Mum’s heartbreak as Gatwick staff tell her she can’t go on holiday she saved 2 years for

Victoria Vigors had been saving for two years to take her children on a two-week trip to Hurghada in Egypt

A heartbroken mother’s ‘holiday of a lifetime’ with her two children ended before it began at the boarding gate after airline staff discovered an issue with her daughter’s passport.

Victoria Vigors had spent two years saving £6,500 for a dream fortnight in Hurghada, Egypt, with her children Riley, 15, and Roxie, nine, only to be prevented from boarding the aircraft.

The 41-year-old described the passport mistake as ‘so embarrassing’ and said her children were ‘devastated’.

Victoria revealed it would have marked the family’s first fortnight away abroad together, as well as their inaugural visit to an all-inclusive resort, the M. E. N reports.

The family had completed online check-in, deposited their suitcases and cleared security at London Gatwick without any problems, reports the Irish Mirror.

However, mere moments before boarding their easyJet service, the family were halted at the gate when staff scanned their boarding passes.

It transpired that Roxie’s passport lacked the necessary validity period remaining for entry to Egypt.

“My stomach dropped and I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach,” Victoria, from Kent, told creatorzine.com. “The kids crumpled and I burst into tears.

“I begged the staff but there was nothing they could do. We had to be escorted back to get our luggage off the flight. It was so embarrassing. The kids were devastated, Roxie kept saying it was her fault and we were so disappointed. It was a really bad day.”

Roxie’s passport doesn’t expire until January 4, 2027, but Victoria confessed she hadn’t realised this would create problems for their Egyptian getaway.

According to UK government foreign travel guidance, British passport holders visiting Egypt must have a minimum of six months’ validity remaining on their passport from the date of arrival.

Since Roxie’s passport didn’t satisfy this criterion, the airline prevented them from boarding.

The content creator explained: “I wasn’t aware of the rules.

“I was given her passport the day before we flew by her dad. In my head, it was six months anyway, so I didn’t think there’d be an issue. For people like me who don’t always travel and it’s the first time with my children, I wasn’t to know.

“I would have thought when I put her passport details in to check in that would tell me it wasn’t valid. That would be a simple system to install so save this agony and heartbreak. It’s crazy.”

Victoria disclosed the family are now frantically trying to obtain an emergency passport in hopes of rescuing what remains of their holiday, as receiving a refund isn’t possible.

She continued: “I’d been saving up for two years.

“We were incredibly excited as we’d never had a two-week holiday abroad together or been to a resort like this. It was going to be the holiday of a lifetime.”

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