Jetstar Do it again!!!

[oneday_soon]

Jetstar refuses to allow guide dog on flight

"JETSTAR has been forced to apologise to a visually impaired couple who were not allowed to book their guide dog onto their flight.
Glen Bracegirdle called Jetstar to book flights for himself, his partner, Kathryn Beaton, and her guide dog.
Mr Bracegirdle, who is also visually impaired but does not require a guide dog, says his booking was refused by a clerk who told him “No dogs, no dogs, no dogs”.
Mr Bracegirdle says he then spoke to a manager who cut him off after becoming “quite loud and angry”.
Other Jetstar staff members told him they were unsure about the carriage of guide dogs, with one employee offering the couple a $50 voucher.
The couple have lodged a formal complaint with the Human Rights Commission.
Jetstar’s head of corporate relations Simon Westaway says the airline “unreservedly apologises” for the incident.

He said the matter is being investigated and put it down to a “breakdown of communication,” as the airline welcomes passengers with guide dogs.
"It was an unfortunate one-off customer service issue. The customer has flown with us on a number of occasions and was provided with the wrong information on this occasion," Mr Westaway said.
"We regret this occurred and the couple have received compensation."
Approximately 500 people who require a wheelchair or a guide dog fly with the airline each week.
It is the latest in a series of recent complaints against the airline.
Paralympian Kurt Fearnley spoke of his humiliation last month at being forced to crawl though Brisbane airport after Jetstar took away his wheelchair.
Last week a Queensland family spoke of their anger at being slugged $400 by the airline after a death in the family forced them to reschedule their flights.
Jetstar later waived the fee."

[The Green Goblin]

When will the public learn that an airline is not a charity organisation but a business to make money!

If you miss the last bus/train at night do you expect a night in a hotel and a free ticket the following day? Or do you make alternative arrangements.......If your mum dies and your multi rider expires do you go to transport and ask for a free one because you didn't get to use it that week??

Why do airlines have to banter to the public all the time, and why do people get so uptight about airline travel!

Something to ponder!

[A Comfy Chair]

Its a requirement for them to accept service dogs. This isn't a case of people whinging because of a delay. This is them quite rightly complaining because they have a legal right to book on with a service dog, and for them to be denied this by a "customer service" representative is awful.

It is a disgrace that their service representatives do not know they accept service dogs, and don't seem to know how to handle passengers that don't fit the normal mould... it shows just how bad their training must be.

[Animalclub]

CC

legal right

Are you sure?

[pilot2684]

Quoting the CAR 1988 here

256A Carriage of animals
(1) Subject to subregulation (8), the operator of an aircraft may
permit a live animal to be in the aircraft only if:
(a) the animal is in a container and is carried in accordance
with this regulation; or
(b) the animal is carried with the written permission of CASA
and in accordance with any conditions specified in the
permission.
Penalty: 25 penalty units.
(1A) An offence against subregulation (1) is an offence of strict
liability.
Note For strict liability, see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code.
(2) Subregulation (1) does not apply to a dog accompanying a
visually impaired or hearing impaired person as a guide or an
assistant if the dog is:
(a) carried in the passenger cabin of the aircraft; and
(b) placed on a moisture-absorbent mat as near to the person
as practicable; and
(c) restrained in a way that will prevent the dog from moving
from the mat.
Straight away the airline is in serious hot water in regard to this incident. IMHO the couple have every right to be up in arms about this because even legally they are allowed to fly with the guide dog.

I, as a taxi driver, can not refuse a visually impaired passenger who is accompanied with a guide dog. It's just not bacon. I sure as hell wont be refusing a pax with a guide dog in my plane either. They are my bread and butter. They pay my bills :)

[pilot2684]

Sorry Animalclub, the CAR's have spoken :)

[UnderneathTheRadar]

Actually, nowhere in the CARs does it say that you must carry a guide dog, only that you may.

The law requiring the carriage of guide dogs will be in the DDA or anti-discrimination statutes - the same rules that apply to taxis, buses, trains etc.

The crux of this and many of Jetstar's similar issues was hit on the head by the Jetstar spokesman "communication breakdowns" which can be translated to "lack of training and/or staff engagement due to corporate culture and cost cutting". How much do you want to bet that the offending staff member was in their first day/week/month on the job and didn't know any better?

That said, I fully support Jetstar's right to charge for ticket swaps for whatever reason. If you want to travel for very little, accept that it has costs and get travel insurance. If and only if any airline chooses to be compassionate should you get a refund. It's not a right and not right to then whinge to the media if they don't.

