Episode 9 Rip Off Britain

We asked you who's left you feeling ripped off when it comes to

your holidays, and you came back with a

catalogue of travel disasters.

Holidays are supposed to be a time of relaxing,

not a time of more stress, and certainly not a time of stress

whilst you're away.

It's just annoying, that you think, "What next?

"What are they going to put a charge on next?"

So, whether it's a deliberate rip-off,

a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,

we'll find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.

Your stories, your money.

This is Rip-Off Britain.

Hello, and welcome once again to Rip-Off Britain.

Although, as you've probably already spotted, this series,

we're not in Britain, but Tenerife.

We're here to investigate some of your stories to do with travel and

holidays. And, today, we're looking at problems

that crop up before you've even stepped onto the plane,

because they're all to do with unexpected disasters at the airport.

Because airports are often stressful, crowded and confusing.

And they don't always get you in the holiday mood.

Indeed, there are lots of people who've given up going abroad,

just to avoid having to go through them in the first place.

And it really is true that if something goes wrong at that stage,

before you've even left the country,

it can put a real dampener on the start of your trip.

It's clear that some airports are working hard to improve the

entire experience. So, as well as some surprising revelations

to do with things we could all get caught out by

before we even take off, we'll also take an exclusive look

behind the scenes at some of the ways they're trying

to make things better.

Particularly for those who need that the most.

Coming up - after one family's brush with security

led to them missing their flight, we cut through the

continuing confusion over what you can and can't take on a plane.

We said, "Well, what do we do now?

"We've missed it, what do we do?"

So, he said, "We can book you on another flight tomorrow morning,

"exactly the same, but you have to pay."

And, if the hi-tech chip in your passport suddenly stops working,

should it be you that has to stump up for a new one?

I'm in a bit of a tricky situation,

but the alternative is to fork out for a new passport

and spend all that money, when, actually, what if I have

the same problem again?

It seems incredible to think that nearly 16 years have passed

since the September 11th terrorist attacks on the US.

Since then, many measures have been introduced

to ensure that flying remains the safest way to travel,

from biometric security to full-body scans.

And, of course, there's the one that most of us will be familiar with -

limits on what liquids and toiletries you're allowed to take

onto the plane.

It's all completely understandable and necessary, of course,

but some of you have contacted us to say you're confused

about those rules on liquids, unsure of what and how much

is allowed on board.

Every year, hundreds of tonnes of banned substances end up

having to be dumped by passengers at the last minute.

And the items that prove contentious aren't necessarily

the ones you might expect.

Enjoying your milk?

Eva Fernandez, from Barry Island in South Wales, is 16 months old.

But when she, her grandmother, Yvonne Delaney,

and other family members were jetting off to Barcelona,

she was aged just three months.

Her life would revolve around milk,

so that bottle's very important to her.

So, when we go away or when we go anywhere,

we always have the bottle ready, just in case we're held up anywhere.

Eva's grandparents had planned a four-day trip to Spain

as a pick-me-up after what had been a difficult pregnancy,

when even Eva's mum, Caroline, developed pre-eclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia could kill the baby and the mother.

We didn't realise until very late in the pregnancy that she was suffering

from this.

They booked early morning flights through easyJet from Luton,

packing two cartons of milk formula powder and some liquid milk for Eva

in their hand luggage.

We went to security, and that's where it

all went horribly wrong.

A security officer screened their pram and hand luggage.

They'd taken the pram away, which was not a problem.

And then, obviously, individually, we were screened,

and then they started on the milk formula.

Took away one box.

You might think powdered milk would cause no problem at security.

After all, it's not on the list of items that are banned.

But it could, potentially, be mistaken

for other banned substances, including drugs.

I'm a lay person, don't know anything about narcotics.

But it's baby formula.

But, of course, time was going on then

through security, we knew it was.

The team returned with an all-clear for the carton of powder

they'd analysed.

We thought we were ready to go, we were getting geared up to leave.

Then they took the other carton for analysis.

Time was ticking by, so we tried to alert easyJet personnel to say,

"Look, we need to catch this flight."

But we didn't get any sort of...

No, they just ambled through.

We were just losing hope, really, that we'd get to the gate.

I remember Caroline saying, "Well, we could still make it,

"because we've still got some time."

When we got there, a person from easyJet was there to say, you know,

"It's too late, the gate's closed now."

But we said, "But we've still got some time,

"and our baggage is on there."

And she said, "No, it's closed."

It was just very disappointing, very disappointing.

