Traveller horrified after Jetstar’s blunder cost her $4500

We all know how frustrating it can be to incur unexpected expenses while we're travelling. No one likes budgeting for their dream holiday only to have those plans ruined by things like baggage fees, currency conversion, and so on.

That's why, as members of the SDC, it's important to be aware of everything that could put a dent in your travel savings – including what you might have to pay for checked baggage on airlines like Jetstar.



Can you imagine being charged $4500 for something that should have only cost you $45? That's exactly what happened to one unlucky woman who was flying with budget airline Jetstar from Auckland to Christchurch in New Zealand.

Jannine was checking in an extra bag at Auckland Airport on September 15 when a staff member made an error and accidentally processed her credit card for $4500 instead of just the $45 fee.

Even though the airline employee may not think so, those two extra zeros make a huge difference!

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A Jetstar passenger was charged $4500, instead of just $45 for checking in an extra bag. Credit: NCA NewsWire/Luis Enrique Ascui.

According to Jannine, she and her father were just about to board the plane when she realised what had happened. And when she asked for a refund, she was told it would be processed within 10-15 business days.

Because no evidence of a refund request, such as a receipt, had been given, she was forced to rely solely on the promise that she would be given the money back.



However, almost one month later and Ms Meyers still hadn't received her refund, despite numerous calls to Jetstar's customer service department. The whole experience left her feeling extremely frustrated.

During one call, Jannine went on to say, she was informed that the case had been resolved and there was no need for a refund; if she wanted to dispute this, she would need to submit a screenshot of her credit card account.

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The woman waited almost one month before she saw the money refunded back into her account. Credit: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images.

'It was an extremely frustrating experience,' she said in an interview with an online media outlet. 'A $4455 discrepancy is no small error.'

Thankfully, after continued persistence from her, Jetstar finally processed the refund earlier this week (almost one month later), and the airline company even offered her a travel voucher as a goodwill gesture. It’s about time, eh?

'We sincerely apologise to Jannine for the delay in refunding her money,' a spokesperson said.



Despite this, though, she still believes that if she hadn't kept calling and contacting the airline, she wouldn't have gotten her money back.

What are your thoughts on this situation, members? Did Jetstar take the right measures in handling this case? And for our folks who frequently travel, do you have any similar experiences with Jetstar or any other airlines? Share them with us in the comments!
 
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I think that companies that are tardy in giving refunds should be made to pay interest on the amount outstanding at a rate double the bank rate. This would be to repay their customers plus an amount for inconvenience. I bet it wouldn't be long before refunds were paid in a timely manner.:sneaky:
 
I never fly Jetstar or QANTAS. QANTAS has had a really poor reputation since the tribunal forced them to re-employ those over 60 back in the early 90s Their end of employment age was 60. This was when the rot set in and contaminated Jetstar when they set up.
 
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We do fly QANTAS, but Jetstar is a definite no on our travel plans. I find that the staff are treated poorly by the company and then take it out on the their passengers. They were always in a bad mood or rude, so we blacklisted them on any of our travel plans.
 
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Another sound reason for not flying Jetstar. The offer of a travel voucher would hardly compensate this lady for her inconvenience. Would this come with terms of use as well? Must be redeemed within 21 days & only to be used within New Zealand.

As you stated Ricci, they should have paid interest at double the norm. Did or will the credit card company say, 'O.K. the airline made a mistake & we will not charge interest for this transaction?' ( this is in spite of the fact 'x' number of days interest free are sometimes available ).

This lady received nothing more than she was entitled to & no frills with a no frills airline. As stated, she should have asked for a receipt because she is entitled to receive this for her records & to check against bank statements.
 
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