Australian sporting megastar Sam Kerr has ripped in to budget airline Jetstar, claiming she was rejected from boarding a flight due to a damaged passport.
The 26-year-old striker and Matildas captain, who earlier this month announced she’s joining Chelsea for the next two-and-a-half years, took to Twitter to vent her frustration about the ordeal.
“What a joke,” Ms Kerr wrote. “@JetstarAirways won’t let me travel due to a damaged passport.”
It is understood Ms Kerr was on her way to enjoy a holiday, after announcing on November 13 she’d put pen to paper on a contract that will make her one of the highest paid female players in the world.
After the announcement that she would be joining Chelsea, Ms Kerr outlined her plans for a three-week holiday, initially in Perth to visit family and then to Bali.
“I’m really looking forward to a break,” she said earlier this month.
“It’s the first time ever I have had scheduled time off where I can go on a holiday and take care of myself.
“It’s my body — obviously I have been going back and forth (between Australia and the US) — but also my mind. I have been going non-stop.
“It will just be nice to turn off from football and enjoy myself.”
A Jetstar spokesperson said their crew didn’t like to be the bearer of bad news but they had to enforce the Immigration requirements of the countries they flew to.
“Some countries are more strict than others on this and won’t let you enter the country with a damaged passport,” they said.
Holiday-makers travelling to Bali have been getting a nasty surprise at the airport, with the Indonesian government cracking down on tourists with damaged passports.
Earlier this year, a man with a nine-year-old passport described as “slightly damaged” was stopped from boarding a Batik Air flight from Perth on Christmas Day.
His rejection followed the announcement from Indonesian authorities that border security will now appear be enforcing a $US5000 ($AU7131) fine on airlines if they bring passengers into the country with damaged passports.
WHAT QUALIFIES AS AN ACCEPTABLE PASSPORT?
According to the Australian Passport Office, it is up to passport holders to keep their document “intact and in good condition”.
Normal wear and tear is OK, but serious damage may prevent you from using it.
“Contact with water or other liquids can cause serious damage,” the Passport Office advises.
“You must not tear or remove pages from your passport. It is critical that all the details and the photos on the personal data pages are legible and clear, and that there is no evidence of alteration or tampering with any aspect of the booklet.”
Australians who aren’t sure about the condition of their passport can contact the Australian Passport Information Service on 131 232 or an Australian diplomatic mission or consulate.
You may need to take your passport to an Australian Passport Office for assessment.
News.com.au has contacted Jetstar and Ms Kerr’s management for comment.