UTR

[pilot2684]

wait a second there.
Read sub regulation 2 again


(2) Subregulation (1) does not apply to a dog accompanying a
visually impaired or hearing impaired person as a guide or an
assistant if the dog is:.....
Thats clear cut and defined as any other law in those books.

[another superlame]

I agree that J* is not a charity but paying passengers with a disability and needing guide dogs don't fall under charity surely. When will J* learn that customer service is not an extra but a requirement. Simon Westaway seems to spend a lot of time back pedalling for the lack of common sense, customer service and just general rules that J* ticketing staff display. You can't buy this sort of bad publicity.

[Jethro Gibbs]

You pay staff crap $ and have them on casual or permanent part time deals this is what you get.

[Cactusjack]

Bingo !!
The crux of this and many of Jetstar's similar issues was hit on the head by the Jetstar spokesman "communication breakdowns" which can be translated to "lack of training and/or staff engagement due to corporate culture and cost cutting".

'UnderneathTheRadar' forgive me for just highlighting part of your response, but you hit the nail on the head as to the real reason behind the latest JQ episode !

Forget the debate about pax dogs travelling as baggage or cargo, JQ's LCC procedures ,or whether they are even a decent airline or not.
The fundamental flaw is that as a low cost operator, JQ`s training is next to non existent or cut down to the bone to save money. Staff levels are ludicrously low and there is a high turnover rate as a result leaving some shifts totally under resourced with inexperienced and poorly trained staff. This is a certified fact !
The chickens have come home to roost for this outfit, and finally due to negative media ,the Senior Managers are feeling just a taste of the heat, pain and 'bashing' that the front line staff have been copping for years.
My anger is not directed at the hard workers at JQ (they know who they are), it is not directed at JQ policies as you certainly(the public) get what you pay for with an LCC,it is aimed at the Senior Management who are totally and utterly responsible for the recent bad publicity due to their own making. Will they learn a lesson ? I doubt it. Training, educating and adequate staffing cost a few dollars, which Management could not simply bare to spend on .
These Senior people should be held to account for once, instead of being allowed to scurry to the corner of the room like cockroaches when cornered.Did the Ground Staff screw up ? Yeah, for sure. But its time to dig beneath the surface at the reasons BEHIND these stuff ups, MANAGEMENT..........

[oneday_soon]

People on here saying that airlines are a business, not a charity. So I would have thought good business for an airline would mean, outstanding customer service, afterall this is a customer service business?

Surely with a population the size of ours, repeat business would be a good thing, how do you get that Green Goblin, let me see?? Oh yeah that's it, good customer service.

[FlexibleResponse]

Get with the program...it's my belief that these guys at JetStar are out to make a quick buck and don't care two stuffs about any passenger, especially those with special needs...they say as much on their official website set of "rules".

Trained staff? What at the rates they pay? You would be better served by better trained 15yo staff at MacDonalds...

http://www.pprune.org/dg-p-reporting-points/396816-jetstar-forces-wheelchair-passenger-crawl-across-tarmac-post5340933.html#post5340933

[el_capitano]

Cactusjack and FlexibleResponse, you guys are spot on with your comments :ok:

[VH-XXX]

This crap is not just happening in the Aviation Sector, it's everywhere.

Outsourced help desks, outsourced customer service, offshore IT, lowering standards, the list goes on.

I don't care though, because the more out there doing a crappy job means less competition for me doing a good job.

[404 Titan]

The Green Goblin
When will the public learn that an airline is not a charity organisation but a business to make money!

Why do airlines have to banter to the public all the time, and why do people get so uptight about airline travel!

I think you need to look at JQ’s conditions for travel with guide dogs. This is a classic case of the staff not knowing their own policies which can, as others have alluded to, be laid squarely at the feet of management for not providing the resources required to staff and properly train the call centre staff.

Service dog

Customers travelling with an accredited service dog must advise Jetstar that they have a disability and are travelling with a service dog at the booking stage.

Customers travelling with a service dog whose accreditation falls within (a)-(c) below can book their flights through Jetstar.com or by contacting Jetstar Reservations. Customers who are deaf or hearing impaired can call Jetstar Reservations through the National Relay Service (see National Relay Service section for contact details). Customers must provide appropriate service dog ID cards or documentation at check in.

