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www.wangarattachronicle.com.au
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FRIDAY, March 3, 2023
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Ovens College site social housing plan
PASSION FOR POULTRY WANGARATTA Poultry Club life member Kathy Holmes is hoping to welcome a number of new members to the group following Sunday‘s information day. Story page 13, PHOTO: Kurt Hickling
Page 3
Gemma conquers NZ Page 19
Wang Cup Day is here Sport
Spirit of Australia AN elderly Wangaratta woman who was deemed too ill to fly late last year has won her campaign to have the flight refunded, despite purchasing a nonrefundable ticket. Phyllis Varcoe, 85, was set to fly to Queensland with Qantas as a surprise guest to her granddaughter’s baby shower in late October, however, was hospitalised prior to the flight and deemed too medically unwell to make the journey.
85-year-old’s y hunt to reclaim airline fares followingg hospitalisation p BY RYAN MALCOLM rmalcolm@ nemedia.com.au
Ms Varcoe’s daughter-inlaw Jenny, who purchased the ticket for Phyllis’ visit, was left almost $600 in the lurch. A letter to the Chronicle penned by Ms Varcoe from St John’s Respect Wangaratta
earlier this week told of her disappointment in the wake of Qantas’ record $1.43b half-year profit, claiming she could not get staff to answer her calls as she chased a minor refund for the flight. Directed towards Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce, the letter also makes mention of Qantas’ refusal to refund her for a separate return flight to Adelaide in
early 2021, after her cruise on the Proud Mary boat was repeatedly delayed and ultimately refunded due to COVID-19. “It’s amazing how money creates greed,” she wrote. Ms Varcoe said reimbursing Jenny for last year’s flight to Queensland was her main priority. “They gave me steroids for a bad eye and my leg blew up - I couldn’t walk, I
couldn’t see and I ended up in hospital - I couldn’t fly,” she said. “Jenny can’t get her money back - it’s wrong. “I don’t hurt people, I don’t take your money, I don’t cheat you - so why do they have to do this? What gives them the right to say we’re not going to refund the money or no, you can’t get a refund, you have to have another trip.”
She said one Qantas staffer had informed her late last year she would need a medical certificate to have any chance of receiving a refund for the flight, and Ms Varcoe had subsequently been given two by a local doctor, however, had not received any further correspondence in the interim. ■ Continued page 2
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