More Jetstar woes in NZ

[plainmaker]

'Humiliated': Jetstar slammed over refusing to fly disabled passengers (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/travel/travel-news/humiliated-jetstar-slammed-over-refusing-to-fly-disabled-passengers-20110413-1ddm0.html)

One of the issues here is the comment that it was the tech crew's call about the off-load.

I wonder if this will be used as part of a campaign to somehow denigrate the crew in the public's eyes as aprt of a strategy in the upcoming EBA stoush.

Long bow perhaps, but an interesting inclusion in the comment line for a journo to pick up.

Plainmaker

[framer]

Sounds like the Captain was presented with the issue, was probably sick of rubbish rules like that, thought 'I'm too tired for this, I'l just do what the book says' and then did it.

[Flt.Lt Zed]

Just a bullsh.. publicity stunt. Disabled people dont just turn up at the airport with no bookings when they have scheduled meetings in another city that morning. They may live independantly but lets see them do an emergency evacuation without impeding 160+ other pax.

[kiwiandrew]

@Flt.Lt.Zed

Did you actually read the story ? They did not "just turn up" they had booked , as they had booked many times before both on Jetstar and on other airlines but they were given the runaround by Jetstar. On what basis do you dismiss their situation as "a publicity stunt" ?

I know a lot of travellers within New Zealand who have given Jetstar a chance in the hopes of fostering competition but this airline just keeps dropping the ball, New Zealand is a small market and word of mouth has already done Jetstar a lot of damage here, or, more accurately Jetstar have already done themselves a lot of damage in New Zealand, word of mouth is just letting people know about it.

[Artificial Horizon]

I personally feel this is a bit of a media beat-up. I have now worked for two low cost carriers and one legacy carrier all of who have the same policy when it comes to 'disabled' passengers. If the passenger is not mobile enough to move themselves to an emergency exit or self-toilet (get themselves from their seat to the toilet do the business and get themselves back to the seat whether they think they are going to need to go or not) then they must travel with another able bodied passenger who can assist in such circumstances. Over in Europe we called them 'carers' just like hear in Jetstar and Qantas and in Air New Zealand they call them 'special assistants'. Out of interest I had a look at various airline websites last night and ALL of them outlined the same policy including:

Jetstar
Air New Zealand
Qantas
British Airways
Virgin Atlantic
Emirates
United Airlines

I could go on, it would seem to me that the information was there for these two to find, the assertion by Close-up that this was a Jetstar specific policy that is not found anywhere else is just crappola. Now where Jetstar has let itself down again is in the way the message was delivered!! Bloody disgusting is the only phrase that comes to mind in that respect, this should have been sorted a check-in, I assume they were just delivered to the aircraft for the crew to sort out which led to the whole awkward situation of being on the jetty whilst the poor old Captain was presented with this debacle on a 30 minute turn around. Poor show ground staff, poor show.

The message has to get across though, this is not discriminatory towards people in wheelchairs, this policy is there to ensure the comfort of the wheelchair bound passenger and the safety of everyone else in the case of an emergency. Simple as. Could you imagine the outcry if an imobile person was allowed to travel on their own and then ended up soiling themselves in their seat as the crew couldn't get them to the toilet in time due to carrying out other duties.:sad:

[airtags]

Horizon - valid comparison acknowledged - but the real agenda is that disabled pax impact turnarounds and OTP - pushing a 20 minutes turn (which in itself is an Executive fantasy) with special handling pax equates to $$$ & that of course is the universal measure of everything aviation.

Interestingly though JQ recently got a 12 month extension on the US DOT disabled compliance regime* which is the exact opposite to the policy. (*Any new a/c operating into US ports will require training compliance and provision for in cabin stowage of one wheel chair.) Might be a prob for the new 330's and is definately an issue for the cabin configs of the QF/JQ 787's.

As you said a bit of an escalated whinge but one that no doubt will get a run in every wheelie related mag and journal and one that adds to the ever growing list of JQ stuff ups that could have been handled better.

Send in Olivia

[Flt.Lt Zed]

Kiwiandrew.....I beg to differ.They had not booked. This was highlighted in the TV news item and newspaper articles. If they had, the airline policy was clearly spelt out,take it or leave it. Agreed it was badly handled by checkin staff selling tickets then leaving it to airside staff to sort out.

[standard unit]

Beat up?

I don't think so.

These were two highly capable individuals embarking on a one hour flight with one carer between them.

As someone who works on the other side of the flight deck door I can assure you that these people are more often than not, both fiercely independent and capable of managing their disability, on or off the aircraft.

They had an able bodied person to assist with bathroom visits if needed on this one hour flight.

Cretinous really that they weren't allowed to fly given the circumstances.

[6080ft]

Flt.Lt Zed - Where does it say they had not booked in advance????

Crap customer service - yet another reason I won't fly Jetstar.

[kiwiandrew]

@ Artificial Horizon

If Air New Zealand has the same policy how were they able to travel with no problem at all on Air New Zealand in exactly the same circumstances.

@Flt.Lt.Zed

"Jetstar told The Dominion Post it would be apologising, and refunding their fares." if they just "turned up" at the airport and Jetstar simply refused to sell them tickets when they arrived at the airport there would be no need to refund anything.

[chickendrummer]

My understanding after watching that video is that they arrived at the airport, purchased 2 tickets (as they have done before according to both of them) and then proceeded to the aircraft where it all went pearshaped. Their "carer", who I believe was their manager/producer or something got called out after the debarcle started. Probably to start filming the fiasco
Rules are rules. But why is it always left to the operating crew to resolve these ground staff handling issues? Disgrace...

CD.

[Flt.Lt Zed]

Kiwiandrew....check out the TV1 video... Close Up | Television New Zealand | Television | TV One, TV2, U, TVNZ 7 (http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/s2011-04-12-video-4113027)
1. You will find they just turned up at the airport. No bookings.
2. They chose not to nominate the Producer as a carer as she was not on the airbridge with them.
3. When they approached Air NZ they presumably had the producer along as a carer.