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Levi Winchester & Aaron Morris

Martin Lewis issues urgent warning to holidaymakers flying with Ryanair this summer

Martin Lewis has issued a stark warning to families who have holidays booked with Ryanair this summer - detailing how anyone travelling with a child under the age of 12 will have to fork out extra for at least one seat reservation.

British Airways, Tui and Virgin Atlantic all say that children under the qualifying age will be seated with at least one adult without extra charge.

And while Ryanair do actually charge for seat reservations, the good news is that it'll only set you back an extra £2. Speaking on his Money Show Live on ITV, Martin said: "Most airlines will allow under-12s, some under-15s, to be guaranteed to sit next to one adult.

"Not Ryanair. It says the adult has to pay in order to have someone sitting next to them. Although to sit next to can legally be defined as 'separated by an aisle, or one row behind'. So generally, get your check-in as soon as possible, but don't be fear sold that you have to pay for it in other cases, it's just worth being on top of it to avoid that."

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The Mirror reports that Martin also urged Britons to check their travel documentation well ahead of their holidays when travelling to the likes of France, Greece, Italy, Spain and other highly-sought after hotspots. It comes as 5.4 million European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) are set to expire in 2023.

Should yours be set to expire, you'll have to get it replaced with a GHIC - which is 'basically the same thing'. Holidaymakers are also asked to check that their passports are actually valid.

Martin explained that you need to ensure that your passport is under ten years old on the day you enter many European countries. You'll also need to make sure you have at least six months left on the travel document from the day which you enter many destinations, including the US and Australia.

Some EU countries stipulate that you must have at least three months remaining meanwhile. Should you need to renew your passport, it's important to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later - as there are currently huge delays due to the summer rush.

Martin explained: "The Passport Office is saying allow up to ten weeks for renewals, but I'm hearing delays can be longer, and the Fast Track slots are limited. And let me be plain; an invalid passport, the travel insurance company will not allow you to claim if that's the reason you can't go on holiday."

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