Booked Wrong Flights Accidentally with Jetstar

curlycee on 20/04/2015 - 12:18

I booked flights from Melbourne to the Gold Coast for my sister's wedding. I shouldn't have done it, but I was tired, with a new bub (number 3) and booking at midnight. I made a really stupid mistake, I booked a week later than what I actually need to travel. So I'm flying out on November 25th and back on December 3rd, when I should be flying out on November 18 and back on the 25th or so (dates are flexible- the wedding is on Saturday 21st, not Saturday 28th…)

I used a Price Beat, my total was $804 for 2 adults, 2 children and 1 infant, including baggage for 3 persons, and seat allocation. To change now is going to cost approximately $600 per passenger, so way in excess of what the original booking cost.

I totally understand that it is my mistake, and that those Starter Fares and Price Beats are cheap for a reason, and completely non refundable. I tried anyway, and was told no. I also tried to just get the baggage and seat allocation refunded, also met with a no. I've spoken with 4 different people, and understandably been told no refunds are possible- which I expected, but thought it was worth a go.

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on anything I could possibly do to salvage this? I think that I just have to kiss the money goodbye and start again, but just checking here in case the collective wisdom of OzBargainers can save me.

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Comments

    • cowiie on 22/04/2015 - 19:54

      To have that policy of offering a refund based on 'good will' will be detrimental to the business. Who's to say one circumstance is worst than another? Better to have a blanket of no refund than figuring out ethics.

    • RockyRaccoon on 22/04/2015 - 21:05

      You can buy refundable/changeable flights on Jetstar. Like many airlines. But you pay more.

      So I cant see what you are saying.

      • BertieBrown on 23/04/2015 - 18:21

        The difference is, in this instance the OP just made a mistake when they booked. Whereas an alterable ticket is something you would buy intentionally if you invesaged that later on down the track things may change and you might need to change your booking. I can't imagine someone who is just tired and sleep deprived when they are booking a flight would rationally think, 'I should buy the more expensive flight because I might err when I make this booking'.

        My point is that Jetstar is essentially making an $800 sum of this persons accidental booking, which they did by mistake.

        Which is why I posed the question in my earlier comment, what does it actually cost Jetstar to alter that booking?

        Sure the OP stuffed up, but surely $800 or whatever the booking was is an unfair wack for a simple mistake.

    • Dan_ on 23/04/2015 - 07:40

      Wouldn't it make sense (and apologies if this has already been suggested) for Jetstar to offer regular tickets with a one time reschedule policy

      They do offer it

      In this instance, Jetstar could elect to allow the change, considering they would be assisting a family.

      Why a family more important than say; a bunch of mates going to Bali?

      Its unfortunate but if they don't enforce the rules, who is going to fork out for the more expensive (and therefore more flexible) fares?

      • tooblue on 23/04/2015 - 14:37

        Everyone is equal, but we are more equal than others. We don't want to pay a little extra for flexible fare but we want the benefit of flexibility whatsoever. I made the mistake but it is not my fault, so I don't want to pay for it. Everyone else should compensate me.

        • BertieBrown on 23/04/2015 - 18:25

          I think flexible fares definitely have their place.

          But personally I reckon if you accidentally stuff up your booking a little compassion to help a customer wouldn't go astray.

        • Dan_ on 23/04/2015 - 19:44
          +1

          But personally I reckon if you accidentally stuff up your booking a little compassion to help a customer wouldn't go astray.

          @Jawanzar: Then suddenly everyone has a sister that is getting married interstate and then realised they've booked the wrong date one week later.

          In any case, Jetstar do consider compassionate requests, I've helped a friend with that before. But this is a wedding, not a case of bereavement.

        • RockyRaccoon on 23/04/2015 - 20:41
          +1

          @Dan_:

          Having a sister getting married, or makinga simple mistake, is a lot easier than faking an illness.

          Dan you are so correct, how can any airline know if this is the "truth" especially as many above have been prepared to lie and even fake illness.

          Sure it sucks and I wouldnt be very pleased with myself or anyone if I made the same mistake.

          But bluntly lets take a rational approach. There is no way we really 100% can tell if the OP is telling us the truth exactly as explained, and neither can Jetstar.

          They have a 24 hour error window which is fair.

          To claim they are not compassionate based on this hearsay is frankly BS

          Like everything there are limits.

          I bought a bottle of cream at Aldi. Paid for it then added it to my pile in my hands, (Refused to buy their carry bag) I then dropped it. Aldi replaced the bottle even though it was MY mistake. AND they had to clean up the mess.

          Now if I dropped it at home or in the car park, should they also replace it. At some point there is a line that is crossed., where it's my issue not someone else's

    • OutOfComplaintForms on 24/04/2015 - 09:52

      Because they are a budget airline? Not only that, but virtually every legacy carrier has the same policy. If you know exactly when you're going to fly, then great, enjoy low fares, but if you want flexibility, then it's going to cost you.

      Everyone always wants flexible fare benefits at low fare prices. They're not compatible. Jetstar has a 24 hour mistake fare policy, so it's not as though they're trying to make money of people who make mistakes. But it's them making off money from people who want an actual date change.

      Also almost all airlines will give you a full refund if there's a very, very specific circumstance, like death of a family member. So I don't think it's harsh at all.

      • BertieBrown on 24/04/2015 - 11:22

        Totally didn't realise that they had a 24 hour error policy.

        I was under the impression that if you made a mistake during booking that was it and you were stuck with it..

  • curlycee on 23/04/2015 - 12:51

    Well I just PMd this to Virgin on facebook…can hope, right???

    Hi Virgin,
    I'm hoping you might be able to help me.
    Recently, I booked flights through Jetstar for 2 adults, 2 children and 1 infant flying Melbourne-Gold Coast for my sister's wedding in November.
    I made a devastatingly stupid mistake, and accidentally booked the flights one week later than I should have.
    Because I booked a sale fare, (and also paid extra for baggage and seat allocation) it is all non refundable, and I have just donated $804.80 to Jetstar.
    As I'm sure you know, it is more expensive to pay change fees and fare difference on the original booking, than to just book new flights.

    I now need to rebook, and am hoping not to fly Jetstar again. Just wondering if there's any chance you can price match or in some way help out an exhausted new mum who made a stupid mistake?

    I'm sure you get requests like this all the time and I'm expecting a no, but I figure it doesn't hurt to ask.

    Forever hopeful that you can help so my husband can stop hating me.

    Yours sincerely,

    • mrmarkau67 on 23/04/2015 - 20:31
      +1

      Great letter. A perfect example of "can't hurt to try".

  • ExtraSalt on 23/04/2015 - 13:19

    could you not just buy a new 1 way ticket for the date you need, and then fly back on the original flight? We had the same issue when my GF booked the wrong dates, we did that and it was much cheaper than rebooking through Jetstar.

    • curlycee on 23/04/2015 - 13:34

      I can't fly back on the original flight, it turns an 8 day trip into a 14 day trip, which I can't afford on top of the money I have already lost :-)

    • tooblue on 23/04/2015 - 14:37

      Because someone doesn't want to for their own mistake.

  • watson4884 on 23/04/2015 - 17:33

    the cheapest way is find someone who's selling their AMEX complementary flight for Virgin air?
    or price beat with tiger again
    $788
    18/11-25/11
    18/11 13:00 pm/18:00pm
    25/11 14:00 pm/20:00 pm

  • Bongo23 on 23/04/2015 - 22:09
    -5

    How about disputing the charge with your credit card provider? No idea how this will work but always worth a try.

    • Dan_ on 23/04/2015 - 22:23
      +2

      And what exactly do you suggest she should tell them when she lodges this dispute?

      • Bongo23 on 24/04/2015 - 15:20

        We get them all the time for many reasons, it is pot luck half the time. I would tell them exactly what happened.

  • Lucky13 on 24/04/2015 - 04:34

    You could try and sell them on ebay or gumtree I guess. Ive seen flights being sold on ebay. Only thing is I think theres costs involved changing names on tickets etc but I don't know u could try something like that n get a bit of ur money back

  • tooblue on 24/04/2015 - 09:46
    -2

    There are many ways that the OP can minimise the loss as suggested here however she simply turns a blind eye and keeps demanding full refund from Jetstar. After all it is the OP who made the mistake. Another irresponsible person that is not willing to pay for his/her own mistake.

