Fears of ruined Christmas plans as Jetstar scraps flight

[tuapekastar]

I know these articles are often one-sided, but shifting a flight by 5 days? 5 hours I would consider unreasonable! A good reason to avoid this airline if you 'have' to be anywhere at a particular time and have no 'Plan B'. Unavoidable (6 weeks out!) my @rse!

Fears of ruined Christmas plans as Jetstar scraps flight | The Age

But the couple's flight to Auckland was shifted from December 23 to December 28. Jetstar notified them by email on Saturday and said that the change was ''unavoidable''.

 

[mella2007]

Ridiculous. I hope people take out travel insurance

 

[ermen]

Hope its a simple solution to solve and JQ put them on the other QF flights that leave that day!

Wonder if its time for AUS to have its similar EC261 / 2004 laws applying to any carrier that touches an AUS port. Airlines (esp budget) have for far too long been given a free call option on your paid for ticket...

 

[coyote25]

That's a big number of days to reschedule someone. All JQ and QF must be totally full around those dates. I know it's peak time but you would think something would be available.


Sent from my iPad using AustFreqFly app

 

[medhead]

There are a heap of people on the JQ Facebook page complaining about something like this, to do with a flight to AKL. I think there have even been some couples/groups travelling separately where one has been moved and the other hasn't.


Sent from the Throne

 

[Deleted member]

I have said it before. Fly with a LCC at your peril.


It is I, Leclerc !

 

[jetlagger]

I have said it before. Fly with a LCC at your peril.


It is I, Leclerc !

& it seems (at times) it is still a one star airline.

 

[docjames]

Since JQ are claiming schedule changes, does anyone have an old vs new schedule on MEL-AKL?

Edit: FWIW JQ web currently showing no available flights Dec 11-13, Dec 18th to 27th and none on 2nd or 29th Jan with availability every other day in December and January. Prices $199 to $599.

Ex-SYD showing nother 19 to 24th so not really any better.

Wonder if they're just full or there's fleet issues?

 

[yohy?!]

sounds pretty desperate to axe a whole flight when you've already got 80 bookings! they must have a lot of pressure to increase their profitability, surely they would've sold more seats between now and xmas...

 

[oz_mark]

& it seems (at times) it is still a one star airline.

It is an LCC. How many stars do you expect them to have?

 

[oz_mark]

Wonder if its time for AUS to have its similar EC261 / 2004 laws applying to any carrier that touches an AUS port. Airlines (esp budget) have for far too long been given a free call option on your paid for ticket...

What would they be entitled to under the EC rules, given the change is a month out.

Under Australian Consumer Law, they are entitled to receive a product fit for the purpose it was intended. A flight to get home before Xmas being moved until after Xmas makes it unfit for the purpose it was intended.

 

[fersea]

I had a flight on Jetstar Syd-Mel on the Thursday before the Grand Final and they cancelled it and put me on Qantas. Ironically I got the FF points and 20 Status credits which surprised me.

In this case, I would be very surprised if they can't put them on another JQ or QF flight.

 

[jetlagger]

It is an LCC. How many stars do you expect them to have?

I only ever see 1 star on the tail.. Pardon the pun

 

[anat0l]

What would they be entitled to under the EC rules, given the change is a month out.

Under Australian Consumer Law, they are entitled to receive a product fit for the purpose it was intended. A flight to get home before Xmas being moved until after Xmas makes it unfit for the purpose it was intended.

If EU 261/2004 applied in a situation like this, all passengers who had their flight cancelled in this instance would be entitled to, at least:

• Re-routing to same destination at earliest opportunity (under comparable conditions)
• Later re-routing at passenger's convenience, subject to availability and comparable conditions
• Refund of unused flights (or a whole ticket if wholly unused) as well as a ticket back to origin, i.e. for those where the cancelled flight was the second half of a return ticket. Also, if a passenger booked, say, BNE-SYD-AKL return on JQ, and the SYD-AKL was cancelled, they are still entitled to claim for a full refund of the entire ticket (the airline can't just give a refund for the SYD-AKL portion and leave the other sectors alone).

