Ontario grandchildren refused flight to Jamaica due to missing paperwork

Pat Foran has the story of a couple who were turned away while trying to travel to Jamaica for with their grandchildren without the proper documentation.

Aveta Gordon was about to jet off to Jamaica with her husband and grandchildren when they were told they couldn’t embark the plane, due to missing paperwork.

“They said, ‘They can’t get on the flight,’ so I said, ‘What do I do now?’” said Gordon, of Brampton, Ont.

Gordon and her husband were travelling for a wedding and wanted to bring their grandchildren along with them. It wasn’t until they were about to board the plane that there was a problem, Gordon said.

“The airline asked for a letter for the grandkids to show I had permission to travel with them,” said Gordon.

“I said, ‘I don’t have one.’”

By that point, Gordon’s daughter had already flown to Jamaica, as she was part of the wedding party.

Without having documentation that the children were allowed to fly with her, Gordon said she was told they could not board the flight and all four of them remained in Ontario.

“It was very sad. I’m a retired person and I wanted to give the grandchildren a trip with myself and I didn’t get on the flight. It hurts, it’s so much money down the drain,” said Gordon.

The couple bought new airline tickets with another airline the following day and the grandchildren had to stay home with relatives.

Even though they went on the trip in December 2024, the Gordons have still been trying to obtain a refund from Air Transat for what happened—something which has been denied.

A spokesperson for Air Transat told CTV News it is up to the travellers to ensure they have all required travel documents before they leave for their flight.

“In this case, our records confirm that the children were travelling with their grandparents without a parental authorization letter, which is a mandatory requirement when minors travel without parents or legal guardians,” Air Transat said in a statement.

“This rule exists to comply with Canadian and international regulations designed to protect minors and prevent child abduction. While we regret the inconvenience experienced, we must adhere strictly to these legal requirements, and unfortunately, boarding cannot be permitted without the appropriate authorization.”

Consequently, due to the provisions of Air Transat’s conditions of carriage, the airline will not be issuing a refund as boarding was denied due to missing mandatory travel documentation.

Travel expert Jennifer Weatherhead called the Gordons’ situation unfortunate.

“It is heartbreaking because I think it’s something that people don’t think about when they are planning a trip and they’re going to the airport and they are just excited to be going,” said Weatherhead.

It’s important for travellers to have all of the proper documents when travelling with a minor, Weatherhead says, otherwise you’ll be denied boarding.

“You need their passport, birth certificate, parental consent and you should have it notarized to make sure it’s OK and proof of your relationship with the child as well as any kind of child custody documentation,” said Weatherhead.

Gordon wanted to share their story to warn other grandparents what happened to them.

“If anyone is travelling with young kids, make sure you get a letter of permission to take your grandchildren or whoever you are taking with you,” said Gordon.