A British Nigerian woman was turned away at London Gatwick Airport after being refused boarding on a family holiday to Greece, despite believing her passport was valid.
Content creator and social worker Bolaji Omisade, 35, from Rainham, Essex, only discovered the problem at the easyJet check in desk while travelling with her husband and three sons.
While her husband and two older sons boarded the flight and continued with their holiday plans, Omisade had to return home with her youngest son.
She later secured a one day emergency passport appointment in Newport, Wales, and booked replacement flights. The unexpected setback cost the family an additional £700, and she was only able to rejoin them for the final two days of the trip.
Omisade had been excited as she headed to Gatwick Airport with her husband and three sons for their family holiday to Greece. However, she was left shocked and confused when she was informed that she could not travel.
Bolaji said: “Until that moment, I had absolutely no idea this rule existed.”
Under post Brexit travel rules, UK passports must have been issued less than 10 years before the date of entry when travelling to most European countries. Although Bolaji checked that her passport had not expired before leaving for the airport, she was unaware of the rule relating to the passport’s issue date.
The situation was devastating for Bolaji as she realised she would not be able to begin the holiday with her husband and three sons.
“I had to hold back my emotions because my children were watching everything unfold,” she said. “As a parent, that was one of the hardest parts. They were so disappointed.”
With no refund available and their departure time fast approaching, the family decided that Bolaji would return home with their youngest son, while her husband and two older boys travelled on the easyJet flight to Greece.
Determined to salvage the holiday, Bolaji quickly booked an appointment to obtain a new passport. After receiving her replacement passport, she arranged new flights for herself and her youngest son.
They eventually joined the rest of the family in Greece on Thursday. However, the delay meant they had only two days left of the holiday before flying home on Saturday.
