Couple Denied Seats on Virgin Flight, Forced to Pay 'No-Show' Fee Over Coffee Stain on Passport

A young Australian couple's Bali holiday was nearly ruined after a "microscopic" coffee stain on their passport almost derailed their trip.

The couple, Sean Ferres and his girlfriend Brooke were scheduled to depart from the Gold Coast to the tropical island hotspot last Friday.

Their plans were halted when Virgin Australia staff prevented them from boarding after noticing a coffee stain on Brooke's passport, claiming it was unreadable, according to a Facebook post by the boyfriend.

The couple claimed that Virgin Australia staff informed them that they could book another flight at no additional cost once the stain issue was resolved, despite having traveled to over 20 countries with the passport.

Ferres and his partner were told that they were deemed "no-shows" for their original flight and would have to pay for a rescheduled flight.

In a final attempt to salvage their holiday, Ferres purchased "stupidly expensive" Jetstar tickets for $3,000 to secure a flight early the next day.

Unlike Virgin, Ferres noted that Jetstar was not concerned about his girlfriend's passport condition.

On Facebook Ferres wrote "Absolutely blows my mind that 25 years after the invention of the internet — in an age where even a $500 phone has advanced facial recognition — we STILL rely on a flimsy a** piece of paper to leave the country."