Jetstar cancels Perth-Cairns flight 4 months ahead of schedule AGAIN!

[wisewoman]

Once again, months after booking my family on Jetstar flight 979 from Perth to Cairns leaving at 11.55pm on Saturday 5 August 2017 (the only direct flight or I would avoid Jetstar like the plague), Jetstar has cancelled the flight. According to its email, we can take alternative flights to Cairns via Melbourne or Sydney (of almost 12 hours duration) or a direct flight - all departing the day before on Friday 4 August 2017 (or 12.05am on Saturday 5 August). I do not want to fly around the country with Jetstar for 12 hours thank you. If I was going to fly that route I would book with Virgin or Qantas. However, even if we wanted to, we cannot fly on Friday 4th August as we are attending a Jerry Seinfeld performance that night, the tickets for which have been booked for more than 6 months. That is why we booked on the Saturday night flight in the first place while the rest of our large extended family is flying on the Friday night.

Jetstar pulled this same trick last year when we flew to Cairns. Their excuse then, as now, is that they need the aircraft on another route. How do they know that 4 months ahead of time, and why sell the flight at all if this seems to be a recurring issue? In fact, as Jetstar has form on this route, is it possible that it is a tactic of theirs to sell seats on consecutive days and then cancel one of the flights and cram everyone into a single flight on the other day? Have other experienced this?

As none of the alternative flights suit us, Jetstar's only solution is to cancel the Perth-Cairns flight for a refund, however, they will not allow us to obtain a refund on the return flight. As our purpose to flying to Cairns is for a family wedding, we still have to fly. So, our options seem to be to fly on Friday 4 August and miss the Seinfeld performance (NO!) and potentially forfeit $600 in the ticket price, or purchase seats on the Jetstar flight departing at 11.55pm on Sunday 6 August, and lose a day of our 7 day holiday and forfeit a paid night's accommodation in Cairns. Thanks very much Jetstar for another ruined holiday.

When will the regulator do something about this airline and the shenanigans it pulls on the Perth/Cairns route?

 

[opusman]

Call credit card company and request a chargeback.

 

[yohy?!]

certainly sounds like bait and switch tactics - probably worth seeing if the ACCC is interested, will be tough to prove but hopefully may help if they spot a trend from lots of complaints...

 

[eastwest101]

Bait and switch = chargeback option

I am sure this has been raised before on these threads a few years ago? Seems pretty common. I seem to remember that JQ tried the old "only offering Jetstar vouchers" trick as well?

My suggestion is that for the money that JQ are charging then you may as well cancel and book a real airline on QF or on VA whom will operate their schedules. I just had a look and there are a few fairly quick options via SYD or BNE (and one particularly quick but expensive option via ASP on QF) that may be worth investigating. Screen shot below:




If you absolutely have to be there at a certain date and time - book a real full service airline unfortunately.

 

[Mattg]

It's these kinds of shenanigans that convinced me to stop flying Jetstar for good. I no longer fly them at all, instead paying a little more for a "real" airline (especially if I need to fly at a certain time) and I'm much happier for it!

I would be insisting on a full refund from JQ. If you also need to re-book the return flight on another airline, then so be it. If Jetstar refuse, perhaps you could get the Airline Consumer Advocate involved? That's the only way I was able to resolve my recent issues with them.

My advice, either way, is to enjoy the Jerry Seinfeld show and fly out on Qantas or Virgin (via BNE) on the Saturday evening.

 

[jetpack]

Is your return flight on a separate booking? Whenever Jetstar cancels or changes schedule on me, their computer system has always given me the option to get a refund on the entire itinerary.

 

[straitman]

It's these kinds of shenanigans that convinced me to stop flying Jetstar for good. I no longer fly them at all, instead paying a little more for a "real" airline (especially if I need to fly at a certain time) and I'm much happier for it!

I will never say never but would only use JQ as a last resort option.

 

[wisewoman]

Thanks for looking into this for me. We probably will fly Qantas through Brisbane even if it almost doubles the duration of our journey. I just hate the thought of Jetstar getting away with this stunt again. If only another airline would fly the Perth-Cairns route I would never grace Jetstar's doorstep again.

 

[JohnK]

Sorry to hear of your issues.

Don't quite understand why Jetstar plays these tricks. Why not bite your tongue and take refund outbound and book another carrier and then return with Jetstar?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I can certainly say that JQ will cancel a flight 24 hours prior, and not let its customers know of this till 3/4 hours prior to flight departure time.
Happened to me end of one Dec, 2015 i think if I remembered correctly.
Couldn't do OLCI, couldn't do kiosk check in.
There is a whole website called "dontflyjetstar".
Not that I have any constructive suggestions, but don't fly Jetstar is indeed a good motto.
If not cancellations, its the delays.
Mind you, some people do love that airline.
I also won't pick to fly them again.

 

[AIRwin]

No wonder JQ has PER-CNS and CNS-PER flights on sale for $109?
Friday Fare Frenzy | Jetstar

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Jetstar have come last in one of those world airline surveys, and have said there is no substance to it. The gall of them to say no substance!
Was on the Adelaide Advertiser website today.
((Emirates have come first, Qantas in the upper middle)), but we can all summize why people have come to this decision that Jetstar should come last.
And the gall of them to say that the Choice survey has/was of no substance, when they keep cancelling and posponing flights.

