Jetstar - Great Marketing?

[Sunfish]

Could passenger expectations of Jetstar get any lower?

‘I know it’s not the fault of the crew.

After staying on Hamilton Island for five nights, Mr Suttie, his wife Sarah and five-year-old daughter Kyra were ushered off their Jetstar flight JQ849 after it was cancelled due to an engineering issue.

A spokesperson from Jetstar said that bad weather meant the airline was unable to operate a replacement flight the same night.

Passengers were put on a ferry to Airlie Beach because there was no accommodation available on Hamilton Island.


…..And. there was no hotel accommodation available at Airlie either.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-05/jetstar-flight-cancellation-leaves-whitsundays-tourists-stranded/101209050

[PoppaJo]

For the last week or two has been no hotels at all in CNS/OOL/MCY/HTI/MCY. Rest of this week not much better.

Watching those trying to walk up and get a car hire is interesting. No cars until mid July anywhere. If your flight is delayed your in a world of pain if they don’t hold it for you.

[turbantime]

It’s a mess everywhere, not just isolated to Jetstar. For some reason the media love to bash Jetstar but from experience, it seems to be no better ‘across the road’.

[blubak]

It’s a mess everywhere, not just isolated to Jetstar. For some reason the media love to bash Jetstar but from experience, it seems to be no better ‘across the road’.
I dont think 'across the road' is immune to the media & nor should they be.I guess you saw the flight they sent to NZ from sydney where there was no way it was going to beat curfew but of course they sent it anyway & left the passengers in the terminal where they diverted to.
Thats customer service for u!

[aussieflyboy]

This happens once a week in Broome.

The airport has a list of names and numbers of local people with spare rooms that they call on to beg for help.

[Icarus2001]

Sunfish, reading your post the aircraft went U/S, no replacement could fly in, what do you expect the airline to do?

Note: I am not a fan of Jetstar, I avoid them at all costs.

[KRviator]

Sunfish, reading your post the aircraft went U/S, no replacement could fly in, what do you expect the airline to do?Firstly - don't bull****. Despite being told that accommodation for passengers "would be sorted out at Airlie Beach," Mr Suttie said that was not what happened once they arrived at the Port of Airlie terminal after dark.IF you haven't sorted accommodation out, be upfront. If there is no accommodation, be upfront. People prefer honest bad news rather than being lied to and screwed over - especially if there's family involved.

Secondly, Ok, you can't get to Hamilton Island, why was Proserpine not an option? It's a Jetstar port, do what QR and CountryLink do when they have a train or track fault - go and hire a pair of coaches and pick up your passengers from the ferry and take them to Proserpine / Bowen / Mackay. By the time you've done that, an alternative aircraft is likely already enroute. Maybe. I was on a regional NSW train a few days ago and a door fault meant we had to leave two cars behind. The passengers booked in those were advised that they'd be transferred to a coach if their journey continued beyond Werris Creek - if not, they were accommodated in the remaining 4 vehicles on the train. They weren't just kicked out at Central and told "Too bad".

Thirdly, If you don't have an alternate aircraft at your immediate disposal, tell the SLF and allow them to choose "You can stay here at Airlie and make your own arrangements, or you can continue on these coaches to Townsville where we'll get you on the first available flight to Sydney from there.

[aussieflyboy]

Sunfish, reading your post the aircraft went U/S, no replacement could fly in, what do you expect the airline to do?

Note: I am not a fan of Jetstar, I avoid them at all costs.

Hire a couple of busses to transport people to appropriate accomodation within an hour of Airlie Beach. Even within 2 hours would be better then sleeping on the floor!

Charter Alliance to fly people home/to an airport where they could be connected to other Jetstar flights.

Fly a 717/737 from Brisbane/Sydney/Perth to pick the passengers up from PPP or Hamo. Every 717 sits on the ground from 10pm-5am every night and I’m sure around 50% of 73s do as well.

[reefrat]

And the good people of Airlie got together and provided free food, Fish DeVine, good on ya Kevin, amongst others, and spare beds for the stranded families, old style oz at work.

[PoppaJo]

Hire a couple of busses to transport people to appropriate accomodation within an hour of Airlie Beach. Even within 2 hours would be better then sleeping on the floor!

Charter Alliance to fly people home/to an airport where they could be connected to other Jetstar flights.

