Qantas Airlines stands for, "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service" and they first began in 1920.
Never flew with them, but they seemed to be a bit paranoid in this case:
QUOTE |
QANTAS APOLOGISES OVER INSULIN INCIDENT Qantas has apologised to a diabetic who fell into a coma after airport staff refused to let him take his insulin on board a flight from Auckland to Christchurch. Ref. https://www.stuff.co.nz/hlc/1,,93498~3846927a34~,00.html |
QANTAS TO REDUCE FUEL SURCHARGE
SYDNEY: Australian airline Qantas Airways Ltd said today it would reduce fuel surcharges on domestic and some international flights following a fall in oil prices.
Ref. https://www.stuff.co.nz/hlc/1,,93498~3930555a34~,00.html
Sure... you can blame Qantas... but what are two children doing unaccompanied in the first place? In this day and age I cannot imagine allowing my children to go anywhere unaccompanied.
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CHILDREN FLYING ALONE BUMPED OFF FLIGHT A mother says she will never fly Qantas again after her two unaccompanied children were bumped off an overloaded Wellington to Sydney flight and sent to Auckland instead. Ref. www.stuff.co.nz/hlc/1,,93498~4021825a10~,00.html |
Qantas Airlines (Hover)
If you fly enough, it doesn't matter what airline it is, they all overbook their flights if possible. Most of the time this does not inconvience anyone as passengers plans change and they reschedule flights to where there is no overbooking. However, there are those times where everyone was good with planning and the plan is over sold - someone has got to go. Picking the kids might minimize the amount of adult crying and complaining that can happen in this event, so I can see why the kids may have been chosen. But in reading the story, they were only 2 of 8 that were booted off the flight. I am assuming the other 6 were not children travelling alone, so it doesn't seem to be a conspiracy against unaccompanied children as the mother might have you to believe. They were only 1.5hrs late as I read in the article as well...doesn't seem to excessive. You might have that long of wait in bad weather.
The thing I might complain about is if the children/family were not offered some compensation for being kicked off the flight. It is typical that the airlines will give you a choice of frequent flyer miles, free tickets or a travel voucher for future travel with the airline. If that wasn't offered, then I might cry foul, as this is a usual proceedure when dealing with adults that have just lost their seats and might be grumpy about it.
I wouldn't let my child travel alone, but I can see it not being a huge issue if they were accompanied from gate to gate. That would be a must though. I travel alot and see some children that fly alone. One little guy I used to see flew by himself to Houston frequently so that he could get treatment for cancer (they have a good medical center for cancer treatment). His parents had to work to pay for the treatment and he had a aunt in Houston, so he flew alone and met the aunt at the gate.
Where does the old saying go... "Women and children first" or is that just for when everyone might die? I think choosing the children first is a terrible idea and only further confirms to me why I would not let my children travel unaccompanied. There are plenty sickos out there and bad things can happen because planes have toilets and 'secret' areas.
GREEN LIGHT FOR IN-FLIGHT MOBILE TRIAL
Qantas is to begin trialling an inflight mobile phone service on some of its domestic Australian routes.
Ref. https://www.stuff.co.nz/hlc/1,,93498~4031492a28~,00.html