I had received two (2) credit vouchers from a postponed flight booking for two persons (due Covid regulations) in accordance with the conditions of those Flexi-tickets. But on re-booking a flight only one voucher would work. Neither the Jetstar Chat Bot or a direct person to person phone call could establish why the second voucher would not work, so I had to pay again on my credit card to get the flight booking. After I got home on trying to resolve the issue it turns out that ‘spell-checker’ had inserted an apostrophe in my companions name (it finished with an S, now becoming 'S), thus the system would not accept it. Ok, so now we know why. But Jetstar, although acknowledging that there staff could not fix the problem pre-flight refuse to refund my money. They only offer a credit voucher valid for 3 years. I find this unacceptable ! How can they claim the right to keep money that is not theirs. To me that’s theft ! What can I do about this ? any ideas ?
Welcome to the Community @David75
That is a new wrinkle but as you discovered, at the end of the day it was a problem on your devices, not with Jetstar. As such the T&C on the ticket would prevail regarding refunds or credit. This would likely be categorised similarly to COVID-impacted flights being refundable if the carrier cancelled first, but if the pax unilaterally cancelled, back to the T&C on the ticket as purchased.
Was that conversation focused on why the voucher would not work or was it asking for a ticket to be issued on the voucher because it was not accepted on their booking platform? If the former it would be a grey area; if the latter I agree a refund should be in order if only a once off good will gesture.
Was there more detail to that conversation?
But the problem wasn’t with Jetstar, but the browser at your end autocorrecting with an apostrophe in the name. This isn’t Jetstar’s fault that your browser inserted the ’ and didn’t allow the booking to proceed in effect using the misspelt name (or a name different to their own records).
As @PhilT has indicated, the flights terms and conditions will apply in relation to flight (booked by credit card) will apply. You will need to see what is available for a change of mind/traveller cancelling a flight. In effect you will be cancelling the flight (booked with the credit card), get a refund (hopefully in cash) for this flight and then book another seat on the same flight using the credits. You might find that Jetstar will only issue credits for the (change of mind) cancelled flight which will mean you will end up in the same situation as you currently face. You may also be up for cancellation fees.
If you were planning to get a refund on the credits issued to you, the original flights terms and conditions when the credits were issued will apply. Check these terms and conditions (they most likely will be different to that currently being used by Jetstar as the standard T&Cs for flights have been amended several times in the past two years). Usually, when credits are issued and accepted, these can’t be then redeemed for a cash refund at a later date.
In postponing the flight booking, a voucher only instead if refund was acknowledged in T & C’s. But, in rebooking, having to use further funds because the voucher was not accepted is a different matter. When even Jetstar staff could not explain why the voucher would not work in their own system puts a completely different spin on things. Had I failed the T & C’s then fair enough a voucher remaining is logical, but when I tried to do the right thing and the system did not work and Jetstar couldn’t explain why, then why should I be penalised ?
The conversation was a combination of both 1) why it would not work, and considering that I couldn’t do it on-line, 2) would they help out and do it for me. They didn’t know the first part and refused the second option. They could help me over the phone to issue a brand new ticket from my credit card - not the voucher - but face to face ticketing would cost me an extra $80 dollars on top of the ticket cost. Pathetic customer service in my book.
I think if having a ticket in hand for your companion but then having a problem with a voucher for yourself, most people would have done what you did to get both pax on a flight.
Unfortunately my previous analogy of cancelling oneself vs the airline cancelling holds because you took the initiative to buy and pay for a ticket rather than find a way to work through the voucher problem, and possibly miss being on the flight. The scenarios @phb mentioned are germane.
Jetstar is a budget airline not known for great customer service, that almost reasonably ‘sees’ two unrelated issues:
1: Your voucher would not work (because your spell checker added an apostrophe). They deem that your problem not theirs and their position is most likely since you still have the voucher to use no worries, no problems.
2: You willingly booked and paid for a ticket. They do not see the ‘why’ as their concern and you accepted the T&C for the purchase, so they apply.
On first thought I would have expected an error code as to why the voucher did not work. On second thought it could be a security thing - giving information could aid someone ‘crack and use’ a voucher.
That an agent could not tell you why a voucher was refused is not surprising since they access booking systems and their world is about booking a seat on a flight, and processing a successful payment, and are rarely delegated or enabled to do more. At the agent level if one steps back it makes sense for their own systems integrity and security.
Many times it takes a supervisor to get to a deeper level but the line agent will rarely volunteer that and customers have to ask; and having asked it seems from anecdotal reports sometimes they are refused.
Their message is they do not want customers bothering their agents and price accordingly. They do the same with checked baggage fees.
You could try lodging a formal complaint. This government site might be helpful. From some reports possibly not. When the airline is not helpful they may be no more than paper passers explaining the airlines position. Perhaps they have evolved, or not.
https://www.aviationcomplaints.gov.au/airline-customer-service
The link to Jetstar complaints is where to start. That they begin with a chat is not reassuring since chat agents are often trained to echo back your problem and then echo back the airline’s standard position.
Some of the key points you might raise are that neither Jetstar systems nor their agent was able (willing?) to advise why the voucher was not accepted; and you had already booked a ‘companion’ so needed to be on the flight and thus had to purchase a ticket under the duress of needing to travel. Don’t expect a helpful reply but nothing ventured nothing gained.
Please post back when it is sorted, regardless of which way it goes because others might benefit from your experience.
