Denied Boarding/Souvenirs Don't Get Done in the Sun

Every year millions of us jet off into the sun

to enjoy some well-earned relaxation.

But sadly, some holidays can be a one-way ticket to a whole load of stress.

'No-one wants their holiday ruined by substandard accommodation,

'poor customer service or hidden small print.'

We were absolutely devastated.

And just so upset.

'And nor do we want to fall victim to any of the scams or cons

'that catch out unsuspecting tourists.'

They're all fake. There's no real ones here.

'But if you know what to look out for,

'you can avoid these holiday nightmares.'

-So we're here to make sure you...

-Don't get done in the sun.

'Coming up on today's show,

'grounded at the airport, the holidaymakers whose dreams

'turned to dust before they'd even got on the plane.'

I was there in time for that flight and I still didn't get on the aeroplane.

'The free tours that could end up costing you a fortune.'

It might end having a nightmare,

buying something or getting something which you didn't wish to have.

'And I'll be posing as a souvenir scammer to show you how not to get conned.'

One Euro for a postcard!

Planning a holiday can be great fun, can't it?

Deciding where you want to go...

Yes, family room. ..getting it all booked,

working out what to take.

But what if, after all that excitement, you miss your flight?

Is there any way we can still make it, do you think?

No way, love, you've had it.

'For Michelle White, from Pontefract in West Yorkshire,

'holidays are all about letting your hair down.'

Usually we have a girl's holiday. We go for a week.

If there's a celebration, a big celebration coming up,

or anything like that, we all get together.

It's usually the same girls that go.

And we just like a week off and to have a good time.

'In October 2011, she organised a trip to Spain's Costa Blanca

'for a very special celebration.'

This trip to Benidorm was for my mum's 60th birthday.

I booked a package holiday at a local travel agents,

flights, hotel included, half-board.

When we booked our holiday, it was around £500 per person.

'Fast forward to June 2012,

'and the first day of this much-anticipated girls' holiday.

'The flight, with low-cost airline Jet2,

'was due to leave Manchester for Alicante at 7:45am.

'Experienced traveller Michelle knew how important it was

'to check in with plenty of time to spare,

'so she booked an early minibus to take the group to the airport.'

We were all up, ready, breakfast, suitcase packed, silly T-shirts on,

waiting for the minibus to come on that morning,

really excited and looking forward to our week off.

When we got to the airport, we had about an hour and a half leeway

before the flight time was due.

We just joined the queue and it was just one queue for every flight, no designated numbered desks,

so we just joined the queue and waited.

'The Jet2 flight closed 40 minutes before takeoff,

'and having flown abroad from Manchester many times before,

'Michelle thought an hour and a half was more than adequate

'to check-in, clear security and even do a spot of shopping.

'But the airport was busy and the check-in queue very long,

'and eventually the women began to worry they might not make their flight.'

We'd been in the queue for a little while, about 35 minutes, and it hadn't gone very far at all.

And Maggie, one of the girls, had said, "We need to see someone," cos the time was ticking away.

And we approached a member of staff and she said,

"Oh, don't worry, because when it gets nearer to your flight time

"they'll make an announcement and they will give you a designated desk number.

"Just stay here. You'll be perfectly fine."

'But by the time they were called to a designated desk,

'there were just 45 minutes left before the flight was due to depart

'and just five minutes before check-in closed.'

There was a big family in front of us at our desk

and they were having trouble with their flight vouchers.

There were three members of staff from three desks next to them trying to sort this out,

so we were just stood in the queue with another couple that were going on our aeroplane.

And waited and waited.

And eventually, erm,

one of the girls said, "We're going to not get on this flight, we need to approach someone."

So she went to another desk,

it was a young member of staff and she said,

"You can't get on, they've closed it."

And just sent us straight to the customer services desk.

'Although they believed they'd arrived at the airport in plenty of time,

'it seemed Michelle and her friends were grounded.'

So you find yourself at the back of the queue, time is ticking away,

you think, "I'm going to miss my flight," what should you do?

Here's a trick. Get yourself to the front of the queue.

Explain to people, "Look, I am on this flight that leaves in 50 minutes time, you've got to let me through."

If they say, "We're all on that one," well, I'm afraid you're all sunk.

But otherwise, I find that most people are very reasonable

and they will let you through even though it adds a few more minutes to their queuing time.

