Am STILL in Sydney!
This is what our past day has been like:
- At Auckland's airport waiting for plane to Sydney. 1.5hr delay.
- At Sydney's airport waiting for plane to Singapore. 4hr delay.
- Sitting in stationery plane for 1 hour or more waiting for plane engine to be rectified.
- Getting off plane and waiting at the airport for another hour.
- Told we've past time curfew for plane to take off and that we'll have to spend the night at Hilton hotel.
(Before leaving the airport however, we still needed to clear Customs, fill up entry forms and declare stuff we were bringing in. People who bought fruit and food related souvenirs from NZ had them taken away and tossed because of Australian quarrantine laws. It was totally ridiculous because none of these people counted on having to enter Australia.)
- Having slept at almost 3am, we received a 7am wake-up call and were transported back to the airport for a 10.30am flight.
- After checking in, we were told the flight got postponed AGAIN! To 3hrs later.
- We finally boarded the plane and sat in there for about 1.5hrs when an annoucement was made that the toilet tanks were now working and that we had to disembark!!!
- This time some of the passengers on QF31 finally came to the end of their tether and collectively led the rest of us and stormed into the 1st class lounge where I am now typing this. The radio station has also been called and now this situation we are in has been broadcast on air and also on the TV.
I will never fly Qantas by choice ever again. This is ridiculous. They cannot tell us when we are actually flying next and also cannot put us onto another plane. People have missed connecting flights, lost accommodation bookings, loved ones birthdays, work! (including me) among other important things. I've seen some crying from the frustration and sheer physical tiredness of it all.
The latest I've heard is that a bunch of passengers have threatened to block other Qantas planes from leaving until they rectify our situation.
I'm tired and frustrated. But we are really thankful this did not happen on our way to NZ because it would have totally ruined our holiday.
And very very grateful to my colleagues who have banded together to cover my duties tomorrow.
7 comments:
OH DEAR. it's ridiculous.
any possibility of grabbing another flight on another airline home??
quite ridiculous. I can imagine what an ordeal it was.
oh no you poor things!!! how totally horrendous. hang in there, it will be over soon. meanwhile, hang-out with the rest of your flight-mates. They seem to be quite resourceful people - storming the 1st class lounge, contacting the radio station... hugs dear
Imp: It is! We tried to ask to change to an SQ flight twice but were declined because of complications like having to get our luggage of the plane!
lms: Yeah! felt really sorry for the babies and several old folks.
hemma: Am back dearie. Zonked but very glad we're safe and sound.
sounds terrible! at least it happened at the end and not the start... lovely photos though!
poiemakoinonia: I know! I'm immensely thankful that it happened at the end, and that we actually did return home safe. Engine problems can be scary...
so poor thing!!
go for SQ next time.
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