10803 Ryanair and the 'Worn' Passport

Poor people. Awful story. My passport sustained some liquid damage en route to Stansted security once and I asked. They said it would be okay for EU travel only. However luckily it has dried out. The only thing is that the gold lettering on the cover has worn away and I fear it may not last the course. It has another 3 years to run.

Which raises the question - To renew it would one have to pay the full amount if it had a few years of life left???

Well looking at the website, I think I would have to pay for a new one - [url]https://www.ips.gov.uk/[/url] You can apply online if you are in the UK and not traveling for at least four weeks I see.

A few years ago a freind's son was refused travel because his passport was so worn they could not read the bar code.

He looked younger than his age and didn't drive and therefore had to carry his passport when he went out for a drink as ID.

Roll on the ID card.

It is apparently possible and legal to have two passports so if one gets worn or mislaid you can still travel quickly. I am very tempted. The cost of being refused travel, not only in financial terms but in stress in horrific.

Leaving Italy to return to UK a few weeks ago the Italian customs officer asked if the photo on my passport was me, quick as a flash Ms clever here said no its my Mother...did we laugh!, why I have to be so silly in times of stress is beyond me, he however thought it was funny, perhaps because he didnt expect me to be speaking Italian, will try to keep my mouth shut in future.
A

But I couldnt of course, stress always makes me flippant and gives me the urge to crack inappropriate jokes.Leaving a wet and windy UK to return home, we were both searched and all our luggage, so they found Roberts book on Understanding Islamic Terrorism", and when whilst being searched the customs woman asked me if I was carrying anything sharp, I replyed "only my wit".She didnt laugh, not going anywhere again in a hurry, was very glad to walk back through customs in Ancona in one piece.
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Was this in the UK, Angie where you were searched???

[quote=Angie and Robert;101071]Leaving Italy to return to UK a few weeks ago the Italian customs officer [/quote]

Says it there

I was referring to Angie's last post. However all's well having reread it.

Obviously the person checking passports was more vigilant than most. We recently travelled from Ancona To Stansted and the Lady who was escorted to the plane by three policemen sat beside us and told her story of woe as it was not until she arrived at passport control at Ancona that she was told that her passport was 3 years out of date and she could not stay hence her uniformed escort. So much for the 3 checks at Stansted when she left.

[quote=Rod Cattini;101099]So much for the 3 checks at Stansted when she left.[/quote]

When we flew out of Std last week our passports were only checked once and that was a very quick check amidst the chaos of the boarding gate as the R'air staff were tearing off the bottom part of the online printed boarding passes - so I could see how it would be easy to allow an out of date passport to slip through. Although we had offered our passports at the point where they scan the boarding pass we were told they were not required!

I travelled this year with 2 weeks left on my passport - EVERY person ( all 9)who looked at it in Prestwick and Pisa - pointed the fact out to me- so they do look

I had to tell them I was holding onto the photograph for as looong as possible -those ensuing ten years have not been kind...:smile:

[quote=Flyingpigs;101068]
It is apparently possible and legal to have two passports so if one gets worn or mislaid you can still travel quickly. I am very tempted. The cost of being refused travel, not only in financial terms but in stress in horrific.[/quote]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]We got talking to a business traveller who had two passports - one he only used to travel to Israel and USA and another for Arab countries. He said it saved him all the hassles of the questions that arose. However he once took both passports with him and this caused all sorts of questioning as to why he had two. His advice - have two but only take the one you need.[/FONT]

[quote=Rod Cattini;101099]Obviously the person checking passports was more vigilant than most. We recently travelled from Ancona To Stansted and the Lady who was escorted to the plane by three policemen sat beside us and told her story of woe as it was not until she arrived at passport control at Ancona that she was told that her passport was 3 years out of date and she could not stay hence her uniformed escort. So much for the 3 checks at Stansted when she left.[/quote]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]We spoke to a couple at Pisa and the husband had flown out using his mother in law's passport. They had been away with them and somehow the passports had been put back in the wrong holders when they arrived back in the UK. It was not until they reached their hotel in Firenze that the problem was spotted. They had to have the correct passport couriered from the UK. As you say so much for passport checks - correct surname but wrong picture and wrong gender!!!!

Perhaps the passport holder is the answer to the original point of this thread. We have Egyptian leather ones for our passports and even though mine is 8 years old and has been well used it still is in good condition. I know its a problem when you get back to the UK and have to remove it, but for all other checks they have been happy to have it 'contained' - even stamping is not a problem if you only fix the cover into the holder[/FONT]