The one thing you should know about your passport
Few physical items encapsulate the excitement and uncertainty of travel as the humble passport. Whether it’s a new one with empty pages, brimming with the possibilities of trips yet to be taken, or an old one with worn, dog-eared pages filled with stamps and memories of adventures past, there’s something about a passport that is quite symbolic.
But if you haven’t been paying attention to one important detail, your passport can also get you in a log of trouble. Especially if you’ve booked multiple flights.
A recent letter to the editor published on Traveller explains.
“Last year my partner and I had a nasty shock at Perth airport en route to Mauritius and France when we were told that because our passports had less than six months remaining, we would be unlikely to be admitted to either country,” John Nichol from Surry Hills writes.
“As a consequence, we had an unplanned four-day stay in Perth visiting the passport office and then waiting for the next flight to Mauritius. We had missed two Air Mauritius flights – to Mauritius and thence Paris and needed to re-book two new flights. Rather than charge us fully for the new tickets, Air Mauritius, with some difficulty, got us new flights with a minor penalty attached. The service we received from the Australian Passport Office and Air Mauritius staff restored our faith in bureaucracy and humanity. Be warned – check your passport now.”
So the next time you’re booking a flight, make sure your passport is up to date!
Have you ever had an issue with your passport?