Horror Malaysia Airlines flight: Ravenous and thirsty passengers get only snack packs

Ravenous and thirsty passengers on the horror Malaysia Airlines flight which was aborted twice were only given snack packs, a muffin and two cups of water during their ordeal.

One passenger said it felt like they were "in prison".

New details have emerged of the MH145D on New Year's Day which saw passengers ragdolled in their seats when their flight came to a juddering halt just as it was set to take off.

The airline said the take-offs were both "low speed" and pilots only opted to pull out following an "unexpected technical issue".

Aucklander Nimi Kaur was travelling with her 13-year-old daughter in economy class and has given new details about how passengers were treated.

After the original flight came skidding to a stop on the runway about 8.45pm, passengers were forced to sit on the runway for hours before being taken back to the gate.

There they were given a "sad" snack pack consisting of two sugary bars, a long-life croissant, two crackers and a cup each of water and apple juice.

A croissant the passengers of MH145D were given as food during their ordeal. Photo / Supplied.

Kaur said the croissant was inedible as it tasted so bad and she and her 13-year-old binned it.

Meanwhile, she understands those in business and first class were given meals in the lounge.

"It was very unfair. The passengers were furious, yes of course we paid less but we still paid something and to be treated that way is very unfair."

It wasn't until after 1am that they were taken to a hotel - but the accommodation was 50km away from the airport and an hour's drive.

Kaur checked in at 3.15am but their wake-up call was for 5am the next morning, meaning they had less than two hours' sleep.

They were given a breakfast voucher to use at one of the restaurants in the airport but because the security queues were so long, most of the passengers opted to do that first.

On the other side, they had just two restaurant options - Burger King and Dome Cafe.

Not in the mood for a burger first thing in the morning, Kaur saw eggs, toast and other breakfast items on the menu at the cafe.

But when she presented the voucher, she was told it was only valid for a muffin and black coffee.

She had to pay extra for milk.

They then boarded their next flight, but again it came to a halt just as it was about to take-off and they were all taken back to the gate and given another of the snack packs.

Some of the snack pack that the passengers were given during their ordeal. Photo / Supplied

There was also nowhere to get water as there wasn't a fountain in the gate and the water in the toilets wasn't safe to drink.

Passengers couldn't leave the gate to go buy their own food and water.

"We were completely ravenous. Honestly, we were starving. We would have been happy to pay for the food ourselves, but we couldn't leave," Kaur said.

"It almost feels like you're in prison - you can't eat, you can't leave that area and you're all hungry. And there were people with little kids there as well."

The passengers were furious and when they were told they'd get the same plane for a third attempt at taking-off, they refused.

"Passengers were really vocal and a bit aggressive at that point. They said, 'We're not getting on that same plane again. You get us a new aircraft or we're not boarding'."

Another passenger, Serhit Singh, said it felt like they were being treated like "crash test dummies".

In a response to the Herald about the flight, Malaysian Airlines apologised to the passengers and said it was due to "an unexpected technical issue involving the aircraft system.

A spokesman said hotel accommodation, meals and transportation were organised for all passengers impacted, while others were transferred on available carriers.

Kaur slammed that response.

"I was insulted, I was absolutely insulted when I read that. To call that meal is a joke."

Kaur said she'll never fly with Malaysian Airlines again.

"It was ridiculous. It was so badly handled."

Malaysia Airlines has been approached for comment.

What are delayed flight passengers' rights?

Consumer spokeswoman Maggie Edwards said the problem is that New Zealand flight passengers have very few rights when their flights are delayed or cancelled.

In the European Union, passengers are entitled to food and beverage vouchers if they're delayed for between two to four hours, depending on how far they're flying.

And if they're delayed more than three or four hours - again depending on distance - they can be entitled to up to €600 ($1000) in compensation, according to the Denied Boarding Regulation.

But Edwards said disrupted passengers were only entitled to get back any expenses incurred from the delay under the Montreal Convention and no additional compensation.

Consumer NZ would like to see regulations similar to those in the EU for New Zealanders.

In the meantime, she encouraged disrupted passengers to complain to the Ministry of Transport, whether their flight is domestic or international, so it can get a better picture of the issue.

You can do that by emailing issues@transport.govt.nz