Statement from Jetstar's Customer Guarantee -
'We strive to make every part of a customer experience with us as uncomplicated, pleasant and enjoyable'
Total rubbish and they should be sued for making a totally misleading statement.
Booked in June this year a direct flight to Bali from Adelaide (late afternoon schedule arrive just before midnight, with a return a week later on their, advertised, afternoon flight). This was to depart Saturday 3/9/22. Fast forward about 6-8 weeks and we find ourselves now booked to go via Melbourne to Bali with the afternoon flight now a midnight flight! Another week later we were advised that the return flight would then depart at 1.40am. We did change our departure but that is now a moot point.
Arrived Melbourne approx 2pm, proceed to the departure lounge in time for the 5.45 departure. It became evident at about 6.30pm this was NOT going to happen. Not a single word or action from Jetstar in any manner. The board still had 5.45 but on line suggested 7.05pm. At approximately 8.30 there was an announcement that the flight would be CANCELLED and it was a full plane!! For all but the last minutes the "service desk" was vacant.
A poor individual then advised those within earshot to proceed to the Customs gate where more would be revealed. Most customers were advised by word of mouth from other passengers and the bulk of 300 people started streaming toward that gate, only to met by the vanguard who were ad vised to return to Gate 12, which a lot of people duly did. When the bulk of the masses were then met with others saying we had to meet at Gate 4 for further instruction.
The dutiful lemmings did so and as the line up snaked its way through the walkways there appeared to be a rep from Jetstar supported by a Customs official. They wanted us to depart through some back stairs in groups of 50 to then be frogmarched to baggage claim 8. At this point there has been NO explanation whatsoever re flights, rebookings or accommodation. Another hour passes us by as we wait for some information. Luggage eventually arrived and we were then directed to (without any clarification of where) to Jetstar in the arrivals hall. Some went to where they originally checked in, but no, after half an hour or more they discovered by fellow travellers) it was the local check in counter
This is where the farce rises to new levels. There is a line of approx 150 people, NONE who still have any idea of their fate. To cut this fable short, there were a couple people trying to assist this line of hapless wannabe travellers. For 3 hours no one from Jetstar had the initiative to make a broad announcement to the line that they could NOT assist with anything to do with flights but were doing their best to provide accommodation. Each time someone was called to the counter, apparently the same discussion was being had (re flights mainly) that COULD NOT be resolved at this particular time. Consequently some 'customers' did not leave the airport till 3am!!
To the absolute credit of 1 poor supervisor and an assistant working the phones for accommodation, they withstood the ire of the would be flyers, and stayed till the bitter end. There was one chap with a clipboard and walkie talkie who appeared, and disappeared with great haste a couple of times, but nothing at all eventuated about informing people of the status quo.
The status quo ended being, people on this cancelled flight were totally discarded re on going travels. Refunds were offered but this, ladies and gentlemen, was your terminus, do not pass go, your journey ends here, at least we got some accommodation. Some people may have managed 3 hours sleep.
For 5 hours some form of management MUST have known about this, yet no service was offered, either to the paying public or the hapless few employees who would have within their rights to up stumps and go home. Jetstar were offering osmosis as a cure, obviously its the way they conduct their operation!
We, along with many, if not most 'customers' have had to book either onward flights (not with Jetstar) or go home - of course at exorbitant short term rates! For us, Virgin staff were absolutely horrified at our experience at the hands of the hapless organisation that masquerades as an airline.
To finish this tome - some people were diverted from Cairns to Melbourne in order to get to Bali - there estimated cost to fly home at short notice was bordering over $1000! Also spoke to others from Adelaide in a group with 5 kids looking at costs of $900+ each to get to Bali not to mention the up to 8 hours of being misdirected around the airport, those with young children that were forced to stand in line for 5 hours and eventually having sit on tiled floors and comfort young children! Bravo to the management who were probably busy quaffing a few reds on a Saturday night whilst your airline goes down the gurgler!
Uncomplicated, pleasant, enjoyable I don't thinks so.