A frustrated couple has vowed to never fly with TUI again after being refused on-board their flight due to the age of their passport.
Penny Priestly, 59, and her husband Dug spent £1,800 on a package holiday and were set to fly out to Benidorm for 10 days on Tuesday, May 16.
However, when they arrived at East Midlands Airport they were shocked to be told by the airline that due to them not having a year left on their passports, they would be unable to fly.
The gutted couple said they had flown with TUI before but had 'never come across' the airline's passport policy - and they eventually had to fork out £860 to fly with Jet2.
Penny told Nottinghamshire Live: "We just turned up and were waiting an hour in the queue when the girl on the checkout said to another girl, can you check those dates. She checked and said no they can't fly. Then a bloke came over, a supervisor I believe, and he said our only alternative is to go to Jet2 and ask them if we can fly."
The couple say they "didn't know" about TUI's policy and claim that they had not been informed about it. They said it was not made clear to them at any stage, as most other airlines will let passengers fly as long as they have at least six months on their passports.
Each of the couple's passports expire in February 2024, nine months after the holiday they had planned. They eventually managed to go on holiday at a later date with Jet2 at an additional cost of £860 - but they were not able to be refunded for the TUI flights or transfers.
Penny said they would "never ever" fly with TUI again, adding: "We will always use Jet2 now or Ryanair, or even easyJet - they could fly us as well."
A spokesperson for TUI has stated: "We’re sorry that Mr Priestly was unable to fly with TUI as planned as his passport did not meet the required government passport guidelines.
"Government rules state that for customers travelling to certain EU countries, passports must be issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country and must also be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave. We strongly advise that our customers check their passports are up to date before booking any flights.
"Details of passport validity guidelines can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice."
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