Australian woman Emily Grosser has shelled out over $6000 to get home from Paris after her flights were cancelled over the retaliatory strikes in the Middle East.
Grosser, a TikTok personality with over 500,000 followers, was visiting Europe on a work trip and was due to fly back to Australia via Doha when military strikes suddenly shut down the Qatari airspace.
She was forced to pay triple the amount she normally would to fly home to Perth via Johannesburg in South Africa instead of the Middle East.
There are over 100,000 Australians left stranded in the Middle East as the major international hubs connecting Australia to Europe were closed, forcing airlines to delay or cancel thousands of flights.
“We found out from the news – the app kept crashing and the phone lines were slammed, so we just had to guess,” Grosser told nine.com.au.
“My [Qatar Airlines] flight on officially got cancelled today at take-off time.”
Iranian strikes targeted US military bases in Qatar, Dubai, Bahrain and Kuwait following the US and Israel’s joint military operation in Iran on Saturday.
Seven Qatar Airways flights between Doha’s Hamad International Airport and Australian cities were cancelled yesterday.
Early today, at least 1200 flights have been cancelled out of Dubai International Airport – also a major travel hub for Australians flying to and from Europe.
The hardest-hit carriers are Emirates followed by Etihad Qatar.
Australians still overseas have warned the flight disruptions could continue for days to come.
“It’s also incredibly difficult at the moment to get hard answers out of airlines,” Grosser added.
Grosser, who had work booked and desperately needed to get home, was left with no other option than to rebook flights on another carrier.
She found a flight which would take her to the WA capital with a stopover in Johannesburg, a three-day journey which has left her $6000 out of pocket.
Her family back home lent her the money to book the expensive flights.
“I don’t have the money to stay in Paris. I need to get back to Australia,” she added.
“If things get more expensive, I’d be stuck.
“Some flights were being offered for $1100 [online]… you go on, they’re $19,000.”
Grosser is still on the 11-hour flight to South Africa.
She will spend a 24-hour layover there before boarding a 10-hour flight back to Perth.
“Obviously our concerns are nothing to compare to those in the Middle East but the financial burden of needing to book last-minute flights that are thousands of dollars is extreme,” Grosser added.
“I’ve lost out on money in Australia; I had a job booked that required travel and accommodation.
“Airbnb [may not] issue a refund for my Melbourne accommodation, so that’s another $1600 gone too.”
All up, it is costing Grosser around $8000.
The losses incurred by Grosser and many other travellers likely won’t be covered by travel insurance.
Most insurers do not cover acts of war, political unrest and acts of terrorism, the Insurance Council of Australia warned yesterday.
In a statement to nine.com.au, a spokesperson for Airbnb Australia and New Zealand said that guests with eligible bookings can cancel for a refund following disruption to flights.
“Our focus is on the safety and well-being of hosts and guests throughout the impacted region,” the spokesperson said.
“To support our community, our Major Disruptive Events Policy is in effect for areas of the world impacted by issues covered under this policy, like military actions or closed airspaces. This means guests who have an eligible booking can cancel for a refund, and hosts can cancel without consequences.
“Hosts and guests can see and cancel bookings covered by this policy on the Trips page of their account, and our customer support team is on hand.”
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has opened up a crisis portal for any Australians who are stuck in the Middle East.