Tiger Airways "Easter Sale" Deception

[clifford]

departing from Sydney*PriceTravel periodMelbourne-Avalon from $25*03 May 11 - 31 Aug 11Sunshine Coast from $25*03 May 11 - 31 Aug 11Brisbane from $30*03 May 11 - 31 Aug 11Gold Coast from $35*10 May 11 - 31 Aug 11Melbourne-Tullamarine from $35*03 May 11 - 31 Aug 11Adelaide from $49.95*03 May 11 - 08 Mar 12

Well, it sounds very good.

I just tried to book a $25 fare SYD-MCY fo August (shame on me) and the website said it was available on my selected date. However, when I got to the payments page, the fare had mysteriously increased to $40 each way (plus fees).

What a rip off. Someone needs to report Tiger to the Govt fair trading authorities as well as the CAA (oh they have already!).

 

[oz_mark]

I just tried to book a $25 fare SYD-MCY fo August (shame on me) and the website said it was available on my selected date. However, when I got to the payments page, the fare had mysteriously increased to $40 each way (plus fees).

What a rip off. Someone needs to report Tiger to the Govt fair trading authorities as well as the CAA (oh they have already!).

Sounds like you have added baggage. By default, the booking engine charges $15 for baggage, so you have to change the selection to explicitly say you are taking no baggage.

 

[notmensa]

Someone needs to report Tiger to the Govt fair trading authorities as well as the CAA (oh they have already!).

There's nothing stopping you from reporting it to the fair trading department in your state...

 

[AaronBradford]

Also note it says from $25* ... not every flight will be available for that price.

Edit:
Oh, and this bit:

"Subject to availability (not available on all flights or days). Seats are limited and may not be available during peak periods or on all flights, public holidays or certain blackout periods or once sold out."

 

[odysseus]

Odd, it was only a few weeks ago you generalised there was something wrong with Australians for criticising Tiger.

 

[JohnK]

I have managed to find some $30 fares for SYD-BNE during school holidays in June/July.

I think the time is right to book Tiger as DJ and QF are too expensive on those days....

 

[clifford]

Sounds like you have added baggage. By default, the booking engine charges $15 for baggage, so you have to change the selection to explicitly say you are taking no baggage.

oz_mark, you're a genius. This was exactly the problem, Pity airlines can't be a little more honest and ethical in their approach. Dumb cough (like me) could easily be conned.

And Tiger also asks you if you want to make the ticket flexible by paying an extra 259.95 (or thereabouts). Might just be more cost-effective to throw the ticket away.

 

[clifford]

Odd, it was only a few weeks ago you generalised there was something wrong with Australians for criticising Tiger.

Wow, I'm impressed. We can all be wrong, can't we?

You do have an excellent memory.

 

[lovestotravel]

oz_mark, you're a genius. This was exactly the problem, Pity airlines can't be a little more honest and ethical in their approach. Dumb cough (like me) could easily be conned.

Yep but that's the trend that lots of companies are going to.

Pretty sure I was playing around with car rental or perhaps another airline the other night for fares with companies I haven't used before and the DEFAULT is to include most of the extras, so you have to OPT OUT....

Lots of people get caught out, so don't feel too bad.

I had a few work mates comment to me about their recent cheap Jetstar fares and how they proudly used their Qantas FF number in the booking to earn FF points.... They were not impressed when I said they won't be earning FF points... They thought as they booked through Qantas.com and selected a Jetstar flight they will still get FF points...

 

[kamchatsky]

I have managed to find some $30 fares for SYD-BNE during school holidays in June/July.

I think the time is right to book Tiger as DJ and QF are too expensive on those days....

Good luck with flying TT, I suggest you should book TT for non-critical flights/itineraries and hand baggage only, and certainly do on-line checkin to avoid the hideous queues. If possible pay by Debit Mastercard to reduce all the fees.

When TT gets you from A to B on time it really is a great alternative. :mrgreen: Of course, if something goes wrong ...... :shock:

 

[lovestotravel]

I have managed to find some $30 fares for SYD-BNE during school holidays in June/July.

I think the time is right to book Tiger as DJ and QF are too expensive on those days....

Hmmm but you refuse to fly Jetstar......

