Exhaustion replaced anger for many Jetstar passengers as they boarded a flight in Dunedin yesterday, 21 hours behind schedule.
One hundred and twenty-four passengers on flight JQ284 to Auckland at 4.30pm on Sunday were left stranded at Dunedin Airport after a fault was identified in an electrical component on the aircraft.
Following an inspection by an engineer the flight was eventually cancelled at midnight, but not before passengers had spent two hours sitting in the plane on the tarmac.
Yesterday passenger Alastair Russell told the Otago Daily Times he did not intend to fly with Jetstar again.
``It would be very very reluctantly, if ever ...
``They just didn't give a stuff.''
Mr Russell was also critical of the ``shambles'' which ensued when shuttles were late arriving to take stranded passengers from the airport to the city at midnight.
``To finally be told at midnight the flight was cancelled, then the transport didn't arrive.
``We didn't get to a hotel until 1am.''
A Jetstar spokesman said passengers were accommodated in Dunedin hotels overnight and given meal vouchers. Customers who did not want to wait for the replacement flight could request full refunds.
About 30 of the plane's original 140 passengers bought tickets on an Air New Zealand flight when the first delay was announced.
Nick Hurst, of Auckland said the airline had made the right decision when it was determined the plane was unsafe to fly, but it took too long to be made.
``The way they did it was so polar to Air New Zealand.
``They would be straight in and out but Jetstar inconvenienced everyone to try to save a few bucks.''
Despite the inconvenience he said he would fly with the airline again.
``It's a cost thing.''
Looks of exhaustion and resignation were on the faces of passengers as they arrived for their replacement flight at 1.30pm yesterday.
Oliver Campbell (11), of Auckland, had a more philosophical view of the experience.
``I missed school which is all right,'' he said, laughing.
The faulty part of the aircraft was replaced by engineers yesterday and the plane would return to service, the Jetstar spokesman said.
He did not respond to a question about whether passengers who had missed connecting flights would be compensated.