Customers booking travel with service dogs whose accreditation does not fall within (a)-(c) described below but falls within (d) below, can book their flights through Jetstar.com or by contacting Jetstar Reservations. However, if flights are booked through Jetstar.com, customers must also contact Jetstar Reservations to complete the necessary application in order to seek clearance for travel with their accredited service dog in the aircraft cabin. This application must be submitted to Jetstar at least 14 days prior to travel.
An accredited service dog includes the following:

(a) Guide Dogs as accredited by a relevant guide dog association (eg: Guide Dogs Victoria, Guide Dog Assoc of NSW & ACT and Seeing Eye Dogs Australia);

(b) Hearing Dogs as accredited by a relevant hearing dog association (eg: Lions Hearing Dogs Inc);

(c) an assistance dog accredited by any of the following associations
i. Canine Helpers for the Disabled, Inc.;
ii. Assistance Dogs Australia;
iii. Association of Australian Service Dogs; and
iv. Australian Support Dogs; and

(d) any other service dog which is trained to assist and assists a person with a disability to alleviate the disability. Jetstar accepts bookings for up to two customers travelling with an accredited service dog on each flight. Where there are already two bookings made for service dogs on the flight the customer wishes to book, Jetstar will contact the customer to make alternative arrangements which may include:

(a) moving the customer to an earlier or later flight where the limit has not been exceeded;
(b) re-routing the customer to their intended destination; or
(c) providing a full refund.

[Lodown]

It's also a sad state of affairs that it appears that someone has to complain to the media to get the appropriate reaction and compensation from Jetstar. I don't know the circumstances behind the scenes, but it seems through the multitude of news reports dealing with this and similar subjects, complaining through corporate channels gets nowhere. Communications breakdown? That implies Jetstar has some sort of reliable two-way communications to begin with.

[Boomerang_Butt]

Slight drift here, but have been curious as to the following.

Could the employee in question have made the refusal on the basis of the aircraft type involved? What I mean is, if they were new to the job, they may have thought that since the dog needs room to a) move and b) sit on the mat that there only place they could go is a bulkhead row.

Given that JQ fly A320's, would I be correct in assuming the only bulkhead row is at Row 1? Is this classified as an exit row? If so, exit row policy prevents pax with (any) disability from sitting there. Could that have been a factor? And can any JQ staff tell me where a dog is supposed to sit on the 320? I've only ever had service dogs on widebodied a/c... so please forgive if the question seems a bit odd!

[Cactusjack]

Boomerang_Butt, I am a little out of the loop these days, but assuming the procedures have not changed up until not so long ago, the following took place :

Could the employee in question have made the refusal on the basis of the aircraft type involved? What I mean is, if they were new to the job, they may have thought that since the dog needs room to a) move and b) sit on the mat that there only place they could go is a bulkhead row.


No, JQ A320`s carry the dog's around the network every day. There is enough room for the dog, its certainly not 'business class legroom style comfort' but there is enough space and it meets regulatory and humane society standard guidelines and international guidelines.

Given that JQ fly A320's, would I be correct in assuming the only bulkhead row is at Row 1? Is this classified as an exit row? If so, exit row policy prevents pax with (any) disability from sitting there. Could that have been a factor?

Correct, bulhead row is at Row 1. No, its not classed as an exit row hence that is why vision impaired pax and pooch are seated there. In that row the isle and window seat are reserved for the pax and a possible associate, while the pooch is assigned the middle seat and lays on the floor in front of that seat.

And can any JQ staff tell me where a dog is supposed to sit on the 320? I've only ever had service dogs on widebodied a/c... so please forgive if the question seems a bit odd!

Guide/assistant dogs are positioned at Row1, behind the bulkhead.
Don't worry, the assistance dogs have been travelling on narrow bodied a/c for a long long time.

I hope this helps. Different 'rule sets' apply to different a/c types etc.
I hope I have not made any errors in my response, and if I have I am certain that their are some forum members out there eager to correct me.
Cheers

[Mstr Caution]

Nice timing.....

Sponsors - Don't DIS my ABILITY (http://www.internationaldayofpeoplewithadisability.com.au/sponsors)

[Cactusjack]

Mstr Caution. Whats even more amusing is sitting onboard QF flights in the past fortnight while they play video footage of Mr Fearnely praising the QF Group for providing fantastic disability support !!!!!!
Whoops, sorry, JQ and QF are two seperate entities arent they !

[Boomerang_Butt]

Thanks, just wanted to clarify, seems pretty much the same as QF then. I've seen the dogs on a small turboprop before but haven't worked on the 320 so wasn't sure. Same on the 767/A330 then... dog on the floor with a vacant seat for space.

I just feel sorry for the ground staff person concerned, it's not their fault if they weren't told, I mean it's not something everyone knows is it? I thought at first maybe they hadn't said what kind of dog it was but the article said they'd travelled before. So just a case of crossed wires as usual!

Let's hope the staff now get some updated training that they deserve, shame on JQ for expecting them to deal with this kind of thing if they in fact didn't cover it in the manual!

[rmcdonal]

I would have thought that when the booking was made that it would mention on the check-in screen 'Service Dog'. That way when the person arrives for their flight, staff already know about it.