Stranded Jetstar passenger’s curious act after flight cancelled

A Jetstar passenger was forced into an unusual act to cover unexpected costs after her flight home from Thailand was cancelled.

A Jetstar passenger literally had to sing for her supper after her flight home was cancelled, leaving her stranded at a hotel with just $30 a day.

Edit Pali travelled to Phuket, Thailand to celebrate her 50th birthday with her husband Tibor when their flight home was cancelled.

Jetstar offered the couple $30 a day for meals and $150 a day for accommodation to compensate for the unplanned extension of their trip.

But the money has yet to arrive.

The trained opera singer decided to busk on the streets for five days to scrape together enough money to cover their meals until the budget airline could find them a flight home.

Edit Pali had to sing for money to afford her unexpected travel delay. Picture: A Current Affair

“I'm a tough chook but I cried, I really cried,” Ms Pali said.

“We're just average people, we don’t make a lot of money, so for us to go away to Thailand for a week to a luxury resort, that was a big enough chunk into our savings.”

Weeks of widespread flight cancellations have plagued the budget airline, with hundreds of passengers stranded overseas.

A Jetstar spokesman said the airline was doing “everything we can to avoid delays and cancellations” and blamed ongoing issues with their Boeing 787 fleet.

The airline offered $30 for food and $150 for accommodation a day to compensate. Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

The airline has reported a series of “unexpected issues” that have required engineering work, including damage caused by debris on the runway, a lightning strike, a bird strike and supply chain delays sourcing a spare part from the US.

“We understand how frustrating delays and cancellations are, especially for those taking a long-awaited holiday, and we sincerely apologise to customers who are impacted by these unavoidable changes to their schedule,” the spokesman said.

The couple have yet to receive the compensation. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

“Our teams work around the clock to get passengers on their way as soon as possible and we provide a range of support, including help to cover accommodation and meals costs as well as other reasonable expense.

“Our engineering team have been working hard to address these issues and return all the 787 aircraft to service as quickly as possible; however, we will always put safety ahead of schedule.”

The Palis’ expense claim is due to be paid on Tuesday.