A Scot was forced to spend his dream holiday to Mexico alone after his Brazilian girlfriend was deported after a visa mix-up. Scott Kinghorn, 32, and partner Thallise Marciano, 29, splashed out £2,500 on the trip of a lifetime.
But their holiday plans were left in tatters when Scott became separated from Thallise. She is a Brazilian national and was therefore required to apply for a separate visa to gain entry to Mexico.
But Scott claims they weren't told this by the booking agent - meaning he was left stranded in Mexico for a week while Thallise was sent home. Tui said it was sorry to hear of the couple's experience but that it is the customer's responsibility to check visa rules.
Scott, from Edinburgh, Scotland, said: "The whole trip was a complete nightmare from start to finish. Tui are responsible as she should never have been able to board that flight with a Brazilian passport and the incorrect documents."
The couple booked a last-minute package holiday to Cancun with Tui at the beginning of June and flew from Glasgow two weeks later. They filled out visa forms on the plane in line with Mexico's government guidelines on Tui's website, they say, ready for when they landed.
But on their arrival at immigration, Thallise was stopped by border force staff as she walked through passport control. The couple had separated passing through immigration, and Scott arrived at baggage claim unaware Thallise had been detained.
He tried to walk back to passport control to see where she was, but airport staff refused to let him through. They went to find Thallise themselves, and, after ten minutes, returned with some dire news.
They explained that she had been detained and was being sent back to Glasgow as she had travelled with an invalid visa. Thallise is a Brazilian national and was therefore required to apply for a separate visa to gain entry to Mexico - although Tui hadn't specified this, Scott claims.
He said he then tried to explain he wanted to fly home with her, but security refused to let him board the return flight or even see her before she was deported. Scott said: "We arrived in Cancun buzzing for our holiday, but when I arrived at baggage claim I realised I'd lost her.
"I went back to look for her, but the immigration officers refused to let me walk back through passport control. They eventually agreed to look for me, and when they came back, they said she was being sent home for having the wrong visa.
"I tried to say I was flying home with her, but they said that was impossible as I'd already entered the country. They wouldn't even let me see her before she left and I had all our credit cards and our house keys.
"It was ludicrous." Thallise was put on the first flight back to Glasgow, with no money and no way of getting into their house when she got home, Scott said.
Meanwhile, he was forced to go to the hotel in Mexico by himself. When he arrived at the resort, he rung Tui customer service - but claims they said there was nothing they could do.
Scott then stayed up all night, waiting for a message from Thallise to say she'd arrived in the UK. He had to book her a hotel for two nights in Scotland while he organised for his brother to come back from a work trip and collect her.
She also had no money for food, Scott said, so he was forced to order her Deliveroo from abroad until his brother arrived. Scott then tried for a week to organise an earlier flight home, but claims Tui could only offer him a flight back to Manchester for £400 - two days before he was meant to leave anyway.
The business owner said: "Thallise has anxiety and she had a panic attack on the flight home resulting in her needing medical attention. When she got back no family members were available at such short notice to collect her so I had to get her a hotel - entirely at our expense!
"All in all, I spent £2,500 on the holiday plus the extra costs of her accommodation in Scotland and takeouts I was forced to order her. I've since complained to Tui but they're aftercare has been appalling - I can't get through to speak to anyone.
"This is their fault because when Thallise filled out her advanced passenger information she should have been informed about the visa change for Brazilians. She should never have been allowed to board that flight with a Brazilian passport.
"We wouldn't have even been able to get her the right visa until September so would never have booked the trip in the first place had we have been told. I'm trying to get the whole trip refunded but have heard nothing back from them since I got home six weeks ago.
"The whole holiday was a disaster - and I won't stop until Tui takes responsibility for it." Tui said: "We're very sorry to hear of Mr Kinghorn and Ms Marciano's experience.
"We always recommend that customers check visa requirements with the consulate or embassy of the country they're travelling to before they book and ensure they have the correct documentation prior to completing their booking. On this occasion, Mr Kinghorn booked his holiday online and agreed to our booking terms and conditions which outlines that customers are responsible for checking if a visa is required to enter their chosen destination."
Cancun International Airport has been approached for comment.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .
