Recently I had to postpone a flight with Jetstar. Fairly confident as to the process on online I was proceeding quite well when a drop down box asked me if I would like assistance. “Why not” I thought. No mention was made of extra costs involved with this help. Instead of $55 for changing flight date I was charged $85 plus extra for the new flight. As I had seen that the new flight was either equal or cheaper than the original I was amazed to be charged over $300. I queried this but was told that the economy flight was not available when assisted by a Jetstar staffer. Had I proceeded and changed the flight myself it would have been $55. How do they get away with this?
5 Likes
That’s terrible!
I had a look at the fees and charges listed on Jetstar’s website - http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/help/articles/fees-and-charges
Given that they state the change fee via Jetstar.com for domestic flights is $55, then they really should have drawn your attention to the fact that the ‘assistance’ you were offered, on Jetstar.com, was subject to a different, higher charge.
The Australian Consumer Law states that businesses can not mislead or deceive (s18), or make a misrepresentation about the price of goods or services (s29). I would ask for a refund, if Jetstar didn’t properly convey that the website assistance was actually from a General Sales Agent and subject to higher fees.
3 Likes
They should also prominently convey that their phone agents apparently do not have access to the same low fares that are available to casual internet users. Perhaps that opportunity for extra profit also justifies their ‘extra service price’ in their management’s minds. Why do it yourself when you can get done over twice (service fee and higher fares) instead of only once (service fee).
3 Likes
I’ll never fly Jetstar again. Missed my flight because I was unavoidably 1 minute late for check in and they made me wait for another flight and charged me $60.00. The plane sat at the a loading gate for another half hour. The new flight I was directed to was delayed 2 hours.
I will never fly Jetstar again after they stung me big time to get back from Bali they are just rouges but they can get away with it legally
Would you care to elaborate?
Jetstar have always been the leaders when it comes to gouging customers and continue this practice even today.
It has been my experience (especially when flying) that you get what you pay for, if you choose the likes of Jetstar there is a likelihood you may get stung.
With Jetstar, nothing surprises me. I paid for a flight and then didn’t receive the ticket. I contacted them a couple of days later (my fault I took so long, but I was distracted by a few other things at the time) and was told that my ticket had been cancelled for non payment. They had my money and I could prove it. I never received a ticket and had to get them to pay the money back. It took nearly 3 months and I finally threatened them with laying a charge of theft, as I had received nothing for my money and they had had use of it for a few months.
This is definitely worth pursuing further. I wish it could say it surprises me, but nothing surprises me with jetstar now. I avoid flying them at all costs, and as a consequence also avoid flying QANTAS as too often I end up on co-badged flights where I pay for a QANTAS fare and end up with shitty Jetstar service.
Another Jetstar gem: my 25yo daughter just sought to confirm her seat online and was allocated a seat in the emergency exit row. However, she is petite and thus could not meet the physical requirements mandated for occupation of seats in that row. So she could only decline - whereupon she was deemed to have ‘chosen’ another seat and charged extra, with, of course, the associated credit card transaction fee. Just another gouge the customer is powerless to overturn.
I would approach their ‘customer service’ and request (and then demand) a refund based on the circumstances.
Thanks for that. She had no time to do so before leaving and considered the likely wait to get through/get a result was probably more effort than it was worth. I will encourage her to persist upon her return.
