Australian sports star Sam Kerr slams Jetstar over damaged passport ordeal

Australian sporting megastar Sam Kerr has made it to Bali, despite being thrown off a Jetstar flight because of her damaged passport.

Australian sporting megastar Sam Kerr has made it to Bali after previously being rejected from a Jetstar flight because of her damaged passport.

The 26-year-old striker and Matildas captain, who earlier this month announced she was joining English powerhouse club Chelsea, ripped into the budget airline on Twitter after being denied from boarding a flight to Indonesia yesterday.

“What a joke,” Ms Kerr wrote. “@JetstarAirways won’t let me travel due to a damaged passport.”

In response, Jetstar said it had to enforce the immigration requirements of the countries they flew to, including those that were strict about damaged passports.

In a statement this afternoon, Kerr’s management said the star managed to get into Bali — by flying with a different airline.

Australian football player Sam Kerr claims Jetstar wouldn't allow her to fly.

The passport appears to have a small amount of visible damage on one page.

“Yesterday afternoon Jetstar refused to allow Sam to board a plane to Bali, telling her that her passport was damaged. They went on to tell Sam that the airline was merely saving her the inevitable embarrassment of being turned away by Indonesian immigration,” the statement read.

“A few hours later, Sam boarded a flight with another airline who made no comment at all about her passport, and she passed through both Australian and Indonesian immigration without incident. Sam is now enjoying a well deserved break with some friends in Bali.”

Kerr’s holiday came weeks after she pen to paper on a contract that will make her one of the highest paid female players in the world.

After the November 13 announcement she would be joining Chelsea for two and a half years, Kerr outlined plans for a three-week holiday, initially in Perth to visit family and then to Bali.

“I’m really looking forward to a break,” she said earlier this month.

What a joke . @JetstarAirways won’t let me travel due to a damaged passport pic.twitter.com/oeiS4Z57Qu

— Sam Kerr (@samkerr1) November 27, 2019

“It’s the first time ever I have had scheduled time off where I can go on a holiday and take care of myself.

“It’s my body — obviously I have been going back and forth (between Australia and the US) — but also my mind. I have been going non-stop.

“It will just be nice to turn off from football and enjoy myself.”

In response to yesterday’s incident, a Jetstar spokesperson said their crew had to enforce the immigration requirements of the countries they flew to.

“Some countries are more strict than others on this and won’t let you enter the country with a damaged passport,” the airline said.

Sam Kerr said earlier this month she was looking forward to her holiday in Bali. Picture: AAP Image/David Gray

Holiday-makers travelling to Bali have been getting a nasty surprise at the airport, with the Indonesian government cracking down on tourists with damaged passports.

Earlier this year, a man with a nine-year-old passport described as “slightly damaged” was stopped from boarding a Batik Air flight from Perth on Christmas Day.

His rejection followed the announcement from Indonesian authorities that border security will now appear be enforcing a $US5000 ($AU7131) fine on airlines if they bring passengers into the country with damaged passports.

WHAT QUALIFIES AS AN ACCEPTABLE PASSPORT?

According to the Australian Passport Office, it is up to passport holders to keep their document “intact and in good condition”.

Normal wear and tear is OK, but serious damage may prevent you from using it.

“Contact with water or other liquids can cause serious damage,” the Passport Office advises.

“You must not tear or remove pages from your passport. It is critical that all the details and the photos on the personal data pages are legible and clear, and that there is no evidence of alteration or tampering with any aspect of the booklet.”

Australians who aren’t sure about the condition of their passport can contact the Australian Passport Information Service on 131 232 or an Australian diplomatic mission or consulate.

You may need to take your passport to an Australian Passport Office for assessment.