Below is the actual letter sent to Jetstar on May 7. It is now 28 May and NO REPLY! Was hoping they may change to a return or at least apologise!!
David XXXXXX
6 XXXX
XXXX
NSW
7 May 2007
Details Atikan XXX
Bangkok – Melbourne –Sydney 03/05/07
(copy itinerary included)
To whom it may concern.
The details below is a draft of a letter that will be pasted on to my web site at www.musicswapshoppe.com as well as my chat forum and blog. My traffic stats are very good, so this will be viewed by a lot of people.
I will provide 7 days from date of letter for a response before I post. If I am satisfied with your response then this will not be posted.
The return back home of my wife and 8 month old son after 2 months in Thailand should not have been so fraught.
Please respond to all points raised including excess baggage
David XXXX
tel XXXX
XXXXs@unwired.com.au
AVOID JETSTAR
Atikan decided to return to Australia on May 3, so I checked prices on the Internet and found a flight with JETSTAR for 12,200 baht return (9 months valid excl taxes)
http://www.jetstar.com/skylights/cgi-bin/skylights.cgi?
(Link no longer works, wish I had printed)
I then phoned Jetstar as it stated that payment must be made in Thai baht. The male operator confirmed this to be the price but with taxes was 15,000 plus baht (think was 15,500 or15,800). He also informed me that I could not pay for ticket when I enquired.
I then phoned Atikan in Thailand who took a 10 hour bus trip with a baby to the Bangkok office armed with flight details from Bangkok – Melbourne and then connection Melbourne - Sydney. I also provided her with exact fare including taxes and flight dates, times and numbers. One would have thought this was enough but No. The Bangkok office said this price was incorrect and it was 32,000
She left there office and phoned me, so I called JETSTAR again who confirmed (again) price of 15, 800 baht, for a return incl taxes.
Again I rung her, and the next day she returned and they again told her NO. Well we had both had enough by now so I told her to just purchase a single (cost 16,000) and I will contact JETSTAR from here and get the details changed for her over the phone to a return.
This time when I contacted Jetstar, I got a female operator who again confirmed the cost of the return ticket, but as tickets are non refundable and we have already purchased a single, it cannot be changed and "why did I not just pay with my visa!" I explained that the original operator had told me I could not pay for it, which of course is what I had wanted to do anyway to avoid the 10 hour bus trip for them.
Of course this was not accepted as an actual occurrence so, without being rude. I informed her that I was not happy and will be sending a letter to Jetstar Head Office in Australia.
I knew by this stage I was wasting my time and gave up.
Day of flight
At JETSTAR counter the check in officer refused to look at our 8 month old son as having a luggage allocation within the one bag she had (Malaysian Airlines did allow for him, when they flew to Thailand with a 30 kg bag, plus a stroller and a guitar!), and the Officer even STATED very rudely in Thai of course "What you want for a cheap flight, and your baby was free! Why should you expect his luggage to be included, your total weight cannot exceed 20 kilos and is 27kg"
I have now weighed the bag (No stroller or guitar on return) at home and it was 23kg total for my wife and baby!)
I should point out that on the return leg of her ticket to Thailand with Malaysian Airlines, my son was also free, but their customer service was fantastic and Atikan was not made to feel like a cheap and second rate person, even though the cost of her return portion (price divided by two) was less than the price paid with Jetstar. And a blanket and food was included in cost, and a basinet which we requested when purchasing a ticket with both Airlines was actually provided by Malasian Airlines (Not Jetstar).
My wife paid him 1000 baht for excess. No receipt was given, so I wonder whether this went anywhere other than his back pocket? Assume they can identify officer from computer details for check-in information to confirm.
The time of departure was 9pm but flight was nearly 2 hours late leaving and by the time she arrived in Melbourne the Sydney flight had already left. Her English is quite good but when the JETSTAR counter has no staff, it is very hard to find out what is going on, and she had to carry a 23 kg bag and a baby around the airport. Atikan does not travel that often or for that matter is familiar with Melbourne Airport, so a lot of weight to carry back and forth. She rang me again very upset and wanted me to help her (I felt awful. What could I do?)
Eventually (after being sent three times to the unattended Jetstar counter), Melbourne Airport information did help her and she was then put on a Qantas flight.
Of course all this time, I was at Sydney Airport waiting for them with no idea of times or even date she would now be arriving.
Jetstar refused to provide me any details at Sydney airport as I did not know the flight number or reference !! but fortunately, after a huge car parking fee later, and still no closer to any details from Jetstar counter. She called me from a public phone at Sydney airport. Thank God that ordeal is over.
PS AVOID JETSTAR