    And email to Virgin? WTF. Virgin might be happy to see a grumpy Jetstar customer but I'm sure if same thing happens to Virgin they would do the similar. The OP then would turn to Jetstar for help?

    • curlycee on 24/04/2015 - 10:14
      +4

      Tooblue, the only suggestion has been to booknew outbound flights, and fly back on the original flights. It doesn't minimise the loss if I can't afford another week of accom, nor arrange leave to cover a stay of that length.
      Did I miss another viable suggestion?
      As I've said many times, I don't blame anyone but myself. I thought I'd see if this was salvageable before I did another price beat and a whole new booking.
      And I figured it couldn't hurt to see if Virgin could price match.

      Can't blame a gal for trying.

      I'm also not demanding a full refund from jetstar, never have. Not quite sure if you've read the thread properly.

  • cairnsn on 24/04/2015 - 16:16

    I've just had a quick look today. The prices of the flights have gone up, but not all of the departures are being priced at $259 on the days you want to travel. There are still some departures going at a reasonable price.

    The cheapest quote for a NEW booking is below based on the information you provided (2 adults, 2 children, 1 infant, baggage for 3 people and seat selection).

    Based on these prices, the difference should be around $600 in total not $600 per person. This takes into account the change fees and fare difference. It is still cheaper than purchasing a new fare.

    My advise is to:
    * Keep monitoring the prices daily. Fare prices do go up and down based on demand, sale fares etc and therefore the cheaper the base fare, the less difference you have to pay
    * Change your flights online to avoid the telephone surcharges
    * Pay for the fare difference using POLI to avoid the credit card surcharges
    * Be flexible on your flight times - you may find that early or late departures are usually cheaper because nobody wants to fly during those times

    Quote as at 24/04

    Melbourne - Gold Coast
    18 Nov 2015, 12:30 PM (Flight JQ436)
    2 x Adult @ $89 = $178
    2 x Child @ $89 = $178
    1 x Infant @ $0 = $0
    3 x Baggage 20kg @ $20 = $60
    4 x Seat Selection Fee @ $5.50 = $22
    $438

    Gold Coast - Melbourne
    25 Nov 2015, 08:15 AM
    2 x Adult @ $115 = $230
    2 x Child @ $115 = $230
    1 x Infant @ $0 = $0
    3 x Baggage 20kg @ $20 = $60
    4 x Seat Selection Fee @ $5.50 = $22
    $542

    Change Fee @ $50 per person per flight = $400-500 (sorry I'm not sure if this fee is charged for infants)

    Total: $1380-1480
    Amount already paid: $804
    Difference to pay: $576-676

  • curlycee on 24/04/2015 - 16:30

    Unfortunately there is no option to select those flights under 'manage my booking' on their website . I only have the choice to change to outbound flights for $259 and inbound flights for $229, in addition to change fees. So well in excess of just doing a new booking , around 2k in addition to the $804 already paid.

    It's strange, I don't quite understand why the fares you change to are so much higher than if you go onto the website as a new customer .

    My cheapest option at this point is to price beat with jetstar on a new booking .

    Thanks for looking though :)

    • cairnsn on 25/04/2015 - 12:19
      +1

      Sorry to hear you can't select those particular flights.

      The way it works is that airlines sell tickets in fare classes or 'buckets'. On each flight, the airline allocates a specific number of seats for each fare bucket. When the flight opens up for sale for the first time, seats are sold initially at the lowest fare bucket and there are usually only a limited number of these cheap seats. When these are exhausted, seats are sold at the next highest fare bucket and so on. The airlines call this 'yield management' and this is the reason why it is usually more expensive to book tickets in the last minute since most of the cheap seats have sold out by then. Below is an example.

      Fare Class A $80 - 10 seats
      Fare Class B $100 - 30 seats
      Fare Class C $120 - 40 seats
      Fare Class D $150 - 50 seats
      Fare Class E $200 - 40 seats
      Fare Class F $250 - 20 seats

      Now here is the problem. If you change flights you can only only change to a ticket of same fare class or higher even if there are fares available at the lower class on the same flight. So, for example, if you were originally sold a ticket in Fare Class D, you can only change to a fare class D, E or F even if that flight has fares available at C or lower.

