Exhausted Qantas passengers are demanding answers and compensation after a mechanical problem with their plane left them stranded in South Africa for days.QF64 from Johannesburg to Sydney was due to depart OR Tambo International Airport on Monday night local time, for the 12-hour journey back to Australia.Instead, passengers say they were left in limbo and forced to scramble for their own accommodation after multiple attempts to depart were abandoned.The superjumbo remains on the tarmac in the South African capital undergoing repairs.Qantas eventually sent another plane to bring them home, with hundreds of passengers arriving in Sydney last night.Passenger Harriett Moore said the experience was "distressing".Harriett Moore finally arrived home in Sydney last night. (Supplied)"We had fellow passengers with children that ran out of nappies and formula, other passengers missed events like parties," Ms Moore said."We accept that safety must come first, however why a near 50-hour delay has been met with limited explanation and an offer…that does not reflect the disruption, cost and distress involved."A message from Qantas saying the flight has been cancelled. (Supplied)In an email to passengers, Qantas said it had identified a problem with the nose wheel of the aircraft.It said the aircraft returned to the gate on August 10 for "engineering support" and on August 11, engineers "sourced and installed replacement parts from overseas" but "further work was needed to fully resolve the issue"."On August 12, we secured a new aircraft to avoid any further delay. Safety will always be our highest priority," the email to passengers said.Qantas initially offered Qantas Frequent Flyers 20,000 points, or a $200 "Customer Care Travel Voucher" for non-members on August 10, the day of the scheduled departure.But after questions from the ABC, Qantas sent another email to customers as they landed back in Sydney on Thursday, instead offering to refund the Johannesburg to Sydney leg as well as an Uber voucher home."On behalf of everyone at Qantas, we sincerely apologise for the significant disruption to your travel plans this week from Johannesburg," the email to passengers said."Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout what we know was an exceptionally difficult experience."Passengers left in limboMs Moore, who had been visiting family in South Africa, said the drama unfolded on Monday night."The captain told us there was something wrong with the nose gear, so we waited and waited, the plane pushed back and then the captain came on again and said there was still an issue and we would have to disembark," Ms Moore said.She said passengers scrambled for hotel rooms and were not assisted by the airline."The next morning we got a message saying our flight was leaving that afternoon, so we got back on board. We were then again told there were issues, and they were cancelling our flight, so we had to get off and go and find another hotel."Ms Moore said Qantas' revised offer to refund one leg of the flight did not go far enough."There needs to be change in regulations to compensate customers who are stranded like the EU does," she said."The cost of us now needing to take unpaid leave from work and missing critical meetings will not be compensated for a flight refund."The European Union requires airlines to pay passengers delayed by mechanical faults up to €600 ($980AUD) in compensation.Earlier this year, the federal government allocated $40 million to fund an overhaul of airline passenger rights. Currently, Australia has no guaranteed compensation scheme for disrupted flights.Questions over A380 safetyThe disruption comes after Airbus was ordered to inspect 16 A380 aircraft in June, including one operated by Qantas, after cracks were found in a key structural component of the superjumbo's wing.The European Union Aviation Safety Agency ordered the inspections after the cracks were discovered in a structural beam that carries significant aerodynamic loads.There is no indication the Johannesburg aircraft's steering problem is related to those inspections.Qantas has also previously faced scrutiny over A380 maintenance, after a 1.25-metre tool was found inside one of its A380 engines following about 300 hours of flying. Aviation expert Justin Wastnage said passengers should not be concerned about the safety of the A380."All aircraft are certified by the European safety agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, the US, our own CASA, and they all go through rigorous tests," he said."Flying is statistically still the safest form of travel and the A380 is no different."