‘I have $14 to my name’
An Auckland father of four has been stuck in a Brazilian airport with just $14 to his name after Qatar Airways prevented him from boarding the second of his four flights home.
Kepa Harris said he paid $3100 three weeks ago for flights from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Auckland via Sao Paulo in Brazil, Doha in Qatar and Sydney, Australia.
When he went to collect his boarding pass in Sao Paulo, however, airline staff told him he could not fly.
‘‘They refused to give it to me because I wasn’t on a list of 50 people that had been accepted into Australia,’’ he said.
‘‘There was nothing the airline could do. They told me to get in touch with my consultant or the [New Zealand] embassy, and I’ve been kind of going around in circles since yesterday 5pm.’’
Phoning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s emergency assistance number, Harris said he was told there was nothing they could do to help him financially while he remained stuck in Sao Paulo Airport.
‘‘They told me there’s nothing they could do to get me home any earlier, so it forced me to ring the New Zealand Embassy in Brazil, and they are my only hope at the moment.’’
Harris, who works as a supervisor in steel fixing for a company in Manukau, said he had about $200 on him when he arrived at Sao Paulo Airport but, with no food or water on him, the money quickly dwindled. ‘‘This morning I was down to $30, which is what forced me to ring the New Zealand Embassy for help in Brazil. Currently, I have $14 to my name.’’
Unable to access his checked-in luggage, he has just two sets of clothes on him – ‘‘both worn for four days and unwashed’’.
With his next flight out of Sao Paulo set to leave on August 10, Harris said he was finding it ‘‘mentally hard’’.
‘‘I had a few cries through the airport. It’s been stressful. Very, very stressful. For me, it’s very important to get home because I have four daughters in New Zealand. I have a job that’s been waiting for me to get back for a long time.’’
Later yesterday, Harris said the embassy in Brazil had contacted the ministry about helping him financially while he was stuck in Sao Paulo.
‘‘They grant me $433 for two nights in a hotel here and $30 a day to eat and $100 for me to buy a change of clothes. In two more days, I have to fill out another form for funding.’’
Harris’ predicament comes at a time when many Kiwis are struggling to get home due to cancellations, few and expensive flights and a freeze on new international bookings.