Passengers on a Guangzhou-Lhasa flight delayed for 24 hours were dissatisfied with the 200-yuan compensation they were paid, the Southern Metropolitan News reported Monday.

The passengers had a four-hour standoff with the airline at the Baiyun airport in Guangzhou after they rejected the compensation.

Flight 3418 took off at 2 pm Saturday -- 24 hours after it was scheduled to leave for Guangzhou.

The newspaper did not identify the airline but China Southern Airlines operates flight CZ3418 from Lhasa to Guangzhou with a stopover in Diqing.

The airline said mechanical failure had caused the delay and offered each passenger 200 yuan, in addition to free accommodation and food during the delay.

However, the passengers were not satisfied with the sum, with some saying the delay had cost them too much. One said he missed a professional qualification test because of the delay.

Some passengers accepted the compensation after hours of negotiations, but some said they reserved the right to take legal action against the airline.

(Shenzhen Daily July 13, 2004)