Jetstar weight limits - where's my credit!

[Dave Noble]

Is this correct Serfty? - I have an xONE4 in planning that currently does not include Nth America (though this could change).

You have to visit areas 1-2-3. You can visit either or both of North America / South America, so you are fine in planning one that does not go to North America

Dave

 

[browski]

Why is it Petty? If the allowance is 20Kg, then 20Kg it is, not 23Kg

If they are being consistent in the application of the charges, I dont see anything really wrong

Dave

Dave before you get so defensive, this thread was never about if Jetstar were RIGHT or WRONG to apply their own rules. It was about if they were mean spirited.
It's petty Dave because it fits in with the definition of "Petty". Not that hard to understand really:
PETTY:
a) mean or ungenerous in small or trifling things: a petty person.
OR
b) showing or caused by meanness of spirit: a petty revenge.

To a certain extent you are being petty in your defence of Jetstar.
I was perhaps being petty in bringing up this topic at all.......

 

[serfty]

Is this correct Serfty? - I have an xONE4 in planning that currently does not include Nth America (though this could change).

Sorry, I was being too specific and tripped up. ANY Itineraries with travel to/from North or South America , US Territories or Tahiti use the piece system. Since an xONEx must include travel to and from North and/or South America the piecve system would apply.

FWIW, the xONEx rules are into a bit of redundancy by being specific: "the piece system applies to passengers travelling on a oneworld Explorer fare".

 

[Platy]

There's also a point where petty becomes pedantic. Consider, for example, the question of the accuracy of the scales at the check in counters for Deathstar. At 20kg, a 5% inaccuracy (over-estimate) equals one kilo or potentially a $7 surcharge - a 10% inaccuracy 2kg or $14, etc.

Obviously the heavier the bags, the greater the excess kilos and bigger discrepancy (up or down) on the weight measured.

So...it might be wise for the airline to permit a certain degree of leeway. Can you imagine them being forced to reveal the accuracy of their scales and then it transpiring they are inaccurate/inconsistent?!

Personally, if they were trying to sting me for a kilo or two overweight I would chellenge them on the accuracy of their scales.

Of course, I probably wouldn't be in that situation in the first place!!!

 

[Febs]

Why is it Petty? If the allowance is 20Kg, then 20Kg it is, not 23Kg

If they are being consistent in the application of the charges, I dont see anything really wrong

Dave

While it's in their T&C's, and is certainly not "wrong", I do agree that it's petty and think there could be some discretion applied in certain cases.

Why?
- A gold QFF'er is obviously someone who flies often. Being charged for something a small as 3kg, especially when they're used to an increased baggage allowance, would seem like an insult, and may push them to a carrier like Virgin Blue for future trips.
- No matter the relationship between QF and JQ, there's a perception amongst many that they're closely related, including sharing of benefits.
- (Beating a dead horse here, but) what if passenger A's bag is 23kg, and he/she weighs 75kg, while passenger B's bag is 20kg, but he weighs 105kg? Who's using more than their fair share there?

I just think this is one of those cases where discretion could, and should, be applied, in favour of the frequent flyer who, in reality, really hasn't exceeded the limits too much.

 

[oz_mark]

Personally, if they were trying to sting me for a kilo or two overweight I would chellenge them on the accuracy of their scales.

Of course, I probably wouldn't be in that situation in the first place!!!

I once asked about the accuracy of the scales, and was informed that they are regularly checked the same as any other commercail scales.

 

[moa999]

A gold QFF'er is obviously someone who flies often.

Gold to QF, not necessarily to JQ who operate under a separate budget and no doubt pay QF/QFF money when a customer accrues SC/pts on a JQ flight.

Will be interesting to see if and when JQ launches its supposed FF program whether high tiers get looked after better and whether there is any linkage/ status sharing JQFF/QFFF

 

[wallacej]

I once asked about the accuracy of the scales, and was informed that they are regularly checked the same as any other commercail scales.

Maybe slightly OT here, but I understand that each state has different rules that apply to weights and measures. A national standard is soon to be adopted.

In the past there was a team of people that would visit places that had commercial scales (fruit shops, butchers, and I guess airports etc..). If the scales were faulty a notice was issued and the owner had x time to rectify. No real fines were issued unless repeat offences occured.

The new rules place the onus squarely on the operator to ensure accuracy. If the scales are inaccurate in the future very hefty fines will apply...

Back to your original posting....

 

[garyjohn951]

back in March while flying Newcastle to Melbourne, with 1 JQ desk open, I was worried about the two bakgs we had so I went to the second closed counter and quietly weighted them. 1 was 21kg and the second 19kg.

When we checked in at the other counter, 1 was 19kg and the other 17kg.

Wonder when they checked them for accuracy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[pauly7]

Its kind of funny, because I know J* are quite strict, I always pack to the 20kg, and thus have never been fined (the wife was 22kg once but that was ignored by the JQ check in staff - so it does happen).

QF I continually check in over the limit, never been an issue .

Virgin are a bit inconsitsant, 2 flights I have been charged (for being 2 and 5 kg over respectively)

 

[MelUser]

I think you would have reason to be especially annoyed if you had a full fare Jetstar ticket (Jet Flex I think they're called) and they charged you for being 5 kg over. IMHO, I think it's fair enough (or should that be fare enough!) if you have a $69 fare to be charged for excess luggage. It's all about perception and not feeling "ripped off".

 

[Commuter]

Quite a few LCCs in Europe charge for ANY checked-in luggage, so I am grateful that we still have 20kg 'included' at Jetstar. The strange thing about some of the LCCs in Europe is that it's 20kg blanket limit per person on the total checked-in bags, regardless of how many bags you pay for. I don't know how much extra they charge for being above 20kg total, but that seems quite weird and complicated.

Anyway, I haven't had any opportunity (??) to fly on Jetstar or Virgin lately, so I can't comment on their recent overweight bag policy, but when I was overweight on Jetstar they didn't even seem to have noticed.

I do get a bit annoyed when I'm flying on QF flight out of LHR and the BA check-in staff doing the QF flight tries to take away my 15kg extra allowance, however... (I don't seem to be the only one who suffered this, either).