‘My daughter got trapped at passport control and missed her flight’
Gill Charlton has been fighting for Telegraph readers and solving their travel problems for more than 30 years, winning refunds, righting wrongs and suggesting solutions.
Here is this week’s question:
Dear Gill,
My daughter Liz arrived at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam at 8.20am on September 24, intending to fly back to Luton with easyJet at 10.45am. She checked in one bag and, together with a friend, headed for departures. At the entrance to security, an official barred their way saying the area was overcrowded.
After waiting in line for an hour, he directed them to another location which was also closed. Eventually passengers were allowed to proceed singly through security to the automated passport gates where Liz and others became trapped. Once released, her passport was manually checked and she dashed to the gate.
It was now 10.40am. The aircraft was still on stand with the steps in place. However she, and 26 other passengers, were told by the flight dispatchers that their luggage was being offloaded, there would be no refunds or assistance, and they would have to make their own way home.
I bought Liz and her friend new flights for that evening costing £622. EasyJet has since repaid £46. Liz has tried her insurer but there’s no cover under the policy.
Can we make a claim against the airport for delaying her?
– Yvonne Baldwin
Dear Yvonne,
As it was clear that Liz had allowed plenty of time to navigate departure formalities, I contacted Schiphol Airport to find out whether it would compensate her. It referred me to the Dutch Border Police, Royal Marechaussee, which confirmed that its passport eGates had suffered a technical failure that morning. A reduced crew of police officers was forced to conduct manual checks.
In circumstances like these there is no government or airport compensation for passengers who miss their flights. And it is at the discretion of the airline whether to hold the flight for passengers.
EasyJet told me it had no record of border control issues on September 24. However, it did confirm that its staff at Schiphol should have been aware of the situation and provided free flight transfers for passengers who had missed their flights.
After I forwarded the email from Royal Marechaussee confirming the shutdown of the eGates, easyJet agreed to refund the cost of the new BA flights, and any other expenses, as a goodwill gesture.
More generally, because the Dutch carrier KLM offers a big programme of regional flights from the UK, Schiphol is an important transit airport for onward travel to Europe and beyond. Concerned about potential delays like this, I asked Schiphol to confirm what checks are made when in transit.
British passport holders transferring to a Schengen flight (most EU countries) must pass through passport control at Schiphol, but do not have to undergo security checks. I would allow 90 minutes between flights. Transfers to non-Schengen flights require no passport control or security checks.
Your travel problems solved
Gill takes on a different case each week – so please send your problems to her for consideration at asktheexperts@telegraph.co.uk. Please give your full name and, if your dispute is with a travel company, your address, telephone number and any booking reference. Gill can’t answer every question, but she will help where she can and all emails are acknowledged.
