Jetstar - why would anyone bother?

[anat0l]

Jeeez I think some of you guys really don't have a lot of consideration for those who don't fly all of the time.

The problem is that the OP is quite well traveled. After all, they did make the effort to list all the airlines they've traveled before, before concluding that of all of those JQ is the absolute worst of them all.

Even if it's a case of "even monkeys fall from trees", then the title of this thread is rather inappropriate. It would be appropriate if the OP had a genuine case of JQ doing the wrong thing against them, when in reality perhaps the only thing JQ did wrong was that they were quite cold in not helping them after they made a mistake.

As I've said, I maintain no mantle for JQ - they are not the best or even in the top 50 of any airline ranking I care name - but credit where credit is due and criticism where criticism is due. In this case, the OP made a fundamental mistake which lead to their misfortunes later. That is, in my opinion, primarily their fault, not JQ's, and, if we should argue it a bit more precisely, their travel agent.

As they say, if you make a mistake, suck it up, learn and move on. But don't blame others for your own misdoings. I've made flying mistakes before which have cost me hundreds of dollars. In some cases it took some time for me to realise it was my mistake, but I didn't end up blasting a company or some other individual for it - it wasn't their fault for my oversight, even if such oversight is due to complacency or naivety.

I'm not sure I would have checked for the International Terminal if the flight had been booked through a TA.

So this is the prerogative of the TA to make sure the passenger is aware of this, and / or it relies on the passenger reading their printed itinerary from the TA. I don't know about your TAs, but when I last received an itinerary for a booking I made through a TA, for every flight the departure terminal was indicated. (Not that I didn't know already, but this is of course very helpful for people, especially when you have situations where there are several terminals and a transfer across terminals is needed). For example, I booked a flight with Student Flights last year, and one flight item from my itinerary goes like this:

MONDAY      SINGAPORE AIRLINES             FLIGHT SQ 638     CONFIRMED
25 OCT 10   - DEPART   - SINGAPORE/CHANGI INTL A    2345     NON-STOP
                         [B]Terminal: TERMINAL 3[/B]
26 OCT 10   - ARRIVE   - TOKYO/NARITA               0750     07HRS 05MINS
                         [B]Terminal: TERMINAL 1[/B]
            - AIRCRAFT - AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A380-800 PASSENGER
            - CLASS    - ECONOMY

(emphasis is added by me)

Even a checkmytrip.com printout gives terminal information, which some TAs use as de facto itineraries when they print something for a customer. I will admit some TAs don't give terminal information, for example if you book through American Express TravelKey (in fact, you don't even see any terminal information in the booking screens). This isn't good at all, so if the OP did have a situation like this then there is definitely room for much frustration. But this still doesn't make it 100% JQ's fault.

Clearly the OP was frustrated and letting off some steam. (Haven't we all done that? I know there are a few posts here I regret.* ) Surely with the collective knowledge here we can point him in the right direction without all of the criticism?

*Apologies to QFSCA for my rant about NGCI in particular.

Had the OP started more diplomatically (especially given it took the 2nd posting until we understood what had happened), I think this thread would've assumed a much different tone, perhaps closer to what you are looking for.

But when someone barges into the room with guns all a-blazing, you don't just gently stand up and walk towards them, because you're going to get shot.

 

[mannej]

I think there are a few factors here at play. Most importantly I see the OP and the TA as the two who should be answering the questions here:
- The TA should have noted to the OP about the different departure terminal, after all what is the percentage of domestic flights that leave from the international terminal?
- The OP should have read the fine print. Maybe this would have stopped the first drama in the first place.
- If the fare was a Jetsaver (light), then JQ were within their rights not to offer any other options. Flexibility comes with a price.

I actually do not see a problem with the way JQ handled this one (*pending fare type). If you were on a cheap Jetsaver fare, then unfortunately the most you can do is sit out the few hours and wait for your flight to depart.

