[jimbahr]

Below is the text of a letter I sent today to Jetstar, and Australian 'low cost' carrier:

It is going to take a huge amount of restraint on my part to be civil, but I will try. I've already lost several hours of my day thanks to JetStar, and it’s hard to give up another hour to write this letter, but maybe it will be worth it.

I was booked on the referenced flight this morning. I arrived to the airport 1 hour before the flight and went to the Qantas Lounge to await my flight, as I am a member.

When my flight was called, which I was later told was about 9:12, I gathered my things and proceeded to the gate with a quick stop in the bathroom. By the time I got to the gate at about 9:20, there were no staff in attendance, the gate was shut and the flight was listed as closed on the departures board. I returned to the Qantas Lounge to enquire, and was told the flight was indeed closed, and if I wanted to rebook I’d have to go to Customer Service.

I went to Customer Service to rebook my flight when I was told a $70 rebooking fee would apply. I was a bit taken aback, and I asked if there is any standard for the period of time a flight should be called before that flight boards, and was advised there isn’t. I was told (in a rather patronising tone and for the first time since I’ve been a Qantas Lounge member, and the first time in many years of flying) that flights are called in the Lounge as a ‘courtesy’ and according to policy it’s my responsibility to get to the gate.

With little choice, I paid the ‘rebooking’ fee for a flight the next day. (I had been offered flights for today in the late afternoon that would have been useless for the business I need to conduct, so I opted for the flight tomorrow.)

I was by this time a bit distracted, so it didn’t occur to me to rebook my return flight. Amazingly, it also didn’t occur to the ‘Customer Service” attendant (Jayne), even though both flights had been booked at the same time and were on the same itinerary.

When I got home I realised this matter needed attention, so called and spoke to a woman who put me on hold for 25 minutes and managed to disconnect the call as she was coming back on the line.

After I recomposed myself, I called again and spoke to a man who told me that no changes are allowed to my itinerary within 24 hours of the flight because of the class of fare I booked. Again in a patronising tone, I was told I should familiarise myself with the terms of the fare. I explained that rebooking would have been unnecessary if the ‘courtesy’ of calling the flight had been extended at a more courteous interval before the flight actually closed. I also expressed my belief that Jayne should have advised me this before agreeing to rebook my flight to Melbourne, as one might reasonably expect that if one is going to fly in one direction then one would need to return, and that one would need to do this AFTER one departs rather than prior.

After the agent spoke with his supervisor, I was told that I would be allowed to rebook, but in order to get a return flight tomorrow evening; I would have to pay the difference between the two fares, which was in the order of $350.

It is at about that point that I lost it. I think I should be forgiven for thinking this some kind of twisted attempt at extortion on Jetstar’s part.

I decided to forget rebooking with Jetstar and fly another airline.

I demanded to speak with a supervisor, and explained (perhaps a bit discourteously) that I didn’t want to continue with rebooking my return flight, and I also wanted to cancel my flight to Melbourne and get a refund of the $70 rebooking fee.

Apparently a supervisor didn’t want to speak with me, so the agent returned and said his supervisor told him he could process a refund of the rebooking fee to the card used to make the original booking, in 3-5 days.

Honestly, I’ll be surprised if this happens because my experience with Jetstar’s ‘customer service’ has consistently demonstrated failure to follow through on promises, and a near-religious belief that policy supersedes service. That as long as you can tell the customer it’s their fault, that absolves you of responsibility, but customers don’t see it that way and you will lose them, as you will me. Today I understand at a new level why it is that everything Jetstar does is a ‘courtesy’ (including actually getting to the appointed place at the appointed time), but customers are bound by ‘policy’ – that’s how you run a ‘low cost’ airline right? But the value is lost.

If you asked me what I want right now, I couldn’t really say. Because even if you refunded the ‘low cost’ fare, that wouldn’t come close to compensating me for the time I’ve lost today and the mental energy this has taken. It also wouldn’t make any difference in the long run to how Jetstar runs. But if someone there could read this and understand what happened today, and actually rethink the business from a customer’s perspective and finally deliver some value in the way of service, that would be enough.

[Leatherboy2006]

Is jetstar part of qantas or a partner carrier?

[jimbahr]

- it's their 'low cost' airline; low dollar cost, but many times I've flown have had high emotional, time & ancillary costs, like this instance.

[Leatherboy2006]

their kinda of like here in the states, american eagle, delta connection. united express?
if so you think qantas would intervene since your a club member and help you.

[jimworcs]

That is not really a good analogy.. .Jetstar is more like the "song" division of Delta.. it was a distinct, low cost operation of the mainline airline.

[Leatherboy2006]

my post should have been "are they like......"

[jimbahr]

Yes, Leatherboy good point, I've already sent a copy of the letter to Qantas Club.