Jetstar passenger speaks out about Bali flight nightmare

An elderly couple were stranded in Bali after their Jetstar flight was turned back an hour into the trip before being cancelled three days later.

Andrew Allison’s parents Francis, 82, and Anne, 79, flew in from the UK to attending their granddaughter’s wedding on the Indonesian island before heading to Australia.

They were on flight JQ38 on April 13, which was due to arrive in Sydney 30 minutes before their son and other family members landed on a Garuda flight.

But the flight turned was forced to turn back to Denpasar an hour into the flight due to a technical fault, leaving the couple stuck in Bali for another three days only for the rescheduled flight to be cancelled.

Their son Andrew has since detailed his parents’ nightmare ordeal on Facebook.

‘They were stuffed around and finally dumped in a hotel a fair distance from the airport at 4am the next morning, and handed meal vouchers valid only in the departure lounge at the airport 20 minutes away,’ Mr Allison wrote.

His parents were informed that their flight would be rescheduled to leave on Saturday night.

‘Jetstar even tried to get them to pay for the airport transfers,’ Mr Allison added.

‘Dad is 82. Mum is 79, and both are now so run down they both have become sick.

‘We stay in constant contact, but it’s infuriating not being there to help.’

‘After a lengthy journey from the UK to Bali to attend their granddaughter’s wedding in Tabanan, they’ve been looking forward to this, what may well be their last opportunity to travel down under to visit friends and family.’

Mr Allison told news.com.au that passengers were forced to wait in line for four hours after the plane returned in Bali and were denied access to their luggage to organise alternate flights.

‘They had to go out and buy their own food. It was easily about 5am at this point, and they were exhausted, anxious and confused,’ he said.

‘My dad has existing health issues. He is a diabetic and had his insulin in a cooler pack but basically skipped taking it because he didn’t want to run the risk of it being off during the time they had wait in line.’

Read Related Also: In-N-Out fight: Video captures altercation in drive-thru line of burger joint in California

He also claimed  the same flight had its departure times changed four times prior to his parents arriving into Bali.

When his parents arrived at Denpasar airport for their rescheduled flight last Saturday night, they discovered  their flight delayed arrival and before being cancelled for ‘operational reasons’.

By pure luck, his parents bumped into their granddaughters and friends at the airport heading home on a Garuda flight and also managed to get on the same flight to Sydney .

Mr Allison is now seeking compensation for his parents.

‘I will be taking this as far as necessary as our part in helping to stamp out this kind of abuse (and yes, this is precisely what it is) perpetrated by Jetstar and others that think they have us all over a barrel,’ he vowed.

It’s understood JQ38 was turned back into an hour into the flight on April 13 due to a warning light showing a potential issue with the aircraft’s hydraulic system.

‘Our pilots followed standard procedures and the aircraft landed normally. Safety is our first priority, and we will always take all necessary precautions in these situations,’ a Jetstar spokesperson said.

‘Unfortunately, the couple’s new flight was delayed due to the inbound aircraft arriving late and then cancelled because a crew member wasn’t feeling well,’

‘We understand that this would have been a tiring and frustrating experience for Mr and Mrs Allison and sincerely apologise for what happened.’

‘We have tried to make contact via phone and email to apologise to Mr and Mrs Allison directly. Our customer team will keep attempting to reach them regarding their out-of-pocket expenses.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jetstar for further comment.