Dad just got flew to Portugal on someone elses passport!
Discussion
My Dad is getting old. So old, in fact, that while packing to go to Portugal last Friday, he managed to pick up my brothers passport instead of his own.
So he flew from East Midlands to Faro, and only realised that he had taken the wrong one when he sat down on the plane! He is 56, my brother is 24. They don't look alike.
This means that he went through check in, passport control and boarding, all with someone elses passport. He then managed to get through the passport checks in Faro with no problems either.
My mum just sent his real passport over recorded delivery for his return home, but I am astounded that not one person throughout the chain picked up on this!
When he return he is going to try coming into the country on my brothers passport (with his real one readily available) and will consider going to the papers. This shouldn't have happened, and even though it was HIS mistake, he is appalled that he got through.
So he flew from East Midlands to Faro, and only realised that he had taken the wrong one when he sat down on the plane! He is 56, my brother is 24. They don't look alike.
This means that he went through check in, passport control and boarding, all with someone elses passport. He then managed to get through the passport checks in Faro with no problems either.
My mum just sent his real passport over recorded delivery for his return home, but I am astounded that not one person throughout the chain picked up on this!
When he return he is going to try coming into the country on my brothers passport (with his real one readily available) and will consider going to the papers. This shouldn't have happened, and even though it was HIS mistake, he is appalled that he got through.
Well in these times when you can't take a bottle of water onto a plane, and you have your shoes scanned by an X-Ray machine, you'd think that they would be taking passport control much more seriously!
Surely when things like this happen it makes a mockery of all the increased 'security' that makes flying such a chore these days?
Surely when things like this happen it makes a mockery of all the increased 'security' that makes flying such a chore these days?
OK, I see what you're getting at; I don't fly very often (once or twice a year) and this is mainly because of the relatively recent increase in hassle involved.
Incidents like this just make the whole increased security measures look like a complete waste of time and money, and that gets my goat.
Incidents like this just make the whole increased security measures look like a complete waste of time and money, and that gets my goat.
Superhoop said:
I'm dubious about this.
A year or so ago, my Dad was going to the USA with some other family. When he checked in, he was refused a boarding pass because.....
His Ticket was booked in the name Frank, but his passport said Francis. According to the staff at a rather large airline, it was not an accepatable abreviation of a name.
He then had to go and repurchase another ticket for the flight (at a greatly increased cost of course)
So unless your brother and father share the same name, either he was very lucky, or the airport staff were asleep
They have very different names. This is, in essence, why I'm so surprised that he got there! We have had incidents similar to the one you mentioned - A year or so ago, my Dad was going to the USA with some other family. When he checked in, he was refused a boarding pass because.....
His Ticket was booked in the name Frank, but his passport said Francis. According to the staff at a rather large airline, it was not an accepatable abreviation of a name.
He then had to go and repurchase another ticket for the flight (at a greatly increased cost of course)
So unless your brother and father share the same name, either he was very lucky, or the airport staff were asleep
My girlfriends surname is Greek, and you can spell it in the masculine or feminine way. Her birth certificate and bank cards spell it one way, and her passport spells it another way (ou / os on the end). She has been turned away and had to re-book flights due to her name being spelt differently a couple of times.
shakotan said:
beanbag said:
I didn't think a passport was needed to travel into the EU?
Although I always carry mine, I don't think I've shown it to anyone within the EU for about 3 years now!
Its not required for travel WITHIN the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Area" Target="_blank">Schengen Area http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schenge... between those countries who signed the Schengen Agreement, which we are not part of!Although I always carry mine, I don't think I've shown it to anyone within the EU for about 3 years now!
Edited by shakotan on Tuesday 31st March 16:08
oyster said:
ol said:
My Dad is getting old. So old, in fact, that while packing to go to Portugal last Friday, he managed to pick up my brothers passport instead of his own.
So he flew from East Midlands to Faro, and only realised that he had taken the wrong one when he sat down on the plane! He is 56, my brother is 24. They don't look alike.