:shock:

 

[JohnK]

Good luck with flying TT, I suggest you should book TT for non-critical flights/itineraries and hand baggage only, and certainly do on-line checkin to avoid the hideous queues. If possible pay by Debit Mastercard to reduce all the fees.

When TT gets you from A to B on time it really is a great alternative. :mrgreen: Of course, if something goes wrong ...... :shock:

All travel is critical and TT is a risk I will have to take (wait for the 'I will never fly Tiger again' threads soon) and no debit Mastercard.

I will be taking the 2nd flight (from 3 flights daily) BNE-SYD on Friday night and then the last flight SYD-BNE on a Sunday. No problem if the BNE-SYD flights are cancelled as I can stay in BNE that weekend and TT will allow me to reschedule flight for another wekeend otherwise annual travel insurance should cover me. The only issue arises if the SYD-BNE flight is cancelled and that means I will not be at work on Monday morning and will have to call in sick.

I have calculated the ticket prices for 2 weekends in June/July and the TT return airfare (including 15kgs luggage) is ~AUD150 where as DJ is >AUD220 and QF is closer to AUD300. I believe TT deserves a chance for that of saving and although I do not need to be in SYD those weekends it would be nice to be home and not spend too much.

Hmmm but you refuse to fly Jetstar......

:shock:

Yes. I will consider flying JQ when they are no longer part of QF and QFF and they are just like any other LCC....

 

[kamchatsky]

All travel is critical and TT is a risk I will have to take (wait for the 'I will never fly Tiger again' threads soon) and no debit Mastercard.

I will be taking the 2nd flight (from 3 flights daily) BNE-SYD on Friday night and then the last flight SYD-BNE on a Sunday. No problem if the BNE-SYD flights are cancelled as I can stay in BNE that weekend and TT will allow me to reschedule flight for another wekeend otherwise annual travel insurance should cover me. The only issue arises if the SYD-BNE flight is cancelled and that means I will not be at work on Monday morning and will have to call in sick.

I have calculated the ticket prices for 2 weekends in June/July and the TT return airfare (including 15kgs luggage) is ~AUD150 where as DJ is >AUD220 and QF is closer to AUD300. I believe TT deserves a chance for that of saving and although I do not need to be in SYD those weekends it would be nice to be home and not spend too much.


Yes. I will consider flying JQ when they are no longer part of QF and QFF and they are just like any other LCC....

I suggest, if you can, avoid check-in luggage as my past experience with TT is that to ensure their on-time performance for next flight, they will leave the luggage to the end and you end up waiting a considerable amount of time waiting for luggage at end of trip. I had this experience 2 years ago in ADL where we all waited 40 minutes :shock: for the luggages. Since then whenever I flew TT I always do hand luggage only.

Good luck with your TT experience, hopefully you will get a string of on-time trips (I had 6 good trips before last one which went tech).

 

[pauly7]

I had a few work mates comment to me about their recent cheap Jetstar fares and how they proudly used their Qantas FF number in the booking to earn FF points.... They were not impressed when I said they won't be earning FF points... They thought as they booked through Qantas.com and selected a Jetstar flight they will still get FF points...

Well in a couple of days they will probably be able to fix that. There is a rumored announcement on May 1 by QFF and JQ that will allow QFF earning on all JQ fares for a fee.

Appears QFF and JQ also read the enormous suggestion thread started by Red Roo!

 

[JohnK]

I suggest, if you can, avoid check-in luggage as my past experience with TT is that to ensure their on-time performance for next flight, they will leave the luggage to the end and you end up waiting a considerable amount of time waiting for luggage at end of trip.

Thanks for the tip. It will not be easy to avoid checked luggage but I shall keep that in mind. Hopefully my experiences will be OK and I can book TT again sometime in the future.

P.S I am guessing the seat behind the exit rows is the best non-premium seat as the seat in front does not recline.

 

[ethernet]

I just booked a few red eye $80 MEL_CNS-MEL RTN for Mid/Late July on TT (plus 15 baggage for each hop). Plane leaves at a miserable 2am. For whatever reason JQ and DJ are not as competitive as they should be (but last year to the day, they were). I am flying home a day early because I got the date wrong , and can't afford a missed flight to somewhere else. BTW Their Tiger contact line is impossible. Number disconnected or overloaded messages over multiple days. I too wonder how a flex option for $258 is value and if anybody is dumb enough to go for it.