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2022 Skoda Kodiaq Sportline review

2022 Skoda Kodiaq Sportline review

Skoda’s flagship seven-seater Kodiaq straddles the medium and large SUV segments and boasts clever use of space and strong driving dynamics.

Our family of four sampled the mid-grade Sportline, but does the brand and model still represent value and smarts?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Jules: I’ve a serious soft spot for Skoda’s Kodiaq.

Iain: why?

Jules: It’s hard to pinpoint the rules of attraction. It’s imposing but not too big, stylish without trying hard and lives up to its “Simply Clever” ad slogan.

Iain: Well, quite clever. It just about seats seven and offers reasonable performance. Skoda’s still a fringe brand, so you feel less sheep-like than you would in a Toyota or Kia.

Jules: Our Kodiaq’s the bad boy. Being the Sportline it’s black on black on black.

Iain: Like a middle management Mafioso not yet able to get a black Mercedes AMG for school drop off.

Jules: If you like.

Iain: Goodies include Matrix LED headlights, animated rear indicators, 20-inch alloys and black grille, roof rails, mirrors and badging.

Jules: What’s this all costing me?

Iain: A reasonable $57,990 drive-away, but Skoda value ain’t what it used to be. Option packs quickly add to the bill, too.

THE LIVING SPACE

Jules: It’s seriously luxurious inside.

Iain: Because of the aforementioned options. It’s $1900 to upgrade from Alcantara sports seats to leather with ventilation; the panoramic sunroof’s $1900 and a $3700 Luxury Pack brings heated front and rear seats, an electric passenger seat and advanced driver aids. Without the latter, safety kit is really wanting.

Jules: So what’s the final bill?

Iain: Wait. There’s more. Paint is $700 and a $2900 Tech Pack adds adaptive chassis control, Canton audio, hands-free tailgate and parking assist. Try $69,160 to drive away.

Jules: Is that Kodiaq RS money?

Iain: It’s $74,990 with those options included, plus you get an extra 48kW from its 180kW 2.0-liter engine.

Jules: That’s me sold. The Sportline’s still lovely though. Great to have a digital dashboard, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging and a 9.2-inch touchscreen.

Iain: It feels sporty. The steering wheel’s chunky, there’s faux carbon dash trim and racy red lighting in the driver display, doors and footwells.

Jules: There’s an umbrella in the door, as well as handy luggage nets and massive storage compartments.

Iain: Not so clever are central cup holders too small for my coffee cup or sports bottle. On the plus side, there’s good storage in the doors, which also house a small waste bin.

THE COMMUTE

Jules: I’m waiting for the Sport in Sportline.

Iain: Keep waiting. There’s only 132kW from the four-cylinder turbo petrol, and it’s got 1750kg to shift.

Jules: It’s an impressive cruiser. Quiet, comfy and the radar cruise control works with the banging sound system to keep me happy.

Iain: I found the seats overly firm, but driver aids are subtly non-invasive. Its dual-clutch gearbox is super slick when up to speed but jerky around town. It’s also sluggish off the line, which caught me out at junctions more than once.

Jules: No chance of a quick three-point-turn, something we mums need at school drop off. There’s a big delay getting between Drive and Reverse.

THE SHOPPING

Iain: They’re cost options, but the hands-free tailgate and birds-eye view camera are brilliant for the supermarket.

Jules: The normal reversing camera is surprisingly poor quality. The massive boot compensates and you can even fit a few shopping bags with all seven seats up.

SUNDAY RUN

Iain: It has impressive cornering skills. The optional adaptive drive mode adjusts things such as damping and steering in Sport mode.

Jules: I love those drive modes. Ambient lighting turns green in Eco, blue in Comfort and red in Sport. There’s even a snow mode and it all turns cool blue. That tickles me.

Iain: It’s good fun to throw into corners and the gearbox is at its best at speed. Steering wheel paddles are a welcome bonus. Grip from the Pirelli tires is good, but they’re quite skinny so you feel harsher bumps through them.

Jules: It is fun on back roads but ours is so closely priced to a Kodiaq RS I’d pay the extra for more power and theatre.

THE FAMILY

Iain: I worry our kids are being brought up in a heated leathery seat bubble.

Jules: They’re spoiled in the middle seats, which recline, slide back and forth and have mini foot rests. The sunblinds are handy, while the huge sunroof bathes the cabin with light.

