logo
How a $6,000 mistake by a Qantas worker turned an Aussie couple's trip of a lifetime into a nightmare

How a $6,000 mistake by a Qantas worker turned an Aussie couple's trip of a lifetime into a nightmare

Daily Mail​a day ago
A chronically ill woman missed out on her birthday 'trip of a lifetime' after a Qantas worker sent the replacement tickets to the wrong email when her flight was cancelled.
Nadia Hall, 40, and her partner booked a flight from Perth to London, which departed on May 5.
Due to an unexpected medical episode mid-flight, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in the Maldives, where the couple became stranded.
They waited for hours without knowing what to do until, Ms Hall received an email from Qantas advising that the flight could not be rebooked.
Without any way of calling the airline and no sign of Qantas staff at the airport, the Melbourne couple made the difficult decision to head home after an eight-hour wait.
They tried to find alternative options to get to the UK but local airport staff simply just 'shrugged' without offering help, Ms Hall claimed.
Qantas didn't provide any reason for the cancellation at the time, so Ms Hall had no other option than to fork out the money for new flights to return to Australia.
Things did not get any easier when they returned home, where Ms Hall waited two months before Qantas finally agreed to provide a refund.
Ms Hall believed she only received the refund because she went public with her nightmare ordeal.
'I literally had to take this to the media before Qantas would lift a finger for me,' she told Daily Mail Australia.
'This has been a huge setback. We're relieved it's over but I'm still recovering.'
Ms Hall endured 65 hours without sleep and spent 34 hours in the air across five countries and five time zones as she worked to get back from the Maldives.
Ms Hall has fibromyalgia and dysautonomia, which are triggered by stress.
She had planned to spend her 40th birthday in the UK reuniting with family she hadn't seen in decades.
She hopes to head there next year but has vowed to not fly with Qantas.
'We'll probably try booking the trip again in April or May next year, on a different airline obviously,' she said.
The return trip home took Ms Hall and her partner through Kuala Lumpur and Auckland before they finally returned to Melbourne.
When they returned, Ms Hall found out that she had in fact been provided a replacement flight from Qantas, which she never received.
An airline employee misspelled Ms Hall's email, which meant she was never notified of the details about the replacement flight.
'I don't like to throw the word traumatised around, but given what this trip actually meant to me... It was my source of joy for so long... I'm heartbroken,' she said.
'Something so tiny took away something so big.'
Ms Hall spent $6,109 to get back home, which she then needed to fork out another $200 to get back thanks to her insurance excess.
Qantas has confirmed that it will fully reimburse Ms Hall.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Passengers stranded for more than FIVE hours after London-bound Eurostar train ‘gets stuck on tracks'
Passengers stranded for more than FIVE hours after London-bound Eurostar train ‘gets stuck on tracks'

Scottish Sun

time22 minutes ago

  • Scottish Sun

Passengers stranded for more than FIVE hours after London-bound Eurostar train ‘gets stuck on tracks'

TRAIN CHAOS Passengers stranded for more than FIVE hours after London-bound Eurostar train 'gets stuck on tracks' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EUROSTAR passengers were stranded for more than five hours after a London-bound train got "stuck on the tracks". Angry travellers took to social media today, claiming they were left without help and working toilets for hours. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The Eurostar train was bound for London Credit: Getty 2 A band tried to lift the spirits of stranded passengers Credit: X Others complained that the lack of air con and ventilation on stifling trains was taking its toll on passengers. The train is believed to be stuck by Guines which is close to Calais. One passenger told of paramedics onboard, treating people who have become unwell. The operator said in a statement to one traveller: "We're sending a replacement train to take you to London, which should arrive shortly. You'll need to leave the train. "For your own safety, please remain seated for now and wait for instructions from our onboard team." Meanwhile, a quick-thinking band was filmed serenading stranded passengers to try and lift the spirits after a day of travel chaos. The moving video was uploaded to X, formerly Twitter, and showed the band singing a tune called 'Home'. Passengers from the Eurostar were seen sitting on the gravel as they enjoyed a moment of respite. One passenger claimed on Twitter that they had been stuck " for three hours". She added: "There is no air-conditioning, the toilets are overflowing and we have not had a single update from any member of staff in well over two hours. "This is absolutely appalling. "There are young children just trapped on here." Another traveller onboard the stuck train echoed these concerns and said old and young people on the train appeared to not be doing well. A third woman said she was with two "overheating" children, in a train with no toilets. Eurostar has said they are working on "replacement trains", but the cause of the chaos today is unknown. The lack of communication from the company has caused serious concern, with passenger Serge de Gheldere writing: "Almost 3h. Still no news, no air. This is not just an incident or bad luck. "There is no plan. Instead of opening the doors and trusting the people, they only have one or two doors open and let people almost suffocate. There are asthma patients and infants on board."