'Being too polite to ask other passengers if they could jump the queue

'meant Michelle and her friends had missed their flight.'

We were just a bit flabbergasted. What do you mean we can't get on, that's it?

We've been stood in this queue. We've done everything you've told us to do.

And now you're saying we can't get on the flight.

The air was a little bit blue, to be honest. Nobody was happy.

And we just couldn't believe that we weren't going to get on this aeroplane.

'And at the Jet2 customer services desk,

'there was more bad news for the six women.'

We had to re-book and pay for our flights out.

We were having to pay another £1,500 between us

to be able to fly out on that day.

'It was a huge blow at the very start of the holiday.

'So what, if anything, can be done about it?

'The Civil Aviation Authority looks after passengers' rights.'

If you're in the queue and you have allowed the recommended time,

can you be refused check-in?

Passengers that have arrived for check-in on time,

they have all their travel documentation and everything is in order,

if the airline fails to process them through check-in in time so that they miss their flight,

then as far as we're concerned, that could be a case of denied boarding,

and the passengers may be entitled to financial compensation.

'But Jet2 staff maintained it was Michelle and her friends' own fault

'because they hadn't checked in on time,

'despite the fact that they'd been kept waiting in a queue for more than 45 minutes.'

You're denied boarding because you're late checking in.

How much sympathy can you expect from your airline?

It's not an excuse to say, "I arrived at the airport one and a half hours before

"and therefore I was here in plenty of time."

You have to be checked in or your bag dropped by the minimum specified time

at the actual desk, not arriving in the area, but at the desk itself.

And if you fail to do that then most airlines these days will turn round and say,

"Sorry, check-in closed. You now can't travel."

But how are you meant to be able to estimate

how long those people belonging to the airline are going to take check you in?

Of course, passengers don't know each time they go to an airport how long it will take.

However, airlines do state quite clearly,

usually in their check-in procedures, their emails they send you,

about checking in in good time.

Well, when it comes to check-in, the general guidelines are

three hours for long haul,

two hours for short haul,

and one hour for domestic.

But if in doubt, check your tickets, be there on time,

oh, and don't get distracted by the shopping opportunities.

'Michelle, who goes on holiday at least once a year

'and has never missed a flight before,

'is adamant that the blame lies with the airline.'

I don't take no responsibility for missing that flight.

I was there in time for that flight. I was in the queue where I was told to go.

I went to the desk where I was told to go.

And I still didn't get on that aeroplane.

And it was through no fault of ours.

'But does the airline agree?

'Later on I'll be finding out that even if you're at the desk on time,

'it's not always guaranteed you're going to get on that plane.'

I handed him my passport, and he looked at it and he says, "You may not be able to go."

We all want to remember our special holiday,

and wherever you're jetting off to this year,

there's bound to be a souvenir just for you.

'Bags, fridge magnets, local handicrafts,

'even a novelty photo are all great ways to remember your holiday.

'But beware, there are some street traders out there

'who'll take your money and give you nothing in return.

'Today I'm going to replicate a scam played out in many top tourist destinations around the world.

'To succeed, I'm going to need some help.'

Introducing... the grand canary! Yes, it's very simple.

I'm going to snap some holidaymakers posing next to this cute and cuddly grand canary,

and for 15 Euros, they can get themselves a souvenir T-shirt,

for 5 Euros, a key ring,

and for 1 Euro, a postcard to send home to their loved ones.

I will then pocket their hard-earned cash and they will never see me again.

Say cheese!

'The tourists only realise they've been conned

'when they turn up to collect their personalised souvenirs and find no-one there.

'Obviously, I'm not actually going to steal any money,

'and will let people know what we're up to before they walk away.

'Right. Time to let this canary out of his cage.'

How would you like to meet the grand canary?

-Want your picture taken?

-No.

-Tempted?

-No.

Come on and say hello to the grand canary.

One picture. One picture!

'It's a tough crowd.

'Looks like these canny holidaymakers know better than to risk getting conned.'

When you come on holiday, is it important for you to take home a souvenir?

-For me, no.

-Absolutely not.

-Why? Don't you want to remember this...

-Most of it is tacky stuff.

'Tacky? Me?'

1 Euro. Hug the canary.

Kiss the canary.

Picture of the grand canary?

'That's one new friend for the canary.

'I'm giving it the hard sell, but it's not just us trying to entertain the crowds today.'

