On Friday, August 4th, Suzanne went to Manchester Airport with her husband Steven and daughter Bethany to check-in for their flight to Thailand's Phuket island. However, she was met with a surprise. A Qatar Airways representative told the family, including their daughter's boyfriend, that everyone except 24-year-old Bethany could board the plane. This was because there was a tear in Bethany's passport in the identification section. While the rest of the family stayed with their daughter, Bethany's boyfriend boarded the plane and flew to Phuket.
The Senior family, whose dreams of visiting Thailand were shattered, remained determined to have a vacation. They went to the adjacent counter and booked a reservation for Türkiye. This last-minute vacation cost them 5,000 Sterling. Turkish Airlines accepted Bethany on the flight despite the tear in her passport, which had prevented Qatar Airways from allowing her to board, and the family arrived in Fethiye for their vacation.
Suzanne Senior stated that they would claim the unused plane tickets from the insurance. On the other hand, Qatar Airways officials expressed their regret over the situation, but stated that the primary responsibility in travel documents lies with the passenger and they would not take responsibility.
Qatar Airways had previously denied boarding to another British passenger
According to information from Bording Info, in 2018, a tourist named Enka Sama had mentioned on Twitter that they were not allowed to board a flight to Thailand with Qatar Airways due to passport deformation. In their post, Enka Sama expressed their frustration with the airline, noting that passports can get worn due to regular use, but they had used the same passport to travel to Thailand twice before, accusing Qatar Airways of stealing money from honest travelers and suggesting they should be ashamed."
