OT - Jetstar rant

[DizOz]

Sorry this is off topic , but I need to get this off my chest.

Earlier this year I thought I would take the family to the Gold Coast over summer so I booked tickets with Jetstar and when I did I booked the cheapest flights so they were non-cancellable.

I then had a change of mind and wanted to go to Bali. So I rang Jetstar to inquire if I could change the flights. They said I could but the price to transfer was higher than a totally new ticket. OK I thought my own fault I booked the tickets and accepted the conditions.

Then I get an email from Jetstar to change part of the booking as the lounge at the Gold Coast would be closed. I was a little miffed they have no problems changing my booking but I couldn't. No big deal a small change let it go.

Last night I get home to find an email from them saying my booking had to be re-scheduled. We originally had an 11am flight. Jetstar had changed it to a 9.00pm flight. Are they kidding me 10 hours different. A few hours I wouldn't mind but 10 hours is a bit much.

Am I being unreasonable???

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

No you definitely aren't being unreasonable. It's so frustration that they are able to do these massive changes.

We had a similar experience with our booking with Jetblue in the US for January. We were booked to fly out of Buffalo to Boston on 5 Jan at 12pm. We got an email saying we were now flying at 8pm. Essentially losing a good portion of the day and I was already feeling like we didn't have enough Boston time. I rang them and said "nup, doesn't suit, we have plans". The only other direct flight they could offer me was at 7am which isn't possible because we are travelling from Niagara Falls to Buffalo and it would've been too much of an early start. So after much thought and deliberation we decided to fly into Boston a day earlier at the original time of 12pm. They assured me no more changes.

Then I get an email saying they had changed our flight to 8pm again for that day. Grrrrrrr. 8pm didn't work because we now had basketball tickets for that night. I rang an explained how annoyed I was. Same thing, could only offer us a direct flight at 7am or a flight with a stopover during the day. We had used Jetblue because they were the only company that did a direct flight into Boston from Buffalo.

I did some quick googling while on the phone and saw I could fly with a different airline with a stopover for lots cheaper so I told Jetblue I'd be needing a refund, which they did with no problems.

We are now flying with a different airline, admittedly with a stopover but I think in the end we saved $310.

I'm still so frustrated about this so I can 100% feel your frustration about Jetstar. So annoying.

 

[alicia1506]

No i think that you are totally justified people make plans based around flight times and for them to chabge your flights by such a huge time difference is just wrong. We had our flights changed but it was only by like 20 mins or 1 hr in one case. a delay in your flight schedule of 10 hours is truly unacceptable

 

[BecBennett]

Yeah I'd call and say that's no good, can't do that time I'll need a refund.

Airlines do it all the time, and it's such a pain. The rule should be that for each change they make you can make one too.

 

[australiankaren]

jetstar and tiger... wouldn't touch them with a long stick....regardless of how cheap they are.

well know for cancelling, re scheduling or just not turning up at all....

if you have travel insurance.....use it.

 

[Jade+3]

I was on holiday in Tasmania, got a text while about to leave for the airport to say flight cancelled. There was only one flight a day, so a 24 hour wait. We were lucky to be staying with family so no extra expense. I refuse to travel Jetstar now, regardless of price.

 

[australiankaren]

Thats why they call them LCC...Low cost carrier......low cost, low service, low chance on flying...sorry.....hope it all goes well.....

 

[baf65]

I used their time change to my advantage, bit sneaky really, they changed me from a 9am flight to 11am, didn't make a huge amount of difference so I accepted the change....then when our Florida plans changed I needed fly out a day earlier, would have cost me $360 to change all our tickets,i rang jetstar told them I had mistakingly accepted the time change it actualy didn't fit with my plans and I needed to fly a day earlier because of their change and they did it for free for me

 

[DizOz]

I rang them back to complain and the person i spoke to changed the flight to an early one. I asked if I could just cancel the ticket and get a refund. He then tells me I could have if I didn't change the ticket back. I asked him if he was joking and he told me he wasn't. No matter how i argued he wasn't going to give me a refund or cancel the ticket.

Any later that same day I get 2 more emails from Jetstar making 2 more changes to my flights. Not only the flight that had already been changed twice but the other flight as well.

OK I thought I am just going to ask for a refund or worse a credit to use later.

After a lot of umming and ahhing he said I could and then asked if I wanted to book the new flight now. I said give me a quote. Anyway turned out to be $2000 dearer than the one I was looking at from them on the same flights online. Asked why and he said because I was changing my ticket. I argued that was their fault. I was getting no where so I said just cancel it and give me a refund. Now the reply was sorry you cannot do that. After a 5 minute discussion about why he said sorry at reservations we do not have the authority to cancel and refund tickets.