And the incident had an expensive sting in the tail,

when they spoke to the man on the easyJet desk.

We said, "Well, what do we do now?

"We've missed it, what do we do?"

So, he said, "We can book you on another flight in the morning,

"exactly the same, but you have to pay."

They just washed their hands of it.

It's easyJet's line, isn't it?

It's your responsibility to get to the gate.

The family had to pay for another night in the airport hotel

to make the early flight time, plus, of course,

for the flights themselves.

It cost us ?250 for the hotel for the night

for the two rooms.

And then it cost us a further ?250 for the flights.

So ?500.

The most disappointing point was that we were actually...

We weren't in Barcelona.

Well, easyJet's version of events isn't quite the same as Yvonne's

as the airline say all this stemmed from the family arriving too late

at the airport, leaving only six minutes to clear security

before they needed to be at the gate.

It went on to say that it always asks that...

That was reiterated by Luton Airport, which,

while stressing that...

..told us it recommends allowing two to three hours to drop off baggage

and pass through security,

adding that home-prepared bottles of sterilised breast or cow's milk

above 100ml are permitted for those travelling with infants.

The airport also said that those travelling with formula

should ensure it's available for inspection, and...

Yvonne's story is a reminder that we all risk security delays if there's

anything in our hand luggage an officer might think

could be prohibited.

So how much do passengers here at Manchester Airport know about what's

banned and what isn't?

We put some of them to the test, with the help of our travel guru,

Simon Calder.

Even though the LAGs rules - liquids, aerosols and gels -

have been with us for over a decade now,

there's still huge amounts of confusion about what's allowed

and what isn't.

For instance, here's a snow globe and a grapefruit.

Similar volumes. Is either allowed? Are both allowed?

I'm going to ask the Great British public what they think.

I'm going to start off with this.

Banned. Banned.

Banned. I'd say it's probably allowed.

I'd say it's probably banned.

Yep, banned. Banned, it is.

More water gets thrown away than anything else.

Also on the subject of liquids, allowed or banned?

Banned. I'd say banned cos it's got liquid in it.

That amount, allowed.

Right, OK. I know why you're saying that,

cos that's clearly less than 100ml.

But, it's the size of the container that counts, so, I'm afraid,

you're wrong, but it's understandable.

We've got two things, very similar volume.

Not allowed.

I'm going to say allowed, it's food.

Banned.

I'd say that's allowed. Allowed.

Yep, ooh, I'm afraid, Linda, it's allowed.

Definitely is. Also very good for you, lots of vitamin C.

Good for a long flight.

What about this lovely chap?

Erm, I would say that's probably banned.

I think it might be allowed, actually.

Banned. Right.

Oh, Linda... I'm wrong again!

No, I'm so sorry!

That's right, the snow globe is also on the banned list,

and should go into the hold.

Let's see if they do any better with these next items.

From liquids to sharps,

and here we have nail scissors and a Swiss Army knife.

ALL: Banned.

Well, no.

These are both allowed because the blade is less than 6cm,

just over a couple of inches.

Now, having said that,

security staff may confiscate other stuff if they consider it a risk,

even if it normally is allowed through hand luggage.

And, finally, this is baby milk, 200ml, allowed or banned?

Allowed, I'm going to say allowed, because you need it.

Banned.

Alan, I'm glad to see you're defiantly sticking to your answers,

but, again, you're wrong. Assuming you've got a baby, that is,

you're allowed to take a reasonable quantity of baby milk,

even if it's above 100ml.

So this is allowed.

Quite alarming results here.

I've just totalled them up, and half the time

people are wrong about what's allowed and what isn't allowed

through the security check.

Of course, make sure, online, that you know what the rules are.

Bear in mind that they may be different when you're coming back

from when you're leaving Britain. And, if in doubt,

leave it out or put it in your checked baggage.

Well, the Department for Transport says it keeps security measures

under constant review,

and it would encourage all passengers to plan their trips

and check with their airline on restrictions before setting off.

How does the future look?

Well, the airports and the airlines are working toward

something called smart security,

so you won't need to worry about liquids any more.

You'll just walk through a corridor,

all the way from check-in to departures,

pretty unaware that you're being screened.

When's that going to happen?

I absolutely don't know, neither do they.

But, in the meantime,

all you can do is do your best to know what the rules are.

I'm sure none of you need reminding that,

if you're going to be going on holiday outside of the UK,

you aren't going to get very far without one of these -

a passport. Indeed, over the last decade,

each new one issued has included a biometric chip.