Passengers stranded for more than FIVE hours after London-bound Eurostar train ‘gets stuck on tracks'
Passengers stranded for more than FIVE hours after London-bound Eurostar train ‘gets stuck on tracks'

The Sun

time27 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Passengers stranded for more than FIVE hours after London-bound Eurostar train ‘gets stuck on tracks'

EUROSTAR passengers were stranded for more than five hours after a London-bound train got "stuck on the tracks". Angry travellers took to social media today, claiming they were left without help and working toilets for hours. 2 2 Others complained that the lack of air con and ventilation on stifling trains was taking its toll on passengers. The train is believed to be stuck by Guines which is close to Calais. One passenger told of paramedics onboard, treating people who have become unwell. The operator said in a statement to one traveller: "We're sending a replacement train to take you to London, which should arrive shortly. You'll need to leave the train. "For your own safety, please remain seated for now and wait for instructions from our onboard team." Meanwhile, a quick-thinking band was filmed serenading stranded passengers to try and lift the spirits after a day of travel chaos. The moving video was uploaded to X, formerly Twitter, and showed the band singing a tune called 'Home'. Passengers from the Eurostar were seen sitting on the gravel as they enjoyed a moment of respite. One passenger claimed on Twitter that they had been stuck " for three hours". She added: "There is no air-conditioning, the toilets are overflowing and we have not had a single update from any member of staff in well over two hours. "This is absolutely appalling. "There are young children just trapped on here." Another traveller onboard the stuck train echoed these concerns and said old and young people on the train appeared to not be doing well. A third woman said she was with two "overheating" children, in a train with no toilets. Eurostar has said they are working on "replacement trains", but the cause of the chaos today is unknown. The lack of communication from the company has caused serious concern, with passenger Serge de Gheldere writing: "Almost 3h. Still no news, no air. This is not just an incident or bad luck. "There is no plan. Instead of opening the doors and trusting the people, they only have one or two doors open and let people almost suffocate. There are asthma patients and infants on board."

Ben Shelton's sister booed by Wimbedon crowd when job revealed
Ben Shelton's sister booed by Wimbedon crowd when job revealed

The Independent

timean hour ago

  • The Independent

Ben Shelton's sister booed by Wimbedon crowd when job revealed

Ben Shelton launched a public plea for his sister to get some extra time off from her job at investment bank Morgan Stanley so she could remain at Wimbledon to cheer for him. It worked. After advancing to face Italy's Lorenzo Sonego on Monday in the fourth round, Shelton spoke in an on-court interview in front of a crowd that included his sister, Emma, and his girlfriend, United States women's national team star Trinity Rodman. "I've been playing well this week. It's not just been me here. I have a great team. My parents are here. My girlfriend's here. 'Also, my sister's here. She's been here for every match that I've played this tournament so far. She's been the lucky charm," said the 10th-seeded Shelton, a 22-year-old American who has appeared in two Grand Slam semi-finals. "But she has work back in the US, starting on Monday. She works for Morgan Stanley." That comment drew some jovial boos from spectators as Emma embarrassingly covered her face with her hands. "If any of you all have some (connections) and get her a couple extra days off so she can (stay and) we can keep this rolling," Shelton continued after his 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory over Marton Fucsovics of Hungary on Saturday, "that'd be great." Sure enough, hours later, Emma posted a short video on Instagram in which Ben is heard asking her, "You got the week off or what?" She jumps up and down with her arms raised and a wide smile, and Ben says, "Shoutout, Morgan Stanley." The caption reads: "thank you MS" with three blue heart emojis and "return flight: cancelled." Ben Shelton, who has won all nine sets he's played in the first week at the All England Club, takes on Italy's Lorenzo Sonego on Monday. The American previously beat Sonego in the Australian Open quarter-finals in January.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store