Oh, look, there's Mickey and Minnie.

'Unlike me, though, Mickey and Minnie here are just harmless street performers.

'And of course, most street sellers aren't out to scam you. They just want you to buy their goods.

'Just make sure you know exactly what you're getting.'

Here's a question for you. You like watches. Have you ever bought one on holiday and thought,

"I'm getting a great bargain," and it's turned out to be a fake?

They're all fake. What do you mean? There's no real ones here.

This was something I bought on holiday in Crete.

-Oh, that's lovely!

-Yeah, but I thought it was unique to Crete

and then I came here and they had them here, they had them in Turkey last year.

You want to come and say hello to the grand canary?

'And remember, if someone engages you in conversation,

'you can always walk away,

'no matter how much they spin you a sob story.'

-1 Euro for a postcard with the grand canary?

-No, thank you.

'While my big bird is strutting his stuff and entertaining the tourists,

'it looks like I've snared a willing customer.'

-Now, how would you like a souvenir from Gran Canaria?

-No.

1 Euro for a postcard with you and the canary.

Oh, isn't he cute? Do you fancy it?

-Yeah, go on.

-Right, what I'll do is... Are you going to get in, as well?

-Get in as well!

-Come on.

Ready?

'Smile for the birdie, say cheese!'

We'll print it off and you'll pick it up. It's just down here to the left.

So 2 Euros.

-My goodness.

-It's a memento, isn't it?

-Exactly!

Thank you. 'But before they walk off, it's time for me to come clean.'

Before you go anywhere, I just have to say,

here's your 2 Euros back, we're actually filming for the BBC,

-and say to you don't hand over your cash to people!

-Oh!

Well, you know, next time they say 2 Euros for your picture,

1 Euro, give the Euro when you've got the...

Picture.

If that had been a real scam, my mum would've been really upset

and felt quite foolish. And I would be quite angry

and probably come back to look for you for upsetting my mum.

It's a very convincing scam and I fell for it

because I thought it was a bit of fun and that's what it's all about.

'Yep, it's easy to get caught out when you're on your holidays.

'Especially when a fast-talking salesman has you in his sights.'

But do you ever feel under pressure that you've got to buy a souvenir

cos somebody keeps hassling you?

Well, the reason we crossed the road today

was because we feel under pressure walking past there.

Each of the shops is touting for business.

They're dragging you in, "Come and have a look!"

and yesterday you nearly bought a bag off that guy in the shopping centre.

-I felt sorry for him.

-Ah!

'Although we managed to convince some people we were the real deal,

'we were obviously faced with some pretty savvy holidaymakers.'

-Would you like to cuddle the grand canary?

-God, no.

Oh, come on, it's only a Euro for a postcard!

So it seems that the tourists here know better than to buy off someone like me.

So do as they did and steer clear of crafty scammers.

Now, we all know that airports can be chaotic places at the height of the holiday season.

Checking in, getting through security,

not to mention having a nose in one or two shops,

can all take a good few hours.

But as long as you're there in plenty of time,

you'll have no problem boarding your flight. Will you?

'Well, that's what Trevor Gayle from Willesden in North London thought, too.

'In December 2012, he was all set to fulfil a lifelong travel dream.'

I've always wanted to go to Egypt and I found the opportunity to go, so I said I'm going to go,

cos I'm always interested in seeing the pyramids.

'Trevor booked a flight and his accommodation online with budget airline easyJet.

'At the time of booking, he was asked for what's called his Advance Passenger Information, or API,

'personal and passport details which airlines are required to collect

'for the destination's immigration authorities.'

I was asked for expiry date,

when it began, my name, passport number.

All that was given to them.

'As far as Trevor was concerned, he was now all set for the big day.

'But when he arrived at Gatwick Airport a couple of months later,

'it was an altogether different story.'

When I got to the check-in desk, I handed him my passport

and he looked at it and said, "Is this your passport?" I said, "Yes."

He goes, "Its expiry date is 18/12." I said, "Yes."

He goes, "I'm afraid you may not be able to go." I said, "What do you mean?"

'It's a good question. A valid passport is vital if we want to travel outside the UK,

'but entry requirements vary from country to country.'

Now, everyone seems to know that you need your passport to be valid for the duration of your stay,

but sometimes you need it to be valid

for several months after you get back. How common is that?

