Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
03 November 2014 08:55
The Raine family had one of their passports go missing while checking in at Manchester Airport
A family's dream holiday to the USA turned sour after airline staff lost one of their passports.
Alan Raine's £5,500 trip to Florida fell apart when United Airlines staff lost his son's Ashley's passport at Manchester Airport. United offered them a later flight but without a passport, the Raine family were still unable to travel.
Staff found the travel document on the arrivals baggage carousel a day later.
Mr Raine,54, was supposed to head to Florida with his wife Yvette, son Ashley, 28, and grandson Ryan-Ellis, eight, as well as his parents-in-law Malcolm, 75, and Yvonne, 73, Bowes.
But the incident meant that the family were unable to go on their dream holiday, which they had spent 13 months saving up for.
They also lost money on car hire and theme park tickets in the US, as well as parking costs in the UK. The mishap highlights the importance of family travel insurance, which can often cover for unforeseen hiccups such as flight cancellations.
Speaking of the incident at check-in, Mr Raine said the family knew they had handed all of the passports over and the first piece of luggage was checked in.
Then the woman at the check-in desk said one of the passports was missing. "Even the security guard said he had seen them all," Mr Raine added.
Unable to take United Airlines up on their offer of a later flight due to the missing documentation, the family returned home to Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
Mr Raine criticised United for not offering a refund.
An airlines spokesman said: "We are sorry to hear about the disruption to the Raine's family travel plans following the loss of a passport at Manchester Airport.
"United will contact the customer to offer a gesture of goodwill."
28 September 2016
The English tourism industry is predicted to grow faster than the overall economy every year for the next decade, according to new research.
[more...]
27 September 2016
Monarch Airlines says its flights are operating as normal amid fears the firm is in financial trouble.
24 September 2016
Slim people who look physically healthy may still be at increased chance of being diagnosed with bowel cancer if they have raised insulin levels, according new research.
23 September 2016
Theresa May is being urged to give the go-ahead for flights to resume between the UK and Sharm el-Sheikh by the head of the cross-party parliamentary group on Egypt.
22 September 2016
Budget airline Jet2.com is to open its first base in the south of England at Stansted.
21 September 2016
Smoking rates have dropped to the lowest level on record in England, new figures show, suggesting messages about the health effects of cigarettes are hitting home.
20 September 2016
Concerns have been raised over flight disruptions caused by heavy drinking among passengers.
17 September 2016
British Airways' decision to launch direct flights from London to Tehran earlier this month positions Iran as one of the hottest destinations to visit in 2017, according to experts.
16 September 2016
More than 100 flights have been cancelled as French air traffic controllers go on strike again.
15 September 2016
Two thirds of MPs would support an expansion at Heathrow.
14 September 2016
TripAdvisor is launching a new homepage, making the booking of holiday activities and tours even easier.
13 September 2016
Travellers are to be charged to use fast lanes to get through passport checks in an attempt to cut queues.