Fly a 717/737 from Brisbane/Sydney/Perth to pick the passengers up from PPP or Hamo. Every 717 sits on the ground from 10pm-5am every night and I I’m sure around 50% of 73s do as well.
I like your pro-active approach to things, but generally JQ and QF ops don’t talk. You won’t see the Roo going in to rescue its low cost sibling. It’s all the same balance sheet though right?

I think you will find getting an aircraft in place might not be the issue, finding a full team of ground staff might be.

[SHVC]

Could passenger expectations of Jetstar get any lower?

‘I know it’s not the fault of the crew.



…..And. there was no hotel accommodation available at Airlie either.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-05/jetstar-flight-cancellation-leaves-whitsundays-tourists-stranded/101209050

Dont worry, it’s no different for crew. Rostered overnights no hotel, no transport left for hrs in the airport with no where to go. Having to call FTG because of no rest for next sector then ops getting a STBY only for the same to happen to them. I don’t l ow what’s going on but there is no one at the helm.

[Matt48]

" Hire a couple of busses to transport people to appropriate accommodation within an hour of Airlie Beach. Even within 2 hours would be better than sleeping on the floor!

Charter Alliance to fly people home/to an airport where they could be connected to other Jetstar flights."

That's obviously much too difficult and way above their pay grade to accomplish.

[C441]

I have two friends currently visiting family in Darwin. They were supposed to fly home to Brisbane yesterday, specifically planned to avoid the rush over the next few days as school holidays end.

Yesterday they were advised by Jetstar that their flight had been cancelled. They have been rebooked on a flight next Tuesday - supposedly the next available flight! They are lucky that they have family to stay with in the Territory, but the other 160-odd pax may not have that 'luxury' as they endeavour to find their own accommodation for 6 nights.

[aussieflyboy]

If only the Qantas Group had access to a company with a Darwin base that could assist them in getting these passengers home… *Alliance*… gee you could even charter Airnorth (a QF codeshare company) to fly em home

[Mr Approach]

Great article in the Betoota Advocate, Jetstar cancels flight halfway between Brisbane and Perth

<https://www.betootaadvocate.com/advocate-in-focus/jetstar-informs-passengers-mid-flight-that-the-trip-has-been-cancelled/>

[runway16]

Did a recent Jetstar flight BrisVega to MEL. Two and something hours. Not even a cup of coffee or tea. No offer of even a cup of water.

Yeap, nothing like service to the paying punter!

[rattman]

Did a recent Jetstar flight BrisVega to MEL. Two and something hours. Not even a cup of coffee or tea. No offer of even a cup of water.

Yeap, nothing like service to the paying punter!


Hey at least you made it, a friend was supposed to fly down to a melbourne from bris for 2 day business trip, then have the weekend in melb fly home on sunday. He was contacted last night, his flight today was cancelled but they are putting him on a saturday flight to melb

[Australopithecus]

”Business” and “Jetstar” don’t belong in the same sentence. Not that QF is much better.

[finestkind]

The thin edge of the wedge. Well not so thin and not so new. The demise of customer service started decades ago. Once staff went above and beyond the call of duty because 1) they were treated well by their employer and 2) it was the right thing to do. The convenience of air travel is well no longer convenient. I would suggest anything less than a five hour ground time travel is not worth it. Better to car, bus, or train travel given the two hour prior book in, arrival than luggage or no luggage retrieval, and than travel to your destination from the airport, plus the minor inconvenience of delays and cancellations.

[PoppaJo]

Don’t travel in peak season at all. Forget it. Absolute mess. I’ve seen hundreds displaced at a leisure port this afternoon with no hotels, cars, or flights available until next week. What on earth are these people meant to do? Live at the airport for the next few days? I gave my details to an elderly couple to call me if they have no luck and they can stay with us tonight, very hard to walk past such vulnerable people being dumped out in the street. Alan where are you and those big wide-bodies on standby?

[KRviator]

Perhaps Jetstar could get Britney Spears to do their next TV advertisement? Maybe with her hit song "OOOps, I did it again!"??

Perth holidaymakers disappointed after school break starts with cancelled Bali flights (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-07/perth-to-bali-flights-cancelled/101216844)

Mind you, I don't blame anyone in WA from wanting to fly Jetstar. If I were held hostage by a megalomaniac for two years, even I'd consider flying with 'em!

[TWT]

It's all there in the T&C's. Don't think many people read them.

5.2 What your fare does not cover

Your fare does not include ground transport between one airport and another or between the airport and any other place. Meals and refreshments are not included in your fare unless the applicable fare rules provide otherwise.