 

[mannej]

Jetstar have come last in one of those world airline surveys, and have said there is no substance to it. The gall of them to say no substance!
Was on the Adelaide Advertiser website today.
((Emirates have come first, Qantas in the upper middle)), but we can all summize why people have come to this decision that Jetstar should come last.
And the gall of them to say that the Choice survey has/was of no substance, when they keep cancelling and posponing flights.

From what I can tell they are calling out the sample size, which in reality is a valid comment.

 

[Mattg]

Jetstar have come last in one of those world airline surveys, and have said there is no substance to it. The gall of them to say no substance!
Was on the Adelaide Advertiser website today.
((Emirates have come first, Qantas in the upper middle)), but we can all summize why people have come to this decision that Jetstar should come last.
And the gall of them to say that the Choice survey has/was of no substance, when they keep cancelling and posponing flights.

I agree that the survey has many flaws, the sample size certainly being one of them. As far as I'm aware, Tigerair wasn't even included in the survey.

However, I do agree with its general conclusions. I wish that, instead of complaining that the survey is unfair, Jetstar would explain what they're going to do to improve their service. As I said upthread, they've already lost me as a customer.

 

[Melburnian1]

Many months ago, an AFF member (burmans?) highlighted how JQ was regularly cancelling one of its two return daily MEL - PER - MEL rotations.

If it's any consolation to the OP wisewoman with your extremely well written but unfortunate contribution to AFF, you are not alone.

If JQ refuses a full refund, complain by mail (not email) to the Airline Customer (sic - it means 'passenger') Advocate.

I gather that the ACCC works by volume of complaints: it may not take any notice of a single, isolated complaint, but if there's many that it receives about one issue or company, then it may take action.

One current ACCC action is about its concern that a major dairying company, Murray Goulburn (a farmer owned co-operative) allegedly misled its suppliers about the price they would receive for each kilogram of milk fat. The ACCC has announced it will seek costs of its action from the former Managing Director and one other individual, but won't do this against the co-operative because that might hurt individual farmers.

So while far from perfect, the ACCC at least appears to put some thought into whether - and what - action it takes.

Australians do not complain sufficiently in the consumer area. There's a lot to be dissatisfied about with JQ, and irrespective of an imperfect survey that omitted Asia and also TT, JQ, as Mattg said, would do far better on concentrating improving itself as it can then properly refute any such surveys.

At present, JQ is by far the worst major domestic airline in Oz, a title that TT held some years back. By sacking one arrogant and hopeless (and overpaid) CEO and concentrating on trying to operate flights more punctually, TT has at least to some extent redeemed itself, even though it continues to carry 'baggage' from that idiotic television show where I struggle to understand why any executives would ever think exposure of passenger problems on national television was good publicity for an entity in the transportation of passengers business.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

I struggle to understand why any executives would ever think exposure of passenger problems on national television was good publicity for an entity in the transportation of passengers business.

The TV show wasn't just mass advertising with a naive "no such thing as bad publicity" mentality. It almost certainly had more specific aims, which may have been achieved (given the show was renewed more than once), though of course it did expose Tiger to easy criticism.

Think of Border Security and what it subtly (or unsubtly) wants viewers to do. Hint: it's not sympathise with the travellers shown. The Tiger version wasn't exactly the same but the underlying principle is similar.

 

[Borisdog]

I fly regularly TSV-PER return, once a month or so.

I have the option of PER-CNS-TSV on JQ/QF for the return leg or PER-BNE-TSV QF all the way. I'd get home quicker on the former by about 3 Hrs if the advertised JQ schedule was adhered to. And the flight is heaps cheaper.

I have NEVER taken that option. It's not worth the aggravation.

 

[jetpack]

I think it's all about perception. LCC must be bad. Full service must be good. If full service stuffs up, it must be a once off. If LCC stuffs up, it becomes the benchmark.

I recently chose QF for a OOL-MEL flight which turned out to be delayed. I sat in the lounge watching the departures screen as every JQ flight left early or on time. I would have gotten home sooner if I had chosen a JQ flight that day. Most people would probably say about the QF flight - "delays happen, it's normal". If a JQ flight was delayed they'd probably say - "what do you expect, its JQ".

 

[Mattg]

I think it's all about perception. LCC must be bad. Full service must be good. If full service stuffs up, it must be a once off. If LCC stuffs up, it becomes the benchmark.

I recently chose QF for a OOL-MEL flight which turned out to be delayed. I sat in the lounge watching the departures screen as every JQ flight left early or on time. I would have gotten home sooner if I had chosen a JQ flight that day. Most people would probably say about the QF flight - "delays happen, it's normal". If a JQ flight was delayed they'd probably say - "what do you expect, its JQ".

There is some truth to this, however...

1. Jetstar's on-time performance is statistically much worse than QF's. That is a fact. There really are many more delayed and cancelled JQ flights than QF flights - so your experience actually is the exception rather than the rule. (Part of the reason for this is JQ's short turnaround times and higher fleet utilisation - particularly with JQ's 787 fleet.)

2. I've found QF MUCH better at handling delays. They (generally) keep passengers informed, hand out meal vouchers, offer alternative flights and (if necessary) will provide hotels for overnight delays. With JQ, my experience has very much been "your flight is cancelled, now get stuffed".

 

[Limewood]

Recently did CNS/DPS/CNS on JQ due to being a short 4.5 hr direct flight both ways, had to be in Y as they have no J on the two sectors, flights both left late, food was disgusting, exit seats we had bum squab hard as a rock. Only saving grace was the crew were excellent. Next time will go on a full service airline the long way around.