Jetstar, Never Ever Again!

[surfer]

Jetstar are the worst budget airline I have had to deal with yet, they are grass root scammers making interest on unpaid or long winded refunds.

I purchased jetstar tickets on line. When I tried to change my itinerary online the jetstar site crashed, after waiting on the phone for 40 minutes a jetstar assistant changed my flight and informed me I would be charged a change fee.

AA few days later I realised I had been charged for 2 meals ($60 AUD and additional legroom $60 or 120 AUD) 5 (30+ minute) phone calls later I managed to get a refund on the legroom but not the additional meal…

Flying Sydney to Phuket I wasnt not allowed to board unless I could prove an outbound (from Phuket) ticket and stupidly thought I could get a jetstar fully refundable ticket (700 AUD) with a refund fee of only! 50AUD to get the hel_l away from Sydney airport and jetstar…

2 months later and the refund has gone somewhere but not to me….

- Consider that jetstar do not have any offices to resolve an issue face to face

- The person on the other end of the line is only about ticketing, they are in India, Malaysia or somewhere far away from your local.

- You wont get to speak with accounts or a manager

- Any refund for anything you purchase is all in their hands

- I think jetstar make money on your phone call to them hence the 30-60 minute waits

- Don’t pay for food or drinks as the food is aweful and the moody attendants don’t exactly bother to come out and serve often.

- There is more to complain about jetstar but im tired of it!!!!!

I found the flight check in attendants and the flight attendants generally to be moody snots more interested in their own stopovers.

Remember to warn anybody about this airline. They make Air Asia and Tiger look a world class above.

[surfer]

And no receipts for refunds. …No receipt full stop, company policy is BS.

Jetstar = Scammers.

[pagallim]

Most of these 'budget' airlines only exist through hidden charges and questionable practices (i.e. negative refunds). What I always ponder on is, if they're able to offer such low prices, where does that place the background activities such as aircraft inspections and maintenance, staff training and general safety??? For me, using budget airlines is similar to buying a lottery ticket, with lots of crossed fingers and hope, but the inevitable disappointment.

Personally, I'd rather pay the extra for the quality standards and professionalism of companies such as Singapore Airlines. I always route Singapore from Phuket, rather than Bangkok. Almost the same flight time, with the benefit of transiting Changi Airport, and usually much more options for onward connections. Singapore Airlines regional company (Silk Air) are excellent.

[LivinLOS]

Strange I have flown Jetstar phuket to sing and sing bali many times.. I always felt them a cut above the usual budget carriers..

However you complaining about flight changes, which is a known issue with budgets, I wouldnt use a budget on any flight I wasnt certain of wanting to fly on. You also seem to be blaming Jetstar for you not knowing your visa requirements (outbound ticket within 30 days) hardly thier fault ?? shouldnt you have just got the correct visa instead of complaining about the airline.

I took me almost 4 months to get refunded for the bangkok airport closure from a full price airline..

[saintofsilence]

I have used Jetstar many times and I have no complaints theyre a great airline, people like op giving them a bad name will only cause prices to go up, yes it is a discount airline trying to keep costs down so more people can travel.

If you aren't happy with them use another airline and pay more but it is unfair to speak about them how you have .

[H2oDunc]

We have a saying in the UK " You get what you pay for " People seem to think that by booking the cheapest ticket they can find they are going to get First class air line service ? You also blame the airline for your lack of obtaining the correct visa. WHY ? Pay peanuts then expect to deal with monkeys!

[Sir Burr]

The proof of onward ticket isn't a Jet Star thing, it's an Australian thing.

Whenever I fly to Thailand from Australia, I am always asked about this at check-in, regardless of whether I'm flying Singapore Airlines, Thai International, or, any other airline.

The airlines are responsible if you end up being an illegal alien with no onward ticket. This is the same anywhere in the world, it's just that Australia enforces this requirement.

It's a pain-in-the-arse as Phuket is home for me and I never know in advance which country I will be flying to next.

