Couple on first overseas holiday together forced to fly home after just 30 minutes

A COUPLE on their first holiday were forced to fly home after just 30 minutes — because their passports were “lost” on the plane.

Loved-up Lewis Mundy and Kimberley Floyd, both 27, boarded the flight from the United Kingdom to Greece for the $2500 trip and tucked the passports into the magazine pocket of their seats.

 

But after stepping off the plane on the Greek Island of Kos, they realised they had lost their documents and they were nowhere to be found on the jet.

The disappointed couple were then told they couldn’t enter the country — and within 30 minutes were sent packing on a return flight to the UK.

Lewis, of Portsmouth, in Hampshire, said: “We were supposed to be sunning it up in Greece but instead ended up at Stansted (Airport).

“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.

“It was a nightmare, the biggest you could imagine.”

The couple had been looking forward to the week-long holiday to the five-star Atki Hotel on the island of Kos through UK travel operator First Choice and flew out on a TUI jet from Gatwick in June.

They had put the passports in a transparent plastic bag and tucked them into the seat pockets while they relaxed and watched a film on the four hour flight.

But within minutes of stepping off the plane they realised they didn’t have the documents and instantly tried to backtrack, but were told they couldn’t reboard.

A member of cabin crew then searched the plane but they couldn’t be found and the couple had to endure another four-hour flight back to the UK.

Kimberley said: “I realised as soon as we got off the plane, it could only have been two minutes tops.

“They told us we couldn’t get back on the plane and the made us wait by the door to the airport while someone went to look but they said there was nothing there.

“We were waiting for about 30 minutes for a flight back, we had to wait by the door. They tried to move us somewhere else but I refused.

“There was people watching us like we were criminals.”

The couple have contacted First Choice and TUI but have not managed to locate their passports or had any offer of compensation.

A TUI UK spokesperson said: “We’re sorry to hear of Mr Mundy and Ms Floyd’s very rare experience on their flight to Greece.

“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.”

This story originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished here with permission.