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A group of Australian teenagers was desperately left after a canceled Qantas flight a unique opportunity to go to the NASA space camp.
Young women from St Columba's College, Essendon and Catholic Ladies College, Eltham, were booked to fly from Melbourne to Huntsville, USA, on Saturday at 11:53 am.
The 28 teenagers went to a 10 -day educational experience at NASA's compelling experience – worth $ 10,000 per head.
But they were left in tears when their Qantas flight was canceled less than 24 hours before it had to take off due to a mechanical problem.
“I am upset and disappointed, but also irritated, because I prepared for this,” Minami McCartney told Daily Mail Australia.
“Now I miss the opportunity to go to Space Camp, once in a chance of life.”
Mrs. McCartney, 15, is passionate about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (voice) and had hoped that it would be an opportunity to understand the disciplines in the context of space research and research.
Minami McCartney, 15, remained upset and disappointed when a canceled Qantas flight was the unique opportunity to visit the Nasa space camp in Jeopardy
Ben McCartney (photo) said that he and his wife (photo) chose to dive into their savings to give their daughter Minami the chance to travel to the US
Her father Ben Mcartney was discouraged on behalf of her after the long -awaited chance was canceled.
“I am not convinced that Qantas really understood what the children and the families went through,” he said.
“They were not the ones who were with their children last night, because they were told in tears that this thing they work for 12 months before now doesn't happen.
“If you are a real organization obsessed by the customer … you do the right thing by that customer, even if this means that you are putting them on the flight of a competitor.”
Mr. McCartney said he had contacted people at the company and had written letters to CEO Vanessa Hudson and the board of directors led by chairman John Mullen, but never received an answer.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Qantas for comments.
The Tour company Honergeste Education, based in Victoria, had compiled the 'unique' journey.
Organizer Dr. Andrew Mcalindon said that after they have heard that the flight could be canceled on Friday, he and his colleague from Qantas had told that there were possibly two options to take the students to Huntsville.
Qantas has collaborated with Tour company Immersive Education to book flights for the end of April (Stock Image)
'[Qantas] Worked with us on the phone to explore things such as splitting the group into smaller, manageable sizes that their partner airlines might be able to pick up, “he said.
“But the earliest that they could release the group … to their final destination (was) on Wednesday, which is at least 70 percent via the Space Camp program.”
He said that Qantas also offered to issue a complete refund for the flights. Immersive tours decided to explore other options.
“It was only today, and I believe it was because of that work of Ben (McCartney), able to use who he might know, to get to a point when Qantas called us then and said they could get us on a flight rather than first expected.”
Dr. By that time, McAlindon said that the schemes were not aligned with each other, but that led to Qantas offering the flights to reverse at a later point.
The journey has now been reversed four weeks later, at the end of April, according to compelling education and St. Columba's College.
Mr. McCartney said he was worried about further costs after such a substantial investment.
“It's a lot of money for us,” he said.
Immersive Education told Daily Mail Australia that, because of the knock-on effect of the canceled flights, parents have to pay another $ 1000 for the rear-back trip (stock image)
“We have decided to dive into our savings and pay for it so that (minami) could go.”
However, late on Saturday, weird education said that parents who still wanted to send their children on the rear journey would have to pay another $ 1373.79 'out-of-pocket'.
While Qantas succeeded in recording most flights and some costs were salvaged, the Tour company said that bookings for buses and a domestic American flight with United Airlines had been lost.
They have also not heard of the original hotels they had booked.
“It's a domino effect of the cancellation,” said Dr. Mcalindon.
“This is the highest values. If the original hotels can shift bookings, the costs will fall, but to make the trip happen, money must change the owner again. '
The 28 teenagers were not the only ones who have their plans disturbed this month by Qantas retrisions and cancellations.
Michel Alam claimed that he had missed a crucial immigration exam on March 20 after Qantas had postponed his flight for hours, so that passengers from another canceled service could be on board.