Some people may also be able to claim reasonable accommodation and meals depending on their option taken as per above.

The fact that JQ would've given a month's notice in the EU 261 regime would only allow them to escape paying cash compensation, where the minimum notice time to escape any sort of restrictions on rescheduling or paying cash compensation for cancelled flights is two weeks.

Naturally of course, if JQ were in a EU 261 environment, they'd be making things as hard (and as long) as possible before pax were allowed to make changes or claim refunds under their regulatory rights, just like almost every EU carrier who is covered by the regulation (as well as non-EU carriers who are covered by the regulation under limited circumstances).

Can't believe JQ can't find a sooner alternative for these pax. LCC or not LCC, this is pretty poor form. Yes I know it's a Christmas flight, but really JQ brought this onto itself with no suitable alternative.

 

[oz_mark]

If EU 261/2004 applied in a situation like this, all passengers who had their flight cancelled in this instance would be entitled to, at least:

• Re-routing to same destination at earliest opportunity (under comparable conditions)
• Later re-routing at passenger's convenience, subject to availability and comparable conditions
• Refund of unused flights (or a whole ticket if wholly unused) as well as a ticket back to origin, i.e. for those where the cancelled flight was the second half of a return ticket. Also, if a passenger booked, say, BNE-SYD-AKL return on JQ, and the SYD-AKL was cancelled, they are still entitled to claim for a full refund of the entire ticket (the airline can't just give a refund for the SYD-AKL portion and leave the other sectors alone).

How is this different to what they are doing?

I'm sure they'd be happy to refund, but this wouldn't help the passengers. As I read it, they are working through the rerouting options...

 

[Pushka]

Ridiculous. I hope people take out travel insurance

I agree, but then, why should insurance companies have to stump up for costs brought on by the ridiculous actions of airlines (and thereby influencing the cost of the premiums we have to pay)

 

[anat0l]

How is this different to what they are doing?

I'm sure they'd be happy to refund, but this wouldn't help the passengers. As I read it, they are working through the rerouting options...

Are you sure about that? I highly doubt that; I would stake that JQ would be sticking to their guns on the fare policies, so those with the cheapest fares will not be getting a cent back, and would be lucky to get it back in a voucher or credit.

EU 261 is regulation and has legal grounding. What JQ is doing (or could be doing) is arbitrary, and mainly doing it out of "goodwill". There is no legal compunction for them to do anything, really.

A refund may not help the pax for sure, although EU 261 means that rerouting can be considered on any other available carrier, not just the cancelling carrier. In this case, JQ will obviously only consider their metal; damn well be lucky if anyone ends up on another carrier, without squeezing JQ.

I hope JQ are working carefully on rerouting options which are suitable for the affected pax, but I don't hold out for a positive outcome here, given that there is no procedural or legal compunction, and frankly no moral or ethical obligation either.

 

[oz_mark]

Are you sure about that? I highly doubt that; I would stake that JQ would be sticking to their guns on the fare policies, so those with the cheapest fares will not be getting a cent back, and would be lucky to get it back in a voucher or credit.

Jetstar conditions of carriage for one (from a contract point of view)

(c) If, after you pay for your Booking, we make a significant change to the scheduled departure time of your flight or the flight is cancelled (except where this is due to circumstances beyond our control) and:

• this change means you are unable to use your Booking for its intended purpose, and
• we or our Authorised Agents cannot book you on another flight which you are prepared to accept;

we will give you a fare refund. Unless otherwise required by law, we will not be responsible for paying any costs or expenses you may incur as a result of the changed time or cancellation.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Are you sure about that? I highly doubt that; I would stake that JQ would be sticking to their guns on the fare policies, so those with the cheapest fares will not be getting a cent back, and would be lucky to get it back in a voucher or credit.

Quite sure that JQ do offer refunds in these circumstances. I've had the offer myself when they re-scheduled a flight of mine.

 

[fersea]

I remember I once had a Tiger flight (some time ago - haven't flown with them for a couple of years) that they moved and apparently if they moved it by more than 4 hours (the scheduled flight that is not if it was delayed on the day) you could apply for a refund.