Australian Newlyweds Escape MH17 Tragedy

Paul Jeffers/Getty Images(KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia) — Australian newlyweds booked to fly on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 are part of a small group who narrowly escaped tragedy by changing their travel plans at the last minute.

Simone La Posta and Juan Jovel were booked to fly on MH17 for the return trip from their honeymoon, but decided to fly a day earlier.

“We are feeling lucky but at the same time our hearts bleed for these families that are expecting their loved ones to come back,” Jovel told ABC News.

Posta and Jovel are among the few travelers who were scheduled to fly on Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down on Thursday while flying above eastern Ukraine, but for one reason or another changed their plans.

The crash claimed the lives of 298 passengers from 11 different countries, including Karlijn Keijzer, a Dutch national at Indiana University.

Barry and Izzy Sim, along with their baby son, were also scheduled to fly on MH17 but had to change flights due to a shortage of seats.

Barry Sim described the feeling of learning about the fate of MH17 as “just shock.”

“You get this sick feeling in the pit of your stomach,” he said. “So yes, just… we started getting butterflies. Your heartbeat starts going.”

Also supposed to be on the flight was Dutch cyclist Maarten de Jonge, who remarkably escaped death on a Malyasia Airlines jet not once buy twice.

Not only was de Jonge scheduled to fly on Malaysia flight MH17, he was also scheduled to fly on Flight 370, which went missing in March.

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