JETSTAR - Never Ever Again !!

[Baysider]

Well, if there ever was any doubt that Jetstar is the most pathetic excuse for an airline in existance, there is no longer. With some trepidation we booked our trip from Tokyo (Narita) to Brisbane via the Jetstar website. It gave us a "connection" via Cairns. The itinerary was:
JQ26 NRT 20:10 CNS 04:50
JQ931 CNS 09:35 BNE 11:45
This, I thought, was stretching the limits for a reasonable connection time.

We landed on time in Cairns and at 5.35am made our way around to the Jetstar domestic check-in counter for our "connection". There we were greeted by a sign advising that the Jetstar check-in counters would open in just under 2 hours, at 7.25am. HOW CAN YOU CALL THAT A CONNECTION ? We now had to sit at the head of the check-in queue for almost 2 hours just to check our luggage for the next leg. With 4 big suitcases we couldn't go through security into the terminal area, and neither was it practical to take a cab into Cairns. We had no choice but to sit there and twiddle our thumbs in the check-in queue.

So finally nearly 2 hours later we checked our bags. Off to the gate we went with renewed enthusiasm, only to get our next surprise from Jetstar. The incoming Jetstar flights had been diverted to Rockhampton and Townsville due to "poor weather". While we waited for the "poor" weather to abate enough for our Jetstar aircraft to make its way to Cairns, we watched several QANTAS and VirginBlue flights come and go, mostly on time. We even saw a few single-engined overhead wing aircraft land without difficulty !! However the hours passed and no Jetstar aircraft appeared. In the end our 4hr 45 min "connection" blew out to 8hr 30min.

Oh, and did I mention that between booking our trip and departing from Australia, Jetstar pushed our outbound flight back by 1hr 30min, forcing us to hastily abandon our plan to stay in a serviced apartment in Tokyo and instead book a more costly hotel, as we were now arriving too late for the office hours at our preferred accommodation.

Thanks Jetstar !! NEVER EVER AGAIN.

 

[MelUser]

This is one of the many jetstar horror stories that we see here.

People really need to be careful with this airline.

I know that Jetstar cancels many SYD-HNL and HNL-SYD flights so reliability is a really big issue especially if connecting to an AA flight.

 

[samh004]

Not had any major issue with them other than the stupid check-in process that you mentioned. In MEL they even had the audacity to suggest my bags would go on the wrong flight if I checked-in early, and when check-in time finally arrived, and the line was long, several of the staff took a break.

Cabin staff have always been pleasant though.

Not sure why a JQ flight couldn’t land but QF and DJ could though, that’s mighty strange.

I’m reluctant to fly them this year as I wont receive any SC’s, but if I really wanted to go to MEL, I can’t beat $79 and access to the QP.

 

[Alanslegal]

I've never had an issue with JQ to date, except the one slight delay of 35minutes once out of about 20 ftd. Thanks JQ and keep on bringing in the low fares esp. to HNL. (I'm twiddling thumbs, waiting, for JQ's 2010 Christmas-NY fares to HNL to be released).

 

[MelUser]

Just a thought - for the flight in question, wouldn't a Japan airlines flight from NRT to BNE been a better option?

It is a direct flight and from memory leaves about the same time and lands into BNE at 7am.

For access into Qantas Clubs and the like simply ensure that you are booked as a QF flight number.

Perhaps this is a better option for next time and simply put the jetstar horror experience down to a life learning lesson.

 

[markis10]

JQ put you on the first flight available after your arrival allowing for the transfer from the INT terminal, I dont think its resonable to expect them to put you on the only other option, the 6AM departure.

LCCs are not always afforded the luxury of having aircraft to spare when things go wrong, just because other aircraft were landing does not mean yours could, its quite possible the situation was changing minute by minute and the other aircraft had more fuel to make attempts at the landing, for instance have a look at whats been happening at CNS today with the ILS down, a very similar situation with diverts all over the place.