If you want to travel to somewhere like Spain or France,

then basically, if you've got validity for your stay, you're fine.

But for destinations outside of Europe,

it really depends on the individual country,

but the general rule of thumb is that most countries

require you to have six months validity on your passport,

and Egypt is one of those countries.

Now, who should be telling you that information?

Your travel operator? Your travel agent?

Who should be responsible for that?

Well, if you book a tour operator package, an ATOL-backed package,

then it is the tour operator's responsibility to make sure that it's drawn to your attention,

either any passport or visa restrictions.

'But Trevor didn't book with a tour operator.

'He booked his flight direct with easyJet.

'And with nothing on their website to indicate otherwise,

'he made the unfortunate mistake of assuming he had the right documents

'and would be fine to travel.'

I said to them, "This was not told to me."

I wasn't aware of this.

I booked my ticket in fairness

and they had my passport details.

I said, "Why didn't they tell me this? Cos I booked it from October 9th

"so I had plenty of time to renew my passport."

'But it's not actually up to the airline to keep passengers informed.

'The Foreign and Commonwealth Office offers travel advice to British tourists.'

Some countries do have different specific passport requirements.

Some, for example, require there to be an unexpired term

at the end of the passport,

some require there to be a number of empty pages,

and it's the responsibility of the individual

to check that they meet the requirements of the country they're visiting.

'Because Trevor's passport was due to expire

'a few days after he returned to Britain,

'Egyptian regulations meant he was not allowed to travel.

'However, easyJet had had his advance passenger information for months.

'Could they have flagged up the problem?'

Trevor feels that because he gave his passport details to easyJet,

they knew, they should've told him.

In a perfect world, when you tap in your passport details,

they call it APIS, Advance Passenger Information,

it should automatically flag up the fact that,

"Ooh, your passport runs out in less than six months,

"therefore you need to get a new one quick."

Unfortunately, the system is not that sophisticated

and it is down to the traveller, not to the airline.

'Sadly, Trevor had no choice but to abandon the holiday he'd looked forward to for months.

'And although he managed to get a refund on his accommodation,

'easyJet said he was not entitled to his money back or a replacement flight.

'It's not the airline's responsibility to make sure

'passengers have the right documents to travel,

'but as collecting API is now a pretty standard part of the booking process

'for most destinations, is it time for a change in the system?'

I think airlines could be more proactive,

and where they're collecting information from you

such as your passport details for API information,

they could be using that more intelligently

to maybe wheedle out passengers who potentially could fall foul of having the wrong documents,

and that benefits not only the passenger

by allowing them to get away,

but also benefits the airline by stopping having problems on the day of departure,

which cause everybody stress.

'Trevor's experience has left him wary of booking his holidays online.'

When this happened to me with easyJet, that's what came to my mind,

I said, "If I went to a travel agent, this wouldn't have happened

"because I'm face to face with the consultant

"and any details that need to be known, he would've told me."

When you're online, you don't know what's happening.

'Later in the show, Michelle and Trevor hear directly from their airlines.'

I think Jet2 are responsible for us not getting on that aeroplane.

Summer holidays might just last a week or two,

but the memories, well, they can last a lifetime.

So it's only natural we want a special souvenir to treasure

on those rainy days back home.

I've bought a necklace and earrings and I've bought a watch in black.

We sometimes buy on the street. Depends what we're looking for. But most of the times, we go in a shop.

If you're buying on the street, you expect it's either going to be good or bad.

You're not paying a lot for it so it doesn't really matter.

'Jewellery, ornaments, textiles,

'whatever souvenir takes your fancy while you're on holiday,

'there'll be plenty of local traders competing for your business.

'And sometimes the hustle and bustle and a bit of friendly haggling are all part of the fun.

'But watch out. There are tourist traps

'designed to give you the hard sell when you least expect it.

'You might want to go on a sightseeing tour when you're on holiday,

'but as tour guide Carlos Ortega has seen,

'if someone offers you a tour that is either dirt cheap or free,

'chances are it's a ploy to try and sell you something.'

You shouldn't be looking for something which is free.

Hang on, you're on holiday, you want something for free!

Yes, but very often, what you're supposed to think is a good deal,

a free thing, it might end having a nightmare,

buying something or getting something which you didn't wish to have.

'Here's how it works.

