Couple 'seething' after Qantas cancels flight, rebooks baby on separate flight

A couple is "seething" after Qantas booked their baby on a separate flight and then refused to accept responsibility for it.

Stephanie and Andrew Braham were in Rome when Qantas cancelled their flight home and rebooked them on a different service to their 13-month-old daughter.

The couple told breakfast show Today that they made 55 phone calls and spent more than 20 hours on hold to the airline in an effort to remedy the situation.

Airlines around the world have struggled to keep up with customer enquiries as a result of staff shortages at call centres.

When the couple did get through, Stephanie said Qantas denied it had done anything wrong because it had rebooked their daughter on an alternative flight.

"Initially, they denied any liability. That's Qantas," she said.

After nearly a full day on hold, Qantas moved the trio onto a flight together which was set to leave 12 days after they had planned to depart. They have subsequently had to fork out for last-minute accommodation in the Italian capital.

"We're seething. I'm meant to be home," Andrew said. "I don't think we will really feel assured until we get on that plane and the plane is in the air at this stage."

Braham told The Independent on Thursday that the airline had offered to compensate them $200 a night for accommodation, but said that would cover only "a fraction of the additional expenses we've incurred".