Is this normal for Jetstar schedule changes?!

[Rebekkap]

I know this is my fault for booking anything with Jetstar, but in pursuit of cheap status credits I am headed to the US on Jetstar MEL-SYD (starter max) then SYD-HNL in business max.

Original flights were booked for 30 April. 12.30pm flight to SYD giving me plenty of time to sample the delights of the first lounge before boarding 6pm flight to HNL.

Received an email from them today with no word about changes, just a header that says "Your self check in details"

Luckily I had a closer look before tagging it as related to my trip and moving on... My 12.30pm flight had been moved to 7.30am. I thought that was a bit long a wait in Sydney even for someone who appreciates lounging time (plus I don't really want to start my holiday by getting up at god knows what o'clock), so started jotting down some details so I had them on hand to call Jetstar and get the flight moved.

Then I noticed they hadn't just moved the MEL-SYD leg, they'd moved all the flights to 1 MAY. What the hell?

I have a night booked at the hilton and then flights originating in HNL the next day to do a fairly long-winded status run on AA with non-flexible first class flights!

I called led them, and they told me this whole schermozzle has happened because the MEL-SYD flight I was on was cancelled.

What is wrong with Jetstar's systems that they didn't just move me either to 11.30am or 1pm the same day but instead moved my whole itinerary by a day and my flight to one five hours earlier on the wrong day?!?

And what's wrong with their communication protocols that they don't feel the need to advise customers when their flights have been changed? Other airlines email you to tell you your itinerary has been changed. Lucky I was paying attention or I would have turned up at the airport a day early (and no doubt 1F would have been taken...)

 

[RooFlyer]

Sympathy ... but as you say, its "your fault" for booking Jetstar. (No, not really, but that's why Jetstar is my "airline of last resort" (Tiger being simply unimaginable) and I'd never go JQ international.)

Its simply "Jetstar." The Orange Cancer.

 

[Rebekkap]

Sympathy ... but as you say, its "your fault" for booking Jetstar. (No, not really, but that's why Jetstar is my "airline of last resort" (Tiger being simply unimaginable) and I'd never go JQ international.)

Its simply "Jetstar." The Orange Cancer.

I knew (sort of) what I was getting myself into, but the cost per status credit is a LOT less than flying QF J to the US!

I will be keeping a much closer eye on anything they email me. But I was trying to work out whether this is their common practice, or whether something went extra wrong - if it's their common practice, it's astoundingly bad.

 

[eastwest101]

They are still selling numerous flights on the JQ web site MEL-SYD with times that would be more convenient for you. I would screen shot this for a start. I suspect something strange with your HNL flight may be going on, or just some sort of glitch with the JQ system? Which exact flight # were you originally booked on? Check if it really is a Starter Max bundle for the MEL-SYD leg, if so you can change flights for free without penalty, if your SYD-HNL is really Business Max then you can change this as well. Check that they haven't "forgotten" your bundles, and expect that the JQ call centre people may try to charge you anyway. Check, double check and screen capture everything.

I was just wondering if you were you booked on a scheduled JQ B787 service by any chance? Either for the MEL-SYD or the SYD-HNL leg? There is no way that JQ should be able to get any money out of you, but keep us informed of what they say. If no joy - consider disputing the transaction with your credit card provider and rebooking. You might have to work hard to get those original booking honoured and you may have to work to get those SCs!

Until we know otherwise, we can just attribute this to incompetence rather than malignant intent, but it is a shocking way to treat existing bookings. If ozbeachbabe chimes in later on - take her advice - she is the expert on this stuff more than me.

 

[Rebekkap]

They are still selling numerous flights on the JQ web site MEL-SYD with times that would be more convenient for you. I would screen shot this for a start. I suspect something strange with your HNL flight may be going on, or just some sort of glitch with the JQ system? Which exact flight # were you originally booked on? Check if it really is a Starter Max bundle for the MEL-SYD leg, if so you can change flights for free without penalty, if your SYD-HNL is really Business Max then you can change this as well. Check that they haven't "forgotten" your bundles, and expect that the JQ call centre people may try to charge you anyway. Check, double check and screen capture everything.

I was just wondering if you were you booked on a scheduled JQ B787 service by any chance? Either for the MEL-SYD or the SYD-HNL leg? There is no way that JQ should be able to get any money out of you, but keep us informed of what they say. If no joy - consider disputing the transaction with your credit card provider and rebooking. You might have to work hard to get those original booking honoured and you may have to work to get those SCs!

Until we know otherwise, we can just attribute this to incompetence rather than malignant intent, but it is a shocking way to treat existing bookings. If ozbeachbabe chimes in later on - take her advice - she is the expert on this stuff more than me.

They fixed it right away when I called - and they're definitely max bundles and still say so! They didn't try to charge me, and they've switched it all back to the right day and the 1.05pm flight to Sydney. Both are airbus flights - A320 to SYD and then A330 to HNL.

I'm just trying to work out if it's systemic or just a one-off incompetence.

 

[mannej]

They fixed it right away when I called - and they're definitely max bundles and still say so! They didn't try to charge me, and they've switched it all back to the right day and the 1.05pm flight to Sydney. Both are airbus flights - A320 to SYD and then A330 to HNL.

I'm just trying to work out if it's systemic or just a one-off incompetence.

I'd say systematic - I've had something similar happen and it was fixed quite easily.

 

[Anna]

If you mean cancelling flights and then stuffing pax around, yes it is systematic.

 

[eastwest101]

They fixed it right away when I called - and they're definitely max bundles and still say so! They didn't try to charge me, and they've switched it all back to the right day and the 1.05pm flight to Sydney. Both are airbus flights - A320 to SYD and then A330 to HNL.

Glad to hear you got it sorted out - I am sure you will keep a close eye out on your bookings anyway!

 

[Rebekkap]

If you mean cancelling flights and then stuffing pax around, yes it is systematic.

That I had gathered from the various posts about them here and elsewhere I meant specifically whether moving flights by 24 hours in response to a flight being cancelled that could easily be rebooked an hour earlier or later on the same day is a systemic issue.

 

[Rebekkap]

Glad to hear you got it sorted out - I am sure you will keep a close eye out on your bookings anyway!

Thanks - and thanks for the comprehensive advice in your previous post too

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Have always been notified by both SMS and email when JQ have changed schedules even by 5 minutes

 

[Rebekkap]

Finally got an email advising me of schedule changes - on 4 April! Luckily with my updated flights in as the change, not the original change.

They have some very strange system anomolies going on there!