Jetstar ranks lowest of more than 70 airlines in major survey by consumer groups

[Melburnian1]

While this survey's respondents did not include residents of any Asian nations - a major omission - and this article does not give full details, it may not come as a great surprise to learn that Jetstar ranked the worst of 73 airlines captured in the responses - to be included, an airline needed to have had more than 100 (survey respondent) passengers travel on it:

https://www.choice.com.au/travel/on...-place-in-international-airline-survey-270417

JQ is a truly terrible airline. Few AFF members appear to regularly use it. For anyone who does their research prior to travel, it's an excellent airline to avoid: even on Australia's busiest air route (Melbourne - Sydney) it has regular problems arriving anywhere near what the timetable states.

QF and VA also received poor ratings.

This release however indicates that airlines (and airports) were included if there were at least 25 responses:

http://www.consumersinternational.o...acing-widespread-delays-and-luggage-problems/

The mention of alleged huge noncompliance of airlines with EU261 in failing to pay passengers whose flights were significantly delayed is interesting - and concerning.

Tigerair (TT) was not included. It would be interesting to know if Scoot (not good for punctuality), Nok Air, Cebu Pacific and the AirAsia brand were included. Ryanair and Easyjet probably were because of the bias towards Euopean respondents.

I will try to find other media releases that cover more fully what airlines were ranked.

 

[Melburnian1]

This article by a Fairfax Media journalist ignores how in the vast majority of recent months, JQ's on time performance has been the worst of Oz's four major domestic airlines. It is unusual for JQ to beat TT in punctuality now, as occurred in March 2017:

'World's worst airline'? No, it's not Jetstar, regardless of what you've heard

TT was once by far the worst airline in Australia for punctuality, but in most months the statistics show it has lifted its game.

JQ's punctuality out of Melbourne around 1000 or 1100 on many weekdays can be terrible. The poor Melbourne T4 does not help, but the arrivals often come in late and lose time on the tarmac, exceeding the timetabled turnaround time.

Comparing JQ to airlines in emerging countries is hardly fair. JQ is a creature of a so-called 'developed country' in Australia, where we expect higher standards.

However the point about the survey not including Asian (or USA) residents in its compilation is fair.

I really don't know why so many patronise JQ when the better TT is available as a generally lower cost alternative on many Australian routes.

Having just scored a business class deal with PR later in the year at a super cheap price, its offering way exceeds JQ's stupidly named 'star class.' PR is only one of many legacy airlines operating ex Australia that can beat JQ by a country mile even in lowly Y class. When one adds all the JQ 'add ons' such as paying additionally for checked baggage and meals, its fares are often no cheaper than legacy airlines on major routes such as MEL - SIN.

 

[dougieboy]

Whilst not a comprehensive analysis and somewhat flawed in terms of leaving out major competitors in that assessment, I nonetheless smiled with glee when I flicked on the Sky News channel only to be greeted with the vision of a Jetstar airplane taxiing above the caption 'Worst airline in the world'. In the world! This confirms my own qualitative analysis but it is always great to back that up with some cold hard facts, that quantifiable data that shouts out from the rooftops of Australian households to overflying Jetstar aircraft; use this as feedback for your processes, feed it in, take it on board and lift your game!

 

[JohnK]

I used to wholeheartedly agree with the worst airline tag for JQ but have mellowed in my old age. I like Tiger and I've had one flight with them this year SYD-BNE but the were late. Not really good enough when I have other plans.

I really don't know why so many patronise JQ when the better TT is available as a generally lower cost alternative on many Australian routes.

Here is one reason.

I'm travelling on 12 May BNE-SYD on the 6:05pm and returning 14 May SYD-BNE on the 6:00pm. I need to book flights for wife and daughter.

Outbound QF is $163, VA is $149, JQ is $105 + $5 for seat but is 40 minutes earlier, TT is $99 but is 2 hours later but here is the catch. They want $30 for my daughter to sit on my wife's lap. Sorry that is ridiculous. Leaning towards JQ (Yes asking for trouble) but QF flight 30 minutes earlier is $141. That's still a huge difference in airfare.

