29 Dec 2017
Posted by Barry Aldworth 
Just under 1 in 7 Irish holiday-goers have arrived at an airport only to realise they forgot their passport, recent research has found.
In response to a survey of over 5,000 Irish people undertaken by AA Travel Insurance, 13.08% of respondents stated that they had arrived at an airport only to realise they had forgotten their passport in the past. The survey found that men were slightly more likely than women to have experienced a forgotten passport nightmare, with 15.77% of male respondents having left their passport behind compared to 9.87% of women.
“While the summer holiday season may appear a long way off it won’t be long creeping up on us. In particular, if you’re someone who is jetting off for some late winter sun in the coming weeks it might be worth double-checking that your passport is in your baggage,” Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs stated. “The last thing you want is to have your holiday delayed or potentially derailed as a result of what is a very simple mistake to make.
The survey also found that over 1 in 10 Irish people have either lost or had their passport stolen at some stage in their lives. 10.68% of respondents to the AA Travel Insurance survey admitted that they had misplaced their travel documents on at least one occasion in the past.
“Losing or having your passport or travel documentation stolen can cause a great deal of stress for anyone who is travelling and turn what should be a relaxing break into a stressed nightmare. If you have secured a holiday deal in the post-Christmas sales then it may be worth investing some of that money in travel insurance which will help cover some of the costs you incur if you lost your passport while abroad,” Faughnan added.
Women are more likely to have lost or had their documents stolen according to the survey. While just 8.19% of male respondents admitted to misplacing their documents, over 1 in 8 women (13.31%) stated that they had lost or had theirs.
Found yourself a travel deal in the post-Christmas sales? Make sure you’re protected while abroad and take out AA Annual Travel Insurance available from just €24.99.
Image Credit Sean MacEntee. Used under CC license.