Jetstar does not guarantee it will be able to carry you and your Baggage in accordance with the scheduled date and time of the flights specified. Schedules may change without notice for a range of reasons including but not limited to bad weather, air traffic control delays, strikes, technical disruptions and late inbound aircraft. Flight times do not form part of your contract of carriage with us (see clauses 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3)

[AHDOCHARRY]

What happens when busses are not available? what happens when there is no accom in HTI, Airlie, TSV ,MKY it is all the same have you tried to book rooms at those places over the holidays? What happens when PPP is below landing min for an additional service no charter company would take that on even if they could find a crew, what happens when HTI police/ authorities remove anyone from the island who do not have a room they have done this for years to all airlines. Most likely alot more to the story and more difficult than you think in this situation.

[Australopithecus]

Oh. Alright then.

[rattman]

Its so bad atm, virgin cancelled the melbourne to brisbane flight yesterday. It was the flight supposed to be taking a heap of crew and drivers to brisbane to get the connection to townsville. Supercars had to arrange a charter flight from melbourne to get them townsville. Who is the title sponsor for super cars, yep virgin

[C441]

Yesterday they were advised by Jetstar that their flight had been cancelled. They have been rebooked on a flight next Tuesday - supposedly the next available flight!
Turns out Jetstar kindly refunded their original booking and offered them the Tuesday flight……at twice what they'd originally paid. They are committed to travelling as they were supposed to be at work yesterday.

Yes, I know Jetstar's a low-cost carrier with all that implies but that's a very ordinary way to treat your customers.

[Stationair8]

Time to spare, go by air!

Plenty of interseting reading on the various motorsport forums about the delayed Townsville flight.

[aussieflyboy]

What happens when busses are not available? what happens when there is no accom in HTI, Airlie, TSV ,MKY it is all the same have you tried to book rooms at those places over the holidays? What happens when PPP is below landing min for an additional service no charter company would take that on even if they could find a crew, what happens when HTI police/ authorities remove anyone from the island who do not have a room they have done this for years to all airlines. Most likely alot more to the story and more difficult than you think in this situation.

If these sort of things all happened to occur then fair enough. They didn’t however.

Numerous Bus companies within 90 mins of Airlie were and are available, Numerous airlines that QF group either owns or codeshares with offer 24 hour Charter services, there are plenty of hotel/motel rooms available within 90 mins of Airlie and PPP was not below minima.

[cLeArIcE]

Any truth to the rumour JQ had to cancel a whole bunch of DRWs because the hotel contract never got renewed and there is little to no ad-hoc rooms available?
​​​​​​Some crews resorting to calling hotels directly and if there is no bookings for them, they are refusing to fly there.
If true, that is a whole new level of amateurish management, sorry, mismanagement. Seems like the only people they treat worse than their customers are their staff.

[blubak]

Turns out Jetstar kindly refunded their original booking and offered them the Tuesday flight……at twice what they'd originally paid. They are committed to travelling as they were supposed to be at work yesterday.

Yes, I know Jetstar's a low-cost carrier with all that implies but that's a very ordinary way to treat your customers.
U can be sure Jetstar would argue that all day long,they would tell you just how well they care for their customers,sad thing is they believe the BS they come out with.

[givemewings]

It's all there in the T&C's. Don't think many people read them.

QF website also says this when you're doing the search to book flights. They literally say they only have to get you from point A to point B and they've fulfilled their contract. Does anyone ever read them anyway?

[C441]

They literally say they only have to get you from point A to point B and they've fulfilled their contract.
Problem is they didn't do that. They offered a new 'contract' after cancelling the first at their discretion. The return flight ticket was cancelled and refunded by Jetstar, not the passengers. In the same conversation they 'offered' a flight on Tuesday next week at almost twice the price or a Qantas fare at more than 5 times the price they'd previously paid.

Is this to be the new normal? Sell a return ticket, cancel the return coupon and offer an alternative at the airline's choice of multiple above the original fare when they know the passenger is probably under pressure to travel. I'm sure they're making an absolute killing using this tactic at this peak travel time.

[PoppaJo]

Easyjet failed to get us to our destination in 2019 on the original booking. We still got rerouted, and also compensated under EU law to the tune of around $1500 for our family. Total inconvenience was around 4 hours.

Qantas just dumps people and runs. Have your money back in a month, and sort out your own problems. Jetstar pulls its 787 away from domestic late this week, 4000 people displaced. Next flight in 5 days. Now….Throw in some legislated customer protections, and magically just watch a widebody charter appear to take these poor people home. Executives watching company earnings being wiped by fines from the regulators, they might actually do something now.