It's designed to be scanned at customs to make the whole process

a lot quicker and more secure.

But though the passport itself is valid for ten years,

some of you have found that the chip inside

can fail long before then.

Which, as far as some countries are concerned,

means that the passport is invalid.

So we've taken a close look at why these chips just might go wrong,

and what to do if yours could also be affected.

The passport is perhaps the most enduring feature

of international travel,

and has been key to giving us access

to faraway lands for centuries.

And for Ali Mahoney, her passport isn't just an essential requirement,

it's a reminder of all the interesting places

she's visited around the world.

Indonesia's stamp is probably the most attractive stamp that I had

in the passport. I've also got the stamp for Argentina,

when I went to Buenos Aires, which was a really interesting week away.

Another fond memory is from Fiji.

But on her last few trips abroad,

her passport hasn't been giving her the smooth passage through customs

that she's been used to. Though she didn't initially realise

the significance, her problems began on her return

from a skiing holiday in 2015.

On my way back from Geneva was the first time that I was stopped

and kind of interrogated in more depth.

It made me feel pretty uncomfortable and quite embarrassed.

But, at that time, I wasn't thinking it was a problem with my passport,

I was thinking perhaps there was a problem

that they found with me and my travel.

But a month later, on her way back from a trip to Malta,

Ali was stopped at passport control again.

Similar thing happened at the passport control.

I was stopped at the desk.

It wasn't the usual quick pass through.

Again, it was quite an in-depth interrogation,

and the passport being flicked through, several pages,

lots of different questions.

And it was at that time that the officer suggested that, perhaps,

there might be a problem with the chip in my passport,

which made me think, "OK, perhaps it's not me,

"perhaps it is actually my passport."

The officer suggested that the biometric chip in her passport -

the technology that stores all the personal information about you -

might not be working.

So when she got home, Ali did some online research into these chips,

and found that they may not always be as robust as you might expect.

Through some of the research that I did online,

there were question marks

over whether the chips could withstand the

real-life usage of a ten-year passport,

and that's what made me contact the Passport Office

and ask for them to look into my passport.

After an investigation, the Passport Office got back to Ali, saying that,

while normally the chips are covered by a warranty that lasts as long as

the passport itself - usually ten years - in her case,

that wasn't going to apply.

She was told she must have damaged the chip

and, as such, the warranty was void,

and she'd have to stump up the cost of a replacement.

I keep my passport in a leather wallet when I'm travelling

and when I'm at home, so it's always stored nice and safe.

It's not rolling around in a bag or anything like that -

it's always kept in good condition, because it has to,

it has to last me ten years.

But Ali couldn't see why she should have to fork out for a new passport

only four years after getting the last one.

I sent it off a second time

with a letter highlighting the fact that the damage -

or the so-called damage -

was so small that it was barely visible to the human eye.

But the Passport Office refused to budge,

insisting that the only option was to buy a new one.

I'm in a bit of a tricky situation,

because I've chosen to keep the passport, travel on it,

knowing that I could encounter problems at immigration.

But the alternative is to fork out for a new passport and spend all

that money, when, actually, what if I have the same problem again?

So I think I'd rather keep it for the time being,

do some further investigation.

Well, to help with her investigations,

we've arranged for Ali to meet someone who knows a thing or two

about biometric chips.

Adam Laurie has been working as a legal hacker for over 30 years.

He works with big companies to test the security of their products...

ALI: Hey, how you doing? Hi, I'm Adam, nice to meet you.

..by trying to hack into them.

First of all, let's just have a quick look, physically.

It'll be interesting to see what

you think of its physical condition.

Oh, that looks pretty pristine to me.

So this is one of the new ones, where

the passport... The chip's actually in one of the covers. Yeah.

Adam thinks that, because the new-style passports have chips

buried in the front cover, they may be susceptible to more damage.

And you can see what he means when he compares it to an older version.

In the older one, it was on the back of the...

So I've got an old model here.

Oh, yeah. And you can see, it's on its own, separate page,

and you can really see...

So that's the back of the ID page...

I see. ..and it's sort of,

you know, really thick and hard. Yeah.

What's more, in the older passport,

it's really easy to see what may be wrong with the chip.

But with the version Ali has,

there isn't a way of looking at the chip without damaging the passport.

So all Adam can do is use an electronic scanner,

like the ones found at customs,

to see if the chip has any signs of life in it at all.

The moment of truth. OK. You want to know, is it actually going to work?

