Passengers caught up in flight delays and cancellations to two Pacific destinations over the weekend may be eligible for a refund or reimbursement.

Hundreds of people found themselves in limbo when Air New Zealand flights from Auckland to Rarotonga (NZ946) and Auckland to Samoa (NZ992) had to be turned around mid-flight on Sunday after separate engineering issues were identified on the aircraft.

The Cook Islands-bound flight was about 50 minutes away from its destination when the captain made the announcement, one passenger said.

As a result, people found themselves stuck in Auckland, Rarotonga or Samoa – some over several days this week – with some families having to fork out extra money to organise accommodation and alternative travel arrangements.

Air NZ told the Herald this evening that passengers who were booked on business class tickets but ended up travelling in economy seats will receive a refund of the fare difference.

Those who had to organise their own meals or accommodation during transit, because of their disrupted flight, can get those costs reimbursed if they provide proof of purchase via receipts.

The NZ992 Auckland to Samoa flight was turned around just over an hour before it was due to touch down in Faleolo. Photo / Supplied

Chief operations officer for inflight and ground, Kate Boyer, apologised to passengers affected by the disruptions and said safety was the airline’s priority.

Passengers at Auckland Airport faced delays because of flight disruptions on Sunday. Photo / Supplied

“If someone has had to arrange and pay for their own accommodation while in transit – for a controllable disruption – we’ll reimburse those costs, along with reasonable general expenses like meals, once they get in touch with our customer care team.”

‘Absolute chaos’

A man travelling from Auckland to Samoa, and then back to Auckland, told the Herald he had laid three formal complaints after back-to-back issues and a lack of communication from the airline, he said.

“It was absolute chaos. When we landed [back in Auckland], everyone naturally stands, and then they said, ‘Oh, due to our unscheduled arrival, can you take your seats because there’s actually no one to open the door’.”

After spending the night at a nearby hotel, paid for by the airline, staff told him he needed to check out, despite not receiving any information from Air NZ about being put on a new flight.

He decided to go to the airport anyway and after “pure luck” managed to get put on a different flight to Samoa, he said.

Another passenger described a “horror experience” after arriving at Samoa’s Faleolo Airport for their early Sunday afternoon flight home, only to receive a message the flight was delayed and then cancelled.

She, her husband and two other relatives ended up waiting at the Samoan airport until another delayed flight later that night.

They arrived in Auckland and waited at the domestic airport until about 4am the next day, as they were trying to get to a different part of the country. The family has also laid a formal complaint.

Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald’s Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and won the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.