I think your TA's saving grace is getting you a refund, as I question the entitlement to one, and I feel that this one is best put down to experience (and read the fine print)

 

[Travel Guru]

If the TA has taken a service charge for booking this flight, which I suspect they have given its zero commission and only a fool would take on the risk of booking a LCC for nothing then your anger needs to be directed towards your TA not JQ, your TA is the one who didn't earn their service charge by adequately informing you of the departure terminal.

As a TA, I'll back another TA when someones having an inappropriate swipe at them, but I'll also be the first to point out when one of them has done a lousy job.

I'd recommend finding a new TA if I was you (given your OP, I'm not him!)

After all, if your TA forgot to put a meal request in (on a full service flight), would you sit and blame the airline for failing to load it? I didn't think so.

As for JQ being unwilling to move you to an earlier flight, it's a low cost carrier, you get what you pay for, either you need to cough up (for a flexible ticket) or you need to toughen up and live with the consequences, either way you got a refund you didn't deserve, you should be praising JQ not bashing them.

TG

 

[drron]

Although this member has stated that he flys JQ a fair bit before hand, along with that list of airlines and also being a WP.

Lol, which/what rant?!

But then I know a CL who has similiar status on at least 6 other airlines who really can still get simple travel things wrong because everything is done by his PA.Status doesn't necessarily mean you have the knowledge of even recent AFFers.

 

[Moopere]

Wow. Everyone tying themselves into knots over this.

Its a simple customer service issue. The customer is not always right, in point of fact they rarely are actually :0

However, dealing with frustrated, confused or stressed customers is an art of diplomacy and without giving away the kingdom you can diffuse almost all situations like this with a bit of humanity and some well chosen words.

Saying "you're stuffed mate" in the time honoured Australian way is simply not going to help and has ended in a really annoyed customer where one didn't need to exist.

Standard floor staff are probably too stressed and overworked themselves in a LCC to make this work, but are there not floor supervisors? Surely to god these people have been trained or come to work with some moderate people skills?

The worst possible thing you can do for a fretting PAX is to dump them over the side and yell 'good luck' at them. Why not divert said customer to floor supervisor who will use some language skills and genuine effort to try and ameliorate the situation?

It doesn't mean giving away free stuff or agreeing with the passenger - it simply means helping them.

 

[JohnK]

What a load of tripe JK

If you were on the flight being held up waiting for that PAX, you would be first in line to complain. Absolute bollocks.

You are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. Whether I complain or not is irrelevant and has nothing to do with how that staff member treated, ignored, a customer.

John, I have seen DJ do this on multiple occasions and I'm sure QF have done it too. OTD is critically important and if you are 1,2,3 minutes late then tough... Where do you draw the line?

I don't mind lines drawn as long as they are consistent. Some passengers get 3-4 boarding calls while others get one.

In SYD T2 last Sunday I heard the TT staff page the final passenger at least 4 times. That passenger appeared to be a no show but the service I witnessed was very impressive.

 

[TonyHancock]

In SYD T2 last Sunday I heard the TT staff page the final passenger at least 4 times. That passenger appeared to be a no show but the service I witnessed was very impressive.

I hate being late, and I have a strong preference for boarding early. (That is the background)

I was sitting in the SYD QP with a colleague when I received a call on my mobile asking if I would be joining 'us' on our flight to MEL. Everyone else is on board and my colleague and I are the last two. :shock:

I have never moved as fast before. It was one of the worst experiences I have had. Walking on the plane with everyone looking at us.

This was pretty good customer service though. Thephone call was not sarcastic and was actually in good humour. (Far better than we deserved.) In the end there were a couple of other issues that prevented the doors being closed. I have never been late since!

I have flown Jetstar twice this year and will be trying to avoid them in the future. At Melbourne the Jetsar "lounge" (the area around the boarding gates) is a zoo. The staff do not seem particularly motivated, and the posted information about gates was confusing and at times just incorrect. Jetstar was not terrible the business is what it says it is - a low cost carrier.

