Man refused travel on £2,000 honeymoon over passport stamp from previous holiday
Josh and Eden Reekie were unable to fly out on their planned honeymoon from Manchester Airport
A man set to go on his honeymoon says he was refused travel on board an Etihad Airways flight due to a 'stamp smudge' from a previous holiday.
Josh and Eden Reekie, who tied the knot last year, had planned to fly out to Phuket, Thailand, from Manchester Airport for their second honeymoon on 7 October.
The couple said they forked out £2,400 on a two-week TUI package holiday, which included both flights and accommodation.
Upon arrival, however, the pair couldn't get past the Etihad Airways check-in desk as staff were said to have had an issue with the 31-year-old's passport.
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The electrician, from South Yorkshire, said he was told that his passport was water damaged due to a faint smudge on a 2019 travel stamp. Josh was denied boarding despite having 'travelled 12 times in 11 months'.
Shortly after leaving the airport, the pair managed to book a last-minute trip to Cyprus, as their holiday provider TUI allegedly cancelled the return flight and accommodation in Thailand.
Since then, the groom has claimed that both Etihad Airways and TUI haven't given them a refund.
"They just said mine had the issue in the end, they said there was damage to my stamp page," Josh explained.
"They said there was a stamp that had smudged slightly from Thailand 2019.
"Fair enough there's a smudged stamp, but who's to say that didn't happen when they stamped it and closed the passport.
"I can't think of a time where it's come into contact with water, the picture page was perfectly fine.
"They said I couldn't fly because it was damaged. We went and stood outside and just didn't know what to do. It's a very surreal feeling walking into an airport then walking out the departure lounge.
"We were stressed because of all the money we'd spent."
Josh said he was able to sort himself with a new passport within two days, meanwhile, the pair had to settle for make-shift honeymoon in Cyprus.
"If it was the picture page, I could understand it, but the fact it was the stamp page just annoyed me," he added.
"We were absolutely gutted, it was soul-destroying. I just hope it doesn't happen to anyone else.
"We'd like our money back. We've had no help from TUI or Etihad."
An Etihad spokesperson said: "A passenger flying from Manchester to Phuket on 7 October was denied boarding due to visible water damage in their passport at the time of check-in.
"Etihad consulted Thailand's immigration authorities who advised the airline not to board the passenger based on the passport's condition.
"Check-in staff therefore did not allow the passenger to board in compliance with regulatory guidance and destination entry requirements based on the condition of the passport at the time of travel.
"British passports must be machine-readable and fully intact, with no torn pages, water damage, delamination or illegible details, to comply with Thailand's immigration policy."
LADbible Group has contacted TUI for comment.
Anish Vij