This passenger's common name prevented him from boarding his flight
- Replies 11
Well, what's in a name? Quite a lot, apparently, if a recent incident involving a university graduate and low-cost airline EasyJet is any indication.
Here at the Seniors Discount Club, we always advise fellow members to avoid any unnecessary stress when travelling.
And believe it or not, this includes double-checking that there are no discrepancies between the name you present at the check-in counter and the name printed on your passport or identity documents.
This is definitely a lesson that Kieran Harris had to learn the hard way.
Originally from Liverpool, young Mr Harris had his sights firmly set on a Spanish adventure along with his friend. The duo planned to fly with EasyJet on May 25. A solid plan, you would think. After all, who doesn't love a holiday, especially with current worldly events as they are?
Unfortunately for Mr Harris, life had a rather unpleasant surprise in store. The night before his long-anticipated trip, the airline company sent some startling news—he was prohibited from stepping foot on the flight.
The reason? A previous demonstration of 'disruptive behaviour', a charge which the steadfastly bewildered Harris knew nothing about.
'My friend received an email right around 6 pm ... revealing that I had somehow incurred a 10-year flight ban and was promptly removed from the booking. Can you just imagine? Me, a pacifist, a menace to public aviation? The audacity, really!' Harris expressed to The Mirror, a British publication.
'I was gutted. I couldn’t quite get my head around it.' Harris added
It was clear that the mortified 21-year-old had no more access to the flight booking nor any place to position himself within the aeroplane.
‘I wasn’t on the booking anymore, I didn’t have a seat on the flight, and there was no point in me even going to the airport.’ he remarked
Apparently, it was a case of an unfortunate mix-up in identity. It seemed that another man, sharing the exact same name and date of birth, had shown aggressive behaviour under the influence of alcohol on an EasyJet flight in 2021.
The other man's actions had resulted in a 12-week prison sentence, and his namesake, our friendly Liverpool graduate, reaped the consequences of the said offence.
Thankfully, a happy end eventually followed the sequence of events. The airline ultimately lifted the ban after Harris was able to validate his identity using his passport. Although stressed, Harris eventually resumed his originally planned trip to Spain.
'The entire debacle was incredibly nerve-wracking, to say the least.' Harris shared.
EasyJet, aware of its mistake, issued a formal apology stating that the decision to ban Harris seemed viable at the time considering the identical name, date of birth, and origin as the offender previously banned for a 'serious offence’.
‘As soon as Mr Harris contacted us we resolved the matter and while he flew as originally planned we understand the frustration this will have caused so our team are in touch with him and will offer a gesture of goodwill in light of his experience.’ stated an EasyJet spokesperson
Believe it or not, this is not the first time Harris' common moniker has landed him in hot water. His mother, Sheena, shared another past instance where authorities mistook her son for a criminal bearing the same name and date of birth.
‘They sat him down and explained that there is someone else with his name and his identical date of birth who lives somewhere in the North West, and this person has committed some sort of crime.’ she shared.
‘It was very frightening; it was quite traumatising.’ added Sheena
As perplexing as these circumstances are, such events shine a light on the importance of differentiating personal identity markers, a topic we believe might warrant a separate discussion.
While we enjoy a good laugh at absurdities, we also believe in taking something positive away from each situation. This story merely strengthens our belief in attention to detail, especially when it pertains to our identity.
We are curious: do you have a common name, or have you ever encountered any issues or mix-ups due to sharing a name with someone else? Share your experience with us!
Here at the Seniors Discount Club, we always advise fellow members to avoid any unnecessary stress when travelling.
And believe it or not, this includes double-checking that there are no discrepancies between the name you present at the check-in counter and the name printed on your passport or identity documents.
This is definitely a lesson that Kieran Harris had to learn the hard way.
Fun Fact: In Australia, the most common first name for males is Oliver, while for females, it is Charlotte. These names have consistently topped the popularity charts in recent years, reflecting the naming preferences of Australian parents. Image by eliomendes from unsplash
Originally from Liverpool, young Mr Harris had his sights firmly set on a Spanish adventure along with his friend. The duo planned to fly with EasyJet on May 25. A solid plan, you would think. After all, who doesn't love a holiday, especially with current worldly events as they are?
Unfortunately for Mr Harris, life had a rather unpleasant surprise in store. The night before his long-anticipated trip, the airline company sent some startling news—he was prohibited from stepping foot on the flight.
The reason? A previous demonstration of 'disruptive behaviour', a charge which the steadfastly bewildered Harris knew nothing about.
'My friend received an email right around 6 pm ... revealing that I had somehow incurred a 10-year flight ban and was promptly removed from the booking. Can you just imagine? Me, a pacifist, a menace to public aviation? The audacity, really!' Harris expressed to The Mirror, a British publication.
'I was gutted. I couldn’t quite get my head around it.' Harris added
It was clear that the mortified 21-year-old had no more access to the flight booking nor any place to position himself within the aeroplane.
‘I wasn’t on the booking anymore, I didn’t have a seat on the flight, and there was no point in me even going to the airport.’ he remarked
Apparently, it was a case of an unfortunate mix-up in identity. It seemed that another man, sharing the exact same name and date of birth, had shown aggressive behaviour under the influence of alcohol on an EasyJet flight in 2021.
The other man's actions had resulted in a 12-week prison sentence, and his namesake, our friendly Liverpool graduate, reaped the consequences of the said offence.
Thankfully, a happy end eventually followed the sequence of events. The airline ultimately lifted the ban after Harris was able to validate his identity using his passport. Although stressed, Harris eventually resumed his originally planned trip to Spain.
'The entire debacle was incredibly nerve-wracking, to say the least.' Harris shared.
Having a highly common name can present challenges, particularly in official or professional settings. Individuals with common names often face the inconvenience of constantly clarifying or distinguishing themselves from others who share the same name. Image by sonance from unsplash
EasyJet, aware of its mistake, issued a formal apology stating that the decision to ban Harris seemed viable at the time considering the identical name, date of birth, and origin as the offender previously banned for a 'serious offence’.
‘As soon as Mr Harris contacted us we resolved the matter and while he flew as originally planned we understand the frustration this will have caused so our team are in touch with him and will offer a gesture of goodwill in light of his experience.’ stated an EasyJet spokesperson
Believe it or not, this is not the first time Harris' common moniker has landed him in hot water. His mother, Sheena, shared another past instance where authorities mistook her son for a criminal bearing the same name and date of birth.
‘They sat him down and explained that there is someone else with his name and his identical date of birth who lives somewhere in the North West, and this person has committed some sort of crime.’ she shared.
‘It was very frightening; it was quite traumatising.’ added Sheena
As perplexing as these circumstances are, such events shine a light on the importance of differentiating personal identity markers, a topic we believe might warrant a separate discussion.
We are curious: do you have a common name, or have you ever encountered any issues or mix-ups due to sharing a name with someone else? Share your experience with us!
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