I had to write to their customer care. I couldn't call or be transferred to talk to anyone I had to use their online form. he couldn't tell me when I would get a reply (Found out online it is up to 15 days and if I don't here from them please send another query)

 

[alicia1506]

I rang them back to complain and the person i spoke to changed the flight to an early one. I asked if I could just cancel the ticket and get a refund. He then tells me I could have if I didn't change the ticket back. I asked him if he was joking and he told me he wasn't. No matter how i argued he wasn't going to give me a refund or cancel the ticket.

Any later that same day I get 2 more emails from Jetstar making 2 more changes to my flights. Not only the flight that had already been changed twice but the other flight as well.

OK I thought I am just going to ask for a refund or worse a credit to use later.

After a lot of umming and ahhing he said I could and then asked if I wanted to book the new flight now. I said give me a quote. Anyway turned out to be $2000 dearer than the one I was looking at from them on the same flights online. Asked why and he said because I was changing my ticket. I argued that was their fault. I was getting no where so I said just cancel it and give me a refund. Now the reply was sorry you cannot do that. After a 5 minute discussion about why he said sorry at reservations we do not have the authority to cancel and refund tickets.

I had to write to their customer care. I couldn't call or be transferred to talk to anyone I had to use their online form. he couldn't tell me when I would get a reply (Found out online it is up to 15 days and if I don't here from them please send another query)

Wow. That is like the dodgiest customer service EVER. will never be flying with them no matter how cheap they are.

That is terrible!!

 

[aussietravellers]

I rang them back to complain and the person i spoke to changed the flight to an early one. I asked if I could just cancel the ticket and get a refund. He then tells me I could have if I didn't change the ticket back. I asked him if he was joking and he told me he wasn't. No matter how i argued he wasn't going to give me a refund or cancel the ticket.

Any later that same day I get 2 more emails from Jetstar making 2 more changes to my flights. Not only the flight that had already been changed twice but the other flight as well.

OK I thought I am just going to ask for a refund or worse a credit to use later.

After a lot of umming and ahhing he said I could and then asked if I wanted to book the new flight now. I said give me a quote. Anyway turned out to be $2000 dearer than the one I was looking at from them on the same flights online. Asked why and he said because I was changing my ticket. I argued that was their fault. I was getting no where so I said just cancel it and give me a refund. Now the reply was sorry you cannot do that. After a 5 minute discussion about why he said sorry at reservations we do not have the authority to cancel and refund tickets.

I had to write to their customer care. I couldn't call or be transferred to talk to anyone I had to use their online form. he couldn't tell me when I would get a reply (Found out online it is up to 15 days and if I don't here from them please send another query)

That is disgusting service!

I get so frustrated talking to these people. They either don't speak english or you are transferred a hundred times and never get anywhere.

Heading OT here, I called Telstra the other day as for some reason Premium SMS was no longer working. I called the number it said to call to activate it. I was transferred to 5, yes 5 different operators, spending 45 minutes on the phone just for them to flick a switch and turn on premium sms! The last call she started asking me my name, number etc again and I said NO! I'm not giving that again, I have given it 4 times already, just turn on the dammm SMS! Which she did and I hung up .

But these companies like Jetstar, seem to be so inflexible, we are sadly becoming like the US in that sense, the people can not think outside the box, not what they are programmed for. It is SO frustrating.

I'm sorry you have had this drama.

 

[australiankaren]

hope it all works out..but sheesh...

 

[Saskiwi]

So frustrating isn't it? We have just had a similar drama with Virgin. we are flying via Brisbane to LA with them next year and they have just cancelled our final return leg Bne to Christchurch with the next flight being the next day- yeah after a 12 hr flight we really feel like sitting in Bne airport for 9 hours... DH dealing with their call centre in the Phillippines right now... : (

 

[alicia1506]

So frustrating isn't it? We have just had a similar drama with Virgin. we are flying via Brisbane to LA with them next year and they have just cancelled our final return leg Bne to Christchurch with the next flight being the next day- yeah after a 12 hr flight we really feel like sitting in Bne airport for 9 hours... DH dealing with their call centre in the Phillippines right now... : (

Wow that sucks. We have never had any issues with virginaustralia or vaustralia but we have flown bne - lax direct rather than connecting

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Wow, that's really frustrating customer service. I'm rapidly loosing track of the number of bad Jetstar stories I've read.

I've flown Jetstar close to half a dozen times and have nothing but good things to say about the service I've received. Yet despite this satisfaction, I do admittedly think twice about booking with them again. Far too many unsatisfied customers.

 

[DizOz]

Some goods news. I was contacted Friday night by a Jetstar customer care representative and without any argument I was offered a full refund or credit.

 

[australiankaren]

awesome result..shame you had to jump thru so many fiery hoops

 

[PrincessInOz]

Some goods news. I was contacted Friday night by a Jetstar customer care representative and without any argument I was offered a full refund or credit.

 

[BecBennett]

That's a great result!

 

[DizOz]

Credits arrived and I just booked 7 nights in Bali.