Australian man rejected from Bali flight after Batik Air staff take issue with tiny rip damage to his passport – here’s how to spot if you would be allowed to fly

A man was not allowed to board his flight to Bali due to a small tear in his passport, despite having traveled to America a week earlier with the exact same damage.

The Australian said he went to the Batik Air counter at Perth airport last Tuesday to check in for his flight.

However, when staff saw the small tear on his photo identification page, they told him he was not allowed on board.

“The woman I checked in with, she took my passport straight away to the manager and they basically said straight out, ‘You’re not flying,'” he shared Yahoo News.

The man claimed he had traveled to both the US and Bali for work in recent weeks with the same tear in the spine of the passport.

The damage did not obscure any information or any of his identification photos.

“It was just outrageous… I kicked a little stink and said it was absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

The Australian Passport Office states that ‘normal wear and tear’ of passports need not be a problem when you are traveling with only ‘serious damage’ likely to cause a problem.

Batik Air reportedly told the Aussie that he needed a new passport to fly with the airline again, but he hesitated because his Indonesian visa was linked to his current passport – which expires next year.

The man said he only walked “60 to 70 meters” from the Batik Air counter to the AirAsia counter, where he showed staff the convicted passport.

The airline immediately gave him permission and he bought a new ticket on the spot.

“I had to wait five hours, got on the AirAsia flight and [in Bali] went straight through immigration,” he said.

Although he is happy that he eventually entered Indonesia, the man is still frustrated with Batik Air for refusing to refund his $600 ticket.

The man said he has worked in Indonesia for 30 years and considers his and other recent passport damage incidents “a set-up.”

“I understand the rules and everything, but what’s wrong is the inconsistency. If they’re really going to sue people for passport defects, tell them!’ he said.

The man was able to quickly get a flight to Bali on another airline, but is frustrated that Batik Air (above) will not refund his $600

Several Aussies have reported passport issues in recent months trying to enter Bali.

On June 21, Emma Doherty was scheduled to fly from Sydney to Bali, but was not allowed to board her flight after officials said water damage to her passport made the document look “dodgy.”

“I was literally told that if they let me into Bali, the military and security at the airport would have put me in a cell,” she said.

Basically, there was a little bit of water damage on the bottom of my passport.

‘I didn’t even notice. I travel all the time and it has never been said to me before.

“Apparently Bali’s airport is very strict and they are known to put people in a cell if they don’t like your passport.”

Melbourne woman Monique Sutherland also encountered problems when she tried to enter Bali with a ‘dirty’ passport.

She claimed that Batik Air made her sign an extra “blue form” when she checked in for her flight due to stains on her seven-year-old passport.

However, when she arrived in Bali, she was pulled into an interrogation room where officials threatened to deport her if she did not pay a $1,500 fine.

“My passport was actually accepted and already stamped for visa entry, it wasn’t until I handed them the blue form that I was bullied,” Ms Sutherland told 7News.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Batik Air for comment.

Melbourne woman Monique Sutherland was fined $1,500 by Bali officials after entering with a ‘dirty’ passport (above)