Jetstar, you make puppies cry.....

[ReLoad]

Ok, well not quite, here's the predicament.

A client has bookend me MEL/BNE/MEL with the first leg being on JQ, the return on QF. (all on one Qantas booking) - I had no choice in the matter, so I cant even blame myself for this mistake.
Now being JQ, I would like to add in the $22 plus bundle so that I can get some points and the SC for the flight.

Jetstar's system does not allow me to do this online.

So I ring up Qantas first, as nice as the lady was she basically said that sorry, thats with Jetstar nothing we can do for you there. (ok i kinda understand, sorta)
So I ring up JQ. (those voice activated systems annoy me no end) I finally get through to some help, and I explain that I would like to add the $22 plus bundle to my existing booking.

Sure thats fine, it will be $22 plus a change fee of $50 bucks.

Change fee? huh? Firstly I would do it myself but your website will not allow it to happen.
Secondly, what am i changing? im just paying you more money?

I'm guessing that the plus bundle is in a different fare bucket, hence the change, but the change fee? come on......

Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any ways around it, to be honest I don't really care for the amount of money - that's got nothing to do with it, but I find paying a change fee for no changes to be pretty spiflicatingly stupid.

What do you think? Reasonable that they charge a change fee?

 

[djfuzz]

That's crazy - kind of defeats the purpose of calling it a 'plus bundle' when it is in fact a different fare. I'd have expected this for the 'Business' max bundles, since they seem to be priced well over the 'regular Business' fares, but not for the economy fares which are almost always a fixed amount more.

I sympathise with your plight, I have had the odd client flight ending up on JQ as well (and more frustratingly, not on the dom JQi legs which operates at similar times but that the client's TA thinks are less preferable!).

 

[ric_melb]

Had a similar thing happen when I was booking Jetstar return flights for a friend. I forgot to tick The Jetstar Plus box when booking online.
Rang Jetstar, they were happy to add the Plus bundle for two flights, however it involved an extra $50, for a Change Fee.
Whilst I wasn't happy with it, I tend to follow their logic. Needless to say Plus wasn't worth an extra $94!

 

[ashleyn]

Jetstar are dodgy from start to finish, I will never fly with them again.

 

[straitman]

Jetstar are dodgy from start to finish, I will never fly with them again.

Unfortunately there appear to be enough people in OZ who don't know or understand this :!:

 

[Saji]

Apparently its not just JQ that does this. I had a similar issue with SQ when my TA booked me a fare that does not earn miles and when I realised the same the booking had been ticketed. I had to pay A$50.00 to change the booking to a different fare class. The change in the fare was less than A$50.00!!!

 

[Casual Class]

Unfortunately there appear to be enough people in OZ who don't know or understand this :!:

There are some that do know better, but unfortunately have no other alternative in an increasing number of situations these days

 

[travelislife]

How is the plus bundle added when a JQ flight is booked through the QF website? I have never done it but would be very annoyed if the work TA booked me on one and didn't ask about the bundle first!

 

[dajop]

To say they are dodgy on this matter is a little over the top. There are perfectly valid reasons for charging a change fee.

Reload's circumstances are unusual it sounds as it seems they were unable to book the Jetstar Plus fare at the time of booking. However it is important to remember that the fare not only allows earning of points and status credits, but it also allows "No fees for date, time, name changes".". So, I think it is unreasonable to expect to add it in later without a change fee, because then you could use plus to avoid change fees.

A sensible thing to do on behalf of Jetstar is to allow a different option to be added later, that includes points and status credits, but without the benefit of no fees for changes.

 

[ReLoad]

A further update to this.

So after I have cooled down and agreed to pay the $50 bucks plus the bundle, here's what I get, starting at 9.30am and finishing at 11.20am today

JQ Call number #1
Sorry sir, you cant do that, you must speak to Qantas, I explained everything to them about the "love" that I have been through. Still no joy, its a QF booking, I must speak to QF.

QF Call #1
Very helpful lady, went off and checked with Alan Joyce and the QF board, basically came back that QF can only sell the starter fare or the MAX fare, happy for me to pay the extra to upgrade to MAX (no thanks) but I should be able to call JQ and they can definitely do it 100%

JQ Call #2
Step 1. No you must speak to QF
Step 2. No you cant change it.
Step 3. yes you can change it but you must upgrade to the new starter fare which is now $300 more Or change it yourself online for free.
(I cant change it online because its a QF booking!!!)
Step 4. they say definitely cant do it ring QF, they will put a note in the booking and advise QF on how to do it.

QF Call #2
Again another very helpful lady (as a side note, and certainly not news to anybody I know; the quality and skill level of QF telesales staff is so far above JQ it is not funny)
She knows exactly what the deal is and has come across this sort of thing before.
Put me on hold while she speaks to a "Senior" about what can be done.
outomce from the call basically nothing, I can upgrade to the higher fares which will earn SC and points, but not a "plus bundle".

