Jetstar- Never Missing An Opportunity To Demonstrate it's Incompetence

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The following is a cut and paste from today's SMH posted here for your reading pleasure.

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IT IS customary for brides to run late to their weddings but one couple missed theirs entirely yesterday after a series of mishaps on their Jetstar flight.

The couple, who were flying to Bali with some of their guests, were due to leave Melbourne at 6.30pm on Friday, before their nuptials at midday yesterday. The bride, who wished to remain anonymous, was even wearing a white swimsuit in anticipation of the balmy weather, according to a fellow passenger.

The first sign that things were amiss came on Friday afternoon, when the airline texted passengers that flight JQ35 would be delayed.

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When passengers seated in the business lounge made inquiries, they were told the pilot was sick and flying in a replacement would result in a two-hour delay.

Vivienne Golabek, 54, who was travelling with her husband, Danny, said: ''At 8pm we finally got a call saying that we were boarding. As we were sitting on the flight there was an announcement about the substitute pilot that we were getting from Sydney to say that his luggage was lost and in his luggage was his passport.''

Some time after 8.30pm, the passengers were told to disembark, given meal vouchers and told to return at 9.50pm. But when the passengers arrived at the gate, there were no staff. After 20 minutes, some staff arrived and at 10.30pm, four federal police officers were on the scene.

''They were probably worried in case someone caused a scene,'' Mrs Golabek said.

A quiet voice then came over the intercom to say the flight would be cancelled due to road works on the tarmac at Denpasar Airport.

Passengers who lived more than 100 kilometres from the airport were given hotel vouchers, but others, including the Golabeks, had to fend for themselves.

Mrs Golabek, of Melbourne, had no connection to the wedding couple but said the bride was ''very, very quiet, very subdued and very emotional. Her partner is also very quiet.

''There are a lot of people with young children who would not have got to their hotels before 12.30am. There was a total lack of communication and everyone feels they were lied to and some hope Jetstar goes under.''

The flight left Melbourne at 9.30am yesterday. Passengers were offered a $100 Jetstar voucher in a letter which apologised for ''unforseen mechanical issues''.

A Jetstar spokesman said: ''There might have been some confused messages in what was a complicated situation. The captain was sick and the replacement from Sydney had to fly to Melbourne and realised his passport had been misplaced.

''There was a delay getting the passport by which stage there was work going on at the airport. We are sorry for the inconvenience and sympathise with everyone on the flight.''

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''There might have been some confused messages in what was a complicated situation.

Priceless :D

Bruce must be so proud.......

[JustJoinedToSearch]

If we're talking incompetence, how about someone who chooses to head overseas to a very important event one day early ON JETSTAR.

That's just asking for trouble. No sympathy from me.

[Capn Bloggs]

There are only two things that never leave my body: my ASIC and my passport! :ok:

[standard unit]

Perhaps if Jetstar managed their operational challenges with more honesty and professionalism they wouldn't need to have the Feds on speed dial.

Is there a call out fee for their services and if so who pays it ??

Jetstar is the fastest growing low service airline in the world don't you know?

Only because it is able to parasitically suck the life out of it's full service parent.

[AirborneSoon]

Well it's an airline and stuff happens. One wonders about a bride dressed in a swimsuit in the middle of winter in Melbourne who chooses to take a last minute flight to her own wedding. Maybe if it was such a very important day for her she'd fly in a couple of days early maybe even dressing appropriately along the way. :rolleyes: I'm sure the bride was subdued and quiet once she realized that perhaps a little forward planning might have been in order. :ugh:

[Jack Ranga]

You've got to wonder about anybody that would pack a passport in luggage? :cool:

[Icarus2001]

There are only two things that never leave my body: my ASIC and my passport! Good to know that when you are on the ramp at Newman your passport is close to hand.

If we're talking incompetence, how about someone who chooses to head overseas to a very important event one day early ON JETSTAR.

Have people become so used to flying being commonplace that they forget that aeroplanes break, airports become unuseable, pilots pack their passport in the wrong bag. Wouldn't you allow an extra day or two to get there prior to your BIG DAY?

[JMEN]

Icarus,

**** happens somedays. Was SLF the other day when aircraft went tech just before boarding, gate change, etc and ended up only 15 mins late. Well the whineing from the other SLF fcuk me give me a break!

Not ideal not having a spare Capi near the aircraft, buggered if I would pack my passport in my bag though! :ugh:

But yeah people are to used to flying now, expect it to depart on time every time.:yuk:

Yeah reality check machines break down, and **** happens.

