Lincoln Brown and Lucas Cook from the Flamers netball team talk about being left stranded in Palmerston North by a Jetstar cancellation. Video/Supplied
An Auckland netball team which was stranded in Palmerston North on Sunday night arrived home this morning after a gruelling all nighter.
The Manukau Flamers travelled to the Manawatu city to compete in the New Zealand Indoor Netball Junior Nationals tournament, but found themselves high and dry afterwards when Jetstar informed them of a sudden flight cancellation due to crew sickness.
A group of parents then decided to stage an overnight long-haul convoy to rescue the stranded team, after they were told the next available flight out wasn't until Tuesday.
The team had to hunker down in another team's motel room while awaiting their retrieval.
Team coach Ihaia Burns said three parents made the drive from Auckland and arrived around midnight on Sunday to immediately escort the team back.
"It was a 14 hour haul for the parents. They drove straight down, switched over and drove straight back," he said.
"We got home at about 6.10am [Monday] morning. We were a bit weary and a bit tired, but everyone got home."
Burns said they made the call to set up the overnight convoy due to the cost of supporting 11 players plus support staff to stay on in Palmerston North.
Members of the Manukau Flamers netball team from Auckland, seen holed up in a hotel room in Palmerston North after Jetstar cancelled their flight home. Photo / Supplied
"To stay on for another two days would have firstly been more expensive. My understanding was if we chose to stay on in a hotel, we would have to pay upfront and seek a reimbursement, but there was no guarantee," he said.
"It was also a long tournament and everyone was tired and sore so we just wanted to get home as fast as we could."
A Jetstar spokesman said the airline apologised to affected customers.
The airline had contacted all customers by SMS and email at the time of the cancellation, including the netball group, the spokesman said.
"The email outlined the options available to customers. This included offer for a refund, or if they continued to travel with us we offered all affected customers hotel accommodation, meals and transfers.
"We can confirm this email was sent to the email addresses provided in the booking. They declined our offer to travel by bus to Wellington and fly to Auckland."
Burns said he did not hear from Jetstar until 8pm Sunday night.
The airline offered to arrange accommodation or buses to Wellington, but the offer came too late as the rescue mission was already under way.
Burns said he was aware their flights were being refunded.
"Apparently they have processed a refund for the flights," he said.
