[lovetravellingoz]

Well I have just returned from Bali..less than happy with Jetstar.....unlike some of the other travel reports on here.

However perhaps one reason is because when they flew the plane was not full.???


Now in the Air all was ok, or as ok as it could be in the circumstances...the problem was that we had upgraded to Starclass for the trip over....on the Jetstar Promo...but on arrival in Sydney was told that only 4 of us could fly in Starclass and 1 had to fly in economy..

& that of the 4 in Starclass only 2 could be together...the other two scattered.

This for a family of 5, with 3 kids !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our little touch of luxury to start the holiday had turned into a complete waste of money.



..........all this after having bought the original flights back in the original July launch. The upgrade to Starclass Promo were bought back in January.

At that time the Staclass cabin was virtually empty.

As little as a fornight before flying the Starclass cabin was only showing half full. The economy section also showed as only half full.

Now some more background....we flew from Melbourne on QANTAS as part of the airfare booked through Jetstar. However unlike others who have reported on here, that while they checked our bags through.....they refused to issue Boarding passes for the JQ37 flight.

My wife and I are also both QANTAS Club members...though this is probably not relevant..except that we checked in via the QC desk.



In Sydney on arrival after having to join the queue again..which still had people waiting in the queue...but initially oddly kept letting people go past them. We later discovered that they were families of staff waiting for last minute seats..if any.

We were then advised that we could not all fly Starclass...and that one person had been "bumped done".

The Jetstar rep kept stating that we had to be there 2 hours prior (which in fact is not the case...and quite frankly impossible for interstate tranfers such as us).

Also note here that were originally had booked a flight at 12 noon for a 6pm deaprture as that was all I could get in the launch sale)..but that Jetstar had later moved this to 2:30pm fora 5;45pm connection. Also note that in Sydney that one has to get a bus from the Domestic Airport to the International...).

Result is that interstate connections get in AFTER all the Sydney people have checked in.

Now we flew Easter school Holidays..so the flight was full.

The Jetsar families waiting to fly (School Holiday demand I guess ) ensured that every seat was full.

Naturally I tried to insist that we get 5 seats in starclass..but was told all seats had been issued..and that only 4 plus 1 in economy was left..that was it.

Now naturally I was not at all happy...but accepting that this was going to be all that we could get I then asked what was going to happen about the Bumped down fair.

I was told again that we should have checked in 2 hours ago!!!!!!!!!!!!

I reminded the check in person that the starclass fair was an extra cost to an economy ticket and asked what was going to happen about this..

I was told..quote unquote "You will have to take it up with them".

I asked who "them" was and advised the check in staff that "them" was Jetsra and hence surely her as their representatitive as I had made my booking online direct with Jetstar and there was no third party.

She then said that my fare was only a Starclass Promo....

I asked her what the relevance of that was as it still meant that I had paid extra to fly Starclass and now was not being given that option and so therefore some form of compensation should suely being offered.

She refused to give any further comment on the issue.

Flight was now boarding so we had to depart.

On the flight we spoke with a Queensland couple who had arrived on a Jetstaar connection not long before us.

They had 2 tickets in Starclass but were seated apart...but had managed to get them put together.



So two things:

1/ IF you are flying Jetstar with an interstae connection...at a peak time when the interantional flight is likely to be full do not allow Jetstar to book you on flights with minimum flight connections as they take no account of this...and will issue your seats to those in the departing city first despite the fact you may have effectively checked in well before them!!!!!!!!!


2/ How do forumites recommend I go about getting some form of compensation for the Starclass upgrade that I was denied?

I am mightily annoyed that we had one seat bumped down..but evcen more annoyed that there was no compensation offered for the downgrade even when I asked what compensation would be given.



PS Purely as speculation as the body language of the Jetstar check in staff was odd..and with the people waiting around who were later identified (we asked them who they were and they told us)... I think a bit of funny business was going on witha big priority for them being to get as many family of Jetstar staff on the flight as possible.

a fortnight prior...the plane was showing half empty.....so they must have hada large sudden upsurge in ticket sales??????? possible being school holidays I guess.

Even at the boarding gate there was a mother and daughter that we knew to be staff-family who were told to wait till last to board.

[d15.in.oz]

What a sad, and unfortunate event. I know how much everyone would have been looking forward to their little touch of luxury! (Especially given the price you paid for the upgrade.)

Originally Posted by lovetravellingoz

I am mightily annoyed that we had one seat bumped down…

I was bumped down once on a QF flight a few years ago, and I too was mightily annoyed, particularly as I had my J boarding pass in my hand.In my case, a reasonably worded complaint, addressed to the CEO of QAN, elicited an acceptable response from their customer care team.

Originally Posted by lovetravellingoz

As little as a fornight before flying the Starclass cabin was only showing half full. The economy section also showed as only half full…

The JQ website only shows seating for those passengers that have chosen to pre-request an allocation. There are many other passengers, who will be on a flight, who have not done so, and will have their seating allocated at check-in.

Originally Posted by lovetravellingoz

My wife and I are also both QANTAS Club members...though this is probably not relevant..except that we checked in via the QC desk…

Unfortunately you can only check-in for JQ (domestic flights) without checked baggage, in the QP. (You can’t use the QP check-in counters, in the check-in area either.) So, when flying JQi, all of us (ex CL) must use the appropriate JQi queue.

Originally Posted by lovetravellingoz

I was told..quote unquote "You will have to take it up with them"…

I think you were dealing with SYD T1 QF contracted staff - surely the most surly customer service staff in Australia, rather than JQ staff.

