Traveller forced to pay £1,750 in blunder

A TRAVELLER returning from Thailand has been forced to spend £1,750 on hotel quarantine after being given the wrong advice from his airline.

Simon Kenway, from Blackpool, flew into Heathrow on Sunday evening after spending two weeks, plus a quarantine period, in Thailand.

Thailand is not on the “red list” of banned countries, so all returning passengers should quarantine at home.

However, when Mr Kenway arrived in the UK he was pulled from the “green list” queue and told he had to pay for quarantine in a hotel, because he had taken a connecting flight in Dubai – contrary to what he said Emirates had told him.

Passengers who do not arrange a quarantine package prior to arrival in England face a penalty of up to £4,000, on top of the quarantine costs, meaning the airline’s advice could have left Mr Kenway with a bill of thousands of pounds.

An Emirates spokesperson said: “We’re working closely with all relevant authorities to help get passengers home while ensuring they meet the entry requirements of their destination.

“In the case of Mr Kenway, we are currently conducting an internal investigation into his case.”