Qantas has suspended two New Zealand cabin crew after a drunken night in Queenstown during which a fire alarm was set off causing the evacuation of the five-star Crowne Plaza hotel.
Many of about 200 hotel guests were ordered into the street and two fire engines rushed to
the hotel after a fire-alarm access point was smashed by a flight attendant on July 31.
The false alarm cost the flight attendant $1500 to cover damages and the cost of the call-out.
Crowne Plaza boss Brett Wilson told Queenstown's Mountain Scene: "Someone smashed one of the alarm call points after a big night out. We know exactly who it was and the guest has been charged $1500 for the call-out fee and to fix the call point.
"It was a fairly big stuff-up by the guest and when she was asked why she did it, she said she had no idea and she was upset and disappointed with herself. She left next day."
Mr Wilson said the other guests had been far from happy with the evacuation.
"We were about 75 per cent full, so that's about 200 people, and we aim to get everyone out in about three minutes," Mr Wilson said. "(The guests) were very disgruntled."
Qantas said yesterday it was still investigating two crew members involved in incidents in Queenstown.
A spokeswoman told The Australian newspaper flight QF2783 from Queenstown to Christchurch on July 31 was delayed because of technical problems. She said crew were accommodated at a nearby hotel and scheduled to fly out the following morning.
"Following an incident at the hotel, two cabin crew members were stood down pending an investigation," the spokeswoman said. "Replacement cabin crew subsequently operated the service."
The second suspended flight attendant is believed to be a male staffer involved in a separate incident.
- NZPA