Maybe the wedding just was not meant to be :E

[Worrals in the wilds]

There are only two things that never leave my body: my ASIC and my passport! http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/thumbs.gif

That leads to some interesting mental images of Bloggs Getting Lucky, do you use a lanyard or something? Sorry... :}:E

Seriously, a lot of pax have the idea that there's a fully crewed, fully fuelled, fully spare aircraft parked around the corner ready to go in the event of a problem with their aircraft. Despite paying $26 for the fare many pax are still living in a Golden Years of Aviation fantasy-land.

That said, it's gotta be on the top ten list of remarkable excuses for a flight delay. I'm thinking that it's one of those Too Much Information things where a white lie may have been appropriate?
Is there a call out fee for their services and if so who pays it ??
No, unless it's changed in recent times. User Pays Policing would doom the LCC terminals to anarchy within about three days. :eek:

[Howard Hughes]

Please tell me that no pilot would keep their passport in their luggage, surely it is just airline spin. Funnily enough when delaying passenegers I always find the truth goes down best!:ok:

Question for management (sic), why are there no stand by pilots in Melbourne?:ooh:

[Keg]

Did the replacement captain fly JQ or QF?

[Howard Hughes]

QF of course!;)

Disclaimer: The above quote is purely speculation and not based on any knowledge of the facts.

[bandit2]

Lucky Groom!!!!!!

[Lookleft]

Seeing as the Melbourne based managment pilots are all on the 330 I'm surprised one of them wasn't available. What about one of the Sing based pilots who spend a lot of their time at the Holiday Inn at Tullamarine?

[Artificial Horizon]

So the biggest day of your life and your 'bet' it all on a single flight!! :ugh:
I wouldn't trust ANY airline in this situation, you should always have a 'backup' plan when you MUST be somewhere, especially if you are relying on a low cost provider.

A white swimsuit in anticipation of warm weather, seems it isn't only Jetstar that can be low class.

[teresa green]

Give it a break mate. Slagging off at JQ does not exactly endear you to their staff. Mate I have caused late weddings, I even had a bloke who did not turn up to his own funeral, because the funeral was in MEL and we had to get him from PNG, had a engine failure and everybody was there but him. What a load of crap, it happens, and if you want to get married/have a funeral/or a birth organise yourself. Get there 24 hrs before. Ditto the PAX. This is not the time for slagging off at JQ blokes, you QF blokes are going to need all the help you can get. And just for the record I have seen QF blokes turn up with their Missus's passport, or no passport, or one that is out of date. **** happens.

[SOPS]

This whole thing is going to turn into another "year we cannot mention" Other threads are talking about "biased press" Well, yes People thats what we had in that year..shed loads of it!!! And I hate to say it..its going down the same pathe now.

There has to be UNITY throughout the ENTIRE QF group, or it will all fall apart before it starts,,and start it will I fear.

It seems to me that QF managment ( fot whatever reason that I cant understand) are hell bent on destroying QF long haul and replacing it with crap*

I certainly dont have any answers, but I know one thing..ALL pilots in the "Qantas Group" should be together on this...or the end result will be ugly for all.

(And for the JQ guys that think they are sitting pretty..what makes you think you wont be next?)

[Sunfish]

If we're talking incompetence, how about someone who chooses to head overseas to a very important event one day early ON JETSTAR.

That's just asking for trouble. No sympathy from me.

It appears to have escaped the attention of professional pilots and some hangers on that the country issued QF and other airlines with an AOC on the basis that they were to provide REGULAR public transport.

reg·u·lar
   [reg-yuh-ler] adjective
1. usual; normal; customary: to put something in its regular place.

2. evenly or uniformly arranged; symmetrical: regular teeth.

3. characterized by fixed principle, uniform procedure, etc.: regular income.

4. recurring at fixed times; periodic: regular bus departures; regular meals.

5. rhythmical: regular breathing.

Somewhere around 1980 and during a credit squeeze/ recession, by my recollection, CASA's predecessor allowed Ansett and TAA to cancel flights that were not close to fully booked as a temporary cost saving measure. They did this at the time by turning a blind eye to the requirement that the airline use commercially reasonable endeavors to operate their aircraft as close as possible to a fixed schedule as required by their AOC.

On reflection this was a mistake. It was a mistake because it gave carte blanche to bean counters and management Prima Donnas to fcuk with the traveling public and infernally stupid morons like the management of Jetstar have now raised this to an art form.

