Not Another JETSTAR Complaint !!

[Rick93]

Jokes aside, I'll get straight to the point ...

My 18yo ( inexperienced flyer ) son had a Jetstar flight from Sydney to Gold Coast last night. Flight left Sydney at 1920 hrs. ( closing time = 1850 hrs. )

He was in the queue to be issued his Boarding Pass from 1835 hrs.

He reports, that there was only one Jetstar counter open, and there were three female staff at that counter, chatting away with each other, generally having a 'good time' in the final minutes of their shift.

( guess what I'm going to say ... ?? )

When my son got to the front of the queue, it was 1850 hrs. and he was told, the flight had closed, and he can come back tomorrow - if he buys another ticket !!

We live over two hours by Public transport from the airport, and he arrived back home close to midnight, almost in tears ( personal reason for wanting to be in Gold Coast at last minute ).

I'm sure this has been well identified, but there is no person to be spoken to whatsoever over the phone, who can make a decision, least an 'apology'. This referral to the '15 day turn around' feedback line is the greatest joke Jetstar has ever produced ....

Anybody hear of CCTV footage being reviewed, to support a customer complaint of 'poor customer service' ??

GORDO

 

[docjames]

You could contact Sydney Airport Corp (or whatever they're called - owned by Macquarie Airports) and request copy of CC footage. Whether they'd give it to you is another matter.

This seems to be a common enough problem. What was your son's response at the airport as i'd have tried to sort it out there and then.

Without wishing to sound rude, I also wonder if it was important to your son for personal reasons to get there that night, he should hve been at the airport more than 15mins before cutoff. But i understand sometimes that's uavoidable, and yes, it should be enough if the staff are there.

 

[casanovawa]

While waiting in line and being polite is a good trait, sometimes you just got to step forward and take control...

A hard way to learn the lesson...

 

[maninblack]

Fly Virgin.

Never fly Jetstar again. Your son is 18 and has plenty of flying to do in his life. Their loss ultimately.

 

[harvyk]

JQ is an LCC, and thus has no sympathy for people in such situations. Even if you can prove the staff members where not exactly focused on the job, they will simply hide behind the rule book and state that your son needed to have checked in 30 minutes prior and stuck in line does not count as an excuse.

 

[dfcatch]

I respect the JQ "low cost model".

I respect the firm cutoff time.

But I do believe that if JQ want to enforce the cutoff time - then they have an obligation to:

1/ Staff the counters as required to process the checkin lines in a timely manner

2/ Proactively roam the checkin lines ensuring that all pax with approaching deadlines are identified and checked in in-time

If you are in the line before the cutoff - the speed that JQ performs the check in is beyond your control...

But I agree - fly Virgin.

 

[maninblack]

JQ is an LCC, and thus has no sympathy for people in such situations. Even if you can prove the staff members where not exactly focused on the job, they will simply hide behind the rule book and state that your son needed to have checked in 30 minutes prior and stuck in line does not count as an excuse.

Based on the OP's times given I cannot agree with this at all.

 

[dfcatch]

JQ is an LCC, and thus has no sympathy for people in such situations. Even if you can prove the staff members where not exactly focused on the job, they will simply hide behind the rule book and state that your son needed to have checked in 30 minutes prior and stuck in line does not count as an excuse.

I respectfully disagree with you on this harvyk.....

You could be in the line 60 minutes prior and the line still takes you over the cutoff..??

 

[richie9x]

Although I have no experience with Jetstar. I do know that other airlines will make a PA announcement 15-10mins before check in is about to close for people that haven't checked in to go to the head of the line or some special counter. Was there no announcement like that? or maybe he didn't hear it.

 

[mannej]

Are there no self check in kiosks at Sydney? Hand luggage or luggage to check?

15 minutes is leaving it tight with the info around regarding both the way Tiger and Jetstar operate.

 

[11sjw]

Get your son to be there 90min before the flight to ensure he gets on board.

We all know JQ are strict so if you want to fly cheap ensure you meet their requirements re timing and luggage and don't cop any unexpected flight 'enhancements.'

 

[Oneworldplus2]

As others have mentioned, fly Virgin.

 

[yo yo ma]

My 18yo ( inexperienced flyer )...

Experience is what you get when you don't get the result you were after...

 

[harvyk]

Based on the OP's times given I cannot agree with this at all.

I respectfully disagree with you on this harvyk.....

You could be in the line 60 minutes prior and the line still takes you over the cutoff..??

Hey, I don't agree with it either guys, it's just I expect that's what JQ will do \ say.

 

[dfcatch]

Hey, I don't agree with it either guys, it's just I expect that's what JQ will do \ say.

Yep - fair enough too.

But that said - I would think there could be cause for action under the TPA or similar.

Yes - fare conditions state that you have to be checked in by T-30 - but the line, the check in processes, and the speed at which the line moves are JQ's responsibility.

 

[casanovawa]

Are Virgin really that much better??? I don't seem to recall having too many problems with J*, not that i fly them that regularly or arrive that late to the airport, but i still think if your stuck in the line, hard and embarrassing as it may be, you just have to at least step up and ask if you can be processed with priority, probably saves everyone some hassles and take the one or two withering glances...

I don't generally have much time for queue jumpers, but if someone is going to miss their flight i could handle them getting served next (not sure if it was like 10 of them)... Long as it wasn't going to put me in the same boat...

 

[dfcatch]

Long as it wasn't going to put me in the same boat...

well that's the rub isn't it..??

 

[casanovawa]

Well it may be the rub, but if they are screwing the whole line over enough to put many people who had planned adequately in jeopardy (as opposed to the one or two who always push their luck) i think i would be just as inclined to step forward and respectfully suggest that 3 staff at 3 counters will work much better than 3 staff at one counter and if they have a problem (i don't and wouldn't usually do this) maybe take a name or two down just so that i can send the complain to management...

Probably more than a young 18 y/o is capable of...

 

[maninblack]

The OP has not mentioned how many people were in the line in front of his son so we don't have the full picture.

Unfortunately if you fly on Getstuffed Airlines then this sort of thing happens, part of the reason I don't fly'em.

 

[Rick93]

Well, the general sentiment seems to be 'told you so' ... ( beware the DeathStar !! )

Yeah, if I was travelling with him, we would have been sitting in the QC for at least an hour or two prior. ( but he's not a Member )

Anyway, another point, is the T&Cs posted on the J* website. It mentions several times, there are "$50." & "$100." vouchers to be provided as compensation for breaches of their Customer Service charter.

In the end, I still needed to lodge a '15 day' turnaround Feedback / Complaint form.

I am so pis*ed off, I can tell you. But yep, there are so many people saying 'told ya so' ...

GORDO