Iain: Their own climate control is good, but do you know what’s simply not clever? Do not rear USB ports. For a family SUV? That just doesn’t make sense.

Jules: It’s also a bit of a mission accessing the two rear seats.

Yoain: They’re best for kids. I’m six foot and my head’s on the ceiling and knees are jammed in.

Jules: We averaged 8L/100km on the highway and 9.1L/100km overall. Not great as it needs 95 fuel, but at least a $1800 five-year service pack is decent value.

Iain: As for adventuring there’s scope for mild off-roading. It tows 2000kg but the downball weight’s a paltry 80kg.

THE VERDICT

Jules: The Kodiaq is striking to look at and beautiful inside, but those options make it feel expensive compared to Kia, Hyundai and Mazda rivals.

Iain: It’s superb to drive and behold but is missing some standard safety gear, there are no rear USB ports and it’s quite thirsty. It’s not the smart, value pick it once was.

SKODA KODIAQ SPORTLINE VITALS

PRICE From $57,990 drive away

WARRANTY AND SERVICE 5 years/unl’td km warranty, $1800 for 5 years

ENGINE 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo-petrol, 132kW and 320Nm

SAFETY Nine airbags, auto emergency braking, radar cruise control

THIRST 8.2L/100km

SPARE space saver

BOOT 270-765 liters

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Sports

Ellesse Andrews denied silver medal after bizarre ruling, cycling news

Ellesse Andrews denied silver medal after bizarre ruling, cycling news

Rather than receiving a silver medal for her efforts in the team pursuit, New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews was instead given an unusual prize — a AU$300 fine.

The Kiwi cyclist was a late addition to the New Zealand team who claimed silver in yesterday’s final at Lee Valley VeloPark, having ridden to the rescue following Ally Wollaston’s wrist injury, the NZ Herald reports.

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The highly fancied pursuit team needed four women on the start line to compete at these Commonwealth Games and, with no reserves in the squad, Andrews added to her busy schedule by filling the void.

With the team sprint her main focus on Saturday — an event in which she would later win gold — Andrews immediately dropped away from the quartet in both qualifying and the final against Australia, leaving her teammates to compete as a trio.

Michaela Drummond, Emily Shearman and Bryony Botha did a pretty good job of that, earning themselves and Andrews a silver medal that the sprint rider would have never expected before Birmingham.

And now it’s been revealed it’s one she will never get.

New Zealand's Ellesse Andrews. Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP
New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews. Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFPSource: AFP

With her sprint duties taking obvious precedence, Andrews didn’t attend the medal ceremony when the Kiwis received their silver, and fell afoul of a bizarre UCI ruling.

According to an official communication released by the Commonwealth Games, Andrews has been punished for her absence with a fine of 200 Swiss francs, a loss of her silver medal and docking of any UCI points.

While the result will remain on Andrews’ record and she will still be known as a silver medalist in the team pursuit, she won’t have the shiny piece of metal to show for her efforts.

The 22-year-old will instead have to content herself with the team sprint gold she won yesterday — and any further medals the talented rider claims in her three individual events.

This article originally appeared on the NZ Herald and was reproduced with permission

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Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022: Ellesse Andrews denied silver medal after bizarre ruling, cycling news

Commonwealth Games 2022: Ellesse Andrews denied silver medal after bizarre ruling, cycling news

Rather than receiving a silver medal for her efforts in the team pursuit, New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews was instead given an unusual prize — a AU$300 fine.

The Kiwi cyclist was a late addition to the New Zealand team who claimed silver in yesterday’s final at Lee Valley VeloPark, having ridden to the rescue following Ally Wollaston’s wrist injury, the NZ Herald reports.

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The highly fancied pursuit team needed four women on the start line to compete at these Commonwealth Games and, with no reserves in the squad, Andrews added to her busy schedule by filling the void.

With the team sprint her main focus on Saturday — an event in which she would later win gold — Andrews immediately dropped away from the quartet in both qualifying and the final against Australia, leaving her teammates to compete as a trio.

Michaela Drummond, Emily Shearman and Bryony Botha did a pretty good job of that, earning themselves and Andrews a silver medal that the sprint rider would have never expected before Birmingham.

And now it’s been revealed it’s one she will never get.

With her sprint duties taking obvious precedence, Andrews was missing from the medal ceremony when the Kiwis received their silver, and fell afoul of a bizarre UCI ruling.

