'expiry date'. You can check your passport's valid for your destination using our handy tool. If your passport doesn't meet this criteria you may be denied boarding. Note that it usually takes up to 3 weeks to renew a passport but could take longer if more information is required. 2. Have adequate travel insurance. 3. Check that you've got the correct driving documents, if you're hiring a car. You can read the official UK Brexit guidance on the government website ------------------------------ Ms McMahon said: 'The whole experience was very upsetting. I felt I had ruined a trip that we had all looked forward to and spent a lot of money on. Because we had lost such a lot of money, and I believed I was at fault, I did not feel able to celebrate my birthday in the way I had hoped at all.' A spokesperson for easyJet said: 'We are very sorry that Ms McMahon was incorrectly denied boarding on her flight from Glasgow to Paris as this is not our policy. 'We have raised this with our ground handling partner at Glasgow Airport to ensure action is taken to make sure all their team members are clear on the correct rules. 'We have been in touch with Ms McMahon to apologise and reimburse her in full as well as process the compensation she is due, along with a gesture of goodwill for her experience.'
The Independent
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
EasyJet staff get Brexit passport rules wrong again and wreck family's birthday trip to Paris
Four years on from Brexit, some airport ground staff working for easyJet are still wrongly turning away passengers by inventing their own passport rules. On 28 June, Louise McMahon was booked to fly on easyJet from Paris with her husband and two children for a three-night celebration of her 50th birthday. Her passport was valid for travel outbound to France and the rest of the European Union up to 24 September 2025 for a stay of up to 90 days – until 22 December 2025. But in a repeat seen at easyJet departure gates across the UK, Ms McMahon was turned away from the flight. The pattern followed many other such cases: the passenger appeals against being denied boarding; a supervisor is called; they double down on the wrong decision. Ms McMahon, who works in early years education, said: 'We arrived at the airport having checked in online. We went to bag drop and I was told I could not travel on my passport because it was out of date. "I questioned this and the woman got a colleague who confirmed I was unable to travel and the system would not allow it. I was told that I missed the travel cut off by three days because I needed 'three months before the 10 years'. This has never been the case – a fact that easyJet accepted in 2022 after months of lobbying by The Independent. Ms McMahon said: 'I didn't argue with the staff at easyJet, we believed what they said and put it down to my own stupidity but I have since learned that my passport was valid as it was within the 10 year rule and had three months before the expiry date. "It was my 50th birthday the following day so we had planned a special trip to Paris. I was obviously pretty horrified and told my family to go without me. They understandably refused given it was a trip for my 50th.' The value of the flights and non-refundable hotel in Paris was £1,975. 'Not to mention the obvious upset,' added Ms McMahon. After The Independent became involved in the case, easyJet apologised to the passenger and agreed to reimburse the lost costs, as well as paying £220 in denied boarding compensation. Initially the airline refused to compensate the three other members of the party on the grounds that they could have continued with the journey and celebrated without her. Ms McMahon responded by telling easyJet: 'I do not believe anyone would reasonably expect a family to go on a trip that had been organised to celebrate someone's 50th birthday when that person was refused. I believed I had no option to get to Paris because easyJet staff advised me that my passport was invalid.' In fact, Ms McMahon could have flown on Air France, Ryanair or any other airline. EasyJet then agreed to pay denied boarding compensation to her husband and children. Ms McMahon said: 'The whole experience was very upsetting. I felt I had ruined a trip that we had all looked forward to and spent a lot of money on. Because we had lost such a lot of money, and I believed I was at fault, I did not feel able to celebrate my birthday in the way I had hoped at all.' A spokesperson for easyJet said: 'We are very sorry that Ms McMahon was incorrectly denied boarding on her flight from Glasgow to Paris as this is not our policy. 'We have raised this with our ground handling partner at Glasgow Airport to ensure action is taken to make sure all their team members are clear on the correct rules. 'We have been in touch with Ms McMahon to apologise and reimburse her in full as well as process the compensation she is due, along with a gesture of goodwill for her experience.'
