Latecomers left out by Jetstar

[Wirraway]

AAP

Latecomers left out by Jetstar
Date: 02/06/04
By Chris Herde

Australians who struggle to be on time beware - Jetstar won't be changing its 30-minute check-in rule.

Jetstar chief executive Alan Joyce said the strict check-in regime will remain despite some passengers who tried to check in only a few minutes inside the half an hour cut-off point being forced to miss flights in the carrier's first week of operations.

He said he was confident the public would get "accustomed" to the rules.

"If the aircraft departs on time it means we can get better utilisation out of the aircraft and it can mean we can continue to focus on low fares," he told journalists at the Australian Tourism Exchange.

"For those few customers who do turn up late we put in a policy to say the requirements of travelling has been published in newspapers and ads, it's been published in the fare conditions so you need to get there 30 minutes before the flight closes.

"There are a lot of rules when you fly with airlines and a lot of fare conditions and it's one of the fare conditions we impose." Virgin Blue, although encouraging passengers to check in half an hour before the flight departs, allows latecomers on the plane 15 minutes prior to take-off.

With Qantas, passengers with luggage must check in 30 minutes before departure and those without luggage have 15 minutes before the flight leaves.

Jetstar offers passengers two fares - Jet Saver and Jet Flex.

Jet Flex is more expensive and allows passengers to change flight times without penalty while Jet Saver is cheaper and means passengers have to pay $30 to take a later flight and also the difference between their original ticket and the next one available.

Mr Joyce said the carriers' unallocated seating policy has been accepted by both passengers and local authorities and has also contributed to the good on-time performances since the take-off on May 25.

"Yesterday we had 98 per cent of our services arriving on time within 15 minutes and that will improve as the policies are bedded down," he said.

After a little over a week of operation Jetstar now has 14 ports and operates more than 600 flights a week which will be increased to 800 by August.

Since the airlines have accepted bookings, more than 250,000 people have booked a flight on Jetstar.

Mr Joyce said Jetstar will increase services between established destinations in eastern Australia and will also continue to look at opportunities to expand into South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Copyright AAP 2004

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[Chuck Magutzup]

Latecomers left out by Jetstar

Yep, but they still take rejects.

[Pete Conrad]

Nothing, I repeat nothing is forever in aviation.

[Buster Hyman]

Well, I suppose there's a good side...educating the punters, no stuffing around at departure etc. But there's always a down side...bad blood etc.

Playing the "on time" card will ultimately backfire methinks, especially when there are many causes for delays. I can just see the punters angrily lined up telling the CSO's "We were here on time, what's your story!!!"

[Icarus2001]

Buster I think you may be onto something there. Passengers all duely there on time then a delay due to something like tech crew transport problem or FA with a broken fingernail. All hell could break loose. A contract cuts both ways.

Then again reading the fine print most airlines do not even guarantee to take you anywhere at any time!:confused:

[Animalclub]

Icarus... you are correct about the guarantees!!!

[P47]

I'm not so sure about the "Bad blood" guys, there is nothing worse for pax who do the right thing than to see their efforts thrown out the window for the few inconsiderate types who are allowed on at departure time hence making for a late departure. Remember this too, pax who run late are generally always running late and they had better change their mode or simply get left behind ! I don't know of a train that waits for late pax, or a bus at a stop, if you aren't there charlie, it's bad luck !
I say good on you Jetstar, let's get more airlines with
the balls to make that commitment to on time departures. I wish my company would take it on board !

[Wirraway]

Thurs "Daily Telegraph"

Take off, You're too tardy to fly

IT is being heralded as the new cheap and cheerful airline -- that is, unless you're late for Jetstar's check-in. Those not at the counter before the 30- minute pre-flight cut-off are likely to have the smile wiped from their faces as they are stopped from boarding and forfeit their cash.

Since it took to the skies last Tuesday, the Qantas-affiliated carrier has made tardy passengers wait for the next flight.

But from next week, the penalty for running late -- however slight -- will be complete cancellation of tickets.

The airline has told bargain fare hunters unhappy about the strict rules: " You can't have the best of both worlds." Sydney holidaymaker Annis Babb turned up for her 1.20pm flight from Sydney airport to Coolangatta yesterday at 12. 52pm, only to be told she was too late.

Although the counter was deserted, she was made to wait until 3.20pm to start her Gold Coast holiday.

A first-time passenger on Jetstar who paid just $29 for her one-way ticket, Ms Babb said her treatment most probably would mean her next trip would be with Virgin Blue.

"I didn't think I was late," she said. "The departure screen didn't say the flight was closed when I got here. I thought they'd be more flexible.