According to an official communication released by the Commonwealth Games, Andrews has been punished for her absence with a fine of 200 Swiss francs, a loss of her silver medal and docking of any UCI points.

While the result will remain on Andrews’ record and she will still be known as a silver medalist in the team pursuit, she won’t have the shiny piece of metal to show for her efforts.

The 22-year-old will instead have to content herself with the team sprint gold she won yesterday — and any further medals the talented rider claims in her three individual events.

She told TVNZ she was not fussed about missing out.

“I’m really glad I could help them continue their race,” she said.

“I’m really really glad that they were able to get off the line.

“The three girls are the ones that did the work so I’m really proud they were able to get up there and get their silver medal.”

This article originally appeared on the NZ Herald and was reproduced with permission

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Sports

Michael Masi death threats, abuse, interview, championship race, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen

Michael Masi death threats, abuse, interview, championship race, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen

Axed Formula One race director Michael Masi Sunday revealed he was bombarded with “vile” abuse and death threats after his stunning call that cost Lewis Hamilton an eighth world title.

The 44-year-old was removed from the high-profile job over his management of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year and quit the sport’s governing body FIA this month to return home to Australia.

I have told The Daily Telegraph he feared for his life after the sequence of events that led to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen passing Hamilton to deprive the Mercedes star of another crown.

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Vettel to retire at the end of the season | 01:32

“There were some dark days,” Masi said in his first substantive interview since.

“And absolutely, I felt like I was the most hated man in the world. I got death threats. People saying, they were going to come after me and my family.

“I still remember walking down the street in London a day or two later. I thought I was OK until I started looking over my shoulder,” he added.

“I was looking at people wondering if they were going to get me.” Masi called in the safety car for the final lap in Abu Dhabi, then controversially allowed the backmarkers between race leader Hamilton and Verstappen to unlap themselves.

That led to a one-lap shoot-out between the Briton and the Dutchman, who with fresh tires on his Red Bull car had a huge advantage which he exploited to pick off Hamilton and seal the title.

F1 LIVE: Mercedes young gun eyes maiden win after stunning pole, Mad Max meltdown

Michael Masi, removed as Formula One race director over his management of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year, left The FIA, the sport's governing body. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
Michael Masi, removed as Formula One race director over his management of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year, left The FIA, the sport’s governing body. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)Source: AFP

Mercedes and Red Bull had both put pressure on Masi to make decisions which would have helped their driver, with the former left incensed as they believed he followed their rivals’ suggestions.

They threatened legal action with Hamilton so disillusioned there were fears he would walk away from the sport.

Masi can’t talk about the decision due to non-disclosure agreements with the FIA, the newspaper reported, but he said the following months were hellish.

“I was confronted with hundreds of messages,” he said.

“And they were shocking. Racist, abusive, vile, they called me every name under the sun. And there were death threats.

“And they kept on coming. Not just on my Facebook but also on my LinkedIn, which is supposed to be a professional platform for business. It was the same kind of abuse.”

Michael Masi opened up on the ordeal. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

The Australian said he tried to ignore them, but they impacted his mental health.

“I didn’t go and talk to a professional. With the benefit of hindsight, I probably should have,” he said, adding that the FIA ​​was aware of the abuse, “but I think I downplayed it all to everyone including them”.

Masi decided to leave the FIA ​​a fortnight ago after three years as Formula 1 race director and safety delegate following his appointment after the sudden passing of Charlie Whiting in 2019.

“It took me a while to process it all,” he said of the Abu Dhabi fallout. “But at the end of the day I thought it was best for me to come back home and be close to my support network.” Since the Abu Dhabi race, the FIA ​​announced measures to ease the pressure on the race director and also altered the mode of communicating with him.

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Business

Economy: Winners of rising interest rates revealed

Economy: Winners of rising interest rates revealed

Homeowners and renters are bracing for more bad news with interest rates tipped to rise again, but there are some people who are benefiting more than others.

Household budgets are being stretched to their limits after inflation hit a massive 6.1 per cent and cost of living pressures, including the prices of groceries and fuel, continue to mount.

But financial experts say some parts of the community are enjoying economic success during this difficult time.

So who are the winners of rising interest rates?

Financial planner and Edith Cowan University lecturer Damon Brown told NCA NewsWire there were two big winners — withdraw and people who locked in fixed rates before the cycle changed.

“Retires who are invested in cash have been doing it tough for the past five years because interest rates on their cash have been very low and below what Centrelink deems them to be earning,” he said.

