SALLY SORTS IT: Barred from flight because my passport is 10 years old

We booked a week’s holiday with TUI to Albir in Spain to attend a friend’s 60th birthday party, on the 16th May.

When I checked in at Gatwick, my passport was declared obsolete, expiring on September 10, 2023, and I was not allowed to fly.

It was issued on March 10, 2013. It seems that passports must have been issued no more than 10 years before the date you enter the country and must be valid for at least another three months after you intend to leave the EU.

I complained to TUI that the advanced passenger information form I filled out before traveling accepted my passport information – I even gave it a green check, which I assumed was permission to travel.

No passport issue date was requested. I am disappointed with TUI as the point of booking through a travel agent should be to make sure all aspects of a booking are correct. We spent £1,200 on the holiday – please help us.

TD, Peacehaven, E. Sussex.

Sally Hamilton replies: The message ‘don’t forget your passport’ is not enough these days. Your experience is a strong warning that even researching the expiration date may not be enough.

HM Passport Office says travelers wanting to visit the European Union (and other destinations in the Schengen area, such as Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, where citizens of those countries can travel freely between member states) should check their passports to make sure they are less than 10 years old as of the date of issue. They must also be valid for at least another three months from the date of your planned return home.

The exception to this rule is travel to Ireland, where a British passport does not have to be expired yet.

The changes to passport validity came about post-Brexit, but with many people just returning to regular post-Covid travel, it’s likely large numbers could be caught out, just like you.

The “more than 10 years” issue arose because between 2001 and September 9, 2018, any unused validity could be carried over on renewal up to a maximum of nine months. Affected passports will remain in circulation until June 2029.

Since September 10, 2018, passports are only issued with a maximum of 10 years for adults and five years for children.

If HM Passport Office has details of a holder’s previous application, it will send a text message to alert them when their passport is about to expire or is about to expire for travel to most countries in Europe.

The message directs them to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website to check the correct passport requirements.

Rules for countries outside the EU and the Schengen area may differ. For example, visitors to the US only need to ensure that their passport is valid for the duration of their trip, while those going to New Zealand need three months left in their passport beyond the return date. For a full list of passport and visa requirements for different countries, visit gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.

To avoid the kind of stress you experienced, holidaymakers should allow enough time for the passport renewal process as it can take up to 10 weeks.

It costs from £82.50 for the basic 34-page passport. If necessary, consider the online premium service, which takes a minimum of two days and costs from £193.50, or the fast-track service, which costs £155 and lasts for a week.

The Post Office offers renewal services where the application is checked before sending for £16 on top of the basic passport fee. Don’t fall for copycat websites that offer to do the renewal for you. At best, these sites will charge you extra, and at worst, they will run off with your money and you won’t have a passport to show.

I asked TUI if anything had been missed in your case, but it said it was flawless and reminds customers of passport rules once a booking is confirmed. Seven days before departure, it urges travelers to check that their passports are valid.

A spokesman said: ‘We give ample warning to our customers that their passports must be less than ten years old when traveling to European countries. This is a government policy — not a TUI policy — and will be posted both on our website and in communications with customers.

“The online form filled out by the reader is not a passport checker – it is up to passengers to enter passport information in the correct format.”

Insurer does not replace stolen golf clubs

In January, my golf clubs were stolen from the locked trunk of my car, which was parked in the driveway of my house.

After driving me around for months demanding receipts and photos, my home insurance company, Admiral, is now saying it won’t meet my £1,000 claim.

TC, Surrey.

Sally Hamilton replies: By the time you contacted me, nearly six months after your clubs were pinched, you had already gone through what felt like over 18 holes with Admiral Home Insurance, with your claim well and truly deadlocked.

Readers may wonder why you didn’t make a claim on your car policy since the clubs were taken out of your car. You told me this didn’t cross your mind.

Many drivers in your position would at least have avoided this. Not only are the limits of coverage often quite low, but more importantly, any claim can affect a no-claim bonus, the discount applied by auto insurers to reward customers for claim-free periods.

The longer the customer goes without making a claim, the bigger the discount, so drivers try to avoid giving up such valuable savings.

Usually, a loss like yours falls under the ‘personal effects cover’ of a contents policy. This is insurance parlance for items lost or stolen while you are away from home. However, not all policies include this as standard and you often have to pay extra.

The level of cover is usually capped, perhaps at £1,000 or £2,000, unless a policyholder chooses to pay an even higher premium. Items covered include sports equipment, jewelry, laptops and handbags.

Your level of Admiral policy did not include this cover. But what was on your policy was cover for theft outside the home, which included “theft from outbuildings and garages and yard contents.” You were relieved that the Admiral told you this would be relevant to your loss, with a maximum payout of £1,000.

Although the stolen equipment was worth more than this, you accepted that this was the maximum you would receive – minus your deductible of £350. The deductible is the amount a policy requires you to contribute towards a claim.

As these types of claims usually require proof of purchase, you sent Admiral the only receipts you had – one for £899 for a set of irons (seven clubs) purchased last February and another for £99.99 for a 56- degrees wedge purchased in March 2022 – both birthday gifts from your wife. You also provided a crime reference number obtained from the police.

Weeks went by without word, but when you chased on March 28, a moderator told you, much to your anger, that your claim had been denied earlier that month.

You complained about the lack of communication, asking why there had been so much discussion, asking for receipts and photos, plus confirmation of the deductible if the claim wasn’t even valid.

An internal inquiry by Admiral has been found in your favour, with the claim approved and £100 paid in apology.

But that wasn’t the end yet. Another month went by and still no payment had been received. Out of the blue you got an email from the Admiral saying, again, that you weren’t covered and that the file would be closed. You asked me to assess the situation. I contacted Admiral and asked him to set things right.

I’m pleased to say that Admiral quickly recognized that the service was below average – which may be a good quality when you play golf, but not in other areas of life – especially in terms of customer service. The £1,000 claim was settled in full, with £200 added as an apology – plus interest – and no deductible charged.

A spokesperson for the Admiral said: “We would like to apologize for the service your reader has received. He has clearly had a difficult claims process with us. There have been delays, poor communication and errors, for which we sincerely apologize.’

It admitted that your claim should not have been rejected and blamed human error. The officer involved has apparently received ‘urgent feedback’.

• Write to Sally Hamilton at Sally Sorts It, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email sally@dailymail.co.uk – include telephone number, address and a note addressed to the offending organization giving them permission to talk to Sally Hamilton. Please do not send any original documents, we cannot take any responsibility for that. The Daily Mail assumes no legal liability for answers provided.