'My husband wasn't allowed on Ryanair flight due to one problem'

A devastated mother relayed the moment their eagerly anticipated family holiday was ruined - because her husband's passport was unexpectedly flagged as expired by airline staff.

Beth Trubutt-Rogers, who shares savvy financial advice as , was looking forward to jetting off to Spain last year with her two kids and spouse, but their excitement turned to dismay at the airport check-in desk. Beth's husband was shockingly barred from flying.

"My husband wasn't allowed to come on holiday with us," she said. Following the incident, Beth sounded the alarm for all families travelling abroad.

With eight months still remaining on his passport, the dad assumed all was well for their Spanish getaway, but a Ryanair representative crushed those plans, insisting that his passport was "expired".

In an emotional appeal to her Instagram following over 500,000 on @budgetingmumofficial, Beth detailed the experience: "We went to drop off our bags, his passport was checked and they told us that his passport was expired"

Beth lamented the family's pre-travel diligence, stating, "[We] had already checked in online and entered all of our passport details but nothing had flagged until we got to the airport."

She continued, shedding light on the post-Brexit travel changes: "The rules changed when we left the EU so the extension on our passports is now no longer valid, so you have 10 years from the issue date, rather than what the expiry date says."

It turns out her husband's passport was issued in June 2014, and since the family were travelling in July 2024, it was therefore past its validity date.

The mother described it as the "most stressful trip" as she was left to manage their original flight with her three year old and four year old children alone, likening the absence of her partner to "not having my right arm".

Her husband managed to secure a Jet2 flight the next day to join his family. She further added: "Jet2 allow passenger to travel still so he was allowed to get a Jet2 flight the following morning to join us."

Fortunately, the family were reunited the next day and could finally enjoy their Spanish holiday - but make sure you keep their advice in mind next time you travel.