Mum with toddler shames Scoot for leaving them to sleep at Changi Airport after cancelled flight

"No way home" is a common phrase nowadays but it also sums up the predicament of a mum and her toddler in Singapore.

After their Scoot flight to Athens was cancelled over a snowstorm, the pair were left stranded at Changi Airport for around 17 hours.

The mum, Irene Caselli, went to Twitter on Tuesday (Jan 25) to share how she and her child were forced to sleep on the floor of the airport.

[embed]https://twitter.com/irenecaselli/status/1485780602217713664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E148578060221771[/embed]

Scoot offered no sleeping arrangement for her two-year-old son or alternative flights until Thursday, Caselli said.

Leaving the airport was not possible due to Covid-19 restrictions and she was also told that hotels at the airport were fully booked.

"Can you imagine three days on the floor with a toddler, trying to avoid catching Covid-19? Singapore Airlines, shame on you. Why won’t you put us on other flights to Europe?!" she tweeted.

After two hours of waiting, her exhausted son fell asleep.

"Ground staff did not care and refused to put us on a different flight or offer compensation to buy alternative [flight tickets]," Caselli wrote.

On the same day, Scoot's parent company Singapore Airlines, enquired about the traveller's situation in a reply to her tweet.

[embed]https://twitter.com/SingaporeAir/status/1485796616204431360[/embed]

In response to media queries, Scoot said that flight TR722 with the route of Singapore-Athens-Berlin was scheduled to depart on Tuesday, but it was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions in Athens.

The airline added that it had provided affected customers with the necessary support and assistance, and also helped them book the next available Scoot flights.

Scoot added: "The health and safety of our staff and customers remain our priority, and we apologise for the inconvenience caused due to adverse weather conditions.

"We seek the understanding of our customers whose travels plans have been impacted by unforeseen, adverse weather conditions, and we will continue to render the necessary assistance.”

As for Caselli, it appears that she has found accommodation. Her latest tweet stated that her family finally secured a hotel room after making calls to the Italian embassy.

ALSO READ: SIA apologises for 17-hour flight delay that sparked man's viral Facebook rant

amierul@asiaone.com