Families gearing up for their holidays have been warned to stay vigilant at the airport. A travel specialist has issued a warning that you could face additional fees or even risk having your identity stolen if you commit a common error.

Gavin Lapidus, company director at online travel agents eShores, advised being careful when sharing snaps with your mates or family before your trip. He explained: "While captioning your holiday photos with your boarding pass might seem like a harmless flex, sharing images of your boarding pass or passport on social media can lead to identity theft and fraud."

He pointed there could be serious problems if you do this: "Barcodes and reference numbers contain personal information that scammers can use to access your booking, change details or even steal loyalty points. In extreme cases, stolen boarding pass information could incur additional charges or lead to credit card fraud."

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Mr Lapidus noted you could also leave yourself vulnerable to identity theft through doing this. He said: "Even more concerning, cybercriminals can use passport details shown in photos to create fake identities, potentially leaving you liable for criminal activities conducted in your name.

"Keep all travel documentation private and secure to avoid this increasingly common digital mishap." The alert arrives as passport application fees are set to rise.

For those aged 16 and above applying online within the UK, the cost will jump from £94.50 to £102. Meanwhile, the cost of applying for a passport for a child under 16 will increase to £66.50, up from the present £61.50.

These revised fees take effect from April 8. This marks an 8 per cent rise in charges, following 7 per cent increases in each of the past two years, and a 9 per cent surge in 2023.

The proposals, which need to be approved by Parliament, will include the following:

• The standard online application submitted from within the UK will rise from £94.50 to £102 for adults


• This will go up from £61.50 to £66.50 for children, too


• Postal applications will increase from £107 to £115.50 for adults and £74 to £80 for children


• The charge for a Premium Service (one-day) application submitted from within the UK will rise from £222 to £239.50


• The charge for a standard online application for a UK adult passport when applying from overseas will rise from £108 to £116.50


• This will also increase from £70 to £75.50 for children


• Standard paper applications for overseas passports will see a rise from £120.50 to £130 for adults, and from £82.50 to £89 for children.