Cheshire couple's holiday thwarted by visa confusion
A couple from Crewe were unable to board their flight to Turkey due to a misunderstanding regarding visa requirements.
By Cheshire Live
Peter and Rogelyn Wiles, a couple from Crewe, faced disappointment at Manchester Airport when Turkish Airlines prevented them from boarding their flight to Cappadocia, Turkey. The couple had been eagerly anticipating their romantic getaway, which was planned for May 2025, after saving for the trip and spending £973.30 on flights.
The issue arose due to a misunderstanding related to Rogelyn's Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Although her immigration status remains valid until 2027, her BRP card had technically expired at the end of 2024 following the UK's transition to digital eVisas. Before applying for Turkey's eVisa, Rogelyn contacted the Turkish Consulate, which advised her to use her BRP number as the "additional visa number" on the application.
However, upon arrival at the airport, a Turkish Airlines gate agent insisted that she should have used her UK "share code" instead. This led to Rogelyn being denied boarding, despite presenting an eVisa printout that stated other countries' eVisas were not accepted as supporting documents.
Following the incident, Peter has struggled to recover the cost of their flights. He has attempted to claim a refund through his bank and Turkish Airlines but has faced challenges. Turkish Airlines reportedly provided vague explanations for the boarding denial, initially citing a general "issue" with the visa and later claiming the couple were a "no show".
Peter sought assistance from Tesco Bank, which raised a chargeback that was contested by the airline. Ultimately, the bank dropped the chargeback, accepting the airline's assertion that the flight operated as scheduled, which did not clarify the reason for the boarding denial. Peter later reported the incident to the Ombudsman, who ruled against him on technical grounds, stating there was no valid Debtor-Creditor-Supplier agreement for Rogelyn's ticket.
Peter expressed frustration over the situation, stating, "I've developed a complex about being misunderstood and feel I have to explain everything in detail." Turkish Airlines has not provided a comment regarding the incident.