‘I am cranky’: Frustrated Bonza passengers scramble to get to destinations

2 weeks ago 6

It was quieter than accustomed connected Tuesday greeting wrong Avalon Airport, astir 60 kilometres south-west of Melbourne, aft passengers flying Bonza from Queensland had their flights cancelled.

With the day instrumentality formation besides cancelled, passengers flying from Avalon to the Sunshine Coast were near stranded. Meanwhile, astatine Melbourne Airport, frustrated Bonza passengers tried to publication last-minute flights with different airlines.

Allison Sigmund with granddaughter Elsie Harris astatine Melbourne Airport.

Tracey Hilbert had arrived aboriginal for her formation to Gladstone, lone to beryllium told astatine check-in that the formation was cancelled, with each Bonza craft grounded arsenic the fund bearer considers the viability of the business.

Hilbert said the connection from crushed unit had been terrible.

After rushing to publication tickets with different airlines, Hilbert said she was present down astir $1000 and said Bonza should compensate her.

‘We’ve spent much than an hr and 45 minutes connected the telephone to Jetstar trying to get a formation and had astir nary interaction from Bonza.’

Allison Sigmund

“A two-hour formation has turned each day,” she said.

“Given the circumstances that it is … it’s bad.”

Allison Sigmund arrived astatine the airdrome with her granddaughter Elsie Harris and girl Dana Harris, lone to find Dana’s formation to Tamworth had been cancelled.

After spending a fewer days successful Melbourne truthful Elsie could conscionable her 86-year-old grandma for the archetypal time, Sigmund said the extremity of their travel had been “insane”.

She said that travelling with an 11-month-old was hard capable for her girl without having to contend with cancelled flights.

“Everything’s conscionable been specified a rush. We’ve spent much than an hr and 45 minutes connected the telephone to Jetstar trying to get a formation and had astir nary interaction from Bonza,” she said.

Harris said she would present person to alert to Sydney and instrumentality the time disconnected enactment connected Wednesday to question by roadworthy to Tamworth.

She said her gramps was driving fractional the five-and-a-half-hour trip, and her hubby would bash the different half.

Harris said the hose had opened up question for her, and it was bittersweet to deliberation determination areas could again beryllium disconnected.

“I was singing their praises connected the mode down,” she said.

“It is precise disappointing. It makes the state a full batch much inaccessible again.”

Sunshine Coast nonmigratory Jenny Roberts said six household members and friends, including her lad who is successful the Defence Force, had booked with Bonza to sojourn successful June.

“I americium cranky. We can’t hold astir for [Bonza] to marque up their minds. They were coming to the Sunshine Coast for a 21st day event, and present we volition person to put for them to spell to Brisbane and beryllium collected,” Roberts said.

“What astir those mediocre radical today? I truly consciousness for them. Having a formation cancelled due to the fact that it broke down, compared to having it cancelled due to the fact that they weren’t making immoderate money, are 2 precise antithetic things.”

Passengers were forced to find alternate routes aft Bonza planes were repossessed.

The Sunshine Coast nonmigratory said getting a refund was “wishful thinking” but hoped the hose would connection compensation.

“It is rather annoying. Bonza knew that breaking into the marketplace would beryllium hard work. It doesn’t hap overnight, you person to physique spot and respect,” she said.

“They person destroyed that. The close happening would person been to honour the flights for the adjacent month. Now they person nary respect, nary honour and nary accidental of coming back.”

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