JETSTAR services is the WORST in a long time!

[ricohflex]

Long ago in the 1960s, there was no such thing as budget airline. Back then if you flew on holidays, you were very well off.

Budget airlines are a relatively new phenomenon. So how do the full service airlines deal with this.

The full service airlines know that for the time being, this is something they cannot ignore.
Not yet.
They hope it is a passing fad, like bubble tea or Portuguese egg tarts.

They need to show and make the airplane passenger feel the difference.
But at the same time, some want in on the budget airline action, just in case the market shifts greatly in favour of that segment. That is when a super successful child-budget airline starts to cannibalise the parent full service airline and eat it alive.

It is not difficult for them to dismantle the child-budget airline that they have set up, if later on there is no more demand for budget airlines.

Have you noticed that the bad service stories seem to be always about some child-budget airlines that have parent full service airlines.

The stand-alone budget airlines that do not evlove from parent full service airlines get less flak and provide better service.

From what we can observe, it looks like the full service airlines have thought through the problem of how to compete with the budget airlines.
Their cleverness in dealing with the competition is admirable.

The deliberate lower standard of service of their child-budget airline must be carefully calibrated. It must not be overdone. Enough to irritate and anger the budget traveller but not enough to kill him/her. Sometimes one imagines (but cannot prove) that some flight delays are on purpose.
Safety cannot be compromised. Cannot have a lot of budget airplanes crashing often.

The pricing of budget airline tickets must be such that the traveller can choose to pay just a little bit more to buy a full service airline ticket. This is ingenious pricing strategy.

So that the traveller will think it is just not worth to save just a bit of money and suffer the hassle of budget airlines.

It will be a different story if budget airline tickets are consistently and always 1/20 the price of a full service airline. Then the savings cannot be ignored. Like say, even on year-end holiday, Christmas or Chinese New Year season.

If a country is experiencing a boom and everyone is feeling super rich, few will want to fly budget airlines. It will be a serious loss of face. Think of Japan in the 1980s.

So it will also depend on whether the country is going through good times or bad.

 

[HydroPoP]

I had a bad experience with jetstar for my short phuket holiday this Feb. The outbound flight was delayed for 1 hr. The flight back to sg was delayed 4hrs! U only get to know the delay when it is ur turn during check in. Some more the plane's aircon spoil on the ground and we were stuck in the ultra hot plane for 20mins with crying babies before we started moving. When the engine started, we finally got some cool air. Supposed to reach sg around 12.50am, end up 5am reach sg. :angry: :thumbsd:


My experience with air asia indonesia for my trip to bali last month is much much better. U can book your meals online when u buy the tickets and they are very cheap. No delays at all. U can check in online or use the self service check in machine at the airport. No Q-ing at all. :thumbsup:

 

[Yamakasi]

my bad experience with Jetstar is quite unique i think..instead of flight delay..my check in counter closed early before i can check in..I was flying to KL and my flight is supposed to be at 8.30am and when i book, it say that check in counter close 45 mins before flight (e.g. 7.45am)..i reach T1 at abt 7.35am and rush to check in..to my shock..i cant find the check in counter..so i went to find the Jetstar customer service counter and the person told me that the counter close 45 mins before flight and so its close now..i pointed to the clock in front of us and tell him that if the clock is showing 7.45am now and I am talking to him..it mean that the counter close before 7.45am..he just say he cant do anything..cause the captain was the one who gave the instruction to close the check in counter and ask me whether i want to book another flight but I have to pay for the penalty..which in the end i did not and instead fly by airasia instead...

PS: i know I should be early to check in but then I never expect check in counter to close 10 min before it is supposed to close ;p

 

[ManWearPants]

Some more the plane's aircon spoil on the ground and we were stuck in the ultra hot plane for 20mins with crying babies before we started moving.

crying babies got nothing to do with the airlines. I avoid the 1st 5 rows from the front as I have always been getting crying babies/noisy toddlers on premium fare flights. I am those kind that will not watch inflight entertainment, oggle at stewardess or stuff myself with beer. I fall asleep in flight and am very pissed with crying babies.

I was flying to KL and my flight is supposed to be at 8.30am and when i book, it say that check in counter close 45 mins before flight (e.g. 7.45am)..i reach T1 at abt 7.35am and rush to check in..to my shock..i cant find the check in counter..

Lucky you. I did not board a plane in China on time once and they threw my luggage out. Then I wonder how come the plane did not wait for me before taking off. Must be super budget airline. Premium airline will wait for me.

 

[+evenstar]

crying babies got nothing to do with the airlines. I avoid the 1st 5 rows from the front as I have always been getting crying babies/noisy toddlers on premium fare flights. I am those kind that will not watch inflight entertainment, oggle at stewardess or stuff myself with beer. I fall asleep in flight and am very pissed with crying babies.



