Simon Calder clears up passport rules in exclusive Q&A after travellers were wrongly turned away at airports

Welcome to an exclusive Ask Me Anything session with me, Simon Calder, travel correspondent at The Independent.

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Since Brexit, new passport validity rules for UK travellers to the European Union have caused confusion. In too many cases, travellers are being wrongly turned away at airports.

Recently, I reported that ground staff at KLM misinterpreted the rules, needlessly wrecking the plans of a couple heading to Paris for a birthday celebration. On the same day, Norwegian’s ground staff at Gatwick wrongly turned away a family going to Copenhagen. The airline’s representative told them: “I’m turning away six people a day.”

Unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents – many airlines’ ground staff are getting passport requirements wrong, leaving travellers in distress.

Often, though, it is the traveller who inadvertently breaches the rules. With as many as 32 million Brits potentially at risk of falling foul of these regulations, it’s essential to understand the rules and how to avoid being caught out. So, how can you ensure your passport meets the new requirements? And if you do get turned away due to an error by airline staff, what are your rights?

If you have a travel question, submit it now or join me live for our “Ask Me Anything” event on Monday 3 March at 6pm GMT.

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