So to summarise; bad luck, no Points or SC for you.

 

[awilcockson]

Jetstar, a Qantas Group Airline*


* when it suits us

 

[simongr]

JQ are a LCC so you have to expect LCC service which includes limited options to change/update flights/options.

This is what I do not understand when people complain about JQ - they want (noting in your case this wasn't your choice) cheap flights but they want the benefits of a legacy carrier. I don't think JQ are being dodgy at all here - they are just pricing and operating to their model - I just wish some of the legacy carriers would also operate to their model as well!

 

[haydensydney]

All that time on the phone to try get status credits.

I like to think that my time is more valuable than 20 SC's.... you would never see me jump through these hoops for as long as you have.

 

[medhead]

Can you use the JQ PNR to change it online?


Sent from the Throne (80% chance) using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[UP4014]

How much was the ticket price; maybe just buy another QF ticket? (no forgetting of course to check in with JQ)

 

[ReLoad]

JQ are a LCC so you have to expect LCC service which includes limited options to change/update flights/options.

I dig that JQ is a LCC, and that there are system differences between both JQ and QF, BUT I have some money in my hand which I am waving around screaming take it, take it! - sure I was initially confuzzled about having to pay extra, but im over that shock, now nobody likes the colour of my money.

I would have thought that the small nickel and diming approach of a LCC would have had this sort of thing well sorted out? isnt that how LCC's make thier money? in selling all the extras just like this?

All that time on the phone to try get status credits.
I like to think that my time is more valuable than 20 SC's.... you would never see me jump through these hoops for as long as you have.

Likewise i would like to think that my time too is more valuable than sitting on the phone to an overseas call centre (I think my 4 year olds time is more valuable than speaking to JQ on the phone :shock, but in this instance its about the experience and sharing it with others, so that they do not make the same mistake twice.

Can you use the JQ PNR to change it online?

Sadly the JQ PNR doesnt work, tried that very early on

How much was the ticket price; maybe just buy another QF ticket? (no forgetting of course to check in with JQ)

A QF ticket is $535 for the same day of travel. so rules that out

 

[simongr]

I dig that JQ is a LCC, and that there are system differences between both JQ and QF, BUT I have some money in my hand which I am waving around screaming take it, take it! - sure I was initially confuzzled about having to pay extra, but im over that shock, now nobody likes the colour of my money.

I would have thought that the small nickel and diming approach of a LCC would have had this sort of thing well sorted out? isnt that how LCC's make thier money? in selling all the extras just like this?

I think the LCC model is to streamline as much as they can - why build functionality in a system that might be used rarely when people can then be screwed into buying a brand new ticket...

 

[Moody]

One rule with QF and JQ - "Never mix, never worry!"

You should never, ever book a combined QF/JQ fare because the systems have been integrated by babboons (and badly paid ones at that). It is result when bean-counters rule the shots over IT and screw staff and customers over for the sake of a 10% saving. Don't start me!

For example - when booking my standard SYD/AKL/WGL/SYD trip I have the choice of doing it on the QF website and paying double the airfare, not being able to add plus bundles or lounge access, and not being able to check in online or manage the JQ leg in any useful way. So ..... I book the QF and JQ flights separately, pay half as much, add on the bundles I want, access seat allocation and online checkin, and basically have a useful bilateral relationship with both airlines.

Would you consider a three-some with your wife and mistress?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

How is the plus bundle added when a JQ flight is booked through the QF website? I have never done it but would be very annoyed if the work TA booked me on one and didn't ask about the bundle first!

You cannot add the 'plus bundle' to a JQ flight booked on the QF website because as already ementioned, the functionality to add bundles is only found on the JQ website.

I have booked a QF & JQ flight in the same pnr using the multi city tool where first leg was a JASA on QF & costed the subsequent economy sector on JQ as both Starter & Max & the difference was about $500.00 more for the 'privilege' of earning points & SC so was happy to opt out on that occasion.

It seems this is just another example of how complex things become when you have two totally separate branded airlines/products but the ability to book them on the one website.

As far as the travelling public are concerned both airlines are the same thing ie in their mind planes have "Qantas/Jetstar" on the fuselage.

 

[travelislife]

It is absolutely ridiculous if you ask me. QF should not be selling JQ tickets on their website as they can't even provide the minimum options to make the experience even similar to QF flights. If they are going to sell them with increased prices then they should offer the same conditions as a QF ticket, baggage, meals, SC's and FF points. QF is just going to create more problems here than it is worth. I still remember people complaining when with redemption tickets they were put on to JQ when they thought they were on QF. There are many people out there who when they book on the QF site expect a QF flight (rightly or wrongly), but by QF removing their city sales offices this forces a lot of the older generation to give the net a go and this kind of practice doesn't help anyone's cause. I am happy to fly JQ when it is my decision and I have had the option to pay for what I want, having that taken away makes them as good as useless. Sorry, mini rant there.