At least I can fly around the EU knowing I won’t arrive at my destination a few thousand bucks poorer.

[Icarus2001]

If only there were some sort of federal government department to police the actions of corporations and look after the consumer.

[no_one]

I think that if things stay this bad for too long the federal government will step in with rules similar to the EU to prevent passengers being stranded with no recourse. Qantas (Alan Joyce) needs to read the room there is a lot of discontent out there and the new ALP government won't miss an opportunity to push their agenda....

[Lead Balloon]

Due mainly to WDSPRD SHTY WX for a few weeks, I’ve had to travel by airlines. Further, some domestic commercial flights were booked months in advance (by my partner) for a holiday.

It’s obvious to me that the airlines (I’m talking at least Qantas and Virgin here) advertise cheap seats on supposed scheduled flights that both airlines know are unlikely to occur or have no intention of operating - at least not for the plebs who’ve purchased the cheap seats. The airlines then announce that the fights are cancelled and leave the drones in some god-forsaken corner of the organisation to cop the incoming complaints and sort out alternative flights that usually bear no semblance to the original itinerary.

Out of a number of examples, the domestic flights for the holiday were booked in March for August. The airline (in this case Qantas) then sent an email in May to say the flights in August have been cancelled! WTF? If the original flights were ‘real’, how does Qantas know in May that the flights in August have to be cancelled? What I suspect really happened is that Qantas decided to punt the plebs who’d purchased the cheap seats to whatever flight/s suit Qantas.

Others have pointed out the ‘fine print’, and those others are correct. But it would be better if the ‘fine print’ were more clear and concise: “You pay us, the airline, up front for a seat that may not exist on what appears to be but is only nominally a scheduled flight, and we’ll then decide when and on what day we might condescend to provide a ‘service’ to you in return for your money. You could get stuck somewhere you don’t want to be for hours or even overnight, and if you can’t find somewhere to stay: Stiff sh*t.”

I suppose that while ever people are willing to pay for this level of ‘service’, the airlines will keep taking their money. Glad I’m not paying.

I realise that the airlines, like a lot of other businesses, are having trouble attracting and keeping staff. That’s been an interesting side effect of Covid: A lot of people have realised that life’s short and decided they’ve higher priorities than work, especially if it’s for an employer who treats them like sh*t. Unless and until the rivers of cheap units of production from overseas start running again, the airlines are going to have to spend a lot more money pretending to care about their workers if the airlines want to attract and keep them. Ditto the aged ‘care’ ‘industry’ and public hospitals and …

[Chris2303]

Qantas (Alan Joyce) needs to read the room there is a lot of discontent out there and the new ALP government won't miss an opportunity to push their agenda....

He does read the room and then totally discards what he says in favour of his own agenda.

Imagine if, due to the indifference of the air carriers, the Labour Government was to order them to refund, in full, within 7 days of the request being made, any and all bookings that couldn't be flown for whatever reason

[Chris2303]

Others have pointed out the ‘fine print’, and those others are correct. But it would be better if the ‘fine print’ were more clear and concise: “You pay us, the airline, up front for a seat that may not exist on what appears to be but is only nominally a scheduled flight, and we’ll then decide when and on what day we might condescend to provide a ‘service’ to you in return for your money. You could get stuck somewhere you don’t want to be for hours or even overnight, and if you can’t find somewhere to stay: Stiff sh*t.”

Does Australia have an "unfair terms of contract" Act

[Lead Balloon]

The airlines will generally refund your money if they cancel and reschedule but you prefer not to proceed. I think that makes it ‘fair’.

[walesregent]

I realise that the airlines, like a lot of other businesses, are having trouble attracting and keeping staff. That’s been an interesting side effect of Covid: A lot of people have realised that life’s short and decided they’ve higher priorities than work, especially if it’s for an employer who treats them like sh*t. Unless and until the rivers of cheap units of production from overseas start running again, the airlines are going to have to spend a lot more money pretending to care about their workers if the airlines want to attract and keep them. Ditto the aged ‘care’ ‘industry’ and public hospitals and …

For the love of all that is good, I hope so. I think AJ and the board (and their counterparts at other carriers who seem to read from the same playbook on maximum extraction) see this as yet another crisis to be spun for their ultimate personal gain, but their resemblance to Marie Antoinette grows stronger by the day.