A Sydney woman has had her first overseas holiday in two years ruined before getting the chance to leave the country due to an issue with her passport.
Like many Australians, Bronte Gossling was excited about heading to Bali this week after international borders recently reopened for the first time since early 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 9Honey producer flew from Sydney to Melbourne hoping to board a Jetstar flight to the popular holiday island destination on Monday, the first flight between the two countries in two years due to Covid-19 pandemic.
But a problem arose at check-in when airline staff advised she would be unable to board due to ‘a little bit of water damage’ on the photo page of her passport.
Bronte Gossling (pictured on a previous trip to Bali ) was hoping to end her international hiatus on Monday
‘I presented all of my documentation, presented a negative PCR test and I had my international Covid vaccine certificate and I thought everything was okay, she told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Tuesday.
‘I handed over my passport and the clerk at the Jetstar desk said ‘I can’t let you onto the flight’ and he pointed to my photo identification page and there was a bit of mould there.’
‘He told me that customs in Bali wouldn’t let me through with this photo page being water damaged and I was shocked.
‘I couldn’t believe it.’
Ms Gossling said she understood why she wasn’t allowed to board and plans to head to Bali as soon as she gets a new passport.
‘If there’s one thing that can come of my ill-fated attempt at dipping my toes into international waters for the first time in two years, it’s the knowledge I’ll never make the same mistake again. And my new passport will be kept in nothing shy of mint condition,’ she wrote in a piece for 9Honey.
More to come.
Some mould on Bronte Gossling’s passport (pictured) prevented her from boarding the flight to Bali
