Jetstar Website Flight Change Engine

[clifford]

This online change engine is a very interesting piece of work.

I have a couple of JQ bookings MEL-SIN which I have been loathe to use because of JQ's 788 reliability/comfort track record. The tickets have different purchase prices and options, though both have a plus bundle, and I've been looking at changing them to dates in the future.

What's interesting is that when I do a dummy change for each booking I get quite different prices for the new date, which seems to depend on how much I paid for the booking in the first place. The higher the initial purchase price, the higher the cost of the new flight, even though it's the same flight being changed to on the same date, for each booking.

It seems that JQ is determined to make a certain amount of money for each change no matter what you paid in the first place. Smacks of sharp practice to me.

As a further point, I called the JQ guest contact centre to get a price for one of the proposed changes, and they quoted me a few dollars less than the online system wanted. Is it incompetence or just a rip-off?

 

[moa999]

I see what you mean. coughpy Flightstats
Only 48% on time. 27% excessively late.

Are you saying this...

Flight 1. May 2016. Cost $250.
Flight 2. June 2016. Cost $400.

Then you are trying to change either flight to:
15 August.

When using Flight 1. New flight cost $450
When using Flight 2. New flight cost $600 ???

Screenshots might help..
Certainly shouldn't happen unless there is a need to be in the same booking class?

 

[clifford]

An example of what I am saying is as follows. Both bookings to be changed to Oct 16 (see screen dumps below, which were taken within a couple of minutes of each other), from different dates in September.

Booking 1 - basic ticket price MEL-SIN direct for changed booking - $365
Booking 2 - basic ticket price MEL-SIN direct for changed booking - $279

Interesting that the total cost to change each booking is less with the call centre than online.

JQ does not seem to be totally upfront here!

 

[clifford]

Screendumps now added above. You might find them interesting.

 

[moa999]

I can only assume its either.
1. Fare buckets - and its picking from the same bucket (I assume there are a number of buckets behind 'Starter')
2. Price of original fare - being lower - and hence having to price into a higher bucket.

From the T&C to Starter Plus

• Fare Difference applies per passenger, per flight. Your new fare will be at least the amount of the fare you originally booked and may be more. You cannot change to a lower fare. No refund will be applicable if a lower fare is available.
• Fare Difference is the difference (if any) between the fare or fare with bundle originally booked and an available fare or fare with bundle on the date of change which is at least the same fare or, if not available, the next available higher fare. The Fare Difference may be substantial.

Starter fare with Plus bundle fare rules | Jetstar


You say your original fare in example 1 was $365 (which is $1 more than the cheapest new fare per screenshots) -- so I would say it has jumped up to the next more expensive fare class.

 

[clifford]

From the T&C to Starter Plus
"Fare Difference is the difference (if any) between the fare or fare with bundle originally booked and an available fare or fare with bundle on the date of change which is at least the same fare or, if not available, the next available higher fare."

I think this is probably what has caused the different fare quotes for the same flights, though it's impossible to know, as Jetstar does not give a breakdown of its calculations. So it's caveat emptor really, you just have to accept whatever they say.

One thing that still puzzles me is why the Call Centre fare differences were lower than online. In the end I just accepted the Call Centre quotes (additional $42 in each case).