This Jetstar customer was stunned to find out her flight credits had expired. Could yours be next?
- Replies 3
Many of us are grateful for the convenience and affordability of budget airlines like Jetstar. Not only do they offer great deals on flights, but they also make long-distance travel accessible for people on a budget.
Unfortunately, there are still a lot of factors that are out of everyone's control that may curtail those long-planned trips.
That's why it was such a relief when Qantas announced recently that their customers' flight credits incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic would no longer have expiry dates.
Jetstar, on the other hand, allows those with ‘COVID Vouchers' to book flights indefinitely until December 31, 2023. If the vouchers remain unused, they can contact Jetstar starting January 1, 2024, to request new vouchers.
However, one Jetstar customer was left gobsmacked after receiving an email telling her that her $290 worth of flight vouchers would expire on September 6, despite the airline's earlier promise.
This happened to Australian Financial Review columnist Jennifer Hewett, who had tried to use her vouchers online and was told they had expired.
Hewett decided to call the airline to get some answers and said that Jetstar demanded proof the original booking had been made during the pandemic to use the flight credits.
Stuck in a back-and-forth with the airline, she then asked to speak to a manager before the line was disconnected again.
She decided to call once more, and another Jetstar representative said that the vouchers could not be used unless the original booking details could be found.
In the end, Jetstar confirmed that the vouchers did not expire and requests for the customer’s flight details were part of their protocol to verify their identity.
Ms Hewett’s case was said to be a one-off error, according to a Jetstar spokesperson.
'As we announced at the start of the month, Jetstar COVID vouchers can be extended indefinitely, and we apologise for the error made by our contact centre agent in this instance,' the spokesperson said.
'We will be providing additional training to the agent and have issued a reminder to our contact centre about our COVID voucher policy.'
This story follows news about Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully being questioned in senate hearings where it was discovered that the budget airline is reportedly holding some $100 million worth of flight credits from customers.
'With the Jetstar credit, which is around $100 million...about 50 per cent of that credit is held by people, and it’s less than $100, so you can imagine the context of contacting those customers to use that amount,' Ms Tully said.
This huge backlog of travel credits was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic when borders closed, and flights were cancelled worldwide.
Meanwhile, Qantas Group, the owner of Jetstar Airways, currently faces multiple issues, including ACCC complaints over sold flights that were cancelled and, just recently, the resignation of their Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce.
If you or anyone you know have any unanswered questions about your flight credits, make sure to follow up with the customer service department of your chosen airline for support.
Do you have unused travel credits from the pandemic? Do you plan on using them anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below!
Unfortunately, there are still a lot of factors that are out of everyone's control that may curtail those long-planned trips.
That's why it was such a relief when Qantas announced recently that their customers' flight credits incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic would no longer have expiry dates.
Jetstar, on the other hand, allows those with ‘COVID Vouchers' to book flights indefinitely until December 31, 2023. If the vouchers remain unused, they can contact Jetstar starting January 1, 2024, to request new vouchers.
However, one Jetstar customer was left gobsmacked after receiving an email telling her that her $290 worth of flight vouchers would expire on September 6, despite the airline's earlier promise.
This happened to Australian Financial Review columnist Jennifer Hewett, who had tried to use her vouchers online and was told they had expired.
One Jetstar customer was told that her vouchers had expired and could no longer be used to book a new flight. Image source: Shutterstock.
Hewett decided to call the airline to get some answers and said that Jetstar demanded proof the original booking had been made during the pandemic to use the flight credits.
Stuck in a back-and-forth with the airline, she then asked to speak to a manager before the line was disconnected again.
She decided to call once more, and another Jetstar representative said that the vouchers could not be used unless the original booking details could be found.
In the end, Jetstar confirmed that the vouchers did not expire and requests for the customer’s flight details were part of their protocol to verify their identity.
Ms Hewett’s case was said to be a one-off error, according to a Jetstar spokesperson.
'As we announced at the start of the month, Jetstar COVID vouchers can be extended indefinitely, and we apologise for the error made by our contact centre agent in this instance,' the spokesperson said.
'We will be providing additional training to the agent and have issued a reminder to our contact centre about our COVID voucher policy.'
This story follows news about Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully being questioned in senate hearings where it was discovered that the budget airline is reportedly holding some $100 million worth of flight credits from customers.
'With the Jetstar credit, which is around $100 million...about 50 per cent of that credit is held by people, and it’s less than $100, so you can imagine the context of contacting those customers to use that amount,' Ms Tully said.
This huge backlog of travel credits was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic when borders closed, and flights were cancelled worldwide.
Meanwhile, Qantas Group, the owner of Jetstar Airways, currently faces multiple issues, including ACCC complaints over sold flights that were cancelled and, just recently, the resignation of their Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce.
Do you have unused travel credits from the pandemic? Do you plan on using them anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below!
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