“For the older people Centrelink deems them when it comes to their the age pension they can receive.

“So it’s called deeming, which is what the Centrelink assumes they can earn from their money, but they might not actually earn that money.

“An example might be my mother who invests all her money in cash. She’s been receiving one per cent interest rate for the last few years but Centrelink assumes that she earns a bit more than that. And so she’s receiving less Centrelink entitlement.”

Mr Brown said people who locked in fixed rates before the cycle changed, like him and his wife who secured a rate just under two per cent, were also doing well.

“We actually locked in for three years a year ago, so we’ve still got another two years to take the big difference,” he said.

Daniel Kiely, a senior research fellow at the Bankwest Curtin Economics Center, told NCA NewsWire rising interest rates were not necessarily a bad thing.

“If the increase in interest rates that we are seeing both in Australia and in other global jurisdictions flow through to the economy, and in turn lead to lower inflation, we will all be winners in the long-run.” he said.

“Lower inflation will make it more unlikely for a global recession to occur.”

In the shorter-term, Dr Kiely said savers would get higher returns on their savings accounts, but the speed at which this occurred would vary from bank to bank and depending on the type of savings account.

“Withdraw may benefit too, if savings supplement another source of income such as a pension,” he said.

“However, for savers and retirees to see the full benefit of such returns, inflation will need to come down substantially.”

Dr Kiely said there was a double edge sword for potential homeowner investors.

“Higher interest rates may stem house price increases and help those saving for a home,” he said.

“But, higher interest rates will also reduce borrowing capacity for many wishing to enter the housing market.”

LCI Lending partner Domenic Romeo said there were still more losers than winners.

“However, the people who have savings in a term-deposit or savings account will benefit from higher interest income rates,” he said.

“Some property investors may find themselves in a better position to purchase a property, due to the softening property prices too.”

In this month’s Finder RBA Cash Rate Survey, 26 experts and economists agreed the cash rate would change on Tuesday, with 23 of them predicting another increase of 50 basis points.

That would bring the cash rate to 1.85 per cent in August.

“A 50 basis point rate increase will see the average Aussie homeowner forking out an additional $610 per month compared to what they were paying four months ago,” Finder’s head of consumer research Graham Cooke said.

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Australia

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s COVID-19 response criticised, urged to mandate mask wearing

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's COVID-19 response criticised, urged to mandate mask wearing

Former Australian Medical Association president Dr Kerryn Phelps has called on Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to enforce a mask mandate.

It comes as the state recorded 4,655 new infections on Sunday, with 762 people in hospitals – 28 of those are in ICU.

Queensland has a massive 53,100 active infections.

The one-time independent MP for the Sydney seat of Wentworth replied to a tweet from Ms Palaszczuk who urged anyone over the age of 30 to book in for their fourth COVID-19 vaccination.

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“If you have downtime this weekend, book that booster shot,” the Premier wrote.

“Everyone over the age of 30 is eligible for a fourth vaccination. Getting a booster is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19.”

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ATAGI) updated its recommendation for people aged 50 to 64 years to get a fourth COVID-19 vaccine, while people aged 30 to 49 years may choose to have a fourth shot if they wish to.

ATAGI reiterated that people who had already been eligible for the fourth dose, including those aged 65 years and over, remain at “high risk of severe disease and death” from COVID-19.

But Dr Phelps warned that vaccination alone is not enough to control the pandemic.

“Whatever advice you are receiving @AnnastaciaMP, vaccination alone will not control this #covid19 pandemic,” she wrote on Sunday.

“People will continue to get reinfected without other measures.

“The healthcare system around the country is struggling: hospital staff, paramedics, GPs.

“Please mandate masks.”

It’s not the first time Dr Phelps has weighed in on the need for stronger rules.

Earlier this month she called out Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for not wearing an N95 face mask when receiving his fourth jab.

It is not against the rules to enter a New South Wales pharmacy without a mask.

“Where are the N95 masks @AlboMP?” she tweeted.

Dr Chris Moy, Vice President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) said the Prime Minister should stop with the “contradictory messaging” and start to be more transparent about the emerging COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly launched an impassioned plea for Australians to “take action” and wear face masks amid a surge in COVID-19 cases this winter – but stopped short of advising the Albanese Government to mandate the measure.

Dr Kelly appeared on Sky News Australia where he warned COVID-19 cases are expected to peak in August as the country endures a third Omicron wave.

