Jetstar "plus bundle" benefits not honoured/offered

[Henk]

I recently traveled SYD-MEL-SYD on a "pus bundle." I chose to pay the extra $35 each way so that I would be able to choose my seat, change flight if necessary and get QF FF SC. I booked my flight, downloaded toe Jetstar app and per-selected my seats. I hate sitting in the middle so I always make sure I select a seat that's not in the middle. Two hours before the flight i was not bale to access my flight on the app to check in. The airport Jetstar kiosk (self-check-in machines) would not let me check in either. At the Jetstar counter I was told that it was a full flight so I was not able to check in myself, which was a strange reason for the electronic system not to work. When I boarded the plane I was surprised to see that my seat changed and now I was allocated a middle seat. My pre-selected seat was probably re-sold again for another $35!

Secondly, the $35 "plus bundle" includes a $5 snack/drink voucher. On the way down to Melbourne the flight attendants did not offer it to me and I simply forgot about it. On the way back same evening i asked about it the the flight attendants took their time to check whether I was really entitled to such voucher. To be honest, it made me feel a little like a thief, as I was waiting for a moment for them to check. Eventually there was this nod of approval and I was rewarded with a cup of coffee- Yuppie!

I don't know whether I am expecting too much for the "extra" that i purchased for $35? In recent months I had acouple of trips on Jetstar Asia between Singapore-Vietnam and the flight attendants first served those who had those "extras" and were entitled to a complementary meal, snack or drink. Only then they would sell food/drinks/snacks to others who were on basic fares. In Australia the focus is on selling stuff and if you attempt to claim your "extra" you will see in the faces of the flight attendants expression of frustration.

 

[samh004]

I find the international/non-Australia staff to be generally pretty good (other than check-in for international in Australia), but the rest appear to have been schooled on how to be mean and cruel to passengers. I tend to expect the least to be pleasantly rewarded.

Did you eventually receive your SC/points?

 

[puppysparkes]

"pus bundle", nailed it. I challenge anyone to come up with a better description.

 

[opusman]

Just don't fly Jetstar. Easy!

 

[puppysparkes]

Just don't fly Jetstar. Easy!

I don't mind them if the flight is less than 3.5 hours, that's my maximum limit in economy.

 

[blackcat20]

I've been denied my onboard voucher before, contacted JQ and got a credit voucher for the same amount (multiplied by the number of pax on the booking).

 

[bsb]

Just don't fly Jetstar. Easy!

it's not like anyone expects Petstar to be any different. They can only surprise you in an upwards direction. Caveat emptor!

 

[ksthommo]

Use the plus bundle for Jetstar CNS/DPS flights. First time around was 40 status credits each way, now down to 25.
Last time heading home we had preordered the meals, flight attendants were dishing out one non veg meal and then one veg meal.
Had a gripe, wanted the non veg meal as preselected, attendant couldn't give a stuff what was selected. Ended up with a $30 Jetstar voucher
after the online response.

 

[Blackswan]

I'd request a refund (not a credit) for the components of the product not provided. If a refund was not forthcoming, I'd lodge a disputed transaction on the credit card used.

 

[moa999]

I've always had the voucher on the boarding pass as V05A (for A$5 for example). In most cases the staff have prompted but not always

 

[moffat39]

I find the international/non-Australia staff to be generally pretty good (other than check-in for international in Australia), but the rest appear to have been schooled on how to be mean and cruel to passengers. I tend to expect the least to be pleasantly rewarded.

Did you eventually receive your SC/points?

My experience is the opposite! Don't get me started on the dreadful service I had on a BNE/DPS return flight recently with the return flight in their so called business class. Cabin crew were not seen after the meal service (during which there was no offer to refill the drink) and not even a water run after the meal.

By contrast the Australian crew on a recent Jetstar return flight between Brisbane and Hobart were great. Had a plus bundle which the crew reminded us of (I had forgotten we each had a $5 voucher) and after we had eaten a few water runs. Status credits posted within a few days.

 

[JohnPhelan]

I'd request a refund (not a credit) for the components of the product not provided. If a refund was not forthcoming, I'd lodge a disputed transaction on the credit card used.

Harder to do that if the flight is six months after the purchase, however ......... (though not impossible, I'll grant you).

My experience is the opposite! Don't get me started on the dreadful service I had on a BNE/DPS return flight recently with the return flight in their so called business class. Cabin crew were not seen after the meal service (during which there was no offer to refill the drink) and not even a water run after the meal.

Not good, I agree, but just press the call bell or walk to the galley.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I am not surprised with the round around the OP got, in regards to JQ.
I flew JQi as a dom pax on an int flight, in J on a SYD - MEL on a 330 about 2 and a bit years back, no welcome drink on boarding that flight, and also plus one of my flights being cancelled on me... no way would I book JQd or JQi again.
I also had high hopes, JQ wise, but while they have low prices for tickets, which are a plus to some, their standards are poor to say the least.
Not to mention about flights being cancelled.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

I will never cease to be amazed at the constant stream of people being surprised at bad customer service from Jetstar.
I am not unsympathetic and I am certainly not defending Jetstar.
But the words "caveat emptor" were never more appropriate.
Their slogan should be:
"Jetstar - you will get nothing - expect less!"