This means that he went through check in, passport control and boarding, all with someone elses passport. He then managed to get through the passport checks in Faro with no problems either.
My mum just sent his real passport over recorded delivery for his return home, but I am astounded that not one person throughout the chain picked up on this!
When he return he is going to try coming into the country on my brothers passport (with his real one readily available) and will consider going to the papers. This shouldn't have happened, and even though it was HIS mistake, he is appalled that he got through.
So your Dad is willing to knowingly commit a crime to then tell the papers, and he's not even a journalist. And the papers would most likely ignore him and he'd be sent to a Portuguese jail for a few days whilst they sort it all out.So he flew from East Midlands to Faro, and only realised that he had taken the wrong one when he sat down on the plane! He is 56, my brother is 24. They don't look alike.
This means that he went through check in, passport control and boarding, all with someone elses passport. He then managed to get through the passport checks in Faro with no problems either.
My mum just sent his real passport over recorded delivery for his return home, but I am astounded that not one person throughout the chain picked up on this!
When he return he is going to try coming into the country on my brothers passport (with his real one readily available) and will consider going to the papers. This shouldn't have happened, and even though it was HIS mistake, he is appalled that he got through.
Hmmm, I'm now beginning to understand how he forgot hios own passport in the first place!
Tony*T3 said:
report it. keep them on their toes. otherwise the next 9/11 incedent could be all down to your Dad.
obviously being a little facisious. (spelling)
But there is a point. They MUST check the passport belongs to the person presenting it otherwise ALL the other security systems are invalidated.
Exactly my point.obviously being a little facisious. (spelling)
But there is a point. They MUST check the passport belongs to the person presenting it otherwise ALL the other security systems are invalidated.
parakitaMol. said:
silver.fox.2008 said:
I'm generally guessing your father didn't fit the description of a 'terrorist'. Probably why they weren't so bothered.
I'd guess they weren't bothered because they genuinely didn't notice.When things like this happen it rather makes a mockery of the entire "all liquids in clear plastic bags" performance we go through... nobody minds if it makes us safer... but not to notice a passport error at a) check-in, b) security to airside, c) boarding..... is rather worrying.
Maybe it's time that they stopped the ridiculous rules about liquids and shoes, and start actually checking people are using the correct passports.
just me said:
What's ridiculous about asking passengers to remove the shoes so they can be screened and banning liquids?
Aside from the thousands of wasted man hours and millions of pounds it costs to implement? Or the fact that is is less useful than just employing more security personnel at airports and taking more care over looking at passports... Brown and Boris said:
ol said:
My Dad is getting old. So old, in fact, that while packing to go to Portugal last Friday, he managed to pick up my brothers passport instead of his own.
So he flew from East Midlands to Faro, and only realised that he had taken the wrong one when he sat down on the plane! He is 56, my brother is 24. They don't look alike.
This means that he went through check in, passport control and boarding, all with someone elses passport. He then managed to get through the passport checks in Faro with no problems either.
My mum just sent his real passport over recorded delivery for his return home, but I am astounded that not one person throughout the chain picked up on this!
When he return he is going to try coming into the country on my brothers passport (with his real one readily available) and will consider going to the papers. This shouldn't have happened, and even though it was HIS mistake, he is appalled that he got through.
We at immigration will now ensure you Dad gets a full cavity search on re-entry. Thanks for the tip off. If you want to claim your reward call 0800-grass-me-dad and enter the code 'Max Clifford'.So he flew from East Midlands to Faro, and only realised that he had taken the wrong one when he sat down on the plane! He is 56, my brother is 24. They don't look alike.
This means that he went through check in, passport control and boarding, all with someone elses passport. He then managed to get through the passport checks in Faro with no problems either.
My mum just sent his real passport over recorded delivery for his return home, but I am astounded that not one person throughout the chain picked up on this!
When he return he is going to try coming into the country on my brothers passport (with his real one readily available) and will consider going to the papers. This shouldn't have happened, and even though it was HIS mistake, he is appalled that he got through.
Reward you say?...
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