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Australians trying to flee war-torn Israel claim Qantas is paying thousands of dollars to change their flights, while Emirates is offering the same service for free.
Asher Lilley, from Darwin, was enjoying a holiday with her sister and parents in Israel on Saturday when thousands of Hamas rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip sparking widespread conflict across the region.
The 28-year-old and her family locked themselves in a hotel and could hear rockets and fighting from their room, but have since been forced to leave their accommodation as the situation became too dangerous.
They were able to change their return flights with Emirates to leave Israel as soon as possible at no extra cost, but were shocked to learn that Qantas was charging thousands of others for the same privilege
Ms Lilley told Daily Mail Australia that one person she knows was charged ‘a couple of thousand’ to reschedule their flights.
Another Australian woman, Bev, has friends stranded in Israel and wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, saying: “Their flights keep getting canceled and Qantas currently wants to charge them $10,000.”
Asher Lilley is pictured at the front with her family in Israel before the war broke out on Saturday
Pictured: Mrs Lilley’s sister sleeping in the bomb shelter where her family stayed between Saturday and Tuesday
Ms Lilley took to Instagram on Monday to criticize Qantas: ‘Emirates is letting people change their flights for free to an earlier date and Qantas is charging thousands of people to do the same.
“I didn’t think they could sit down, but here they are. Charging Australian citizens $$$ to flee.’
Hours after being contacted by Daily Mail Australia about the claims, a Qantas spokesperson said “all customers can get a refund if they no longer wish to fly or we will waive change fees if they want to move flights “. availability.
“We have been in contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and have offered support to Australians in Israel.
“Several customers have booked flights to and from Israel on our partner airlines via Qantas.com.
“Customers trying to leave Tel Aviv and experiencing difficulties with flights can contact us to discuss alternatives.”
Ms Lilley also pleaded with the Australian government to help the tourists leave Israel, saying her family had barely received any communication.
“We are stuck here and have not been given any information from the embassy or the government,” she said.
‘Registered 24 hours ago, said we would update and never heard from them.
“Just a generic email telling us to keep an eye on flights, if we don’t, it’s been terrible.”
Her family was in northern Israel when the war broke out, but they didn’t realize it and went out to eat.
Ms Lilley took to Instagram to criticize Qantas and the Australian government (pictured)
She said the Australian government had barely contacted them, even though they were in a war-torn region
Ms Lilley urged Australians to contact the Australian government and urge it to repatriate the citizens
“We had to run and hide on the stairs as the rockets flew up,” she said.
“We could hear them sitting next to us.”
They were on lockdown on Monday as Lebanon began to approach the border and there was gunfire and bombs exploding near their shelter.
As of Tuesday, her family had still not heard anything from the government.
“We spent the afternoon locked in the house listening to fighting and rockets not far from us,” she wrote on Facebook.
Where is the support for Australians?
“It’s not good enough, why have other countries been successful in helping their people leave but Australia hasn’t? There’s no excuse.’
After being stuck in a bunker for four days, Ms Lilley’s family were forced to make a harrowing two-hour train journey to Tel Aviv – surrounded by gunfire, explosions and armed soldiers.
Ms Lilley is pictured in Italy, where the family traveled before moving to Israel
Pictured: Rockets flying through the sky in Israel, above where Ms Lilley was standing
Bev and Ms Lilley have encouraged Australians to contact Foreign Minister Penny Wong to campaign for travelers stranded in Israel to be repatriated.
Ms Lilley also explained that she was stuck in the UK when Australia closed its borders during the Covid pandemic and that the situation was similar – “no contact, no information, no help”, she said.
“It’s their job to keep Australians safe when they’re in crisis in other countries, but we haven’t heard from them in 24 hours,” she said.
The attacks began around 6:30 a.m. Israeli time on Saturday, when thousands of Hamas rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel and as far as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Israel has struck Gaza from the air after the surprise terror attack, killing more than 900 people and capturing around 130 others.
Authorities in Gaza said Israeli airstrikes had hit a refugee camp, hospital and mosque and killed 687 people and wounded 2,900 others.
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