I had to miss £4.5K holiday of a lifetime with my kids over tiny passport issue – check yours to avoid costly mistake
A DEVASTATED mum was left heartbroken after being told she couldn’t go on the “holiday of a lifetime” with her children.
Claire Page, 37, had dreamed about going to Lapland since her son was a baby, but was told on the day she would have to stay behind.
The beautician from Bolton had a small rip in her passport on the photo page, close to the spine.
Despite travelling with the document “half a dozen” times before, airline staff refused the desperate mum entry onto the flight with her kids and husband.
She said: “By this point I was crying, my kids were crying.
“I fell to the floor and two other ladies from TUI came over and picked me up and took me to the side.
“The kids just kept asking ‘are we not going?'”
Claire had planned her “dream” Christmas trip to Lapland over a year ago and was so keen she forked out £4,700 herself to surprise her family.
“My husband always said it was too much but it was something I wanted to do for them all so I paid for it with my own money,” she explained.
Her husband, car salesman Justin, 39, and two sons Ashton, 11, and Grayson, seven were “amazed” when she told them.
Claire had booked three nights at the Snowflake Hotel in northern Finland and had an itinerary packed with festive adventures.
She bought the perfect family getaway from TUI as a package, which included a snowmobile ride with huskies, a reindeer sleigh ride, and a trip to see Santa.
Claire told the Manchester Evening News: “It was quite simply my dream trip.
“It’s one you always think about and want to do with your kids in your lifetime.”
Lapland is legendary for being home to Father Christmas and is known for its glorious snowy winters.
The 37-year-old has been longing to visit ever “ever since Ashton was a baby” and was shattered she was turned away at check-in.
She arrived at Manchester Airport on December 1 with her family, ready for reindeer country, and they geared up for their 6am flight to Ivalo.
The airport itself was decorated in the festive spirit with staff dressed up as elves, but unfortunately Santa’s little helpers told Claire she had a problem.
When they pointed out the rip, which had happened in Spain around six years ago, Claire was dumbfounded as she “never thought it would be an issue.”
The passport was taken away and examined by a second staff member who came back to break the bad news.
Claire added: “The person who flagged it can’t have been a mother, as no mother would do that.”
Despite her pleading, TUI staff refused Claire from boarding the flight with her family.
They told her: “There’s nothing we can do, there’s no other flights, we can’t change your holiday.”
To her dismay, she would have to stay in the home and begged her husband to take the kids and enjoy the holiday without her.
She said: “My husband said he couldn’t do it, as he knew it was my dream.
“But I told him we had to think of the kids.
“I said ‘you have to get on that plane, or I will never forgive you,’ we’d only told them the night before so there was no way they weren’t going.”
The beautician was positive there would have been no issue with her passport, as there had never been before, but TUI sent a picture to Finnish immigration who also claim it would have been rejected.
She urged airline staff to let her take the risk at immigration, as she watched other excited families check-in, but they pointed her towards the British government guidelines.
The website states if your passport is damaged it must be replaced – one of the examples of damage was a ripped page.
After a series of painful attempts to let her through, she was escorted out of the airport: “They said to me, someone has gone to tell your husband, I will show you the way out’.
“And that was that.”
A teary Claire was picked up her mum where they decided to rush to Liverpool in an attempt to get to the Passport Office for a new one.
To her frustration, all the streets were closed due to a Santa dash and the pair had to dump the car and dart across the city by foot.
When the passport office turned out to be closed, she booked an appointment for the next available slot but by the time it would arrive her family would have already returned.
Claire said her boys and husband enjoyed the activities but her kids were often upset as they wanted their mum there.
She added: “I will never get this opportunity again, because my oldest goes to high school next year so it will likely be his last year of believing.
“So even if we could afford to go again it wouldn’t have that full, magical Christmas feeling.”
A spokesperson for TUI said: “We were very sorry to hear that Mrs Page was not able to travel with the rest of her family earlier this month.
“Government regulations do not allow passengers to travel with damaged passports, and after our teams spoke with the relevant authorities her passport was unfortunately denied.
“We encourage all customers to check their documents are valid and not damaged before they travel.”
Little known passport rules
Essential checks you should do before you travel:
Expiry Date: Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your return date – some countries even require this for entry
Blank Pages: Double check that your passport has enough blank pages for visas and entry and exit stamps. Some countries claim they need at least two consecutive blank pages.
Physical Condition: Keep an eye your passport for any rips, tears, or water damage. A damaged passport might be invalid and could lead denial of entry or travel delays.
Personal Details: Check that all personal information, such as your name, date of birth, and photograph, is correct and clearly readable.
Signature: Make sure your passport is signed and wit your most up to date signature – an unsigned passport may be marked as invalid.
Visa Requirements: Check if your destination requires a visa and ensure you have it well in advance of your travel date.
Emergency Contact Information: It is always recommended to fill in the emergency contact information page in your passport in case of an emergency.