Inbound QF is $163, VA is $179, TT is $119 + $30 for daughter + seat selection + convenience fee, JQ is $135 + $5 seat but 40 minutes later. How can I book TT?

There are lots of factors to consider when booking flights. When QF and VA were sub $100 for airfares TT and JQ were not in the equation. I don't want to pay $163 for a 1 hour flight. $326 for the weekend? Too much. I need to try and save as much as I can. I'm going to have to fly less. I can't see any other way.

 

[yohy?!]

anything that makes JQ think they need to lift their game is a good thing, year by year they appear to be trying to beat Ryanair in a race to the bottom

 

[dajop]

One thing, the survey methodology seems it could be biased towards negative outcomes. If it is voluntary, it is natural that people with a negative things to report are more likely to respond ... the survey reports "1 in 10" with lost or damaged luggage, which seems awfully high. But it is 1 in 10 who voluntarily responded. A bit like many web polls.

 

[Melburnian1]

One thing, the survey methodology seems it could be biased towards negative outcomes. If it is voluntary, it is natural that people with a negative things to report are more likely to respond ... the survey reports "1 in 10" with lost or damaged luggage, which seems awfully high. But it is 1 in 10 who voluntarily responded. A bit like many web polls.

Fair enough, but the key is that of those Australians who responded, JQ was ranked much lower than QF and VA.

 

[mannej]

Fair enough, but the key is that of those Australians who responded, JQ was ranked much lower than QF and VA.

Which was 6% of the 11000 (I.e a very small section).

Be interesting to see if they weighted each region or just used the raw data.

 

[RooFlyer]

According to this seeming Jetstar apologist article,

Conducted by consumer groups around the world, including Australia's Choice, it turns out passengers from just eight countries were surveyed: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

No one from the US, Britain or anywhere in Asia or Africa was surveyed, which means many key airlines were likely underrepresented (such as the aforementioned United and Ryanair). And in Australia not enough respondents had flown Tigerair for the budget carrier to be included.

If that is true, then the survey is precisely worthless.

 

[Melburnian1]

...Be interesting to see if they weighted each region or just used the raw data.

The impression I get is that the date was not weighted.

That notwithstanding, it's interesting that the results (particularly in regard to JQ) correlate with many other sources: AFF and the longer term BITRE statistics (not just March 2017 punctuality figures) to name two.

TT had a shockingly bad reputation a small number of years ago: it still lacks perfection (it can run badly late at times, and has begun to use smaller 100 seat F100s from Alliance Airlines on quite a few flights) but from observation, JQ has an extremely poor timekeeping record at present.

 

[Blackswan]

Flew JQ for the first time in approximately 5 years last weekend. Only reason was the direct flight between PER and OOL. Staff were rude, expensive food options, return flight delayed due to faulty overhead bin - which ended up being taped shut.

Not surprised with the ranking.

 

[mannej]

According to this seeming Jetstar apologist article,



If that is true, then the survey is precisely worthless.

Here is a list of the number of respondents. If the survey wasn't weighted it's not surprising how bad the Australian airlines went.

 

[burmans]

Sure, we know all surveys are inherently flawed, nevertheless this seems a somewhat better designed than many. Loved the comment by Jetstar that "Weather is often the source of delays".

Sure and other airlines don't have cough weather sometimes. Would have thought North American and European countries have bigger weather problems in winter than the occasional thunderstorm.

 

[Melburnian1]

Interesting that the postal response rate was either equal to or better than the emailed response rate in all cases where both methods were used. This is a point Australia Post has correctly identified in its advertising. Many of us take more notice of mail than of emails, as we get so many of the latter.

Generally in market research a five per cent response rate is considered excellent, so the percentage who replied here - while not stunning - was fairly good.

