British Airways Misleads Passengers on Passport Validity Rules

British Airways (BA) has come under scrutiny for providing misleading information regarding passport validity for international travel. The airline claims that passports must be issued less than 10 years before entering a country, a statement that is inaccurate. This requirement primarily applies to the European Union and the Schengen Area, while many other countries, including the US, Australia, Canada, and Mexico, accept passports issued over 10 years ago as long as they are not expired. The confusion stems from the UK's practice of issuing passports valid for up to 10 years and nine months, a policy in place until September 2018 following the Brexit vote. This allowed travelers to retain "unspent" time from their previous passports. Consequently, passports issued under this system remain valid for travel to the EU until their 10th anniversary and for other nations until their expiration date. The Independent was alerted to BA's misleading information by a US-bound traveler who had to take time off work to secure an emergency passport appointment, despite their existing passport being valid for travel to the US. Despite The Independent's request for a correction, the erroneous information remains on BA's website. The airline has not yet responded to inquiries regarding this issue. BA's misleading guidance is part of a broader trend among airlines, including easyJet and Ryanair, which have also misrepresented passport validity rules. Following intervention from The Independent, these budget carriers have since corrected their policies. Meanwhile, the UK government has updated its online guidance to reflect accurate passport validity information.