 

[Lawlass]

Some passengers get 3-4 boarding calls while others get one.

I think they will try a lot harder to find a missing pax if they have checked baggage because if they don't board then they have to locate the baggage and remove it. If they only have carry on, they can safely leave them behind.

 

[oz_mark]

I think they will try a lot harder to find a missing pax if they have checked baggage because if they don't board then they have to locate the baggage and remove it. If they only have carry on, they can safely leave them behind.

Indeed, if they have checked baggage they usually look for the baggage and the passenger. Whichever occurs first determines the outcome!

 

[JohnK]

I have flown Jetstar twice this year and will be trying to avoid them in the future. At Melbourne the Jetsar "lounge" (the area around the boarding gates) is a zoo. The staff do not seem particularly motivated, and the posted information about gates was confusing and at times just incorrect. Jetstar was not terrible the business is what it says it is - a low cost carrier.

Perhaps JQ staff do not get paid hence the lack of motivation.

I understand the part about JQ being a LCC but it costs nothing to treat passengers like himans instead of cattle and the same goes for customer service.

I think they will try a lot harder to find a missing pax if they have checked baggage because if they don't board then they have to locate the baggage and remove it. If they only have carry on, they can safely leave them behind.

So the moral of the story if to have some sort of checked luggage which buys you an extra 3-4 minutes while they look for your luggage. It seems a little unfair that they are inconsistent but rules are rules.

 

[MelUser]

Ask yourselves, what would have Dave Noble said?

"The ticket had conditions - ie turning up at the correct airport etc

The OP failed to meet these conditions.

The OP has no one but themselves to blame. How can one blame the TA for not reading one's ticket!

End of story"

 

[Moopere]

The OP has no one but themselves to blame. How can one blame the TA for not reading one's ticket!

End of story"

End of story in Australia because by and large we are completely cough at customer service. Along the lines of:

"How did trying to fly with us work out for you? Bwahahahaha"

If you carefully read the OP it seems pretty clear to me that what really caused the problem was the 'get stuffed' attitude of the staff. People are people, they make mistakes - its not good customer service to point out peoples mistakes and then tell them to move aside.

Anyone who is engaged in customer facing activities has to have at least a modicum of actual human to human skills or else they shouldn't be working in such an industry. If you do, you can easily see a distressed customer slowly building up a head of steam (or quickly as the case may be). Thats the right time to put up your hand and, in a gentle way, palm said customer off on the local senior floor supervisor who should be able to help.

Its really basic stuff people. You are not giving said customer his way, no free stuff, no refunds, nothing. You just deal with them in a humane way and try to assist them when they are starting to fret.

For instance:"We don't deal with the domestic terminal, please move aside" What sort of rubbish is that? If you can't deal with your own airlines different departments thats fine, as the floor manager you speak with said customer, pull them to your desk/workstation and _pick up the phone_ to your company's ticketing desk in the domestic terminal, put the customer onto that phone after explaining that Joe Blow will help them with their enquiry, then you wait for an outcome so the customer doesn't feel abandoned.

Whilst you will get enough of these problems every day to keep a couple of floor managers busy, its not going to be the vast majority of customers by any means. In the case of delayed or cancelled flights, where anger and frustration may be present in a fairly large group you need to have processes to deal with the volume. ie; Bring in extra staff.

Its amazing just how cheaply and easily brand crushing incidents can be diffused using no more than the skills you'd like to think the staff were hired in the first place to use.

 

[serfty]

...
The OP has no one but themselves to blame. How can one blame the TA for not reading one's ticket!

End of story"

I cannot speak for anyone else, but if I were to employ a TA, I would expect them to tell me the specifics of which terminal to turn up at.

I get the impression the OP has used the same agent many times before for Jetstar flights and they were all out of T1. The agent should have been aware of the different 'terminal'; if there weren't, they are not earning the money they are being paid.