“In terms of a mandate, that’s really a decision for government and that’s something they need to consider,” he said on July 20.

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Business

Dangerous new TikTok trend prompts warnings about this car brand

Dangerous new TikTok trend prompts warnings about this car brand

Owners of a particular car model have been warned they could be targeted after an alarming new TikTok trend went viral.

The Kia challenge emerged earlier this month, and involves people starting a car with a USB cable instead of a key.

It started when TikTok user @robbierayyy posted a video starting up a Kia using only a USB cable.

Husband and wife Kim and Bill who had their car recently broken into.
Camera IconHusband and wife Kim and Bill recently had their car broken into. Credit: Channel 9

The video has since been removed.

It quickly evolved with other users participating to see if the trick would hot-wire their cars.

But the trend has dangerous consequences and has been linked to an uptick in car thefts overseas.

It’s a story that Bill Gardiner and wife Kim know all too well. They told A Current Affair their brand new Kia had recently become victim to the craze.

Footage shows that in the dead of the night two people smashing the window of the vehicle.

Husband and wife Kim and Bill who had their car recently broken into.
Camera IconThe offenders could be seen on CCTV. Credit: Channel 9

“From there you can see one of the offenders standing in the middle of the street on his phone, it’s like he’s videotaping the person inside the car or yelling out the instructions,” Bill told Nine.

The would-be thieves eventually gave up after they were unable to start the car.

But the two offenders attempted to try the same trick on another Kia parked doors down from Kim.

Both cars had the same damage: a broken rear window and the casing removed from around the steering column.

Husband and wife Kim and Bill who had their car recently broken into.
Camera IconHusband and wife Kim and Bill urged Kia owners to park their cars somewhere safe. Credit: Channel 9

Kim said once she had been alerted to the TikTok trend, the damage caused by the offenders “made perfect sense”.

The husband and wife urged Kia owners to park their cars in a garage or somewhere safe at night.

“I would say now it has gone viral in the United States, that there will be a few more of these popping up over the next week or so,” said Bill.

TikTok is encouraging anyone who comes across any ‘Kia Challenge’ videos to report them so they can be removed.

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Business

Inflation: NYC shop Duane Reade locks up Spam in antitheft cases

Inflation: NYC shop Duane Reade locks up Spam in antitheft cases

It’s the nation’s crises in a can.

Inflation and crime have gotten so bad in New York that even cheap meat like Spam has to be locked up, the New York Post reports.

At Duane Reade’s store in the Port Authority bus station, the shelf-stable product — only $US3.99 ($5.70) a can — is now being stocked in plastic, antitheft cases.

“I’ve never seen that before!” one cashier laughed while using a magnet to remove a can of Spam from its cage from him.

The cashier was among the employees, tourists and store regulars stunned that the iconic blue-and-yellow cans are now being kept under lock-and-key — some even poking fun at the sight as “a sort of Jeff Koons homage,” per one viral tweet.

Jenny Kenny, 43, who was visiting from Kentucky, was aware of the ongoing crime waves hitting cities like New York and San Francisco, but still couldn’t believe the sight of “so many things in boxes.”

“Some of these things are pretty ridiculous,” she said.

As prices and crime skyrocket, New York City stores have taken to locking up staples like toothpaste and soap to prevent crooks from stealing and then hawking the products on the sidewalk or online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay.

Yet some shoppers were confused why Spam, along with $US1.89 cans ($2.70) of StarKist tuna, was enclosed under plastic, while pricier foodstuffs like $US5.49 cans ($7.86) of Amy’s soup sat unencumbered.

“To put Spam in a cage is stupid — and kind of insulting to the customers that would buy it,” said shopper Dennis Snow, 46.

Snow said he doesn’t think Spam is being stolen to “sell it for crack,” but rather because the homeless in the area are looking for a quick and easy meal.

“Someone is stealing this because they need it,” agreed Delia Kemph, a 28-year-old teacher.

Employees at the store said thefts have been surging over the past two-plus years, with one estimating a minimum of four shoplifters every evening shift.

“I don’t think they stop anything,” Iggy, 21, a store clerk, said of the antitheft cases. “It’s security theatre. If you really needed it, you would stomp on it.”

The employee’s complaints were prescient — at around 7pm on Thursday, a man in a black tank top and gray sweatpants had an employee unlock the glass case for a $US38 ($54.40) electric razor, and then bolted with the appliance past a yellow-shirted security guard and out the door.

