Re: Guilty until Proven Innocent: The customer is always wrong when Jetstar cancel fl
A friend of mine had flew down from Gold Coast to MEL on a Sat and return on a Sun earlier this year.
Their flight back to Gold Coast was 17:45 flight. about 2 hours before hand they had got a SMS that the flight is cancelled she called "recovery operations", and said only flight available was Monday morning 7am I think.
Although I could clearly see seats available on the 19:30 on J* website, my friend asked them why she can't get on that later flight as there was still plenty of time (4 1/2 hours away), the J* rep said if you want to get on the 19:30 flight you will have to pay extra fare, my friend told them to politely get stuffed.
She then asked can you put me on a QF flight tonight to Brisbane instead, got the response "we don't do bookings on QF sorry you'll have to book it yourself".
In the end my friend just went with the option of the next morning flight.
This is the exact reason why I have only ever flown J* a handful of times!
Given this post - and the experience of the OP as well - maybe we can collaborate on a new "
AFF Jetstar Cancellation Policy Response" - based on the assumption that the traveller wants to get to where they were planning with minimum of delay and cost.
Maybe:
Step Action
1. JQ email or txt that your given JQ flight is cancelled
2. If at airport or on way to airport - obviously see JQ ground staff to enquire if you can get on a later JQ or QF flight
3. If not at airport check for availibility and price of suitable JQ/QF flights to get you to your destination.
4. Use call centre to enquire about suitable replacement flight(s).
5. If "pushback" from call centre about replacement flights is encountered, clarify what alternatives JQ is offering you and get them to confirm that you have not been booked onto a suitable JQ or QF flight. Note operator time and date.
6. Accept JQ credit shell or refund
7. Ask for email/txt verification of your decision from JQ
8. Buy a suitable flight from QF/VA or whomever will get you to your destination.
9. Go to airport
10. Check with JQ ground staff that your flight was indeed cancelled and you were not booked on a replacement JQ/QF flight
11. Travel on replacement flight.
12. Commence full charge-back procedures with your bank or credit card issuer for JQ fare
13. Flood all social media and message boards with negative experiences of JQ service
14. Await solution and possible compensation from JQ
Feel free to add comments or change extra steps in there that I may have forgotten. Its a work in progress!