I get a letter from the agency I work for saying that they will take responsibility for repatriation. This seems to appease the check-in people.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Sir Burr

[saintofsilence]

Also on the visa flew Qantas from sydney to bangkok a few days ago and was asked for my outbound ticket from bangkok as i was advised it is their company policy after some discussion i was told that my visa was sufficient and i had no need to show an outband, my visa is a non immig o 90 day so if anyone has this problem then show your visa.

[Patong Bob]

Jetstar are cr*p !!!

Note if you are Australian and have a Singapore Airlines frequent flyer card, you can get a Westpac Visa card and get frequent flyer points every time you use it.

Types of air travel :

1. First Class

2. Business Class

3. Premium economy

4. Economy

5. Cargo Hold

6. Jetstar

[surfer]

I am not a naïve first time flyer. I have flown to many countries on many visa arrangements…… Indonesia, Australia, India, Africa, Europe, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia,, China, etc etc …..and after all these years the only airline that provided pathetic customer service and literally stole money was Jetstar.

Jetstar have the worst customer sevice ever and if they make a mistake on your credit card good luck if you can get your money back.

Imagine that I can say that airlines in India offer a better service,….jeez.

[tw25rw]

If they're an offshoot of QANTAS with even lower standards, you know they will be crap quite frankly. There are plenty of other options on the route.

[Zpete]

Last Wednesday I flew Jetstar, Melbs to Bris.

No hassle, easier to book that Air Asia, on time too.

Blotty long trip in bus to Avalon.

Not a Qantas fan, but was cheapest fare for the day, all I worry about.

Air Asia my airline when in S.E.A.

[snamos]

The proof of onward ticket isn't a Jet Star thing, it's an Australian thing.

Whenever I fly to Thailand from Australia, I am always asked about this at check-in, regardless of whether I'm flying Singapore Airlines, Thai International, or, any other airline.

The airlines are responsible if you end up being an illegal alien with no onward ticket. This is the same anywhere in the world, it's just that Australia enforces this requirement.

It's a pain-in-the-arse as Phuket is home for me and I never know in advance which country I will be flying to next.

I get a letter from the agency I work for saying that they will take responsibility for repatriation. This seems to appease the check-in people.

If you have a tourist VISA or any other current VISA for that matter and a credit card (to prove you can buy a ticket out) there is no way the airlnes can stop you....ive had this problem in australia many times flying on one way tickets to many different countries...I have said to the people at check in, that the airline should not sell one way tickets if it creates such problems. This tends to rock them a bit. Also if they are really creating problems for you just call for their superior. You will experience hassles if you are trying to fly to thailand and get a stamp on arrival...can be done but the check in crew tend to get real toey about it

[LivinLOS]

If you have a tourist VISA or any other current VISA for that matter and a credit card (to prove you can buy a ticket out) there is no way the airlnes can stop you....ive had this problem in australia many times flying on one way tickets to many different countries...I have said to the people at check in, that the airline should not sell one way tickets if it creates such problems. This tends to rock them a bit. Also if they are really creating problems for you just call for their superior. You will experience hassles if you are trying to fly to thailand and get a stamp on arrival...can be done but the check in crew tend to get real toey about it

If you have a visa its not a problem.. its ONLY applicable to the 30 day visa exempt stamp crowd.

[F4UCorsair]

I found the flight check in attendants and the flight attendants generally to be moody snots more interested in their own stopovers.

You're right about that surfer. As a former airline pilot, I have no time for hosties; what am egotistical, self centred, selfish, arogant bunch of waitresses they are!! Don't get me started.

[foxnsquirrels]

Surfer,

I too am a frequent flyer having maybe a total of 6 to 8 flights every month. I do alot of flying around South East Asia and occasionally back home to Australia and have also had a Jetstart Flight (Bangkok - Melbourne). I too did have some difficulties during the process which was made difficult from difference of accents, after a total of 3 days my flights were finally corrected but it ended up costing me 60,000 Baht return for one person, something that it was not initially but after the difficulties I could not get a seat on another carrier and to my surprise the Bangkok - Sydney Route with Emirates was booked out for a month and a half! It is a budget airline and i'm not surprised to anything that I experience as difficult but for the cost of alot of their flights I would expect alittle better.

