Lost ID and was left stranded by airline within the UK

jonathan_alban

3 weeks ago I travelled to from Belfast to London Gatwick with an airline I use on a regular basis. Over that weekend I lost my driving licence which I had used as my travel document (This is an accepted form of ID for domestic flights). I was due to make a return flight on the Sunday evening so I arrived at the airport early and asked the airline staff if I could return home using a photograph of my passport which I had on my phone. The staff at Gatwick made contact with the airline headquarters and made notes alongside my boarding pass which permitted me to travel.

I arrived at the gate early and passed through to the seating area with no issue. After about 20 minutes seated at the gate I was called back to the desk at the gate and told that a super visor had revoked my approval and I was not allowed to travel. This was the last flight of the day and there was no airline staff available to contact.. I was literally left stranded with no travel or accommodation.

The next day I called the airline asking if I could travel with a photo of my passport again which they approved providing I paid the fee to change my booking and paid for a second flight (£130).

I paid the fee as I felt I had no other option but to pay. At this stage I was at a huge financial loss as I had to find accommodation, transport, skip a day of work and then had to pay this fee. I feel completely let down by the airline especially when they offered to help on the original flight. I was able to travel home with a photo of my passport the second day so why not the first?

I've wrote a complaint to the airline but haven't had a response (3 weeks), I'm wondering if anyone's been left in a similar situation or has any advice on what to do?

agrinnall

I can see how the changes of mind would be annoying but I suspect allowing you to travel at all was completely at their discretion and they won't have any responsibility for additional costs you incurred. If they had simply said no up front, would it have cost you more in transport costs and time travelling by a route that does not require valid photo ID? At least they got you back as quickly as they were able to.

sjw64

Did you really expect the airline (regardless who you spoke to on the telephone) to accept a photograph of your passport (or any other ID) as a genuine form of ID? I mean, seriously did you?

Im quite thankful the airline company's dont allow this.

You lost your driving licence and were denied to board.

It was either spend a night propped up in the seats at Gatwick watching the world go by & find a cheap £30 Easyjet flight back the next morning.

Or, find a hotel, including transport to/from, pay an additional fee of £130 (for whatever reason?), 'skip' a days work and end up with a "huge financial loss".

eDicky

It seems to indicate a lack of clear policy for this kind of situation on the part of the airline, if their headquarters can give approval and airport staff make arrangements, only for it to be overturned by a lone supervisor at the last moment, and then the approval was reinstated the next day.

In a way it was a well intentioned attempt by the airline to accommodate your misfortune that happened to go badly wrong. I might make a polite request for some kind of redress, but not press the matter. Who was the airline?

unforeseen

My guess is that maybe HQ overstepped the mark by agreeing to the flight when they had no authority to give such undertaking.

There may be something written, especially after 9/11 that each passenger MUST have some proof of ID. Supervisor picked up on this and as it would have been their neck on the line subsequently refused boarding.

photome

unforeseen wrote: »

My guess is that maybe HQ overstepped the mark by agreeing to the flight when they had no authority to give such undertaking.

There may be something written, especially after 9/11 that each passenger MUST have some proof of ID. Supervisor picked up on this and as it would have been their neck on the line subsequently refused boarding.

sounds about right but then why did they allow travel the next day?

OP still did not have proof of ID

agrinnall

sjw64 wrote: »

Did you really expect the airline (regardless who you spoke to on the telephone) to accept a photograph of your passport (or any other ID) as a genuine form of ID? I mean, seriously did you?

Im quite thankful the airline company's dont allow this.

You need to re-read the OP, because they did allow travel using a photocopy of the passport, the next day.

jpsartre

sjw64 wrote: »

Did you really expect the airline (regardless who you spoke to on the telephone) to accept a photograph of your passport (or any other ID) as a genuine form of ID? I mean, seriously did you?

It's not that hard to believe. You can fly on BA without ID on UK domestic routes.

peachyprice

sjw64 wrote: »

Did you really expect the airline (regardless who you spoke to on the telephone) to accept a photograph of your passport (or any other ID) as a genuine form of ID? I mean, seriously did you?

Im quite thankful the airline company's dont allow this.

You lost your driving licence and were denied to board.

It was either spend a night propped up in the seats at Gatwick watching the world go by & find a cheap £30 Easyjet flight back the next morning.

Or, find a hotel, including transport to/from, pay an additional fee of £130 (for whatever reason?), 'skip' a days work and end up with a "huge financial loss".

unforeseen wrote: »

My guess is that maybe HQ overstepped the mark by agreeing to the flight when they had no authority to give such undertaking.

There may be something written, especially after 9/11 that each passenger MUST have some proof of ID. Supervisor picked up on this and as it would have been their neck on the line subsequently refused boarding.

Except they DID let him fly with a photo of his passport!

And I'm guessing it was Easyjet.

My guess is someone at HQ agreed to it, but by the time the flight left in the evening there was nobody in HQ for the supervisor to double check with.

unforeseen

As I said it was a guess. He only got to fly by producing a photocopy (effectively) of his passport. He was refused before because he provided NO proof of ID which was the correct decision AFAIAC

jpsartre

unforeseen wrote: »

There may be something written, especially after 9/11 that each passenger MUST have some proof of ID.

Again, you can fly domestically in the UK (and in other countries) without ID. EasyJet's rule about ID is one they decide to impose.