Stranded opera singer busks to earn cash after cancelled flights
<p dir="ltr">After her flight home was cancelled, one Jestar passenger said she was forced to busk for money until she could get home.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Edit Pali had travelled to a remote resort in Phuket with her husband Tibor to celebrate her 50th birthday when a cancelled flight saw their stay extend for another five days.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Having spent a large portion of their savings on their trip, the couple were faced with the problem of paying for their additional days in the resort.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Ms Pali told <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/stranded-aussie-jetstar-passengers-speak-out/04c064ba-f60c-43dd-8ba8-640595f8ddc9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a></em> that the airline had offered them $30 for meals and $150 for accommodation each day in compensation - but the money failed to arrive.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I’m a tough chook but I cried, I really cried,” she said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Taking advantage of her skills as an opera singer, Ms Pali decided to sing for her supper at breakfast, lunch and dinner while they waited for the funds to come through.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"We're just average people, we don't make a lot of money, so for us to go away to Thailand for a week to a luxury resort, that was a big enough chunk into our savings,” she added.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A Jetstar spokesperson said they were aware of Ms Pali’s situation and were doing “everything we can”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">But Ms Pali isn’t the only person affected by a cancelled flight, as six out of 11 of Jetstar’s 787 planes were grounded earlier this month.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At least 4,000 passengers travelling on popular winter routes, including to Bali, Thailand, and Japan, have been affected by delays and cancellations, with the airline blaming lightning, bird strikes and parts shortages.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Our teams work around the clock to get passengers on their way as soon as possible and we provide a range of support, including help to cover accommodation and meals costs as well as other reasonable expenses," the airline said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a statement, Jetstar said Ms Pali and her husband were due to have their expense claim paid by September 27.</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: A Current Affair</em></p>
