Stranded passengers furious at treatment

Passengers forced to spend three nights in Auckland hotels after their Qatar Airways flight failed to take off say they have not been adequately compensated for their experience. The flight to Doha via Adelaide was scheduled to depart at 6.25pm Sunday. Qatar Airways says the plane was grounded due to a technical issue, believed to be birdstrike, and passengers were to depart last night. The airline said all passengers were given hotel accommodation and three meals a day while the alternative flight arrangements were made. However, passengers spoken to say they have had to cover the cost of their own meals and the airline’s communication with passengers and hotels had been poor.