The Mighty Passport is about to Lose its Papers

The recent incident of a family setting off on an overseas break is a prime example of the power of a passport to make or break the pleasure of a holiday. The mother had helped her children through an initial security checkpoint and, while collecting various items and bags that had gone through the scanner, failed to notice that her passport and boarding pass were still in the tray. Minutes later she realised her error but by then a security official had, in all good faith, handed her documents to another traveller, who unwittingly accepted them and went on his way.

Even if an emergency passport had been obtained later, the family had missed their flight, and there was no guarantee that the mother’s visas could be reissued. The accommodation was forfeited and the holiday