'Unsuspecting tourists will be lured in by a bargain-bucket tour

'which may even come with the promise of free food and drink.

'Pretty good when you consider some excursions can cost upwards of £40 to £50 per person.'

If someone is offering you something like a free breakfast, a free lunch,

and for a price that might be nothing, peanuts, 2, 3, 4 Euros,

you have to think twice.

'Once you agree to go on the tour, you'll probably be shown a few sights

'to fool you into thinking you're on a proper trip.

'You may even get your free food. But then you'll be taken to a shop, warehouse or factory

'and exposed to some heavy-handed salesmen.'

You might find yourself taken into a place for three or four hours

to buy whatever, a blanket or whatever,

and you spend half of the tour in a factory

and the other half you might see something in a very quick mode.

'Once on the tour, you're a captive audience and there's no real escape,

'especially if you've been driven miles from where you're staying.

'What you might be sold depends on where you are,

'so in Asian, a Tuk Tuk tour could be a front for flogging you suits or jeweller,

'in North Africa, the friendly person offering you directions

'might lead you to their friend's ornament shop,

'and here in the Canary Islands, expensive blankets are the order of the day.'

But surely, Carlos, if somebody's paying 5 Euros for a tour,

they don't want to spend a lot of money, so they're not the type of people

that are going to spend maybe hundreds of Euros on blankets.

You get a professional seller who is touching your heart.

-So they kind of convince you you need those products.

-Exactly.

Even though if you needed them, you would've gone out and found them yourself.

Exactly. If they wouldn't do, though, you wouldn't buy it.

'The bottom line is once they've got you on the tour,

'they've got a pretty good chance of browbeating you into a sale.

'So the key is to avoid being suckered into a tour

'just because it seems an unbelievably good deal.'

But what if somebody says to you, "This deal is only for today"?

"5 Euros for today!" Then you should definitely take it, shouldn't you?

Well, when someone is pressing you so much, there is something behind.

-Yeah?

-Yes, in most cases, yes.

I wouldn't like someone to force me to do something

if that is supposed to be only today.

'It's great advice. Clearly a bargain tour

'could mean getting much more than you bargained for.

So if you are going to go on an excursion on holiday this year,

make sure you go with a recognised tour guide

or you could end up with a sack full of souvenirs you don't really want.

As I've been finding out, getting to the airport in plenty of time

and having the right documentation to fly is vital,

otherwise you could find your holiday's over before it's even started.

'But these aren't the only reasons you could be denied boarding.

'Here are some tips on how to make sure you don't get caught out checking in.

'Airlines can and will turn you away if you haven't let them know

'about certain medical conditions, for example, a broken leg, before you're due to travel.

'And if you're pregnant, you could be denied boarding

'if you're too close to your due date.

'This varies from airline to airline, so always double-check.

'If you've had one too many holiday sangrias before getting on the plane,

'you could be deemed too drunk to fly and get left behind.

'If you do manage to make it onboard,

'any drunken behaviour could see you thrown off

'or even arrested before takeoff.

'If you turn up with too many bags, you could be forced to pay through the nose to check them all in,

'and if you can't pay, you'll have to leave some luggage behind or stay behind yourself.

'A few months on, Trevor Gayle is still upset

'about the loss of his dream holiday to Egypt

'because he didn't know he needed six months validity on his passport

'to enter the country. We put his case to easyJet and they said...

'A disappointing outcome for Trevor but a warning to us all.'

What advice would you give to consumers on this issue?

Have a look at your passport right now.

Go and have a look in the drawer where you keep it.

And if the expiry date is less than nine months away,

get a new passport now.

That's because you're entitled to nine months of extra validity

and that means you're guaranteed to avoid problems of the sort that Trevor experienced.

'Next, we contacted Jet2 airlines on behalf of Michelle White,

'who was turned away from a flight to Alicante

'because, it's claimed, she was late checking in.

'They said...'

'It's a blow for Michelle and her friends

who, although they eventually had a good holiday,

'now have to wave goodbye to the extra £1,500 they shelled out for new flights.

'Michelle was unimpressed by Jet2's response.'

And they're just not taking responsibility

for that staffing on that day.

And I'm really disappointed, to be honest.

'So Michelle's unfortunate experience

'is another cautionary tale to other travellers.

'It's always better to be there early than to not fly at all.

'That's all for today, but join us next time for more Don't Get Done In The Sun.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd