Is there an Airline Ombudsman? Jetstar does it again!

[OK2]

Maybe you should try Tiger Airlines they are great, you do not even get a call advising of the changes so when you get to the airport the only place you get to go is back home. I must admit that the total of two check-in staff for two departures at the same time were great, they looked us up alternative domestic flights with Virgin and Qantas with a premium of around $500 per ticket one-way. We could of flown Emirates for less.

Many of my wifes network have had issues with Tiger Airlines and now refuse to fly with them.

And you are forgetting the cost of parking at the airport, it is almost as much as the flight itself.

 

[MichaelD]

Unfortunately, airlines are all much of a muchness lately, with some caveats. I travel on all domestic airlines apart from Tiger frequently.

They're all strictly enforcing times for arrival now, apart from some occasional regional flights where I've rung in advance that I'm running a bit late or the connection is delayed and they've held the plane for me. The smaller planes still are personal.

City-to-city is by-the-book. Of the domestics, Qantas is the best (= least worst) at re-accomodating you.

Had what I consider an outrageous experience with Qantas last week where we turned up at BNE in time, got our automatic boarding passes, joined the line (excessively long) and got told our bags missed the cut-off due to the time in line. Not happy at all (in the Qantas Club queue) and the business class passengers look right ticked off with their 30 minute wait, too, in their bag drop queue. Heaven help the economy pax who would have waited 60 mins in their queue - on a Sunday morning mind you, not on a weekday peak.

At least the situation was resolved by ticketing - wife/daughter boarded with hand luggage and I took all bags with me on a later flight with excess baggage charges waived (me now taking 3 bags instead of 1).

With the other domestics, it would have been tough luck, buy another ticket.

Unfortunately, flying is not the tolerable experience it used to be any more, no matter who you fly with, it's an odious chore.

Qantas: follow their rules or tough titties, but at least they'll try to accommodate you afterwards.

Virgin Blue: too busy with their comedy routines to bother with customer service.

Jetstar: Tolerable experiences so far, but you're on your own if you're even the slightest bit late and tough if they're late - like all low cost carriers.

Rex & QantasLink: Accommodating wherever possible but only fly regional routes.

 

[gav]

Some months ago I was booked into a Conference down South which involved 2 internal flights, all paid for a multinational corporation.

The last leg was on Jetstar.

I have never travelled on this airline, as I feel it is for those who have either low income or low standards.

Imagine my surprise when I was positioned in 1A with plenty of leg room and staff not caught up in the Virgin psychotic experience.

I'd give Jetstar a go again I must admit. My fellow passengers also appeared normal taxpaying people and not the gormands I had expected.

gg

Mixing with us common folk not as bad as you thought GG?

Wait until you end up in a seat next to me and I take up your arm room, eat my smelly chicken/tuna and rice every 2hrs and constantly climb over you to go take a wizz every 45 minutes

 

[robandcoll]

tax payers

I am agog, taxpayers are flying as well. What will they think of next

 

[Kat777]

Airlines are pricks in general.

I know of no ombudsman unfortunately.

Good luck

I found this thread when I was doing a search for "airline ombudsman" ...This is upsetting.

I have an issue with Skywest which has been ongoing since August 08! I tell you, their customer service is absolutely terrible.

Ive sent them 2 emails and had no reply. I just sent the third one about 20 mins ago. And I've tried calling them too but they say "send us an email" GRRRRRRRRRR.

How am I meant to get anything resolved!

 

[awg]

I found this thread when I was doing a search for "airline ombudsman" ...This is upsetting.

I have an issue with Skywest which has been ongoing since August 08! I tell you, their customer service is absolutely terrible.

Ive sent them 2 emails and had no reply. I just sent the third one about 20 mins ago. And I've tried calling them too but they say "send us an email" GRRRRRRRRRR.

How am I meant to get anything resolved!

What you have done is a start.

Public whinging.

You should ensure that you have the correct email address and name (if possible) of the person to whom you should correspond.

All email should be receipted.

CC a copy of yr emails to Dept of Fair Trading, if you feel so inclined.

Another step, you can take..fully outline the hopeless way your case is being dealt with on this or other public forums, then attach a copy to the Company, so they can see they are being publicly criticised.

