‘Heartbreaking’: Passport mistake ends family’s holiday

A teenager was set to jet off on his first international holiday with his family. But a small issue with his passport saw him turned away.

A small passport blunder has ended a family’s dream holiday. Picture: Supplied/The Sun

A teen’s passport blunder cost his family a £1,000 ($A1,900) dream holiday after Ryanair wouldn’t let him on the plane.

Jake Burton, 19, was set to go on his first-ever flight to Benidorm, Spain, for New Year’s Eve with his parents.

The family was all set to jet off from East Midlands Airport and were about to get on the plane before he failed the final check, The Sun reports.

Parents Rachael and Chris Burton say it was a one-centimetre tear in the teen’s passport that saw him turned away.

But the family says the rip is on the opposite side of the page of the main photo information – so there is nothing missing from the months-old passport.

Jake says he likely damaged it on a night out.

Jake Burton and his family were set to jet off on their first international holiday – until they weren’t. Picture: Supplied/The Sun

Parents Chris and Rachael say a small blunder meant they were forced to abandon the trip. Picture: Supplied/The Sun

Rachael and Chris, 47 and 51, say they were still allowed to fly but refused to leave their son at home while they set off on what was meant to be his first holiday abroad.

The mum, from Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, said: “We had gone through all the checks but right at the very end, Ryanair turned us away.

“It was absolutely heartbreaking. It would have been one thing if he had been turned away at the first instance, but to get to the gate you start getting into holiday mode and it’s just awful.

“The worst part was this woman wouldn’t even look him in the eye when she told us no.

“We had to be walked back through the airport, even down the runway, to leave. It was just awful.”

The family was set to take off on the eight-day trip on December 28.

They say they’ve lost out on the £1,067.64 ($A1,997.45) they splashed on flights and £167 ($A312) that went on taxis and transfers.

The family say a one-centimetre tear saw teen Jake turned away. Picture: Supplied/The Sun

The family say they now fear Jake will be put off travelling ever again. Picture: Supplied/The Sun

Thankfully, the hotel was to be paid on arrival – £392 ($A733) per room so just under £800 ($A1,500) in total.

Rachael added: “It was his first time flying, his first time going abroad. We were all devastated.

“We were going with friends and they had been trying to get us to Benidorm for years.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to get our money back, as they told us we could fly, but we’re hoping we can at least get something back for Jake.

“He thinks it’s his fault. He’s so sorry. He hasn’t come out of his bedroom.

“I think this has put him off flying for life.”

Ryanair told The Sun: “This passenger was correctly refused travel from East Midlands to Alicante as his passport was damaged and therefore not valid for travel.”

This article originally appeared in The Sun and has been reproduced with permission.