Originally Posted by lovetravellingoz

Even at the boarding gate there was a mother and daughter that we knew to be staff-family who were told to wait till last to board…

That is probably because they will be the first ones kicked off the flight, if it is oversold and someone with a regular ticket turns up.

[lovetravellingoz]

Originally Posted by d15.in.oz

Unfortunately you can only check-in for JQ (domestic flights) without checked baggage, in the QP. (You can’t use the QP check-in counters, in the check-in area either.) So, when flying JQi, all of us (ex CL) must use the appropriate JQi queue.

.

Thanks for your reply....

The first flight was on QF metal...

Just to clarify we checked in at the Qantas Club Check in Queue outside....and not in the QP pub itself.

I had understood from others that they had checked in here and received Boarding passes for Sydney JQ...but maybe not????




Your insight into the check in staff being contract staff......explains the "them" comment I guess....though still very poor customer service.

[d15.in.oz]

Originally Posted by lovetravellingoz

I had understood from others that they had checked in here and received Boarding passes for Sydney JQ...

Well I would hope that you could…particularly if JQi wants to be taken seriously with interlining.

I reckon, JQi uses antiquated (read cheap) software for check-in, and that is what limits our abilities to check-in at locations that would seem more reasonable from a QAN, loyal, passenger’s perspective. Of course, I hope to be proven wrong, as it would mean an easier time for me to check-in as well!

I figure there are basically two ways to operate a large airline these days (without going into detail they are) –

• Hub & Spoke – aimed at premium and discount passengers
• Point to Point – aimed at those in-between

These two strategies adhered to, should perform well in the market against most others. Problem is when you try to combine them, what is a cost saving in one model becomes a burden in the other. J

[lovetravellingoz]

So does anyone have any advice on how to best approach JetStar for some form of compensation???

I will be writing to them....but am interested in any advice before I do...

Thanks.

[Mal]

A few things in their Terms of Carriage which are applicable:

Jetstar - Conditions of Carriage

If we need to ask you to downgrade your class of travel for any reason, we will:

* Provide you with an appropriate refund of the fare difference (or frequent flyer points if applicable); or
* Provide you with a reasonable alternative flight on our services.

8.1 Check-in Deadline

For Domestic Carriage, check in will close 30 minutes before scheduled departure and for International Carriage, 60 minutes before scheduled departure.

See also Jetstar - Recommended Connection Times and Baggage Transfers where there recommendations are for connect times.

The Jetstar complaints process is drawn out from all accounts I've heard. Try writing to Alan Joyce (CEO) at their GPO address Jetstar - Contact us and get one of his underlings to deal with the issue. I can't find any names for the heads of Jetstar departments, otherwise I'd recommend writing to someone more responsible for passengers.

You're definately entitled to a refund of the difference you paid so I would keep hammering them for it. Doubt you'll get anything more from Jetstar.

[lovetravellingoz]

Thanks Mal...

It is useful to have something exact to quote...and yes I was just going to ask for the difference....which is basically what I asked for on the day.


I think in part the trouble was that the check in staff (contact???) simply did not know what the policy should be....hence their response...."take it up with them..."


However even if they had no clue...a reasonable person should have indicated that they would have someone get back to me on it.


Their only interest (there were others..) was to knock off as soon as possible.

[markis10]

Jetstar Staff

Customer relationships manager, Susan Young
Alan Joyce, Chief Executive
Bruce Buchanan, Commercial Director
Rohan Gernett, Customer Services Director
Terry Bowen, Finance Director
Trevor Jensen, Technical Operations Director

[Platy]

Sounds very much to me like Jetstar have decided to give preference to STAFF in the Starclass seats.

This happens on Qantas too although it is not supposed to.

I have had situations with QF where SUBLOAD staff have been given preference to me as a FULL FARE paying business class passenger (ie can't buy a ticket in J and then find staff in were in J).

(Subload staff are travelling at their own time and expense and are supposed to be the last to get their setas at check in - DUTY staff are being transferred and may be entitled to travel J as part of their job - I have seen 13 seats taken up by duty staff in J on a MEL-SYD 767)

I have also had situations where I cannot get an on departure upgrade and found there to be subload staff in J.

And I have also found staff to get the best seats in J.

Perhaps Jetstar is allowing preference to duty staff as well as QF and hence???

If you can't get sense from Jetstar go to the media.

[NM]

Originally Posted by Platy

Sounds very much to me like Jetstar have decided to give preference to STAFF in the Starclass seats.

The OP made no claim that staff or their families had taken any Star Class seats, just that being school holiday time there was a significant number of people on staff travel that resulted in the flight being completely full.

Originally Posted by Platy

I have had situations with QF where SUBLOAD staff have been given preference to me as a FULL FARE paying business class passenger (ie can't buy a ticket in J and then find staff in were in J).

This certainly can happen. It all depends on the timing of when you tried to buy the J ticket. At that time, the flight must have been showing no J seats for sale (J0). So you were forced to purchase an economy seat. If sometime after your purchased your Y ticket, one or more of the J ticket holders changed their plans and either cancelled, changed or no-showed, there may be J seats available on the flight. If this happens less than 2 hours before departure, even a waitlist to purchase a J ticket will be too late.

Subload staff can pay for J travel, but are still loaded only on a standby basis. If J is available when the flight closes, they get it. If not, then they go Y or wait for the next flight.

In this situation, what do you expect Qantas to do? Do you expect them to know that you wanted to purchase a J seat and track you down and sell it to you after the flight has closed? That is just not practical.

Originally Posted by Platy

I have also had situations where I cannot get an on departure upgrade and found there to be subload staff in J.

That should not happen and if it has, then you have a valid complaint. How do you know they were subload and not duty staff travellers?