I was supposed to go from Bangkok to Singapore to Darwin on March 17 and then after five hours in transit board a connecting flight to Dili in Timor Leste to attend a business meeting.
Before buying the tickets we made sure with the Australian embassy that I do not need a visa for Australia since my transit time in Darwin airport is less than eight hours.
However, after reaching Singapore the Jetstar counter clerk refused to allow me to board the plane because I did not have transit visa for Australia. All my objections that I do not need one did not have any effect. The clerk just kept repeating that he just talked on the phone with 'immigration official' and I cannot board the plane, and refused to give a further explanation as to 'why' or talk to the 'immigration official' again.
I ended up booking a hotel and spending a night in Singapore, but lucky for me managed to buy online a direct ticket Singapore-Dili on Silkair flight next morning.
Upon my return to Bangkok I rechecked with Australian embassy and their response was the same that I do not need a transit visa as long as my transit time is less than eight hours, however according to them some airlines might have their own policies on this. We rechecked again with Jetstar office in Bangkok and they also reconfirmed that I did not need transit visa for such a flight.
However, all our official correspondence with Jetstar customer service was met with the same cold response 'It is the responsibility of the passenger to check that the documents required for travel are in order' and that the 'Australian immigration official' had advised them that I need a transit visa. All the objections that both, Australian embassy and Jetstar Bangkok office, assured that visa is not needed were met with the same standard response, and their last reply was that they consider the issue closed. My last e-mail that they should at least indicate the phone number and office of the purported 'immigration official' to whom their clerk had talked did not receive any reply at all, so I assume that they indeed consider the issue 'closed'.
All in all, 650 USD extra that I had to pay for this trip. I am never going to fly Jetstar again.
Comments
Regrettably, this airline
Regrettably, this airline makes up its own rules on just about everything and marches to the beat of the drum played by whoever is in the most senior role at that particular location on that day. Never use it for business travel and always regard it as the airline of last resort.
Signis, unfortunately you
Signis, unfortunately you came across one of the most despicable companies in Australia. Not every organization in Australia has the same degree of contempt for their customers. I agree with Vic. Don't use them ever again. Not for business and not for private traveling. They don't deserve your loyalty and business. I rather walk than fly with them.
If you can prove you didn't
If you can prove you didn't need the transit visa and have proof jetstar said you did issue a letter of demand for the money and then take them to court...singapore has a small claims court use them. Get them to a acknowledge the debt...a refusal to pay the debt is an acknowledgement then you will win https://app.statecourts.gov.sg/sct/index.aspx/
If you have to fly to Singapore for the hearing
..claim costs
...
...
Well... the problem with
Well... the problem with following this advice is that few hundred dollars is simply not worth the time, the effort and the stress to be wasted on this. I suppose this is exactly what Jetstar is counting on - that most customers will not follow through. Still, I think in the long run they are digging their own grave. The word about their treatment of customers is spreading, and I also intend to tell my story to anyone willing to listen. I expect that eventually there shall be less and less customers willing to fly Jetstar.
Signis, you are so correct.
Signis, you are so correct. The only reason why Jetstar is continuing to do what they did to you is because people just don't bother to challenge them. They have mastered the art of making you give up on your complaint. Why do you say that a few hundred dollars is not worth the time. I took them to court for $161 and won. After the abuse that I received from them the satisfaction of seeing a red faced representative of Jetstar being blasted by the magistrate was worth thousands. Ash also took them to court and she won. Most of the people who have complained on this will also win their case against this despicable company if they just bothered to take them on. Maybe then they might think twice before treating their customers with contempt.
Signis, It is a lot of
Signis, It is a lot of effort, but its mostly paperwork.... but it IS worth the effort. It took me a nine months of waiting to get back what we lost but as Amir said the satisfaction at the end of it is priceless. For us, the thought of the hearing scared them so much they made good our losses after a 9 months of telling us to get lost. The ONLY thing that changed their mind was the filing of papers.