Couple loses passports, $1,800 hotel reservation on 'nightmare' vacation

Don't panic if you lose your ID. You might still be able to fly. (iStock)

Next time you board an international flight, double — no, triple — check that your passport is with you. Otherwise, you may run the risk of ruining your vacation, just like 27-year-old couple Lewis Mundy and Kimberley Floyd did.

According to the pair, who spoke to the Daily Mail, they had been planning a trip to Akti Hotel on the island of Kos in Greece for some time. They excitedly boarded their plane at London Gatwick, which is where the trouble began.

You see, according to the couple, they both put their passports in the seat pockets in front of them, buckled their seat belts, and settled in for the flight. Upon landing, the two stepped off the plane only to realize they both forgot their passports on board.

However, when they searched the plane with the crew members, their passports were nowhere to be found. So, according to the couple, they were not allowed into Greece as they had no identification. Instead, they were sent home to the United Kingdom on a flight 30 minutes after they had arrived.

“We were supposed to be sunning it up in Greece but instead ended up at Stansted,” Mundy told the Daily Mail. “There's no sign of our passports and we've had no help, no compensation, nothing. We've done everything we could but no one seems to care.”

To make matters worse, the pair said they also had to forfeit their $1,800 reservations at the hotel.

“They didn't care, they gave us a boarding pass and chucked us on the next flight, we didn't get a choice — it was disgusting,” Floyd said. “It was a nightmare, the biggest you could imagine,” Mundy added.

However, according to a statement by TUI UK, the airline the couple flew with, there was nothing they could do.

“We're sorry to hear of Mr Mundy and Ms Floyd's very rare experience on their flight to Greece,” a spokesperson said. “As a result of not having their passports they were not allowed into the country and were flown back to the UK. After searching the aircraft thoroughly we can confirm their passports were not found. We would like to remind customers, as we generally do before they leave the aircraft, to ensure they have all their personal possessions with them and to take responsibility of their personal items at all times.”

So, remember, when they say to make sure to bring all your personal belongings with you, they really, really mean it.