A Qantas customer has slammed the airline after discovering her scheduled flight home had been quietly replaced with a bus service after forking out $453 for a ticket.

Mother-of-three Elena Di Fiore had already dropped off her hire car and arrived at Melbourne Airport for her flight to Albury when she learned about the change.

‘I paid for air travel, not a long bus ride,’ she told Daily Mail.

‘I was shocked to find that both alternative “flights” offered to me were not flights but buses.

‘This was only revealed after I had already dropped off my hire car and arrived at the airport. There was no clear warning that my only options to get home were by road.’

With no genuine flight alternative available, Ms Di Fiore was forced to find last-minute accommodation in Melbourne, at her own expense, after claiming Qantas staff told her ‘there is no accommodation available in Melbourne’. 

She was given two $15 cash cards as she left customer service, encouraged to buy something to eat or drink, and then had to take a cab, again, at her own expense, to the accommodation she booked under immense pressure. 

Ms Di Fiore said as a business owner, it was incredibly difficult to run an international business from Albury-Wodonga if there are no direct flights to Melbourne. 

Elena Di Fiore (pictured) is an international PR consultant who was ‘shocked’ to learn the only alternatives offered for her cancelled Melbourne-to-Albury flight was a bus

‘I need to be able to travel for both domestic and international opportunities,’ she said.

‘I’ve been nominated for the Women Who Changed the World Awards, and if I’m a finalist, I can’t even get a direct flight from Albury to Melbourne to fly to Paris, I have to pay more and go via Sydney. 

‘The lack of direct connections is a real barrier for regional businesses.’

A Qantas spokesman said flight QF2046 was cancelled after an engineering issue was identified before departure.

With no spare aircraft available, the airline arranged a replacement bus, a four‑hour-plus trip instead of the scheduled 45‑minute flight, to ensure passengers could still reach Albury that evening. 

‘We sincerely apologise to Ms Di Fiore for what would’ve been a frustrating travel experience,’ the spokesman said.

Qantas said a message was sent to passengers apologising for the cancellation of the Melbourne–Albury service.

‘We understand that disruptions are frustrating. To help get everyone to Albury as planned, the original flight will now operate as a bus service from Melbourne,’ the message read.

Elena Di Fiore received the following texts from Qantas saying her flight to Albury had been cancelled and later that she had been rebooked onto a new flight, QF7996’ but it wasn’t a flight at all, it was a bus

‘Please proceed to the arrivals hall. The bus will depart from Melbourne at 12pm. We are doing everything we can to get you on your way. Please see email for details.’

Ms Di Fiore said travellers heading to Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region of southwestern New South Wales were also affected. 

They were advised they could take a bus to Albury but would then need to arrange their own transport back to Wagga Wagga.

Ms Di Fiore urged Qantas to provide clearer communication and fair compensation for affected passengers.

‘I had to put myself up for the night for $253 plus pay $35 to get a cab to the accommodation I paid for,’ she said.

She said she caught a flight on Monday from Melbourne to Sydney to Albury which takes 4.5 hours. 

She called on airlines and policymakers to recognise how limited regional connectivity undermines the ability of local business owners to compete internationally.

Qantas said it had scrapped all its flights from Albury to Melbourne and Wagga Wagga to Melbourne effective from Monday due to declining demand.

Ms Di Fiore paid $453 for a 45 minute flight that was replaced with a bus (stock image)

All Qantas flights from the Riverina to Melbourne will be via Sydney from March and cost at least $400. 

In a joint statement Federal MPs for Farrer and Riverina, Sussan Ley and Michael McCormack condemned Qantas’ decision.

‘This announcement is a clear reflection of the worsening economic conditions being felt by industries and households across the nation and particularly in the Riverina and Farrer electorates, with many people conducting their business virtually due to ever-tightening margins,’ the statement read.

Last week Qantas reported a flat first-half statutory net profit of $925million, up $2million on the same period last year. 

Qantas Group chief executive Vanessa Hudson said the airline is still investing in the largest fleet renewal in its history, which has helped to drive the group’s recent financial performance.