Hundreds of passengers stuck in Queenstown face a missed day of work or school, a lost travel connection or another 24 hours away from a loved one today after Mount Cook Airline ATR-500 planes were grounded yesterday.
Christchurch resident Allison Roberts said she arrived to check in at 1pm for her 2.10pm flight home yesterday after a weekend stay to be told an "operational defect" had cancelled her flight, along with three other flights out of the resort.
Mrs Roberts said she queued with other affected passengers at the Air New Zealand help desk for about 15 minutes. She was given one night's hotel accommodation and meal vouchers and booked on a flight to Christchurch today at 5.30pm.
Mrs Roberts said staff were "very helpful and friendly", but she felt "deflated".
Wine merchant Tony Laithwaite said yesterday his travel around New Zealand over four days "ran like clockwork, but fell over at the last hurdle".
His flight to Christchurch was cancelled and his connection home to Blenheim postponed.
His wife told him about the cracks found around the cockpit windows of an Air New Zealand ATR aircraft in Christchurch, which prompted the carrier to ground its ATR fleet for inspection.
He rebooked on a 9.30am flight today, which would take him out of his way, as it was going to Auckland first.
