A young couple’s tropical getaway is nearly ruined by a “microscopic” coffee stain on one of their passports.
Sean Ferres and his girlfriend Brooke were scheduled to fly from the Gold Coast to Bali on Friday.
Virgin Australia staff stopped the couple and said they could not board the plane because there was a coffee stain on Ferres’ partner’s passport.
The staff claimed the document was “illegible” but said they would take another flight at no extra cost once the issue was resolved.
Mr Ferres explained that his partner had travelled to more than 20 countries, including Indonesia, with the passport and the stain had not been a problem.
The couple was told to call customer service to reschedule their flight.
However, Mr Ferres said the phone operator told him the couple had been marked as a no-show for their scheduled flight to Bali and would therefore have to pay for another flight.
Mr Ferres said he was forced to buy “stupidly expensive” Jetstar tickets for $3,000 to get a 5.50am flight on Saturday and save his holiday.
Sean Ferres and his girlfriend were due to fly to Bali before Virgin staff told them they couldn’t board the plane due to a coffee stain on their passport on September 20.
Mr Ferres explained that the stain had not been a problem previously and said his partner had travelled to more than 20 countries, including Bali, using the passport.
Mr Ferres said in a Facebook post that Jetstar had no problem with the passport status, unlike Virgin.
“Interestingly, Jetstar had no issues with the passport, as did the 100+ other flights we took with it,” he wrote on Facebook.
‘I landed in Bali, went through all the electronic gates and went straight through without any problems.
“I am absolutely amazed that 25 years after the invention of the Internet, in an age where even a $500 phone has advanced facial recognition, we STILL rely on a flimsy piece of paper to get out of the country.”
Social media posts divided opinion, with some unsympathetic.
“If that’s ‘microscopic’ then I have a 12 inch one,” one wrote of the coffee stain, which measured about six by two centimeters.
“If you have money to fly to ’20+ countries including Bali TWICE’ then you have money to replace your damaged passport,” added a second.
“For someone who has travelled to over 20 countries, have you ever stopped to read the passport rules, entry rules and risk of being denied entry?” asked a third.
“Even if there is a crease in the passport, it can be declared damaged and invalid.”
After a two-hour delay, they were able to board the new flight without any problems from staff or crew regarding the damaged passport.
Mr Ferres insisted that no one had ever questioned the passport, so he had no idea there was anything wrong with it.
“So, we’re going to completely ignore the perfectly functioning electronic chip inside and invalidate a passport based on a tiny smudge,” he asked.
“Why would we replace something we never knew was a problem?”
Bali has some of the strictest passport rules when it comes to ensuring travel documents are free of tears or water damage, as such issues can be used to hide alterations made in cases of identity fraud.
In 2019, a spokesperson for the Indonesian Consulate General in Sydney said the general rule of thumb for what constitutes a damaged passport is when the system cannot read its data.
He added that the final decision rests with immigration officials.
‘Criteria for a damaged passport include tears, ink stains and water damage, so it’s best to take good care of your passport.’
Indonesian authorities can detain travelers and fine airlines up to $4,700 for allowing anyone to fly with a damaged passport.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Virgin Australia for comment.
Damage to passport and law
Australian travellers should check that their passports (pictured) are in good condition.
Normal wear and tear on your passport should not be a problem. More serious damage may prevent you from traveling.
If you are unsure about the status of your passport, please call the Australian Passport Office on 131 232 or contact your nearest office. Australian Embassy or Consulate abroad.
It is important that:
- There are no tears or cuts on the passport pages, especially on the photo page.
- Everything on the photo page is legible and clear.
- There are no markings on the photo or in the machine-readable area on the photo page.
- No pages have been deleted
- There is no alteration or manipulation
They may need to see your passport to evaluate you.
Fountain: Australian Government
