Stranded passengers tell of delayed flight

Passengers stranded in Wellington by an over-the-limit pilot may be able to get compensation.

An early Saturday Singapore Airlines flight from Melbourne to Wellington was cancelled after a pilot was found with too much alcohol in his system.

That meant the return flight from Wellington was cancelled later in the day.

Chanelle Sionetali spent 13 hours at Melbourne Airport before finally being booked on a flight to Auckland, then another plane the next day to Wellington – where she was visiting her mum.

‘‘They kept saying the captain is sick and we don’t know how long the delay will be.’’

It was only when she read an article on Stuff that she discovered the pilot was over the alcohol limit. ‘‘It was just a lie and being lied to is never good.’’

Although the airline put her up in an Auckland hotel and gave her meal vouchers, Sionetali said that she would welcome compensation for missing out on her night booked in Wellington.

Simon McGuire, who was meant to be flying on the return leg from Wellington later on Saturday, said he found out about the cancellation only when he arrived at the airport.

He had to wait 31⁄2-hours to get the airline to book him on an Air New Zealand plane to Auckland, where he spent a night, then onto Australia.

He wanted to know if Singapore Airlines would pay for any losses – like his lost day’s campervan hire in Australia – if insurers wouldn’t pay out.

A Singapore Airlines spokesman said compensation would be looked at on a case-by-case basis.