Singapore – Imagine being stuck in the airport for 48 hours, more so on New Year. Flight TR899 passengers experienced just that when their Scoot flight from Taipei to Singapore got delayed for two days. The flight was supposed to leave on Sunday, December 30, at 4:10 pm, but because of some electrical component problems, the flight was cancelled and passengers had to wait until the replacements parts were delivered from Singapore. They were stuck for three hours on the plane before they got to disembark while knowing the news about the engine problem.
So, begins the stranded experience of passengers much like the Tom Hanks’ movie The Terminal. Passengers were told to find their own accommodations because the nearby hotels were surely fully-booked for the holidays. They were also advised to return their duty-free purchases and get a refund. The only thing provided by the airlines were meal vouchers worth about S$11 each. Some contacted their friends living in Taiwan while others had no choice but to settle in for the night at the airport.
Passengers were advised to check with the airlines the following morning at 8 am for updates on the next available flight that was scheduled to depart at 11 am. Having boarded at noon, further bad news loomed over the distressed passengers as the plane was experiencing more engine problems. Almost three hours later, they were able to leave the stranded plane and were once again given meal vouchers, only this time two pieces each. Talk about déjà vu.
A total of 356 affected passengers were given refreshments and meals by the airlines during the time of waiting. To compensate for their troubles, Scoot has also promised to reimburse the accommodation costs and to provide a Guest Promise Voucher of $100 for the affected customers.
In the end, the engine problems weren’t solved in time and to avoid further delays, the airlines arranged to bring the passengers back to Singapore via two rescue flights. All of the customers eventually made it back early Tuesday morning at 2:56 am thus missing their New Year’s Eve countdown with friends and family.
According to a Scoot representative, “Safety is of utmost priority to Scoot, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers’ travel plans.”
Flight delay has been a recurring trend for Scoot as it experienced a couple of major disruptions in flight schedule during the last two months of 2018.
Netizens shared their personal experiences with the airlines and a lot were really disappointed.
On the lighter note, Gary Tan wins top comment for his slogan suggestion for Scoot.