HE INHALES

The answer is no. No. So that really is dead.

The Passport Office are not mistaken

when they say your chip has failed. Uh-huh.

And yet, whilst it's clear that the chip inside isn't working,

any damage to the outside of the passport is barely visible.

There's a little bump, just there,

and if you get the light at the right angle, you can see it.

So, what might have caused the chip to fail?

There's a couple of things that could have happened.

It could have detached the wire where it's connected.

The second is, it could have actually dented

into the chip itself, and cracked the silicon.

Well, an obvious question raised by all this is whether the chip in your

passport might pack up, too.

And Adam believes that, whilst the latest biometric technology has many

advantages in terms of security, where the chip is now placed -

just behind the front cover -

does mean it may be more susceptible to damage.

They're not robust at all.

I mean, the chip and the circuit is extremely fragile.

The passport is probably one of

the least robust environments

that you will ever see these things deployed in.

Well, when we contacted the Home Office,

it reiterated what Ali was told -

that if passports are damaged after issue,

they won't be replaced free of charge.

But in response to a Freedom Of Information request,

the Passport Office says it received 4,126 complaints

about faulty passports since 2012.

Although it couldn't tell us how many of those

were due to faulty chips.

It said, however, that the chips had been subject to tests

to see how they responded to wear and tear, and, once again,

said that the chip is generally covered

by a warranty that lasts the lifetime of a passport.

But you can see why Ali is left wondering what damage she

could possibly have caused for that warranty to be invalidated.

She remains resolute that she won't pay to replace a passport

that she considers to be faulty...

Thanks for all your help, cheers. No worries. See you. Cheers.

..although, of course, she does worry about the risks

of continuing to use the old one.

The whole process has left me feeling really frustrated

and disappointed and, you know, not listened to.

And I do worry about travelling.

But at the same time, I do feel like I should stand up for my rights.

Still to come on Rip-Off Britain...

How a ground-breaking new scheme could transform the stresses of the

airport for passengers, like this mum and her autistic son.

The check-in is absolutely my worst nightmare.

Look at the amount of people.

So, yeah, I'm kind of worried how we're going to handle this.

Now, for even the most seasoned of travellers,

the airport can be a very, very stressful place,

with the crowds of people - and luggage, of course -

trying to navigate the confusion of all those check-in desks.

And, naturally, the general hubbub of the entire place.

So it's perhaps not surprising that many people with conditions like

autism or dementia - along, naturally, with their families -

tend to avoid them if at all possible,

and, perhaps, as a result, rarely venture out of the UK at all.

However, one airport, recognising this, has launched a scheme,

and it hopes that it will give those who need a bit of help

a much smoother ride.

Well, we went along to see what difference it's made

to one mum and her son's journey.

For some people, travelling through an airport

is more stressful than work or moving home.

And it's enough to put four million of us

off air travel altogether.

Here we go!

Maria Cook from Bristol does still go to the airport

with eight-year-old son Ryan, who was diagnosed with autism

when he was only two.

But after the difficulties they've had on their annual trips abroad,

she does sometimes question whether it's all worth it.

Oh, he's lovely.

In the past, we had some horrendous experiences at the airport.

For someone with autism,

it's really hard for them to understand

why they have to be touched,

why their bags are being taken away from them,

why other people are touching their things.

It manifests itself in so many different types of behaviours,

through being so upset and distressed, high anxiety,

and actual violent, you know, meltdowns.

Ba-ba-baaa!

Over the last few years,

airports have come under fire for failing to adequately assist

passengers like Ryan who live with what's usually described

as a hidden disability.

Maria has certainly come up against her fair share of challenges.

In the past, I've asked for security personnel

to just please be guided by what I'm suggesting

we can do to get through the procedures.

One guy, a few years ago, chose to ignore my advice and, I said,

"Please don't touch my son - he won't like it,

"he will lash out at you."

He chose to ignore it, and he got a kick in the face.

That's Ryan saying, "Leave me alone, I don't like this."

You know, and that's the only way that he can communicate.

Maria feels that airports need to step up their game when it comes

to understanding the needs of passengers with hidden disabilities.

Airports really need to get some awareness training about hidden

disabilities. Airports are so busy, and everyone's on a time schedule,

obviously, fully appreciate that.

But for somebody with a hidden disability,

they should just give them more time

to process and make more time for them,

because that is key.

Well, it's good news, because it appears that some UK airports

have started to listen to people like Maria,

and are working hard to improve the service they offer.