With inflation out of control — the consumer price index spiked 9.1 per cent in June compared to a year ago, even as President Joe Biden this week refused to acknowledge the nation is in a recession despite the economy contracting two quarters in a row — emboldened thieves have found a ready market for discounted stolen goods among recession-weary consumers.

Petty theft complaints for the New York Police Department’s Midtown South Precinct, which includes the Port Authority bus terminal, have shot up 52 per cent — to 1,771, through July 24 — compared to the same period last year.

Hormel CEO Jim Snee told analysts last month that prices for their legacy product were set to increase in late July to cover increased transportation, packaging and meat costs.

A spokeswoman for Walgreens, which owns Duane Reade, refused to say why Spam was locked down at this particular location, and that installing antitheft devices is done “in response to theft data.”

Liz Tawfik, 57, a home health attendant, complained that the added security measures are hampering the once-smooth shopping experience — and annoying customers like herself.

“If you’re gonna catch a train you wanna grab something quick, it’s not quick anymore,” she said. “You might as well have someone take your order at the door and get what you want.”

Not all drug stores have put Spam under lockdown.

Two other Duane Reades and a pharmacy in the Times Square area, along with two other stores in Central Harlem, sold their cans of Spam, cage-free.

Dariel Cepin, 23, an employee at a West 44th Street Duane Reade, said, “Here, we lock up ice cream.”

This article originally appeared on NY Post and was reproduced with permission

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Entertainment

‘Lost control’: Sticky Fingers storms off mid-concert in Melbourne

'Lost control': Sticky Fingers storms off mid-concert in Melbourne

Controversial Australian band Sticky Fingers frontman Dylan Frost admitted he “lost control” when the lead singer sensationally stormed off in the middle of a concert last night in Melbourne.

The band was seven songs into its set when Frost appeared to become upset onstage. Video footage captured by a concertgoer and uploaded to social media shows Frost striking the microphone and throwing his guitar to the ground.

The rest of the band – Paddy Cornwall, Seamus Coyle, Beaker Best and Freddy Crabs – then followed him offstage.

According to the Herald Sun, a faulty microphone may have triggered the tantrum during the song “Not Yet Done”. Boos could be heard from the crowd.

Another 10 minutes passed before it was announced that the show had been cancelled.

On Sunday afternoon, Frost posted a statement to Facebook apologizing to fans.

“I’m really sorry for last night in Melbourne,” he said.

“I’ve been working hard on myself and will continue to prioritize my health, but I still let a lot of you down.

“I want to apologize to the fans and my band, our crew and venue staff.

“The tour has been amazing so far and we wanted to end it big, but I just didn’t have it last night and I lost control. We’re working on a new date to make it up to everyone or refunds for those who want them and we will let you know plans soon.”

The Saturday night Festival Hall gig was the last performance of Sticky Fingers’ Australian tour. The band had played on Friday night in Melbourne without drama. It’s expected the band will still perform in New Zealand next month.

An audience member told the Herald Sun, “The atmosphere at the gig initially was great. But then we only got three songs in and Frosty cracked the s**ts, stormed off and cancelled.”

Other concertgoers took to Facebook to express their annoyance.

for the Herald Suna fan named Jordan Patrick wrote on social media, “Unbelievable, I’ve been waiting for tonight for years, was so excited and absolutely devastated they ditched the show like that.

“So disrespectful to the fans who have stuck by them and waited to see them after such a long time.”

Other fans said they had flown to Melbourne specifically for the show.

Sticky Fingers was previously engulfed in scandal when Indigenous artist Thelma Plum Frost allegedly had in 2016 racially abused and threatened her. The accusation sparked a raft of boycotts.

Frost and the band denied the allegations but later issued a mea culpa around unspecified “unacceptable” behaviors and claimed that alcohol addiction and mental health issues were contributing factors.

Frost wrote in 2016 that he would seek therapy and rehabilitation and that he was “truly sorry to the people who have been affected by my behaviour” and that he hoped to “one day make amends for my actions”.

Frost isn’t the only band member to be embroiled in public spectacles. Bassist Cornwall had to issue an apology for 2019 rantings against ABC’s youth station, Triple J.

He initially said in an expletive-laden video posted to social media, “Triple J, f**k you and your f**king artist repertoire. We don’t f**king need you. We don’t want you because you play your f**king bullshit and you’re a bunch of f**king maggots.”