Let me ask you stupid Sky Gods what would happen if the Melbourne and Sydney metropolitan railways started canceling trains like Jetstar? How many days would it take before there were riots on the platforms? How long would the government survive? Yet where airline travel is concerned, we are supposed to bend over and take it up the arse? Not only that, but congenitally idiotic pilots then abuse passengers for unrealistic expectations of regular service?????? You should be ashamed.

We all understand breakdowns. What we don't like or understand is the cheese paring attitude of management that means there are no spare parts, spare crew or spare aircraft.

Your miserable behaviour in this matter cost me attendance at certain celebration in New Orleans and continues to cost me money. For example, to ensure that I catch the live aboard dive boat I often join at Cairns, I now have to travel the previous day and stay overnight in an hotel because I can't trust you miserable excuses for human beings to get me there from Melbourne with any certainty.

..One more bit of "sub optimisation" by Qantas - increase the travel time and costs of everyone just to save yourself a few bucks.

[rmcdonal]

Let me ask you stupid Sky Gods what would happen if the Melbourne and Sydney metropolitan railways started cancelling trains like Jetstar? How many days would it take before there were riots on the platforms? How long would the government survive? That would be the loss making train service subsidised by the government wouldn't it? You're not comparing apples with apples here.

[Slasher]

Somewhere around 1980 and during a credit squeeze/ recession, by my recollection, CASA's predecessor allowed Ansett and TAA to cancel flights that were not close to fully booked as a temporary cost saving measure. They did this at the time by turning a blind eye to the requirement that the airline use commercially reasonable endeavors to operate their aircraft as close as possible to a fixed schedule as required by their AOC.

It was applicable if LF was below 75% or break-even. Check
your recollection file again.

On reflection this was a mistake. It was a mistake because it gave carte blanche to bean counters and management Prima Donnas to fcuk with the traveling public and infernally stupid morons like the management of Jetstar have now raised this to an art form.

No it wasn't a mistake, and under the old 2 airline system
you weren't treated like crap the way you are treated now
if flights were cancelled. Try reflecting again with a better
mirror.

At any rate I clearly remember people like you, Mr Sunfish,
screaming like buggery for deregulation, and now you have
it pal, lock stock and barrel - a silly mickey mouse domestic
airline system with an int'l one that's now going down the
road to certain mediocrity. You and bogan brides dressed in
swimsuits should put up or shut up.

[Ushuaia]

Sunfish said:

"stupid Sky Gods"?
"congenitally idiotic pilots"?
"Your miserable behaviour"
"I can't trust you miserable excuses for human beings"

You have got to be kidding.

I'm just a pilot trying to do my job to the best of my ability in a crappy environment and I read THIS sort of rubbish? Good grief. You are not only happy to shoot the people running the circus but anybody associated with the industry.

Not long ago you lamented how you'd had enough of PPrune and wanted to deregister. People like me urged you to stick around because we thought your insights valuable. I think I've changed my mind this morning. I regret supporting you.

I knew I should give up reading PPrune in the morning before going to work. :(

[teresa green]

Sunfish, exactly which pilot group do you call "miserable excuses for human beings?" Just so we can have it on record.

[Ngineer]

This is world's best practice.......:ok:

.....and not the first time I have heard of jackstar calling security to a gate because of such issues.

[Sunfish]

Justjoinedto search:

If we're talking incompetence, how about someone who chooses to head overseas to a very important event one day early ON JETSTAR.

That's just asking for trouble. No sympathy from me.


Airbornesoon:

Well it's an airline and stuff happens.


icarus2001:

Have people become so used to flying being commonplace that they forget that aeroplanes break,


jmen:

Yeah reality check machines break down, and **** happens.


Worrals at least is balanced:

Seriously, a lot of pax have the idea that there's a fully crewed, fully fuelled, fully spare aircraft parked around the corner ready to go in the event of a problem with their aircraft. Despite paying $26 for the fare many pax are still living in a Golden Years of Aviation fantasy-land.

That said, it's gotta be on the top ten list of remarkable excuses for a flight delay.

AH:

So the biggest day of your life and your 'bet' it all on a single flight!!


...So no one is prepared to sheet home responsibility to where it lies and instead you accuse the consumer for asking for too much?

Is a reliable service too much to ask for in 2011? Apparently it is. "**** happens" - yes and a lot of it seems to end up in the cockpit from the comments above.

In addition, the idea of allowing "extra time" to compensate for the unreliability of the service completely negates the value of the lower cost fare - in fact it more than negates it when you start having to add in the cost of hotels and meals, let alone the opportunity cost of lost time sitting in terminals or hotels.

