ID required when flying

SteM

Hopefully someone here will be able to give me an answer to my question.

My wife is English living in Dublin and had to renew her passport. It had to be sent to Belfast and the UK Gov site said 6 weeks at least to get it back to her. She sent it 8 weeks ago and it's still not back and she's panicking because she's due to fly with my son from Dublin to London City on 8th June. She's flying with Cityjet. She called their customer care centre on Monday and the person she spoke to said that drivers license would not be a valid form of ID and she would need her passport. Someone in her workplace said that was wrong so I called Cityjet this morning and was told that a drivers license would be a valid form of ID.

Anyone any idea whether she needs her passport for this journey or will drivers license do? Thinking of calling Cityjet again tomorrow and seeing what they say but we've gotten 2 different answers from them already.

CINCLANTFLT

SteM wrote: »

Hopefully someone here will be able to give me an answer to my question.

My wife is English living in Dublin and had to renew her passport. It had to be sent to Belfast and the UK Gov site said 6 weeks at least to get it back to her. She sent it 8 weeks ago and it's still not back and she's panicking because she's due to fly with my son from Dublin to London City on 8th June. She's flying with Cityjet. She called their customer care centre on Monday and the person she spoke to said that drivers license would not be a valid form of ID and she would need her passport. Someone in her workplace said that was wrong so I called Cityjet this morning and was told that a drivers license would be a valid form of ID.

Anyone any idea whether she needs her passport for this journey or will drivers license do? Thinking of calling Cityjet again tomorrow and seeing what they say but we've gotten 2 different answers from them already.

Last year I forgot my passport for a flight from DUB to LHR... return leg was LHR to ORK...went to Aer Lingus check-in thinking I would be booking a later flight... person at desk checked a list and accepted my worked ID from a university... got all the way into UK and back to Cork... got stopped by the passport desk on return to Cork... I told my story... got a scolding from the guy on the desk and then was left through security...

veetwin

Driving licence is perfectly fine for Cityjet flights between Ireland and UK. There is no reason why anyone should get a scolding also.

Bill G

This might be helpful:

Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK

SteM

Thanks all, that's settled the panic.

Mebuntu

Now that the OP's query has been answered (and the title of this thread is still appropriate) I thought I'd open a discussion on why Ryanair seems to be the only airline that ignores the Common Travel Area and not only insists on passports between UK-IRL-UK but also requires document details to be supplied before being allowed to check in.

It seems also that, if your passport is stolen while you're away, even a UK or IRL police report is not acceptable so that in order to get home you would have to book on another airline (very costly as it would be a last minute booking) or travel home by ferry. They specifically say they do not accept a driver's licence.

Not very customer friendly.

I would have posted the link to Ryanair's T&C's on travel documentation but this board won't allow me, LOL.

therecklessone

Check the 1st section here:

https://www.cityjet.com/flying-with-us/terms-and-conditions/

Citizens of Ireland must carry some form of official photo identification. The following forms of photo identification are acceptable:

- Valid Passport
- Drivers licence with photograph
- National ID card / Government issued photo ID cards

Presuming your son has valid ID she will be fine.

Point to note: regardless if the CTA between Ireland and the UK some carriers can insist on a passport or national ID card (not a drivers license), Ryanair being one of them.

lord lucan

Better suited to Travel. Travel forum charter applies.

L1011

Mebuntu wrote: »

Now that the OP's query has been answered (and the title of this thread is still appropriate) I thought I'd open a discussion on why Ryanair seems to be the only airline that ignores the Common Travel Area and not only insists on passports between UK-IRL-UK but also requires document details to be supplied before being allowed to check in.

It seems also that, if your passport is stolen while you're away, even a UK or IRL police report is not acceptable so that in order to get home you would have to book on another airline (very costly as it would be a last minute booking) or travel home by ferry. They specifically say they do not accept a driver's licence.

Not very customer friendly.

I would have posted the link to Ryanair's T&C's on travel documentation but this board won't allow me, LOL.

Trying everything to ensure they don't have to bring someone back if they're refused entry. Cost saving measure that doesn't really save much costs (considering at the UK side you usually don't even see an immigration offer/police officer), so I could easily see it going in the New Friendly Regime setup they have now.

coylemj

MYOB wrote: »

Trying everything to ensure they don't have to bring someone back if they're refused entry. Cost saving measure that doesn't really save much costs (considering at the UK side you usually don't even see an immigration offer/police officer), so I could easily see it going in the New Friendly Regime setup they have now.

Ryanair's policy about passports on UK flights has nothing to do with immigration and as you pointed out, you're hardly ever asked for ID in UK airports. The reason they want a passport is to stop you from selling/transferring a booked flight to someone else - most IDs that Aer Lingus will accept like student cards are notorious for fakes, that's why Ryanair won't accept them.

Ryanair were looking for ID on UK flights long before 9/11, they probably still claim it's to do with security but it isn't.

keithclancy

coylemj wrote: »

Ryanair's policy about passports on UK flights has nothing to do with immigration and as you pointed out, you're hardly ever asked for ID in UK airports. The reason they want a passport is to stop you from selling/transferring a booked flight to someone else - most IDs that Aer Lingus will accept like student cards are notorious for fakes, that's why Ryanair won't accept them.

Ryanair were looking for ID on UK flights long before 9/11, they probably still claim it's to do with security but it isn't.

At least their not doing a language test :pac::pac::pac:

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/101526?userlanguage=ga