      I'm guessing you were originally sold a ticket in a higher fare class when you did the price beat. How much was the price match discount off the original price? Have a look at your receipt. If the discount was pretty high (e.g. >$200 price matched down to $80), then i'm guessing you were sold a ticket in the higher fare class and this is why the cheaper seats are not coming up when you change your flights.

  • curlycee on 29/04/2015 - 12:47
    +7

    Thanks for your explanation cairnsn, that makes a lot of sense now.

    Just want to report in that I heard from Jetstar this morning after another online submission. They offered to waive the change fees and move my flights; the fare difference was $215. I'm very happy with this outcome, as I was looking at another $800-1000 to do a whole new booking.

    I was always polite, never demanded anything. I'm not sure why the change of heart, but I'm very grateful for it.

    Thankyou to everyone that helped in this thread.

    • meantolive on 30/04/2015 - 08:55

      I'm glad to hear that you successfully changed your flight without getting ripped off. Really happy for you. Now you can stop stressing :)

      The funny thing is that I'm in a similar situation. I booked my flight a week late doh. I'm going to attempt what you did, but may I know what is an online submission? Also, do you think Jetstar was more understanding because you're a family going to a wedding?

      • curlycee on 30/04/2015 - 13:06
        +1

        It's through the contact us page, you can make a complaint/compliment/query.
        I mentioned the 24 hour mistakes policy (thanks philmurray) and although they could see from their call records (they record every call) that I had contacted them a week later, they said that 'on this one occasion, we will waive the changes fees, but you will still have to pay any applicable fare difference'.

        I'm not sure if they were more understanding because we are a family flying to a wedding. I wonder if they just thought it might be easier to switch me than to keep dealing with my polite emails and phone calls? Lol. Was worth it though.

        I will say, I was never rude, always admitted fault. Not sure if that worked in my favour. Good luck to you.

        I realise how very lucky I am to have had this outcome given that they could have stuck to their policy and done nothing for me.

        • meantolive on 30/04/2015 - 14:53

          Thanks for the tips! Much appreciated. I'll give it a go as there's no harm in doing so.

  • Natt on 30/04/2015 - 06:07

    Yeah! That's a great outcome. Hopefully that's all the hiccups behind you now and you have an awesome trip :)

  • baskinghobo on 07/09/2018 - 09:45

    Here's a Jetstar customer service horror story for you.

    Jetstar cancelled my flight because of a typhoon in Osaka and offered me alternative flights for my trip from Okinawa-Osaka and Osaka-Cairns. I was about to book Okinawa-Osaka and Osaka-Tokyo-Cairns but I found out I could go directly to Tokyo and skip Osaka if I gave them a ring. So i booked my flight from Okinawa-Tokyo over the phone after getting authorisation and she offered to book the Tokyo-Cairns flight over the phone as well but I declined because I wanted to spend at least a few days in Tokyo and have options in case my flight got delayed again because of weather. I made sure to ask the lady if I could book the connecting flight online later and she said yes. This was before I realised i am skipping Osaka so my flight shouldn't be delayed so I should have made that booking anyway. When I found out I couldn't make that booking online i gave them a ring. The other lady i got was very rude saying that I have to pay even if my flight got cancelled and said it was common sense that I would have to pay for my connecting flight because I am departing from Tokyo instead of Osaka now. This new booking would cost me over $1000 because I was paying for my girlfriend also. I told her it was common sense that the first lady I spoke to would mention payment before making any route change bookings. After an argument she kept saying it was common sense so I hung up. I then realised after I should still be able to book my flight from Osaka-Tokyo-Cairns like i originally had planned to and just miss the first leg of my flight but when I went to book it, it said my flight had already departed when I haven't even booked yet so I rang the same lady again. She said I still had to pay even if my flight got cancelled and I kept mentioning that my original booking had a connecting flight to Cairns before it got cancelled and that Jetstar had offered me alternative flights free of charge before but for some reason my booking over the phone had affected my connecting flight when it shouldn't affect anything and after explaining my situation to her in 20 different ways she finally realised that I had made a booking prior from Osaka to Cairns and I wasn't trying to score a free flight so she finally put me on a flight from Tokyo to Cairns free of charge after authorising it with the manager.

    This whole situation could have been avoided if the manager who has to authorise any route changes had the nerves to speak to me instead of giving the lady who couldn't understand anything i was saying some poor excuse as to why she was busy.

    /rant

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