Cancelling with Jetstar??

[Rampage]

Posted this on flyertalk.com also.......

I have some tickets SYD->OSAKA with Jetstar (Jetsaver) departing in 2 months.

I am no longer available to fly then. I know its a discount airline, "no refunds", BUT is there anyway to get a refund?

As it stands.. my options:

1. sell to someone else. pay $300? ($75x4) in name change fees + the differences in the airtickets. Don't think anyone would want them as theres another Jetstar sale on now. My 2 return tickets came to about $1800.

2. Change the date (could go in Jan 08), pay $300? change fee and difference in tickets. Would make the trip cost $2800? !!!

3. Cancel, and only get tax back. lose ~$1K.

I had a dispute with Jetstar as when I bought the tickets during a sale, the website was failing, couldn't even view the terms and conditions. I entered my payment information so many times, that by the time it worked I'd missed out on the real cheap tickets (the date of the return flight also got stuffed up during my re-selecting of flights). Their response was more or less bad luck.

Are there any grounds I can claim for a full refund?

Thks.

 

[N860CR]

Do you have insurance? Some policys will payout the full trip cost provided you have a suitable reason. Might be an idea to check if your reason is suitable, then if you don't already have insurance.... Your credit card may also have some kind of insurance built into it

 

[Rampage]

Thanks for the ideas.

I didn't purchase insurance. But wish I could go back and buy it now..

Good idea about the c/c - I'll look into that.

 

[dajop]

I didn't purchase insurance. But wish I could go back and buy it now..

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but with most insurance policies you must have an exceptionally good reason (ie covered reason) with robust evidence to get a insurance to pay out for a self initiated cancellation of travel. Especially on many CC's policies.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but with most insurance policies you must have an exceptionally good reason (ie covered reason) with robust evidence to get a insurance to pay out for a self initiated cancellation of travel. Especially on many CC's policies.

Yup. Insurance isn't to cover where you've changed your mind or slightly inconvenienced (if it did then no one could afford it).

 

[Rampage]

Yup. Insurance isn't to cover where you've changed your mind or slightly inconvenienced (if it did then no one could afford it).

I read one policy that had an example of an acceptable reason being having to do a re-sit of an exam.. But not acceptable was your work suddenly decling you the leave..
Anyway, I'm sure youre right.

 

[SeaWolf]

With JQ is the money actually gone or do you end up with a credit you can spend on another flight, like with DJ?

 

[N860CR]

I don't believe JQ allow you to hold the money in credit. If you have a look on ebay you'll see people often try to flog off flights booked on JQ that they can't take anymore, if you're totally lost for options that may be worth investigating

 

[Rampage]

I don't believe JQ allow you to hold the money in credit. If you have a look on ebay you'll see people often try to flog off flights booked on JQ that they can't take anymore, if you're totally lost for options that may be worth investigating

Yeah theres no credit option.
Well, to transfer a flight to someone else: name change: $75 per flight. So 2 return tickets = $300.
Changing dates of flights.. same again.. so another $300. $600 to transfer to someone who wants to change the dates

+ any fair difference. Given the jetstar sale that is/was on.. it made my tickets relatively worthless after the change fees. Learnt my lesson, won't book Jetstar unless im 200% sure I can go on the date and its super super cheap. For me its better of paying full fare with QAN.

 

[JohnK]

For me its better of paying full fare with QAN.

The good thing about QF is you can cancel the cheapest of cheap airfares. You can use the airfare towards a new airfare withing 12 months of original booking and the only cost is a relatively small amount in cancellation fees.

 

[Rampage]

The good thing about QF is you can cancel the cheapest of cheap airfares. You can use the airfare towards a new airfare withing 12 months of original booking and the only cost is a relatively small amount in cancellation fees.

I guess you get what you pay for. Call me naive, but I thought it pretty unreasonable that with jetstar, even if you transfer tickets to someone, the fair difference to the currently available price must be paid. So you're not even really selling someone YOUR tickets. I guess that is to avoid people buying the tickets up to try and make a profit. The fees and charges seemed excessive. $600 to transfer my tickets+fare difference...

Also having used their website a lot, I've found theres lots of holes that generate an incorrect price, and fees etc. aren't as they should be.

QF, JAL or Cathay Pacific to Japan for me next time.. Would only choose jetstar if it was $600 or less all inclusive.

 

[JohnK]

QF, JAL or Cathay Pacific to Japan for me next time.. Would only choose jetstar if it was $600 or less all inclusive.

I really do feel sorry for you and anyone else in the same situation.

I wouldn't take a JQ ticket if it was given to me for nothing. But unfortunately in a few years time we will not have a choice as most QF domestic/international routes would be JQ operated and managed.

I first worked for a holding company back in 1987 and it wasn't fun then!

 

[Rampage]

I really do feel sorry for you and anyone else in the same situation.

