Do airlines take advantage of a UK passport anomaly?

Simon Calder answers your questions on passport validity and Florida

British passports used to be issued for up to 10 years and nine months (Simon Calder)

Q My passport is valid until April 2024 but I was denied entry to a flight to Spain because over 10 years had elapsed since the passport was issued. My family had to travel without me. Is there no responsibility for the airline to flag this issue at the point of booking or check-in? I suspect they are happy for a few passengers not to travel because it means they can overbook flights.

Jon B

A I am sorry you fell foul of the decision by the UK to be subject to the European Union’s unusual rules on passport validity. Before the Brexit agreement took effect at the start of 2021, British passports could be used in the EU up to and including the expiry date. Some campaigners on the Leave side of the referendum claimed that red tape would not change. But after the democratic vote to leave the EU, the UK asked to become subject to the same rules as more than 60 other countries, such as Guatemala, East Timor and Samoa.