What happens to despatch reliability these days? Is there any reporting even? Do managers just write "**** happened again" and go on paring LAME numbers, spare parts holdings, pilot numbers and aircraft?

[framer]

In addition, the idea of allowing "extra time" to compensate for the unreliability of the service completely negates the value of the lower cost fare -
Exactly. The LCC model doesn't work in this situation. By it's very nature it's less reliable than a full service carrier. Therefore, brides to be, or funeral attendees, or people with important business meetings to attend, need to pay the extra as insurance they will make their important event in plenty of time. But even with a full service carrier they need to be aware that '**** happens' and that weather, volcanic ash, mechanical breakdowns,terrorism, passports etc will always mean that there is no guarantee the flight will arrive on time ....it's just that it's more likely.
If I had to be standing in front of the Sydney Opera house steps on the first of September at 0900hours in order to collect a million bucks you can bet your ass I would be leaving home at least a week early because it is important to me. A business meeting, ....maybe a day early. But at the end of the day I wouldn't leave it up to a faceless organisation to get things right first time.

[Lookleft]

Wow Sunfish just when you were getting some support on this forum you go with a confused spray like that. Are you angry with Jetstar for not properly supporting their frontline operations or are you angry with the frontline staff just because they are confirming that they are not getting the support to do their job? I take it by your rant about the money you have had to spend on getting to your destination in good time that you don't take out travel insurance because by your definition it shouldn't be necessary? You won't get a lot of sympathy when you state that you had to pay one extra night's accommodation to go on a live aboard dive boat!

Have you never heard the travel industry maxim of "Time to spare go by air, better yet go by jet"

[IsDon]

Is a reliable service too much to ask for in 2011? Apparently it is. "**** happens" - yes and a lot of it seems to end up in the cockpit from the comments above.

In addition, the idea of allowing "extra time" to compensate for the unreliability of the service completely negates the value of the lower cost fare - in fact it more than negates it when you start having to add in the cost of hotels and meals, let alone the opportunity cost of lost time sitting in terminals or hotels.

What happens to despatch reliability these days? Is there any reporting even? Do managers just write "**** happened again" and go on paring LAME numbers, spare parts holdings, pilot numbers and aircraft?

Yes Sunfish. You have answered your own question.

Flying now is cheaper than it has EVER been. Professional pilots lament the fact that passengers get let down because there is absolutely no fat left in the system. We would love to provide a more reliable service, but we are not the problem, management is.

For you to personally insult the pilots in the cockpit and blame us for the problem shows your ignorance. In fact we regularly do a lot more for the passengers than management would like to put the schedules back on the rails due to delays in departure that were beyond our control. In the B767 I have regularly flown lower and faster than the plan to mitigate delays. On a Sydney-Perth cutting 20 minutes off the planned flight time by going lower out of the headwinds at a faster TAS would burn about 2 tonnes more kero. I submit to you that without us ****S on the flight deck, as you so eloquently put it, you would be a lot later for your oh-so-important dive trip. Management have even decreed that we shouldn't try to help. Read here:

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/news/qantas-makes-pilots-dawdle/story-e6frezi0-1226114804769

When bogan brides in swimsuits want to pay less for an airfare than they pay for a cab to the airport, they have to expect that anything that happens will cause delays and cancellations.

I have a solution. Add a zero to what you pay now for all of your airfares. Taking inflation into account that would take airfares back 15 years compared to the average weekly wage. Airlines could them afford extra pilots and a spare airframe on standby in every port. We could afford to have 90 minute turn-arounds instead of 40 minutes to cater for rolling delays. Bogans would then go back to riding the bus or hitchhiking.

Trouble is Sunfish, ignorant twits such as yourself, are not prepared to pay for your unrealistic expectations.

Is it just me or does vitriol directed towards pilots raise suspicions that Sunfish is a failed pilot. Scrubbed pre solo I expect. Maybe failed an interview somewhere. This nonsense from you towards pilots is not logical.

[Wunwing]

HH et al

As far as leaving your passport in your suitcase there may be a very good reason for this.

For many years when crew for one Austrlaian airline paxed SYD/MEL to pick up an international service,their hold baggage regularly didn't arrive on the same domestic service. Management didn't seem able to solve this problem but continued to insist that we operate without our baggage.

We solved this problem by leaving our passport and license in our baggage.
The baggage then instantlty began arriving on the same flight.

Maybe Jetstar pilots have the same problem and are also using the same technique which from experience works very well.

Wunwing