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Faced with unexpected circumstances, she had to shell out three times the usual fare to fly back home to Perth, opting for a route through Johannesburg in South Africa instead of the usual Middle Eastern pathway.
More than 100,000 Australians find themselves stranded in the Middle East due to the closure of key international transit points linking Australia and Europe. This has led to airlines either postponing or scrapping thousands of flights.
“My Qatar Airlines flight was officially canceled today right at the time it was supposed to take off,” she lamented.
Yesterday alone, seven Qatar Airways flights scheduled between Doha’s Hamad International Airport and various Australian destinations were canceled.
Earlier today, Dubai International Airport, another crucial hub for Australians traveling to and from Europe, saw at least 1,200 flights canceled.
The hardest-hit carriers are Emirates followed by Etihad Qatar.
Australians still overseas have warned the flight disruptions could continue for days to come.
“It’s also incredibly difficult at the moment to get hard answers out of airlines,” Grosser added.
Grosser, who had work booked and desperately needed to get home, was left with no other option than to rebook flights on another carrier.
She found a flight which would take her to the WA capital with a stopover in Johannesburg, a three-day journey which has left her $6000 out of pocket.
Her family back home lent her the money to book the expensive flights.
“I don’t have the money to stay in Paris. I need to get back to Australia,” she added.
“If things get more expensive, I’d be stuck.
“Some flights were being offered for $1100 [online]… you go on, they’re $19,000.”
Grosser is still on the 11-hour flight to South Africa.
She will spend a 24-hour layover there before boarding a 10-hour flight back to Perth.
“Obviously our concerns are nothing to compare to those in the Middle East but the financial burden of needing to book last-minute flights that are thousands of dollars is extreme,” Grosser added.
“I’ve lost out on money in Australia; I had a job booked that required travel and accommodation.
“Airbnb [may not] issue a refund for my Melbourne accommodation, so that’s another $1600 gone too.”
All up, it is costing Grosser around $8000.
The losses incurred by Grosser and many other travellers likely won’t be covered by travel insurance.
Most insurers do not cover acts of war, political unrest and acts of terrorism, the Insurance Council of Australia warned yesterday.
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