Family misses flight to India because of daughter's passport doodles
- A Glasgow family was denied boarding their Qatar Airways flight due to a minor scribble on a passport.
- Despite attempts to resolve the situation, the family was marked as a 'no show' and faced steep rebooking fees.
- The family is seeking nearly £11,000 in compensation from Qatar Airways due to the incident.
In December 2024, a family from Glasgow faced significant disruption while attempting to travel from Edinburgh to Chennai, India, to visit a sick relative. Gunasekaran Kumar, along with his wife Anita and their two daughters, were on a Qatar Airways flight when they were denied boarding due to an issue with Mrs. Gunasekaran's Indian passport, which had a minor scribble. Upon arrival at the check-in desk, the family was informed that the passport had been deemed damaged, leading to a refusal of boarding. Despite providing proper identification and documentation, the family was told that they could not fly, which infuriated them. Immigration officials in India later clarified that Mrs. Gunasekaran would be permitted to travel if she initiated a passport replacement upon returning to the UK. Mr. Kumar attempted to resolve the situation by proposing that he and his daughters board the flight separately from Mrs. Gunasekaran, but Qatar Airways persisted in denial. Despite receiving information that the passport issue had been resolved, the family was marked as a 'no show' and subsequently faced challenges with rebooking their tickets. Qatar Airways offered some compensation, covering the price of Mrs. Gunasekaran's ticket and refunding the others, but Mr. Kumar rejected this offer, claiming the trip was ruined and seeking nearly £11,000 as compensation for the inconvenience and costs incurred. Conversations with representatives from Qatar Airways highlighted the varying airline policies regarding damaged passports, underscoring the complications families can face when documentation is considered questionable. Such incidents after recent experiences led to further discussions on the need for clearer communication with travelers regarding acceptance criteria for travel documentation. This incident serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of ensuring that travel documentation is in perfect order before embarking on international journeys. Families traveling under emotional circumstances, such as visiting a sick relative, may find themselves further stressed when facing unexpected hurdles in their travel plans. A case involving a similar passport issue with another airline in June exposed the inconsistencies in how different carriers handle damaged documentation, emphasizing the necessity for clarity and understanding among airlines, travelers, and governmental regulations.