A Qantas flight attendant was forced to cough up $1500 after a drunken overnight stopover in Queenstown, in which she triggered an upmarket hotel's fire alarm and forced the evacuation of 200 guests.
The fun and games didn't stop there - one of the woman's colleagues apparently refused
the pilot's request to take a breath test the next morning, delaying their flight out of Queenstown.
Qantas is staying tight-lipped over the incidents, which occurred when the flight crew had to take a one-night stopover in the South Island tourist mecca because of a technical glitch with their plane.
After a night on the town, a female crew member set off a fire alarm at the hotel they were staying at, the Crowne Plaza, resulting in around 200 guests being evacuated and two fire engines being called to the scene.
A source in Queenstown claims the crew member was sacked the next morning. The source also suggested the pilot of the Qantas plane demanded that another male flight attendant submit to a breath test, which the crew member reportedly refused.
The plane was left stranded on the tarmac until replacement crew could be flown from Christchurch.
A Qantas spokeswoman refused to answer specific questions, but issued a statement: "On July 31, flight QF2783 from Queenstown to Christchurch was delayed due to a technical issue. Crew were accommodated at a nearby hotel and scheduled to operate the flight next morning.
"Following an incident at the hotel, two cabin crew members were stood down. The incident is being investigated. Replacement cabin crew subsequently operated this service."
Crowne Plaza boss Brett Wilson refused to confirm the people involved in the hotel incident were from Qantas. The female crew member was charged $1500 to cover damages and the cost of the fire callout.
A Queenstown Airport spokesman said he knew nothing of the incidents. The Flight Attendants and Related Services Association did not return the Herald on Sunday's calls.