Arrived JQ926 Brisbane Scheduled Departure: 6:30 AM Actual Departure: 6:25AM
Cairns Scheduled Arrival: 8:50 AM Actual Arrival: 1:24 PM

Estimated JQ932 Brisbane Scheduled Departure: 11:55 AM Estimated Departure: 2:35PM
Cairns Scheduled Arrival: 2:15 PM Estimated Arrival: 5:15 PM

 

[Natt]

Mmm maybe this is naive of me

but I think this type of issue happens with travelling

its the nature of the beast

if you fork over a good amount of $ you reduce the likelihood of it happening/impact when it does

but at the end of the day problems are still going to happen

Don't get me wrong - its absolute cough when it happens to you, but it will happen, its just a case of when

I don't think its limited to one airline - unless they do something really stupid

or fall so far off the mark its ridiculous

We all have horror stories - I can tell you about a 7 hour delay, two substiutions of planes (cracked windscreen??) and that was virgin on a flight from hobart to the gold coast - not normally a biggie

The airlines that fix the aftermath are the ones that should be noted and praised - thats the tough part.

And thats where a decent airline shines

although if you find one let me know - I am not a seasoned traveller, so I am not sure if its a fair judgement - but I just see them like any other form of transport

:shock:

 

[thewinchester]

Horror stories aside, its buyer beware when you're using LCC's.

While it may be low fares, you're essentially getting what you pay for which is a piece of metal and a seat covered in some fabric substitute to take you from A to B. You need to put aside your expectations and prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

If you want convenient connection and flight times, decent service, and all that jazz - pay the extra and stick with a mainline carrier you have status with.

 

[munitalP]

Horror stories aside, its buyer beware when you're using LCC's.

While it may be low fares, you're essentially getting what you pay for which is a piece of metal and a seat covered in some fabric substitute to take you from A to B. You need to put aside your expectations and prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

If you want convenient connection and flight times, decent service, and all that jazz - pay the extra and stick with a mainline carrier you have status with.

I like JQ - they are a low cost carrier, best described in the words of Ben Harper's song; Less, "If you're happy with nothing you'll be so very happy with me - The less you expect the more you'll be pleased "

Mr!

 

[dragonman]

the ILS down, a very similar situation with diverts all over the place.

Arrived JQ926 Brisbane Scheduled Departure: 6:30 AM Actual Departure: 6:25AM
Cairns Scheduled Arrival: 8:50 AM Actual Arrival: 1:24 PM

Estimated JQ932 Brisbane Scheduled Departure: 11:55 AM Estimated Departure: 2:35PM
Cairns Scheduled Arrival: 2:15 PM Estimated Arrival: 5:15 PM

Look having just arrived back on a OW TRW award in J - the OP's experience seems ok.
LHR - GLA on BA - delayed 7 hours
GLA - MAN on FlyBe delayed 5 hours
PRA - LHR on BA cancelled
LAS - LAX on AA delayed 5 hours

The final international leg was on JetStar NRT - CNS in *class and it was fine.

The OP would have known that flights open two hours before departure - it is precisely what happens in Tokyo.

 

[N860CR]

Unfortunatley these kinds of things aren't limited to Jetstar these days. I've found over the past 12 months that Qantas is just as bad, perhaps quality service is just a thing of the past.

My QF experiences are probably unique because all of my flights involve connections (99% of them dom-dom), but when there is a cancellation or schedule change, QF are just as bad as JQ or anyone else when it comes to dealing with them.

Seems that quality service is just a thing of the past unfortunatley

 

[medhead]

Given the timing I just wonder if this story is from the last few days. In terms of the weather that would make a major difference due to the cyclone, which doesn't even sound like a big one. But all the people i went to school with who are still in Cairns have experience some disruption based on their accounts on facebook.

 

[clifford]

I've had worse experiences with QF than with JQ.

Two out of two QF flights PER-SIN were delayed because of mechanical problems (A330's - they don't know how to maintain them).

 

[Natt]

I've had worse experiences with QF than with JQ.

... and the A380s?

I am a stickler for good customer service, and I don't fly much...

but the more I do, the more I am convinced not many (if any) airlines have it

sure if it all goes OK then its sweet, but if not its not pretty :shock:

 

[ldelaney]

Jetstar was not the only flights that did not land at the airport today. We had Cathay Pacific divert to Townsville but later to decide to continue to Brisbane, and also a flight from Darwin for Qantas went to towsville. They were coming in from the south which the runway in use has no ILS so visibility has to be greater to land. In the case of the virgin and other Qantas flights that landed, they just happened to be on finals at the right time. The Jetstar flights and heaps of other Qantas flights either diverted early or delayed their deparures from their ports becasue of the weahter reports and to save fuel

As for your connection...its always best to fly Qantas. We dont do the Narita route no more but a connection in Sydney to Brisbane is the other way to go

 

[mannej]

Schedule changes and delays happen all the time...

