Stranded Air Australia passengers arrive in Sydney on Qantas flight

[Northerner]

ABOUT 50 holiday-makers have landed at Sydney after being stranded in Honolulu when their Air Australia flight was cancelled.

At the airport tonight, some said they had worried about their young children left at home. Others feared a medical emergency if they ran out of medicine.

All who spoke to AAP agreed they were lucky to have touched down on Australian soil.

About 4000 Australia-bound passengers were stranded throughout Asia and the Pacific after Air Australia was placed into voluntary administration yesterday.

John Moran is insulin dependent and said if he had not got back to Australia quickly he could have been hospitalised.

"I only had about two shots (of insulin) left. Luckily we got on the Qantas flight."

Mr Moran and his wife, Gale, spent nine hours on the phone and forked out $1,000 to get home to Melbourne.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/...s-land-in-sydney/story-fn32891l-1226274683609

 

[Copepod]

That's why people are advised to carry some spare medication - I reckon on bringing home at least a week's supply after a holiday of 1 or 2 weeks, and a month or so after 4 months away.

 

[trophywench]

I'm paranoid about it Copepod!

I once had to get insulin in Australia (long story) and it cost me a fortune - which I didn't care about really, in comparison to the alternative LOL There is a reciprocal agreement but you have to find out where the office is you have to go to, go there and queue, get it all sorted then find a Dr and go and queue there (no appts!) and then the pharmacy and neither the GP surgery nor the pharmacy knew anything about such things, so I just went to the Drs and paid, then paid in the pharmacy.

And then back home when I reported it as a claim on the Travel insurance, the silly buggers actually said to me on the phone that it wasn't covered -I went Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? 😱 and the chap said "Well it was hardly an emergency was it? - I mean you wouldn't have exactly died or anything without the insulin." Yes I jolly well would have exactly died matey - that's exactly why this is a valid claim under the 'Emergency medical' section .....

They paid .....

I forget exactly, but it was about ?120 it cost me and them. GP cost $60 for starters.

Never again ......