Another lesson as to how airlines can turn an ‘act of God’ into added misery, filed by one of yesterday’s victims.

There are times when even the most generous spirit cannot forgive the
bastard that is Qantas and its devil child, Jetstar.

Yes, I know the great dust storm caused havoc to flight schedules up and
down the east coast on Wednesday.

But there are some things I find a little difficult to understand.

Such as how you can check in passengers for a flight from Melbourne to
Hobart without advising it is apparently running late. Then, to keep
shifting the estimated departure time back until the flight is going to
be three or four hours late leaving. You blame the dust, and the delayed
arrival of the operating aircraft from Newcastle into Melbourne.

That’s OK. It’s a freak weather event. We understand these things
happen. We are being patient, polite, even good-humoured in the
circumstances. It’s a crazy kind of day, especially for those of us who
saw the dust storm in Sydney at six o’clock this morning as we started
our trip south.

Then, you cancel the flight to Hobart, mumbling something about crew
basing and operational limits. An announcement over the PA says go to
the gate to rebook on other Jetstar flights. Having already spent
several hours at the airport and resigned to perhaps spending several
more until a flight comes available.

Then, the single staffer on the desk tells us there are no seats into
Tasmania. For the next three or four days. Nothing at all. Not into
Hobart, nothing into Launceston. Nothing until Saturday at the
earliest.

It’s not like there are many other options to get to Tasmania. You can’t
jump in a car or get on the bus. Virgin Blue is booked solid. Tonight’s
‘Spirit of Tasmania’ is booked out. Not like the yield managers at
Mascot don’t know that.

So, in these circumstances the ‘Spirit of Australia’ is to crank up the
prices in the full knowledge it’s pay up, or swim. Even as a result of
freak weather events.

Because there are seats available with the Qantas Group into Tasmania.
For around $400 each, one way.

You know, I am exceptionally fortunate in being able to afford to make
decisions such as staying an extra night in Melbourne and paying (much,
much) more to fly tomorrow to take the kids to see family during the
school holidays.

But lots of people are not. Today, they were abandoned by Jetstar at
Tullamarine, maybe for days, needing to find extra money to make new
flight bookings or find accommodation until they could get a seat on
Jetstar. Hopefully they will get out of town before the AFL Grand Final
on Saturday.

Yet, the Qantas Group had seats available into Tasmania. It simply chose
not to make them available to the cancelled Jetstar passengers. Not
even as a result of freak weather.

And don’t give me your corporate bullshit about how Qantas and Jetstar
are separate operations. You might choose to give that impression by
making passengers recheck bags between QF and JQ flights and other
little tricks, but you are for all intents and purposes part of the same
airline group.

I have given Qantas and Jetstar the benefit of the doubt for absolutely
the last time.

Their actions today were nothing more than utter bastardry.