'Chaos and madness': Passengers stranded in Bangkok after Jetstar flight to Singapore delayed

Passengers were left stranded and frustrated at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport after their JetStar Asia flight 3K516 to Singapore was delayed on Mar 13.

A Stomper, who was one of the affected passengers, informed Stomp that their original flight time was rescheduled from 1.35pm to 5.20pm.

However, the 'nightmare' started when they reached the boarding gate.

"We were told that there was a delay and according to the ground crew, it's due to some technical issues," he said.

"We were then further informed that we had to wait for the captain to let us know if this flight would be cancelled."

At 10pm, they were eventually informed that the flight was cancelled.

However, chaos erupted as panicked passengers approached staff for information and solutions.

"It forced some passengers to cancel their flight as they were afraid something may have happened to the plane," said the Stomper.

"The entire process was just madness as the airport staff were overwhelmed with just too many things and by the time they booked our hotel, it was already 2am in the morning.

"By the time we reached the hotel, it was 3am!

"During the whole time, our family had to ensure we followed other passengers as there was just no one else to turn to."

The Stomper added that their passports were added over to the airport staff for safekeeping and all they had was a deposit card.

He said no further information was given to them regarding the next flight and that they had to keep 'bugging' the hotel staff to help them.

On Mar 14, many passengers were stranded at Courtyard by Marriott hotel and had not received any email from Jetstar with information regarding their next flight.

"Although we appreciate the free meals, all we wanted was really to just be back in Singapore," said the Stomper.

Eventually, the Stomper and his family reached Singapore's Changi Airport at about 5am on Mar 15.

He said they were relieved but the overall experience was 'very bad'.

"Passengers shouldn't be put through such hardships in this way," he said.

"When we were at the hotel they arranged for us, we had to constantly go to the lobby and check for updates and many of us were really frustrated at the way information was communicated to us, it could have been better."

When asked if he would fly with Jetstar again after this incident, the Stomper said: "I don't think so."

In response to a Stomp query a JetStar Asia spokesperson said that flight 3K516, operated by an Airbus A320, was due to depart Bangkok at 5.20pm on Mar 13, carrying 161 passengers.

As soon as the flight delay was extended to 24 hours, accommodation was arranged for all passengers who required it.

"On Wednesday, flight 3K516 from Bangkok to Singapore, was delayed by more than 24 hours due to a technical fault identified in a routine pre-departure inspection," the spokesperson said.

"All customers were moved to alternative Jetstar services and have arrived in Singapore.

"During the delay, customers were offered accommodation, transportation, and meal vouchers, and for customers who no longer wished to fly, the option of a full refund was also made available.

"We sincerely apologise for the frustration and inconvenience caused by this delay.

"The safety of our customers is our first priority, and our team is working hard to get everyone to their destination as soon as possible."