More Jetstar passengers have come forward with tales of woe after it was revealed a bride missed her own wedding after a flight was disrupted last week.
Several passengers have contacted Fairfax Media saying their Melbourne to Bangkok flight was delayed by 22 hours. The flight was scheduled the day before the cancelled Bali flight that scuppered a couple's wedding plans.
One passenger said they were told flight number JQ29, which was scheduled to leave at 2pm on Thursday, would be delayed by 90 minutes. They were then told four hours later that it would not depart until 11.30am the next day.
The passenger said the delay caused them to miss connecting flights and a boat for a full-moon party and they would be pursuing Jetstar over the cost of cancelled transport and accommodation.
"We were unbelievably disappointed that the delay from Jetstar caused us three days of further delay," the passenger said from Thailand.
"Words cannot even describe how horrible we were feeling at how tough it was to finally get here. We will never be flying with Jetstar international again, anywhere in the world. They just do not seem to have the right support processes in place."
Another passenger on the same flight said the bungled performance lead her to question Jetstar's safety.
She said about 200 people were processed by one Jetstar staff member after the flight was rescheduled for the following morning. Some passengers were stuck inside the airport for nine hours - and had to return the following morning when the flight finally departed.
"There must be concerns for safety with the airline being run in such a hap-hazard fashion," she said.
Comment has been sought from Jetstar.
On Friday, a couple flying to Bali for their wedding were due to leave Melbourne at 6.30pm with their guests. The wedding was to be held at midday on Saturday.
The bride, who wished to remain anonymous, was even wearing a white swimsuit in anticipation of the balmy weather, according to a fellow passenger.
The first sign that things were amiss came on Friday afternoon, when the airline texted passengers that flight JQ35 would be delayed.
When passengers seated in the business lounge made inquiries, they were told the pilot was sick and flying in a replacement would result in a two-hour delay.
Vivienne Golabek, 54, who was travelling with her husband, Danny, said: "At 8pm we finally got a call saying that we were boarding. As we were sitting on the flight there was an announcement about the substitute pilot that we were getting from Sydney to say that his luggage was lost and in his luggage was his passport."
Some time after 8.30pm, the passengers were told to disembark, given meal vouchers and told to return at 9.50pm. But when the passengers arrived at the gate, there were no staff. After 20 minutes, some staff arrived and at 10.30pm, four federal police officers were present.
"They were probably worried in case someone caused a scene," Mrs Golabek said.
A quiet voice then came over the intercom to say the flight would be cancelled due to road works on the tarmac at Denpasar Airport.
Passengers who lived more than 100 kilometres from the airport were given hotel vouchers, but others, including the Golabeks, had to fend for themselves.
Mrs Golabek, of Melbourne, had no connection to the wedding couple but said the bride was "very, very quiet, very subdued and very emotional. Her partner is also very quiet.
"There are a lot of people with young children who would not have got to their hotels before 12.30am. There was a total lack of communication and everyone feels they were lied to and some hope Jetstar goes under."
The flight left Melbourne at 9.30am on Saturday. Passengers were offered a $100 Jetstar voucher in a letter that apologised for "unforseen mechanical issues".
A Jetstar spokesman said: "There might have been some confused messages in what was a complicated situation. The captain was sick and the replacement from Sydney had to fly to Melbourne and realised his passport had been misplaced.
"There was a delay getting the passport by which stage there was work going on at the airport. We are sorry for the inconvenience and sympathise with everyone on the flight."
Source: http://www.smh.com.au
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