Influencer panicked at check-in after realizing she’d brought her boyfriend’s passport — then British Airways stepped in with an unexpected fix
Trip mishaps are very real. You can think you have everything packed and perfectly sorted, but the excitement, rush, and travel-day chaos can leave you distracted enough to miss the one thing you absolutely needed. Travel creator Tabitha Amy, who goes by @tabithamy, found that out the hard way when she took her boyfriend's passport instead of hers to Gatwick for a dream work trip to Türkiye. Amy mentioned that the trip had been months in the making, so she was determined to have everything sorted before she left. She shared the mishap on Instagram on September 23, 2026, after realizing her mistake at the airport, but what British Airways did to help her get back on track left her grateful.
Amy had driven to Gatwick the night before, stayed at an airport hotel, and even kept checking her passport repeatedly that morning. But when she finally reached the British Airways check-in desk and opened it, she was stunned to see her boyfriend Fergus’ face staring back at her instead of her own. Thankfully, the mistake didn't mean the dream work trip was over. The British Airways crew managed to rebook Amy onto a 4 p.m. flight, giving her a way to still make it to Türkiye, although she would arrive around eight hours later than planned. After the initial panic, she said the British Airways Holidays team looked after her during the crisis and helped get her back on track.
Funny enough, Amy booked an airport hotel and arrived the night before to avoid the morning rush. Amy had spent the previous night packing before Fergus drove her the 2.5-hour journey to Gatwick. While at the hotel, she joked that she had already forgotten her "toothpaste," without realizing there was a bigger mishap waiting for her. By the morning, Amy was feeling confident and joined the rest of the group at the airport for photos before check-in. With Fergus no longer beside her to play "airport dad," she kept checking her passport every few minutes, convinced she had it safely in hand. That confidence disappeared the moment she reached the desk and opened the passport that did not belong to her.
Her boyfriend made a second 3-hour trip from Birmingham, and she was waiting at the British Airways Club Europe check-in desk in tears. She knew she was about to miss her original flight to Türkiye, but the airline crew helped with a second flight, which allowed her to make it to the ball at least. British Airways Holidays also acknowledged the mishap in the comments, writing, "So glad we could get you sorted, rebooked, and on your way. Now for the holiday to begin." Viewers also shared their opinions. @soph.tickle sent some positive thoughts her way, writing, "We improvise, adapt, and overcome, but hello Türkiye," while @abiclarkecomedy said, "Oh my God, opening it up to his face, I would have died."
After everything she went through, Amy said there was at least one silver lining: she was unlikely to ever make the same passport mistake again. Her dream work trip was still happening, just several hours later than planned. Travel mistakes can be surprisingly costly, especially when one small oversight throws an entire itinerary off track. In another story, a family missed their flight from Singapore to China after airport security flagged their son's luggage. The parents had missed checking the son's bag, which had a toy gun packed in it. The family had to book new tickets for $3,000 after the mandatory security process caused them to miss their flight.
You can follow @tabithamy on Instagram for more of her travel content.