An Australian man says some mānuka honey in his carry-on bag led to security officers at Queenstown Airport sending him on a “wild goose chase”, resulting in him missing a flight to Brisbane. James Stoddart told Mountain Scene he was due to fly out of the resort with his wife, 18-month-old daughter and elderly father last Tuesday after a break at their Wānaka holiday home. While queuing in the security hall, he realised the honey wouldn’t be allowed through and when he reached the screening area, told a security officer he was happy for it to be disposed of. However, he was told he should return to Virgin Australia’s check-in counter and check in the bag with the honey instead. Stoddart says he was initially unconcerned about their instructions because he’d earlier heard a loudspeaker announcement telling passengers to check-in luggage if they wanted to because there was limited space for carry-on bags on his flight. But when he returned to the airline’s desk, he was told check-in had closed 30 minutes earlier. When he explained what he’d been instructed to do, the airline rep repeatedly told him it “wasn’t his problem”. Stoddart accepts he then “overreacted” by throwing the honey on the floor and walking off. He’d been frustrated at the airline rep being “so disrespectful” and not acknowledging his predicament, he says. “But I haven’t hit anyone, I haven’t thrown anything at anyone.” He was then stopped from re-entering the security hall and told police wanted to speak to him. He had to wait for half an hour while the police reviewed CCTV footage of the incident. Meanwhile, his wife was left waiting with their daughter and his father, who has dementia, causing her “massive stress”, he says. “She didn’t know what was going on.” After reviewing the footage, police told him the incident didn’t warrant further action, but he wouldn’t be allowed to fly out of the airport for 24 hours because of the incident. His family boarded the flight without him, while he took a taxi back to Wānaka and paid $1800 for a flight the following day. Stoddart says he’s dismayed the security staff sent him on a “wild goose chase” back to his airline’s counter without confirming whether the check-in period for his flight had finished or not. Mountain Scene has approached the The Civil Aviation Authority and Virgin Australia for comment. guy.williams@scene.co.nz
