Nearly expired passport ruins Italian vacation for Ontario couple

What was supposed to be a romantic European getaway for a young Ontario couple has become a staycation after one of them was turned away at the airport because her passport expires this summer.

Dallas Hill and her partner of five years, Evan Bouckley, were supposed to be sightseeing in Italy this week. But instead, they are at home in Bowmanville, Ont., with their bags still packed.

Last Friday, Hill was turned away at Toronto's Pearson International Airport because her passport expires July 21, 2015. She was told while checking in that passports must be valid for a full three months beyond the date she's set to depart Italy.

The couple, who booked the $5,000 trip with the help of a travel agent, claim they didn't know about the passport rule until last week.

"We purposely went (to Flight Centre) because we did not know all the rules," Bouckley told CTV Toronto. "We wanted to make sure it was done correctly."

Passport Canada says each country has its own entry and exit requirements, and travellers should consult the Government of Canada's travel advisories website for the most up-to-date information.

Flight Centre Canada says the couple were informed in writing about the passport requirement. Hill says the rules should be made clearer.

"It shouldn't be in fine print in an invoice," she said. "It should be verbally discussed, highlighted, underlined."

Hill says she plans to renew her passport, which she will be able to use later this month.

After learning of the couple's dilemma, Flight Centre re-booked the couple's trip free of charge.

"Although the clients were advised in writing they required a passport with three month’s validity, Flight Centre has re-booked their trip to a later day in May and is covering all costs," the travel agency's spokesperson Shane Bannerman said in a statement to CTV Toronto. "We are pleased to provide a positive resolution to this unfortunate situation."

Canadians who are at least 16 years of age can renew their passports using the "simplified renewal process."

With a report from CTV Toronto's Pat Foran

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  Dallas Hill (left) and her partner of five years, Evan Bouckley, are supposed sightseeing in Italy this week. But instead, they are at home in Bowmanville, Ont., with their bags still packed.