This really is the type of thing a good TA should warn their clients of; i.e. "This is a different from the other tickets I have purchased for you, you need to depart from the International terminal and you will need ensure you carry 'photo id.".

I mean you are paying the TA for their services.

I am in complete agreement with this post:

Now you are all presuming that the OP booked online but my reading is that an agent booked the flights and the OP was trying to OLCI on line so comments on the JQ booking page may well be off the mark.
However if that is indeed what happened your agent needs a rocket for not stressing this was from the International terminal.
...

 

[Austman]

From reading the OP's first post again, it seems to me that turning up at the wrong terminal was the least of the OP's issues with JQ. The OP doesn't even mention it there!

It's what happened at the international check-in, where the OP's main issues started.

 

[Travel Guru]

From reading the OP's first post again, it seems to me that turning up at the wrong terminal was the least of the OP's issues with JQ. The OP doesn't even mention it there!

It's what happened at the international check-in, where the OP's main issues started.

That may be true, but there's 3 sides to every story and we're only getting one of them from the OP.

Whilst not being a member of the JQ Fanclub, having dealt with my fair share of the GP and knowing how many of them delude themselves into believing that an overtly aggressive response when things dont go their way will elicit the best result, I also wouldnt condemn them based on the OP's testimony only given it's merely his or her's perception of what happened.

I'm not for a second suggesting that the OP was at fault, but it's a bit premature from my perspective to start bashing JQ when we've only got one side of the story.

TG

 

[Alistair]

Flew with Jetstar for the last time in 2009 (and only went with them because they were my sole choice to get to Coolangatta).

Had a lot of dramas, but to cut to the chase...

They didn't weigh my golf clubs departing Melbourne, so when I checked in to return home, I was of course 10+ kg overweight. No amount of arguing or logical reason could penetrate their "policy" so I was slugged with excess.

A formal letter to Jetstar HQ went unanswered for two months. A second letter also went unanswered. It took a phone call and a steadfast demand to speak to whoever was in charge at the time before they finally communicated with me. A week later I received a basic "Sorry for your inconvenience but there's nothing we can do."

Not worth the time and hassle. They're run by morons.

 

[Alanslegal]

Flew with Jetstar for the last time in 2009 (and only went with them because they were my sole choice to get to Coolangatta).

Had a lot of dramas, but to cut to the chase...

They didn't weigh my golf clubs departing Melbourne, so when I checked in to return home, I was of course 10+ kg overweight. No amount of arguing or logical reason could penetrate their "policy" so I was slugged with excess.

A formal letter to Jetstar HQ went unanswered for two months. A second letter also went unanswered. It took a phone call and a steadfast demand to speak to whoever was in charge at the time before they finally communicated with me. A week later I received a basic "Sorry for your inconvenience but there's nothing we can do."

Not worth the time and hassle. They're run by morons.

It appears you got lucky on the first sector when they didn't weigh you overweight checked luggage, and then on the return sector you got caught .... sorry but I think this is your fault.

The only fault is JQ not responding! I would have just sent a generic letter saying in nice words "too bad, too sad ... you knew the weight limits".

 

[Alistair]

It appears you got lucky on the first sector when you really had overweight checked luggage, and then on the return sector you got caught .... sorry but I think this is your fault.

The only fault is JQ not responding! I would have just sent a generic letter saying in nice words "too bad, too sad ... you knew the weight limits".

Respectfully disagree. Don't see how their incompetancy to do their job should result in my pockets being lighter.

 

[serfty]

Respectfully disagree. Don't see how their incompetency to do their job should result in my pockets being lighter.

Actually, you were lucky. If they'd been weighed on the outbound you may have needed to pay then as well.

It was their "incompetency" saving you money.

 

[Alistair]

Actually, you were lucky. If they'd been weighted on the outbound you may have needed to pay twice as much.

It was their "incompetency" saving you money.

Incorrect. Had they informed me that my bags were overweight in Melbourne, I would have left the surfboard and a few golf clubs behind in the car.