I wouldn't take a JQ ticket if it was given to me for nothing. But unfortunately in a few years time we will not have a choice as most QF domestic/international routes would be JQ operated and managed.

I first worked for a holding company back in 1987 and it wasn't fun then!

Jetstar is really that bad to fly with? Jetstar<Virgin?

Well there will always be the choice of the rival international carriers..

For future reference, does anyone have tips on cheap tickets to Japan ? Are the sales offered by Flight Centre as good as it gets?

 

[Evan]

Japan....

Jetstar to Osaka.
Qantas to Tokyo.
JAL to Tokyo
ANA ?

Anyway the jetstar flight can be cheap at times, but also QF often have a special AU <-> JP around $1200-1300 inc taxes and that can include a domestic leg at either end, so you can fly MEL-SYD-NRT-KIX in theory, but in reality it becomes MEL-SYD-NRT (Train to Henada) and to the Osaka domestic terminal, Itami i think its called. And from the day QF flight you cant make the transfer without overnighting.

All depends where you want to go. No specials on right now, around 1500 inc taxes.
E

 

[Mal]

For future reference, does anyone have tips on cheap tickets to Japan ? Are the sales offered by Flight Centre as good as it gets?

Not really Japan, but American Airlines sometimes has specials to North America via Japan for circa $1200 or so. Stopovers are normally allowed on the way back.

Funny how a flight to the United States via Japan can be cheaper than a flight just to Japan... but that's the way airfares work!

 

[holdenvxman]

I got a return ticket SYD DPS SYD for about $1200 in D class the t&c stated no refund only date chnge - i had mmassive arguments with Jetstar as I had to chnage my tickets due to my wifes health, the 1st person i spoke to was nice and said i would have to pay $150 and I said that was fine and I would call back, when i called back the lady was really rude before I even got a word in and quoted me over $600 to change my tickets, I booked my tickets on my qantas amex ultimate card so I had insurance, I lodged a claim and needed to get something off jetstar (cant remember what). So I called them back and I was a bit hostile on the phone and was saying how I would never fly with them again, anyway she asked me to wait to see if she could do anything, she came back to be after holding about 5 min and changed my dates for free and told me that if i have to change my dates again it would all be done for free and she would leave a note on my booking - I called back the next day and I was shocked there was a note on there.
But I dont think I will book with them again unless I had no other choice

 

[Rampage]

Not really Japan, but American Airlines sometimes has specials to North America via Japan for circa $1200 or so. Stopovers are normally allowed on the way back.

Funny how a flight to the United States via Japan can be cheaper than a flight just to Japan... but that's the way airfares work!

That IS cheap. I agree its strange the way airfares work..

 

[Rampage]

Japan....

Jetstar to Osaka.
Qantas to Tokyo.
JAL to Tokyo
ANA ?

Anyway the jetstar flight can be cheap at times, but also QF often have a special AU <-> JP around $1200-1300 inc taxes and that can include a domestic leg at either end, so you can fly MEL-SYD-NRT-KIX in theory, but in reality it becomes MEL-SYD-NRT (Train to Henada) and to the Osaka domestic terminal, Itami i think its called. And from the day QF flight you cant make the transfer without overnighting.

All depends where you want to go. No specials on right now, around 1500 inc taxes.
E

I've never been able to get cheaper than $1500 or $1600 from SYD-NRT with JAL/Qantas. I'll have to keep a look out for these $1200-1300 fares.. where do you normally hear about them - newpapers, agents, Qantas website?

 

[Rampage]

I got a return ticket SYD DPS SYD for about $1200 in D class the t&c stated no refund only date chnge - i had mmassive arguments with Jetstar as I had to chnage my tickets due to my wifes health, the 1st person i spoke to was nice and said i would have to pay $150 and I said that was fine and I would call back, when i called back the lady was really rude before I even got a word in and quoted me over $600 to change my tickets, I booked my tickets on my qantas amex ultimate card so I had insurance, I lodged a claim and needed to get something off jetstar (cant remember what). So I called them back and I was a bit hostile on the phone and was saying how I would never fly with them again, anyway she asked me to wait to see if she could do anything, she came back to be after holding about 5 min and changed my dates for free and told me that if i have to change my dates again it would all be done for free and she would leave a note on my booking - I called back the next day and I was shocked there was a note on there.
But I dont think I will book with them again unless I had no other choice

Yep, thats what I paid. over $600. $600 for 10 mins of admin work, theyd be laughing. I'll only fly with them if the tickets are dirt cheap, the ~$100 tickets.

 

[straitman]

Yep, thats what I paid. over $600. $600 for 10 mins of admin work, theyd be laughing. I'll only fly with them if the tickets are dirt cheap, the ~$100 tickets.

It's not really $600 for 10 mins work it's what you agreed to in the T & C. You'll find the same issue with all airlines when you book on a discount ticket.

I personally believe they let you off very lightly here. :shock: