I so love threads like this.

Many people are saying it doesn't matter what the state department suggests, or what the government posts, all that matters is what Timatic says.

I look at it this way.

Going by what Timatic says, they did not get on the plane. Really, they didn't, read the first post.

If they had a passport good for six months like the State Department suggests, they would have gotten on the plane.

So apparently all the people saying all that matters is Timatic are mistaken.

What matters is what the counter agent believes. In at least this case, no matter how many here say different, that is listed in Timatic was of no concern at all. Had the passport been valid for six months, they would have been flying.