An Australian woman is warning travellers to take care of their passports after she said was unable to board a flight to Bali because of a tiny rip in her passport. Elyse Elmer said she was checking in for her flight bound for Bali at Sydney Airport earlier this month, when a crew member at a Virgin Australia desk said she might not be able to board the flight. “I just looked at her like ‘what are you talking about’, and she said ‘I’ll go check with the manager’,” Elmer said.
She believes she even travelled to Thailand and Hong Kong while the passport had a rip. Virgin Australia recommended she visit the Department of Foreign Affairs office in Surry Hills to print a new passport, and the following day, Elmer was on another flight. The Australian Government has upgraded passports to include a polycarbonate photo page to prevent wear and tear. The government said even minor damage to a passport can stop people from travelling.