I fly Air Asia alot and although they are no Singapore Airlines the value for money gives me the satisfaction to continue and I guess thats is why alot of us prefer to fly with the budget airlines but after hunting around for prices I have found that flights to the East Coast of Australia are more or less the same when taking everything into account from the Price to the Service although to Perth Air Asia is quite cheap and there is not a long stop over in KL. I fly alot of Indonesia flights and have difficulties or digust in alot of their flights be it on board or my checked-in baggage being broken into or damaged I still agree with you in regards to Jetstar, for the money they ask for their flights I would rather fly Thai Airways back to the Home Land.

My advice to anyone flying on budget airlines is make sure you consider all aspects such as taxi's between different airports, low luggage limits, poor refunds and the service that you expect for your low price ticket. One more for anyone flying to Indonesia, make sure you plastic wrap you checked in luggage, I have expensive locks on expensive suit cases and they have both been broken to see whats inside.

[pagallim]

Surfer,

I too am a frequent flyer having maybe a total of 6 to 8 flights every month. I do alot of flying around South East Asia and occasionally back home to Australia and have also had a Jetstart Flight (Bangkok - Melbourne). I too did have some difficulties during the process which was made difficult from difference of accents, after a total of 3 days my flights were finally corrected but it ended up costing me 60,000 Baht return for one person, something that it was not initially but after the difficulties I could not get a seat on another carrier and to my surprise the Bangkok - Sydney Route with Emirates was booked out for a month and a half! It is a budget airline and i'm not surprised to anything that I experience as difficult but for the cost of alot of their flights I would expect alittle better.

I fly Air Asia alot and although they are no Singapore Airlines the value for money gives me the satisfaction to continue and I guess thats is why alot of us prefer to fly with the budget airlines but after hunting around for prices I have found that flights to the East Coast of Australia are more or less the same when taking everything into account from the Price to the Service although to Perth Air Asia is quite cheap and there is not a long stop over in KL. I fly alot of Indonesia flights and have difficulties or digust in alot of their flights be it on board or my checked-in baggage being broken into or damaged I still agree with you in regards to Jetstar, for the money they ask for their flights I would rather fly Thai Airways back to the Home Land.

My advice to anyone flying on budget airlines is make sure you consider all aspects such as taxi's between different airports, low luggage limits, poor refunds and the service that you expect for your low price ticket. One more for anyone flying to Indonesia, make sure you plastic wrap you checked in luggage, I have expensive locks on expensive suit cases and they have both been broken to see whats inside.

Totally agree with the Indonesian scenario. I was once ripped off by $5,000 US whilst my hand luggage was going through their screening machines, and I was being distracted through their querying my passport etc. Absolutely shocking. Lesson learned.

Never flown the budget airlines around Asia, and personally tend to stick with Singapore Airlines/Silk Air. No, not the cheapest, but if you want to get there in consistently good shape, with luggage, and as near as dam_n it on time, for me it's the way to go.

[foxnsquirrels]

Totally agree with the Indonesian scenario. I was once ripped off by $5,000 US whilst my hand luggage was going through their screening machines, and I was being distracted through their querying my passport etc. Absolutely shocking. Lesson learned.

Never flown the budget airlines around Asia, and personally tend to stick with Singapore Airlines/Silk Air. No, not the cheapest, but if you want to get there in consistently good shape, with luggage, and as near as dam_n it on time, for me it's the way to go.

Yeah Indonesia sure has a name for itself with the people that frequent here often. The best trick i've learnt is to pay one of the porters 8000 rupiahs and tell him to follow you about 2 or 3 people behind and meet up with him outside. This way the immigration guys do not try to make you pay tax on anything that they can make you and also the bags seem to be over looked if a bule (forgeinor) is not dragging them through.