Jetstar has a detailed compassion policy unknown to at least two of its call centre operators.
In the Crikey Daily Mail today this item was lodged on the anonymous Crikey ‘tip off’ line, to which a link is also offered on our main page.
In fact the unpublished but very detailed compassion policy should have been known to its staff, and should have meant the waiving of the booking change fee and might have produced a different outcome to the passenger.
However Jetstar was following the same practice as other airlines in applying a difference fare for the next available flight back to Australia. That fare should absorb the value of the return fare already paid, but without talking to the passenger we can’t be sure that it did.
If consumers qualify for the usual travel insurance policies, which tend to exclude or price out older travellers, unexpected crises causing a shortened or abandoned trip can be covered, not just the fare difference but loss of tour or accommodation deposits or other incidentals such as a late transfer back to an airport.
This angry flyer’s experience is a reminder however that individual misfortune is often just an opportunity for any airline to replace a cheaper fare with a more expensive one.
2 Comments
although some circumstances are unfortunate it is the reason we do have insurance. We cant expect companies to be charities.
A friend recently missed a eurostar trip for medical reasons.
Eurostar put them on a train latter that week for free because as they said. The seat was empty and they had already purchased one ticket so they like to keep their customers.
what a difference