A year later, Cornwall apologized for his words. I have conceded that the relationship between Sticky Fingers and Triple J had fractured due to his actions.

He said in May 2020, “I was outta my head, not dealing with personal battles of my own, I’m sorry to the people I hurt at the station, as well as my own team.

“I ain’t the same derailed, angry person you saw last year. I’m not where I want to be yet but I’ve been doing a lot better, dealing with my demons. I hope sharing this helps find a resolve on the situation.”

In 2019, Frost and Cornwall were arrested for a violent punch-up between the pair at Marrickville Bowling Club in Sydney. It occurred after the band members had been drinking for six hours.

Cornwall was in 2021 sentenced to 18 months, to be served in the community.

News.com.au contacted Sticky Fingers’ management for comment.

Read related topics:melbourne

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Business

Qantas nightmare: Australian traveller’s horror overseas flight saga

Qantas nightmare: Australian traveller's horror overseas flight saga

As I found myself stranded in Athens airport, surrounded by unsympathetic airline staff and forced to splash out an extra $2700 on new flights back home, I couldn’t help but feel this all could have been avoided.

Like thousands of other Aussies, I too had a nightmare experience flying with Qantas.

It’s amazing what can happen to a beloved national airline when it sacks 9000 staff, outsources thousands of jobs, moves customer service teams overseas and hands out millions in bonuses to executives.

My nightmare all started when I fell for the trap that is ‘frequent flyer flights’.

I applied for a credit card back in May (disastrous idea), splurged on a new laptop to secure 120,000 bonus Qantas points and booked my first overseas holiday in years.

There was a slight catch, my flights to Europe were from Adelaide – but given I had spent less than $1000 on taxes in addition to my points I thought I had scored a bargain.

I called up the Qantas helpline in a bid to see if they could help me book connecting flights from Sydney to Adelaide – mistake 1.

Instead of booking me a simple flight home from Adelaide to Sydney, they REPLACED my overseas return leg from Athens to Adelaide.

It wasn’t until a few days later that I noticed my overseas leg had vanished and been simply replaced with the domestic flight.

I spent over five hours that night on hold as I desperately tried to explain what had happened to call center workers who struggled to even speak to me let alone understand my complaint.

This is of course not their fault, they are doing the best they can in difficult circumstances. The blame lies with an airline that sacrificed quality, local customer service for cheaper labor.

Just one Qantas call center is located in Australia – and that Hobart team specifically services the airline’s premium clients (the big spenders).

I would wait two hours on hold, before finally getting onto someone – who would then spend 30 minutes attempting to understand my issue, only for them to hang up on me.

After over five hours I finally got onto someone who told me they could no longer get me on my original flight (Athens to Doha to Adelaide) as it was now full.

Qantas has since informed me that the domestic leg wasn’t ticketed correctly – which resulted in my overseas flight being cancelled.

With my trip approaching and still no return leg, I took matters into my own hands and booked another flight via Vietnam.

With so few options available I had to book the Vietnam to Sydney leg with a different airline – Jetstar.

I called up Qantas to make sure that I would be able to get a transit visa at the airport in Ho Chi Minh as I would need to check my bags in and out again during my short four-hour layover between flights.

A spokesperson told me there would be no problems getting a visa at the airport – mistake 2, blindly trusting Qantas again.

Three weeks of blissful travel – visiting my best mates in picturesque Switzerland, a romantic trip in Santorini – finished with me being stuck in Athens after Qantas’ advice was swiftly shot down.

Airline staff refused to let me on my flight as I had no visa – despite the assurances of Qantas it would be fine.

Ironically, the only option presented to me was to spend almost 2000 Euros to get back onto the Athens-Doha-Adelaide flight that I had originally booked months ago – only for Qantas to inexplicably cancel without telling me and then assure me there were no seats on the flight.

Turns out there were seats on the flight Qantas.

And while a seedy room above an Adelaide pub wasn’t exactly how I pictured closing out my trip – I was just glad to get home and be done with travelling.

Qantas’ statement:

“Unfortunately, it appears that the additional domestic flight was not ticketed correctly when it was added to your booking which led to the Qatar Airways booking being automatically canceled by their system.

“Our agent was unable to secure you another seat on that Qatar flight as there were no more reward seats available on the flight.

Our contact centers are not trained to provide visa advice, rather they should direct you to the relevant consulate, and we apologize that this process wasn’t followed.

“We are following up your experience with a full review to help prevent it happening again.”

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