Couple's Fiji wedding nightmare after flight cancelled amid cyclone threat
A couple will only just make their own wedding at the eleventh hour after they were left stranded in Brisbane when their flight to Fiji was cancelled.
Jacqui Becker and her fiancé, Scott Sutherland, have been planning for the past year to fly to the popular holiday destination on Friday.
But their wedding dream quickly turned to a nightmare when just a day before their flight they discovered they would not be on it.
Fiji Airways were forced to cancel some flights to Nadi from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne due to a cyclone lashing the holiday paradise and palm-lined beaches.
Tropical Cyclone Sarai started brewing off the coast of Fiji on Friday, threatening the plans of thousands of tourists who flock to the South Pacific island nation over the Christmas-New Year holiday period.
The Fiji Meteorological Service warned of “damaging gale force winds” and heavy rain with coastal flooding expected in many areas as the cyclone intensified.
It is expected to be a category-two storm by the time it hits the main island of Viti Levu early on Saturday, with average winds of 65km/h and gusts of up to 90km/h.
‘We’ve been planning it for so long’
Ms Becker, who has plans to marry Mr Sutherland on New Year’s Day at a beach on the Coral Coast, had her travel arrangements thrown into chaos and claims she was kept on hold with Fiji Airways for two hours before giving up and instead sending a number of unanswered emails.
“It’s been frustrating – if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry,” she told Yahoo News Australia.
“You can’t really dictate the weather but we’ve been planning it for so long and so much work has gone into it and money – to now be like, ‘we’re not on holidays yet’, and the possibility of it not happening is just disappointing.”
Ms Becker said they needed to get to their wedding destination as soon as possible to tick off the last few things on their to-do list before the big day, including paperwork and going to the registry.
With wind and heavy rain lashing the coast, it is now also likely the couple will not be having their dream beach wedding.
Not only has the cyclone tampered with wedding plans, but also with the couple’s much-needed
break after Ms Becker has been in and out of surgery for the last two years following a car accident.
“It was a good opportunity for us to relax and have a good time with our family, but it’s just another spanner in the works,” she said.
Thankfully their 25 guests have not been caught up in the chaos, and Ms Becker and her fiancé have been able to catch an alternative flight which will get them to Fiji on Monday, about 48 hours before their nuptials.
Flights and cruises around islands called off
The Fiji Disaster Management Office has activated its emergency shelters and issued a public advisory for people to have their "disaster kits" ready.
Many day cruises around the islands have been called off while Fiji Airways has cancelled several inter-island flights, and flights to Australia and New Zealand.
Flights to the United States have been brought forward several hours to avoid the advancing cyclone.
Fiji Airways said in a statement it had cancelled a number of flights on Friday and Saturday in light of the tropical cyclone and travellers should check the flights affected.
“There are no Fiji Airways arrivals or departures into Fiji on Saturday, December 28,” the airline says.
“Fiji Airways will keep customers and the public updated on flight schedules on its website.
“Guests are also advised that our reservations centre is experiencing high volume of calls and to expect extended waiting times due to increased call volumes.
“Fiji Airways apologised for any convenience caused and reiterates that safety is always the airline’s highest priority.”
In February 2016, 44 people were killed when Cyclone Winston destroyed tens of thousands of homes and caused an estimated $1.4 billion in damage when it hit Fiji.
With AFP
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