 

[eastwest101]

I recently traveled SYD-MEL-SYD on a "pus bundle." I chose to pay the extra $35 each way so that I would be able to choose my seat, change flight if necessary and get QF FF SC. I booked my flight, downloaded toe Jetstar app and per-selected my seats. I hate sitting in the middle so I always make sure I select a seat that's not in the middle. Two hours before the flight i was not bale to access my flight on the app to check in. The airport Jetstar kiosk (self-check-in machines) would not let me check in either. At the Jetstar counter I was told that it was a full flight so I was not able to check in myself, which was a strange reason for the electronic system not to work. When I boarded the plane I was surprised to see that my seat changed and now I was allocated a middle seat. My pre-selected seat was probably re-sold again for another $35!

So Henk - did the QF points and SCs eventually get credited to your QFF account?

Did you approach JQ later to try to see if you could get some of you plus bundle refunded? I assume the seating re-allocation happened in one direction and not on both JQ flights?

Your experience sounds like two flights possibly got combined into one flight? If this is the case its a great little money spinner as JQ collects two planefuls of seat selection fees and 'bundles' but only provides the allocated seats to one planeload of customers, and generally pockets the value of the other half of the bundles by refusing to refund, hoping people are lazy or by refunding as credit vouchers instread of original payment method.

Haven't flown Jetstar in a while, but is the seat selection fee included in the plus bundle itemized as a separate $$ value anywhere? I though the seat selection fee could also be paid after the original purchase of the fare as a separate transaction and I can see that it seems to be $5 per flight? Correct me if I am wrong. If so - getting a refund for a seat selection not honoured situation could be slightly easier if you really wanted to make the point with a disputed transaction. Seat selection fees are covered in the T&Cs and airlines will frequently resort to their T&Cs in the event of a dispute or request for refund - you can pay for and select any seat that you want, but JQ are under no obligation to put you in that exact same seat, they can put you on a equivalent seat on a different flight at a time of Jetstar's choosing for 'operational reasons'. I would expect that JQ would argue that in your case a normal Y middle seat on a A320 is equivalent to a normal Y aisle seat on an A320 (excluding exit row seats that are sold as extra legroom).

The other reason why Jetstar love these "bundles" and won't "unbundle" them is that airlines sometimes try to argue that if they provide one of the items on the bundle but fail to deliver other parts of the bundle, then the customer has a devil of a time arguing their case for a partial or total refund, because they are all "bundled up" or opaque and as the bundles are charged at the same time as the fare, as one transaction, then the option of a credit card chargeback or dispute is made more difficult because they can tell the credit card provider that they cannot refund the total fare charged to the customer because the customer has flown from A to B and cannot breakdown the refund due into its constituent bundles or component prices. As others have pointed out - bundles and fares can be purchased up to say a year before flying so this delay between the cost of the service being paid and the date of the chargeback or transaction dispute along the lines of "services charged but not provided" introduces some problems.

So in your case, you could try to argue that with the $35 each way 'pus bundle' it would seem that this bundle could be broken down this way (although I expect that you will never get JQ to agree to this)

$5 basic seat selection fee - you could try to argue as not honoured or service not provided
$5 VO5 value of on-board purchase voucher - you could try to argue as not honoured or service not provided
$25 value of QFF SCs. points plus some flexibility in the fare conditions (less fees to change or cancel flight) - unfortunately unable to "unbundle" the cost/value of these components, but from your situation it looks like you didn't need to change flights and I am assuming that you did eventually receive the QFF status credits and points so that simplifies your case a bit. i.e. it looks like you aren't entitled to a refund of these components of the bundle based on the info that you have provided

Good luck trying to explain or argue that with the JQ call centre or online chat methods. If you do decide to pursue it please let us know here how you go in the future, its always interesting to learn if others have successes or failures in cases such as this. Sure in your case it may be a trivial amount of money but its not difficult to imagine where it could be a lot of money for an international flight with multiple passengers.

Or short version - as others have said - caveat emptor.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Eastwest101, I am not sure how anyone is going to succeed when all their call methods go offshore to the Philippines.
There is a (also) a website thats called "Don't Fly Jetstar" and its worth a read. I didn't know that website existed till after my JQd flight got cancelled on me in Dec 15.
In the end, in my case, I just felt that it wasn't worth putting in a claim for the cancelled flight, lucky I had the funds on me to buy a QFd ticket instead.
Best of luck to the OP anyway.

 

[Rick93]

Can anybody advise, can you pay for a 'bundle' AFTER you have made the flight booking ?

 

[serfty]

Can anybody advise, can you pay for a 'bundle' AFTER you have made the flight booking ?

You can't add a "bundle" after booking.

You can only rebook and pay the extra along with the change fee.