Angry Flyers Lounge: The art of not answering a simple question

There are times when airlines seem totally incapable of responding to the simplest of questions, and an angry flyer in Darwin has just had one of them with Jetstar. He writes: I recently flew from Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) to Darwin with Jetstar. I knew I would have about 20kg of excess luggage and so […]

Crikey

Apr 07, 2010

There are times when airlines seem totally incapable of responding to the simplest of questions, and an angry flyer in Darwin has just had one of them with Jetstar.

He writes:

I recently flew from Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) to Darwin with Jetstar.
I knew I would have about 20kg of excess luggage and so two days before flying I called Jetstar for an approximate price. I was told it would be $150.
When I checked in I was told it would be $400. I explained the price I had been quoted but to no avail.
I called the number I had used two days earlier but was put on hold and gave up after 15 minutes (at a cost of almost $40).
Back at the check-in I was given a new price _ $320, no reason given.
Once home I wrote to Jetstar outlining the above, simply asking why the variation in prices.
I received reply a Customer Care Manager Michael Mirabito who wrote: “I am sorry you were unhappy about being charged for excess baggage’’.
In what was obviously a standard reply letter it went on to explain Jetsar’s free baggage allowance of 20kg etc etc. he later said “I am sorry if you weren’t aware of the 20kg limit ….’’
The letter said nothing I did not already know but it failed to answer my question _ why the variation in costs.
I wrote back to Mr Mirabito, telling him he had not read my letter and would he please do so and answer my valid question.
A month has gone and still no reply.
His original finished by saying “I hope things go more smoothly the next time you travel with us.’’
Unfortunately, reply or no reply, there will probably be a next time because from Darwin we have no choice when flying north.
But it would be nice to be able to tell Jetstar where to go!

This is a technique perfected by many companies and government departments in recent times. Never acknowledge the actual question, and answer something different.

In terms of excess baggage charges it seems inconceivable that Jetstar can’t publish a straightforward table of excess baggage charges. If it can publish its fares, what makes additional baggage such a mysterious proposition?