This generally elicits a response.

Be polite but assertive

 

[Glen48]

Sounds like their staff are Ex Telstra or Migration.. Booked in to fly OS and bag as 3 Kg over wanted $105 extra girl suggested I get a carry on bag for $4 I did put shoes and Toiletries in and went ok ..got to Security and they threw out my toiletries worth over $100 but then I was allowed to buy any thing I like duty free and carry it on board????? Had i known I could have put clothes in the carry on bag and left the other in the suitcase..guess that's why they call it a carry on bag because I did.

 

[awg]

Had i known I could have put clothes in the carry on bag and left the other in the suitcase..guess that's why they call it a carry on bag because I did.

Lucky security did not detain you in a side room, for being stroppy, causing you to miss yr flight.

They probably could arrange an internal cavity search as well

 

[drsmith]

Flying Jetstar in from Perth to Adelaide in March I found it more cattle class than Virgin.

Got from A to B was OK but the seats were closer together (less leg room). This is not an airline for the tall. I also checked in online but still had to wait ~30min in a queue to check in luggage. There was no bag drop counter.

 

[doctorj]

Flying Jetstar in from Perth to Adelaide in March I found it more cattle class than Virgin.

You think they're bad... I've got economy class flights on Armavia Airlines an Azerbaijan Airlines this month to look forward to.

I'm already practicing flapping my arms

 

[Medici]

Why (if successful trader) you are travelling with Jets Star ?

 

[beamstas]

Virgin is best.

 

[drsmith]

Virgin is best.

It's basic compared to Qantas but I have always found their service to be good.

One I have not tried is Tiger. They seem to have the cheapest flights (out of Perth) but I'm way too old for getting on a plane at midnight or similar.

 

[Smurf1976]

Very good service from Virgin a week ago.

In short, I turned up late and missed the flight. So they just put me on the next flight with a spare seat and didn't charge anything extra for this. They even gave me the choice of any seat I wanted - and I was the one who was late.

So I can't complain about that and they even appologised for there being a queue at the airport (if there wasn't then I might have made it in time... just).

That sure beats the Jetstar grin and total ignorance of anyone who misses a flight even through no fault of their own.

 

[natcom]

Everyone,
For all your airline complaints and more go to nationalcomplaints.com.au
We want to know all about your complaints.
We store all these complaints in our database for everyone to search on and are on display publicly.
We also negotiate complaint resolution, so hit these guys where it hurts.

 

[cutz]

so hit these guys where it hurts.

Who do you wanna hit and why, what's your problem.

 

[moXJO]

Who do you wanna hit and why, what's your problem.

For all your forum complaints and more go to nationalcomplaints.com.au

 

[DB008]

They are all a little bit hit and miss IMO. But Qantas still comes out ontop for me. But, they are starting to get a bit expensive for the average joe...
I've had good experiences on Death* (aka, Jetstar, as it's known in the Frequent Flyer Community) and Virgin, but l'm so over their comedy crap. Grow up please...
LCC (Low Cost Carriers) are exactly that and as the saying goes "You get what you pay for". You want cheap, try Ryan Air. They now going to start charging pax to use the toilet on board.

 

[cutz]

For all your forum complaints and more go to nationalcomplaints.com.au

Yeah i've got a complaint against the post #35 clown, fancy wanting to hit someone where it hurts.

 

[Boggo]

Everyone,

We also negotiate complaint resolution, so hit these guys where it hurts.

Why "hit them where it hurts", they are providing the service that you are paying for.

If you think that you are going to get the same service etc on no frills LCC's (Low Cost Carriers) that you had when the Ansett/Qantas duopoly existed over ten years ago, and at less than half what you would have paid then you are kidding yourself.

Friends of ours sent their kids to the football in Melbourne a while ago with some of their school mates on a LCC because the fares that are available were affordable, they couldn't have done that ten years ago.
LCC's have made air travel available to many more people than it was available to many years ago, unfortunately they are the group that bitch and whine the most because they are still grappling with the concept of complying with a time deadline.

Basically, you now have a broad choice in Australia, you choose how much service etc you want and then you pay for it, simple.