It is not limited to JQ, and to think so is pretty naive.

 

[anat0l]

The OP booked a routing that involved NRT-CNS then CNS-BNE. If you read the connection time in advance and didn't like it, why did you book this particular routing? Why didn't you book, say, NRT-OOL direct flight, if waiting around in an airport for about 4 hrs isn't your idea of fun. "How can you call that a connection?" I have no idea how I'm supposed to read that....

The rest I can't account for except if it was weather related, but still JQ doesn't have the best record on any account.

Once again, I can't comment much on JQ because my longhaul experience with them has been good, but limited. Shorthaul wise I've only been majorly delayed once; sitting about 30 minutes at the gate. JQ staff can also surprise me at times with their apparent lack of knowledge (if a pax doesn't know the lingo, then fine, but if they do know what to say then meet them at the same level - don't patronise them and don't train staff to, as it were, "only keep one little step in front of the pax").

I guess that's one less passenger flying JQ and thus one more step towards actually shaking up the carrier to improve.


I still maintain that JQ isn't the worst excuse of an airline to exist. Let's start with the airlines on the EU's no-fly list....and let's not stop there.....ummm, Ryanair comes to mind....

 

[Alanslegal]

Horror stories aside, its buyer beware when you're using LCC's.

While it may be low fares, you're essentially getting what you pay for which is a piece of metal and a seat covered in some fabric substitute to take you from A to B. You need to put aside your expectations and prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

No traveller flying JQ should expect the worst experience, that is purely unreasonable IMHO. JQ employs a LCC model but has developed an extremely good product for the business model it promotes - and for my experience, have always been satisfied with them.

Also buyer beware is almost an unreasonable train of thought because JQ is very upfront during the booking process and will detail what IS or is NOT included in your fare and will also suggest what you can do to better your on-board comfort eg. pre-purchasing food, comfort pack. Again, the buyer is in control ... so do I go hungry or do I not? Do I buy an IFE unit or do I not? etc.

Other variables, such as a delay may or may not be in their control, and thus is something that can be expected from time to time within JQ and the many other quality carriers out there.

 

[Alanslegal]

The OP reminds me of someone (aka Mr Grumpy) I sat next to in StarClass last year. (I'm pretty sure I have mentioned this previously, but anyway....)

I was in Seat 2A, the someone I sat next to was in Seat 2B.

Originally, I was pre-booked in Seat 1A but was moved back a row because Seat 1A and B needed the bassinet holds. Anyway, baby cried non-stop during the flight HNL-SYD.

Mr Grumpy in Seat 2B basically told me and a CSM that he will never ever ever fly JQ again because of that crying baby!!!

I was like fine, and there is no point in arguing or trying to convince this Mr Grumpy that it wasn't JQ's fault. But he believed it was, and his opinion was that it was JQ's fault because he paid more $$$ to fly in StarClass to avoid crying babies. :shock:

 

[anat0l]

The OP reminds me of someone (aka Mr Grumpy) I sat next to in StarClass last year. (I'm pretty sure I have mentioned this previously, but anyway....)

I was in Seat 2A, the someone I sat next to was in Seat 2B.

Originally, I was pre-booked in Seat 1A but was moved back a row because Seat 1A and B needed the bassinet holds. Anyway, baby cried non-stop during the flight HNL-SYD.

Mr Grumpy in Seat 2B basically told me and a CSM that he will never ever ever fly JQ again because of that crying baby!!!

I was like fine, and there is no point in arguing or trying to convince this Mr Grumpy that it wasn't JQ's fault. But he believed it was, and his opinion was that it was JQ's fault because he paid more $$$ to fly in StarClass to avoid crying babies. :shock:

It wasn't JQ's fault, unless JQ is at fault for attracting a demographic of passengers who fly their crying babies in premium class.

I guess he's under the impression that QF or VA never have people who fly babies in F, J or Y+. Or any other "reasonable" airline for that matter.