Bride Was Banned From Flying To Her Honeymoon As Her Passport Was Called “Damaged”

#1 They saved for their dream honeymoon trip

Carly Baker and her new husband say they want to warn others after they spent $2,000 trying to salvage their dream trip.

Carly Baker and Chris Fee got married on Friday after dating for four years. Two years ago, they decided to start saving for their dream honeymoon.

They had planned to travel to Greece, Rome, and other cities on the trip.

"[We saved] spare change and small bills we collected in a big Poland Springs water jug," Baker said.

#2 Her passport was slightly bent and worn

When the couple went through security at Philadelphia International Airport, a U.S. Airways employee told Baker that her passport was too damaged to use.

It is against federal regulations to fly with a "significantly damaged" passport, and it is left up to the airline officials to make that determination.

#3 She just used it 13 months ago to travel

Baker does not feel that the airline made the right decision in this case.

Though from the photos, the passport IS a little worn.

#4 She got the "run around" by ticket agents

After the first employee left, Baker said she was directed to a second employee. That woman, who Baker said she believed was a manager, told the couple the passport seemed fine.

The manager then learned that her colleague had made a note in Baker's travel file saying she could not fly on that passport.

#5 Normally only passports that are water damaged or unreadable are the only passports not accepted.

The State Department does restrict traveling with passports that have been "significantly damaged," but that determination is made largely on a case-by-case basis.

According to the department, significant damage to a passport includes "water damage, a significant tear, unofficial markings on the data page, missing visa pages [torn out], a hole punch, or other injuries."

However, the government does allow for "normal wear and tear" on the passport, which it says is "to be expected."

#6 American Airlines says they complied with all regulations regarding worn or damaged passports

Spokesperson Leslie Scott said that she has seen photos of Baker's passport, and it looked like it had pages peeling off and that it had "water damage."

Additionally, she said it appeared the damage has been done to the "bio" page of the passport, which is crucial for travel.

"We can't let people travel with damaged government documents," she said.

She added that she would not want to approve a traveler's passport only to have them be banned from entering a foreign country.

#7 Baker applied and paid for a new passport. She has received it, and the couple is planning on leaving for their now-delayed trip on Tuesday night.

However, they missed multiple days of their trip and said they spent approximately $2,000 in rebooking and cancellation fees.

The couple was rebooked on a later flight out of Europe. Scott said the airline waived the change fee and the price difference between their two flights, but wouldn't be giving the couple an upgrade or compensation for the incident.

#8 The couple said they will never fly American again, and have been taught a tough lesson about the airline business.

Scott said that if a traveler has a question about their passport before flying, they should consult an airline or government representative before they travel.

"A passport cover is clearly a good investment," she said.

The couple said they will never fly American again, and have been taught a tough lesson about the airline business.

"It was made extremely clear to us that they are in the business of making money, and not making people happy," she said.