Vicky Pattison has set the record straight after she was turned away from a flight for breaking an airline policy.
On Sunday (14 April), the Geordie Shore star was due to fly out to Italy to visit a wedding venue ahead of her big day in September. However, when she was at the airport easyJet staff ‘turned her away’ due to a little-known passport policy.
Pattison said she’s been using it ‘all year and no one’s said anything’ but due to ‘company policy’, it wasn’t accepted.
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It turns out, the star’s dog had taken a liking to her passport and had a good chew on the side of it, meaning it was damaged.
And a spokesperson for the airline explained: “We are sorry for Ms Pattison’s experience and the inconvenience caused.
"At easyJet, we work closely with the authorities and comply with their guidance to ensure the safety and security of all passengers and staff.
“As such, we cannot allow any passenger to travel on their planned flight with documentation damaged to such a degree that its authenticity is brought into question. It is the passenger’s responsibility to have suitable documentation for travel."
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After Pattison was left ‘beyond gutted’ by breaking the policy without even realising, she has set the record straight on what happened during her Drive radio show with Adam Lawrence.
“Everyone I'm sure by now knows, I tried to go to Italy at the weekend to see my wedding venue and try the menu. We were really excited, we got to the airport really early Sunday morning and we got turned away,” she explained.
Pattison went on to outline how the airline said her passport ‘was too damaged for their company policy’ which she respects.
“I took it on the chin and walked away, and did a couple of stories saying I was really disappointed. I'd wasted money on the flight and my wedding planner and florist were already out there, I was feeling disappointed and tired,” she said.
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“I then just got on with my life and went home to my dogs, tried to look on the bright side. And then the press just went mental, like nobody had ever been turned away from a flight because of a passport rip before. It was reported that I'm like banned from easyJet, they made it sound like I'm on some sort of list.”
The star of course wasn't 'banned' but just couldn't fly with that damaged passport.
Pattison ensured she didn’t have a ‘blazing row’ with the staff at the airport and instead ‘just walked off’, going ‘straight’ to the passport office.
“I am going to Dubai and I've got my hen this month, I'm taking no chances. I think this is the universes way of telling me to sort out my passport. So I was proactive, and I did it. And the good news is my new one will be here in a week,” she added.
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Well, at least she’s got it sorted now and hopefully she can get out to Italy another time. Check those passports, lads!
Jess Battison