 

[dajop]

I'm actually not surprised Jetstar is rated so lowly. But it could also be a function of expectations. I know if I travel in Europe or US, I have much lower expectations that travelling in Australia or SE Asia. Maybe participants from Australia had higher expectations to begin with than participants from the other countries.

 

[travelislife]

I used to wholeheartedly agree with the worst airline tag for JQ but have mellowed in my old age. I like Tiger and I've had one flight with them this year SYD-BNE but the were late. Not really good enough when I have other plans.


Here is one reason.

I'm travelling on 12 May BNE-SYD on the 6:05pm and returning 14 May SYD-BNE on the 6:00pm. I need to book flights for wife and daughter.

Outbound QF is $163, VA is $149, JQ is $105 + $5 for seat but is 40 minutes earlier, TT is $99 but is 2 hours later but here is the catch. They want $30 for my daughter to sit on my wife's lap. Sorry that is ridiculous. Leaning towards JQ (Yes asking for trouble) but QF flight 30 minutes earlier is $141. That's still a huge difference in airfare.

Inbound QF is $163, VA is $179, TT is $119 + $30 for daughter + seat selection + convenience fee, JQ is $135 + $5 seat but 40 minutes later. How can I book TT?

There are lots of factors to consider when booking flights. When QF and VA were sub $100 for airfares TT and JQ were not in the equation. I don't want to pay $163 for a 1 hour flight. $326 for the weekend? Too much. I need to try and save as much as I can. I'm going to have to fly less. I can't see any other way.

I hope you do JQ price beat for that last flight. Makes the JQ one $107.

 

[bsb]

Read this article from Ben Sandilands

https://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2017/04/28/jetstar-v-choice-pox-houses/

I'm no apologist of Petstar, but IMHO there are FAR worse airlines out there. Australians have extremely high expectations for airlines, which I think skews any real comparison.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Read this article from Ben Sandilands

https://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2017/04/28/jetstar-v-choice-pox-houses/

I'm no apologist of Petstar, but IMHO there are FAR worse airlines out there. Australians have extremely high expectations for airlines, which I think skews any real comparison.

I rarely agree with Ben Sandimans, but on this one his points of argument are respectable.
Choice, have collaborated some truely flawed statistics that are not indicative of all the global aviation players.

Needless to say, Jetstar need to take a good hard look at their service proposition.
My biggest bug-bear is on the rare occasion, I need to call the Manilla based Call centre.
It's so frustrating when you go around in circles explaining on the phone a particular problem or question to Incompetent and truely rude call centre agents.
Whoever JQ have outsourced the Manilla based call centre out to, needs to urgently evaluate the contract and potentially outsource to someone else.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

Flew JQ for the first time in approximately 5 years last weekend. Only reason was the direct flight between PER and OOL. Staff were rude, expensive food options, return flight delayed due to faulty overhead bin - which ended up being taped shut.

Recently flew JQ domestic for the first time. Price was great, slimline self-serve kiosk issued a cardboard BP (unlike the much larger Qantas kiosks), leg room was fine and the flight arrived 10+ minutes early.

Not surprised with the ranking.

I'm not surprised either

 

[NZflygirl]

I've only flown JQ a couple of times (was aiming for 3 but mechanical issues interfered and flight postponed til next day with no alternatives to get out), but of the 2 times I did get to fly them they were ok. In fact Ho Chi Minh to Danang was one of the best flights I've ever taken (apart from the very early departure). Flight maybe one third full max, exit seats allocated, smooth flight, and quite possibly my best landing - smooth as a baby's bottom! Don't remember much about service but certainly wasn't poor.

Rightly or wrongly I also associate them with Qantas from a safety perspective. I'm hoping their maintenance is done by the same people. (Although a friend did tell me a story about QF's maintenance so she refuses to fly QF).

I won't go near Air Asia or many other Asian carriers purely from a perceived safety point of view.

JQ is not my worst ranking airline.