Screwed from the beginning

The complaint letter:

After being rather satisfied with the Jetstar/Qantas service over the past few years - I now regret to express my absolute disappointment with your airline’s lack of communication, especially with your customer service team who were rude and held no responsibility for the situation your airline put us in. Please find a detailed breakdown of the issues we experienced below;

PROBLEM NUMBER 1: DELAYED / FAULTY AIRCRAFT

Our journey began on flight JQ35 from Melbourne to Denpasar on September 16 2010. I used Qantas Frequent Flyer points for this return fare and purchased an additional Jetstar ticket for my wife so we could both attend a wedding (we were in the bridal party). Upon arrival to the airport and without any prior notifications via SMS, email or phone-call, we were informed of a major fault with the original aircraft and were told there would be a major delay while we waited for another aircraft to arrive. This replacement aircraft was smaller and required a stopover in Darwin to re-fuel. While extremely uncomfortable for the entire journey and arriving to our desitnation just after 3am (originally scheduled for 10:45pm) – I completely understand your situation with a faulty aircraft, but it was a disappointing start to our vacation (which just happened to be my birthday also). It continued to get worse…

PROBLEM NUMBER 2: DELAY AND CANCELLATION NOTIFICATION OF RETURN FLIGHTS

At 7:14pm on September 20, 2010 (the night of our flight home) – I recevied an SMS from Jetstar reading ‘Jetstar flight JQ38 from Denpasar is delayed. New departure time 3:50am’. This was originally scheduled for 11:05pm. At 8:45pm on this same evening – I then received another SMS from Jetstar reading ‘Jetstar flight JQ507 from Sydney is CANCELLED. Please contact Jetstar reservations for flight recovery options’. (Before continuing – I would like to also point out the fact that Qantas never sent any pre-notifications of delay for this service – it was only because my wife had a Jetstar Itinerary, she was notified via text message. No email, text message or any other notification was recevied by Qantas for my booking).

PROBLEM NUMBER 3: CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTACT NUMBER – USELESS

I immediately called your Jetstar customer service number as your SMS suggested (at 8:47pm to be precice) and dialed the number listed as your 24hr Indonesian contact number (+61 3 9347 0153) as listed on your website. This is where it gets extremely frustrating and disappointing. I was on hold for 53 minutes before anyone attended to the phone call and finally when your customer service team member answered - he simply told me to talk to someone at the airport. I was on hold and being charged at international rates simply to be told to see someone at the airport! I expressed this disappointment to this particular team member and while extremely frustrated, I asked to speak to his supervisor. At this point, I was put on hold for approximately 3 minutes – the line was picked up and then immediately hung up. This wasted phone call was a total cost of $146.53 AUD - completely unacceptable especially when there was no outcome. I expect compensation to cover this cost and for this particular customer service rep to be punished for his actions in hanging up on me.

PROBLEM NUMBER 4: FLIGHT CREW – EXTREMELY RUDE

After massive delays and being stuck at Denpasar airport – after taking off, the flight crew rushed one run of service through the cabin and failed to service our middle-section row. When my wife pressed the ‘call’ button to purchase a snack, one of the flight attendants returned and we mentioned that we were missed in the service. He snapped and said ‘well, what do you want’. My wife, feeling ill at the time – asked for some crackers at which the flight attendant snapped ‘oh, well… you’ll have to pay for that’. We already had the cash ready in hand – but his unprofessionalism and rudeness towards us was completely out of line, but at this stage – expected with the level of service we have experienced with Jetstar.

PROBLEM NUMBER 5: ARRIVAL INTO SYDNEY

Upon arrival into Sydney International airport many hours over-schedule there was an additional delay as the captain of the plane went too far into the gate area and everyone had to sit down again for a further 20 minutes while they had to reverse the plane back for the bridge to connect to. Following our exit from the plane, there were no Jetstar reps visible or approachable to speak to in regards to the delayed flight and to find out what happens to our connecting flights that had been cancelled. Not seeing anyone within the immediate terminal area, we proceeded outside to collect our baggage and pass thru customs and immigration thinking that the Jetstar team would be there to guide us on the other side. This was not the case. After walking throughout the international check-in area we could only find a Qantas re-check desk and were able to have myself re-ticketed, but they could not help or do anything with my wife’s ticket as they couldn’t access the Jetstar system. They then re-directed us to the offices (level 3 at sydney airport) to speak with an office called ‘Aero-care’. We could not located this office – but found an office with a jetstar sign which was un-attended. We then walked back down to the check in area to have another look around for Jetstar at which point I then called your customer service number on 13 15 38 (at 12:02pm). I explained to the rep that I was in the international terminal and needed to find someone from Jetstar to help me. He gave me the contact number for the Jetstar Service Desk at the airport (02 9352 7845) which I called at 12:04pm. This person was extremely rude to me right from the beginning asking ‘how did you get this number’ and proceeded to tell me I should not be calling her and to speak to the Qantas sales and reservations desk.

We then RETURNED to the qantas desk and the gentleman there saw our frustration again after returning to him twice in 30 minutes, and was then the only person who rendered us assistance – even though he repeatedy told us it was not something that he was meant to do. He took it upon himself to follow everything up for us through external jetstar phone numbers he had located and got us on our way.

PROBLEM NUMBER 6: FLIGHT TO MELBOURNE

My wife was placed onto another Jetstar Flight leaving at 3:15pm from SYD – MEL, however this flight was also DELAYED, even though the plane had been sitting at the gate for the two hours she was sitting around waiting for the flight. This aparently was due to ‘a miss-communication with the cleaners’. It’s not as if the plane had only just arrived late at the gate and cleaners needed to get in before the next flight – for a fact, the aircraft had been sitting there for at least 2 hours prior to the scheduled departure. Yet again, another reason to add to our growing frustrations towards Jetstar. We finally both made it home after 6pm.

In summary, I find it absolutely disgusting with;

a) the lack of communication in a delay
b) extreme poor customer service on the ground, in the air – and especially waiting 53 minutes on hold after being asked by a text message for us to call you after a flight cancellation (at the cost of $146.53 AUD)
c) No ground assistance and being sent to every corner of the airport after arriving in Sydeny with no connecting flight info
d) Delays delays delays – some understandable, others unnessessary and unbelievable with the way they were handled.

Needless to say, its very unlikely we will ever use or recommend the Jetstar service ever again, which also puts a bad mark agains the Qantas brand. Concidering Jetstar is part of the ‘Qantas Group’ and codeshare exists between the two – the complete lack of communications between the two brands is ridiculous – and who is ‘Aero Care’? If Jetstar are outsourcing this company to handle delays and customer service in Sydney – they are not doing their job at all.

I wait in anticipation for your reply.

Kind Regards,