"I'm very disappointed. It's a bummer because I'm only going for five days and now today is wrecked." Anyone turning up late for the 6.30am Melbourne flight faces an even longer wait -- the next Victorian-bound plane is not scheduled to leave until 3.05pm.

Under its ticketing terms, Jetstar, which offers no allocated seating, is entitled to cancel the fare.

However it was decided that during the first fortnight of operations passengers would not suffer such a severe penalty.

Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway claimed the policy was crucial to maintaining "turnaround schedules" that enabled it to offer "deep delivery of low-price flights".

Despite experiencing a "small number of teething problems at some ports", there were no plans to dump the policy.

Describing the measure as a "cultural precedent" for Australian air travel, he said: "People have to understand that with a quality service at low cost, comes some differences and one of those is rolling up to the airport a bit earlier." But Ms Babb, a self-confessed "frequent traveller", maintained the crucial condition was not brought to her attention.

"They've started off on a bad foot with me," she said. "It's the bottom of the barrel. I'll think twice before flying with them again." Rival Virgin Blue also asks its passengers to arrive 30 minutes before departure. However its cut-off time, like Qantas domestic, is set at 15 minutes.

The cut-off for Rex is also 15 minutes but failure to check in 30 minutes before departure may result in the ticket being cancelled.


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Thurs "Herald Sun"

Jetstar not budging on agent pay

JETSTAR has fired a shot across the bow of the travel industry, saying that it won't break its ban on paying commissions on ticket sales. Airline chief Alan Joyce's blunt message to agents will further inflame the row with one of the country's biggest travel discounters.

He predicted that Flight Centre was unlikely to get Jetstar's business.

Mr Joyce said Jetstar would only reimburse the $10 booking fee the carrier charged agents when bookings were made on its trade website.

Addressing an international travel convention in Melbourne, he said Travel Scene and Harvey World had been "very good" and had accepted what was happening.

But pressed about its commission row with Flight Centre, Mr Joyce said the two could work together.

He said conflicts existed between what Flight Centre managing director Graham Turner wanted and what Jetstar's model offered.

"I don't think they are going to get our model," Mr Joyce said, adding many agents realised Jetstar fares were an average $20 to $30 cheaper than those charged by Virgin Blue. "

He said travel agents had a choice to take the booking fee or bill the client an extra $10 service charge.

"In most cases they can book a Jetstar flight and still give their customer a ticket below the cost of a Virgin ticket. Ten dollars on a $69 fare is still more than an agent will get in commission for selling a Virgin fare even with overrides."

Mr Joyce said most agents had begun to realise "the win-win situation" in which they could sell low fares and still take a $10 booking fee.

About 10 per cent of the 250,000 seats sold since the carrier was launched had been booked by agents, he said.

Mr Joyce said Jetstar could clinch lease deals for its yet-to-be-delivered A320 aircraft that were up to 50 per cent less than lease market rentals.

"When we look at comparing apples with apples we are convinced we are the low -cost carrier. "

Asked what Virgin Blue had pitted against Jetstar in the seats battle, Mr Joyce said apart from promoting service and low fares and adding two overnight flights to Rockhampton, Virgin had been telling clients it had better seat pitch.

But he said seats in Jetstar's forthcoming A320 fleet would be the widest of any domestic carrier.

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Thurs "Herald Sun"

More planes to fly out of Avalon

NEW discount airline Jetstar was likely to offer more flights from Avalon airport later this year, the carrier's boss said yesterday. Alan Joyce said Jetstar was monitoring its Avalon services after flights began on Tuesday.

Qantas's no-frills airline currently has three daily return services to Sydney and two return services to Brisbane from the airport, 55km from the city.

Most of its flights, to destinations including Hobart, Gold Coast and Newcastle, are from Melbourne airport.

Speaking at a tourism briefing in Melbourne, Mr Joyce said passengers were adapting to the airline's unreserved seating policy and the closure of check- in 30 minutes before flights.

Virgin Blue encourages passengers to check in half an hour before the flight departs, but allows latecomers to board 15 minutes before take-off.

Qantas passengers with luggage must check in 30 minutes before departure, and those without luggage have 15 minutes before the flight leaves.

Mr Joyce said Jetstar was able to offer more cheap fares than rival Virgin Blue because it had lower costs.

"I see them (Virgin) in a real dilemma at the moment and trying to have an each-way bet," he said.

"Are they going to be a real low-cost carrier and go back to the true values of being a low-cost carrier and offering the low fares ?

"Or do they go for added service with lounges and extra in-flight service, and compete against Qantas ?"

Virgin Blue spokesman David Huttner said there was no dilemma for Virgin Blue because the airline would compete with both Qantas and Jetstar.

Mr Huttner said Jetstar was already doing a good job driving passengers to Virgin Blue.

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