Last summer, for example,

Heathrow declared itself the world's first dementia-friendly airport,

with 300 staff specially trained to help spot and assist passengers

with the condition.

Meanwhile, Gatwick has come up with an idea it's hoped will ease some of

the pressures associated with travelling through a busy airport,

and we've arranged for Maria and Ryan to put it to the test.

But no sooner have they got there

that Maria's reminded of everything her son finds difficult.

Coming to the airport is probably one of the most stressful things for

someone with autism.

It's so noisy, it's very bright,

there's lots of smells and sounds.

As soon as we arrived here today,

Ryan pushed his earlobe up into his ears because, straightaway,

the noise level was too much for him - he needed to block it out.

That's why these ear defenders are

such a vital piece of equipment for him.

Gatwick's new initiative is to give out lanyards to passengers

with hidden disabilities to act as a subtle indicator to staff

that they may require additional assistance.

Hi, good morning. Hello, good morning.

I'm here to pick up what I believe is a lanyard to help with the hidden

disability assistance service?

Yes, we have one here for you. Do you need the assistance from here,

or are you OK to make your own way through security?

If someone's available to help us through security,

that would be fantastic, cos I've got a lot of bags,

and my son does get really, really stressed going through security.

But before Maria and Ryan can tackle getting through security,

they first of all need to check in.

And while, to many of us, that may seem simple enough, for Maria,

it's a real worry.

The check-in is absolutely my worst nightmare.

Look at the amount of people.

Um, so, yeah, I'm kind of worried how we're going to handle this.

But I've got my lanyard, and I've got someone here to help me, so,

hopefully, we'll be able to get through this as quick

and as stress-free as possible. RYAN: British Airways.

This way. That way. That way! That way!

Thanks to the additional support,

Maria and Ryan pass through check-in like a breeze.

But next up is another huge hurdle - security.

Hopefully, with the assistance and the understanding, and obviously

the lanyard, the security are going to be aware, that, "Actually,

"let's treat this family with some respect and understanding."

Maria and Ryan have made it through the dreaded security area,

and Maria's smile is a giveaway - this time,

they had no difficulties whatsoever.

Going through security, absolutely no problem at all.

We didn't have to queue, we were taken straight to the front.

The staff were fantastic.

So, yeah, absolute success with the lanyards, big thumbs up,

and no stress at all.

Schemes like this one could revolutionise air travel

for families like Maria's.

And as more airports roll out their own improvements,

she's very excited about what that could mean

for the millions of people

thought to have hidden disabilities in the UK.

I know a lot of families that wouldn't even entertain

coming to the airport, wouldn't entertain going on holiday,

purely because it would be too stressful for themselves, and

obviously for the child or adult that they're caring for.

Hopefully, now, with this wonderful system in place, we can

actually say to our families, "You don't need to be frightened any more,

"you can go on holiday."

So, yeah, this is massive. This is massive for hidden disabilities...

..and massive for the families, too. Absolutely brilliant.

If you have a story you'd like us to investigate,

then we now have even more ways to get in touch.

You can join in the conversation on our Facebook page.

Just look for BBC Rip Off Britain.

As well as the most up-to-date news,

you'll also find exclusive, behind-the-scenes clips

and pictures from the show.

Or you can log on to our website,

bbc.co.uk/RipOffBritain,

where there's plenty of advice and fact sheets full of tips

on how you can avoid getting ripped off.

Or, if you'd like to send us an e-mail, then our address is...

Or, indeed, if you want to send us a letter, then our new address is...

Well, we're almost out of time for today,

but let's hope we've been able to give you some useful information

to help make the whole airport experience less stressful.

It's certainly opened my eyes to see what goes on behind the scenes.

And I have to say that I was particularly pleased to see

that initiative at Gatwick Airport in action,

because supporting passengers who might particularly need

a bit of help in getting through the airport

and then onto the plane is really very important.

So I'm sure that it really will make a huge difference

to a lot of people.

So it'll be great to see something similar being rolled out at other

airports as well. Anything that reduces the stress at the start

or the end of a holiday can only be a good thing,

which is why I was very glad of the reminder of how to avoid having

your toiletries confiscated at security.

Can't be too many of us who haven't fallen foul of that one.

Yeah, but I've always wondered

exactly how dangerous my lipstick is, but who knows?

Yours might be, actually. But that's where we have to leave it for this time.

Thank you so much for your company, and we'll see you again very,

very soon. So until then, from all of us, bye-bye. BOTH: Goodbye.

30 vocal groups clashed in choral combat -