Lucky you. I did not board a plane in China on time once and they threw my luggage out. Then I wonder how come the plane did not wait for me before taking off. Must be super budget airline. Premium airline will wait for me.

not anymore. now it's rather strict. airline will not wait for you if you're late.

 

[9V-Orion Images]

At Changi Airport there should be no reason why anyone should miss their flight after checking in since the "last call" sign is displayed even before the boarding begins. ;p

 

[Keltzar]

evenstar, he said they closed the counter BEFORE they're supposed to!
By that argument, if they can be on time, so should the airline, right?

As for being late... that is the hallmark of a budget airline ... Jetstar is for people with time on their hands... not for seriously busy people, and that's why it cannot work for business travellers or you'll always be late meeting clients or getting home!

I have noticed ricohflex's views... and in a way do agree. Besides Jetstar, there is another local Budget airline which in comparison to its parent... is almost as if they DELIBERATELY try to remind you that you are flying budget. Sad truth is that Jetstar's parent airline isn't known for great in-cabin service either.

Manwearpants: If I'm not wrong, Jetstar charges more for the first 5 rows too!

Wow, there generally seems to be a lot of such Jetstar experiences...
this is interesting and enlightening...

 

[tungtong]

Try tiger ........... after U know Jetstar is Very Good ! ! !:heart::thumbsup:

tungtong2010

.

 

[+evenstar]

evenstar, he said they closed the counter BEFORE they're supposed to!
By that argument, if they can be on time, so should the airline, right?

err i was referring to airlines not waiting should you be late for boarding

 

[Keltzar]

Try tiger ........... after U know Jetstar is Very Good ! ! !:heart::thumbsup:

tungtong2010

.

eh, Tiger?
Haven't had to use their CS... but they are clearly a company bent on reminding you that you are flying el-cheapo...

 

[Gizmore]

i still dun understand why ppl will still expect perfect service even on budget airline.

pay peanuts... get monkeys...

i haven't been traveling a lot with JSA, only to BKK and TPE twice with them. so far, no delays, no cork up.

even if there is cork up... all i can say is... oh well, budget... suck thumb and lppl.

 

[razor]

Just came back from the airport

JetstarAsia/ValuAir

I was stranded at the holding area for 12 hours from 8pm to 8am. my body aches and we (me and my daughter didn't get sleep the entire night and no help was offer for parents with children whom may be hungry, cold and unable to sleep on the cold marble floors of the holding room. I can take the discomfort but I don't think my kid deserve such treatment!

No JSA rep at airport, basically you are on your own hoping what the airport staff says is valid. Initially told us it's 1 hour late, then later told us it's 6 hours late after waiting 1 hour and then told us on the 5th hour that it's gonna take 4 more hours... Very frustrating!


Bloody angry and tired.;(;(

Will be shooting a lot of mails to everywhere once i get some sleep.

 

[ricohflex]

Just came back from the airport


Bloody angry and tired.;(;(

Will be shooting a lot of mails to everywhere once i get some sleep.

But your angry mail will just reaffirm the cleverness of what they are doing.
So after this will U be flying budget airline in future? No? That is the intended result.
Now do U realise what this is all about.

 

[razor]

But your angry mail will just reaffirm the cleverness of what they are doing.
So after this will U be flying budget airline in future? No? That is the intended result.
Now do U realise what this is all about.

HI!

Not too convinced about your conspiracy theory but I still fly budget when im alone... probably, with family, i take a full service flight next time.

 

[fleaz]

I flew with Jetstar 2 years ago and the experience was superb. No delays, no problems whatsoever.

 

[John Teoh]

razor where did you fly back to Singapore? I just took their flight to Cambodia in May. Everything went smoothly for my case.

 

[razor]

razor where did you fly back to Singapore? I just took their flight to Cambodia in May. Everything went smoothly for my case.

From Jakarta.. actually out of 5 times I took the JSA this year, this is the first major delay i had experienced. The other 4 times , was traveling without my kid, and which only a bit of delays which I can bare.

 

[ricohflex]

HI!

Not too convinced about your conspiracy theory but I still fly budget when im alone... probably, with family, i take a full service flight next time.

It is an observation.
It is not a conspiracy theory.

Budget airlines and their parent airlines are in business to make money.
They are not doing it for charity.
They don't need to apologise for wanting to make money as long as the way and means are not illegal.

What is happening now is that they are pushing the envelope.
To see what you can bear.
Asians are more docile.
Europeans may not tolerate it.

Let's say if every time there is a delay of more than 5 hours the public complains and some authority keeps count. More than 5 times a year, then the budget airline is fined say, $10 Million. More than 10 times a year, cancel licence to operate.
Well, for the time being, this is fiction.

Until a Ralph Nader appears about the budget airlines.

Manufacturers/service providers Pushing the envelope of tolerance of consumers is like this...

Say, for example people eat at restaurants and hawker centres.
If people get food poisoning 9 times out of 10 when they eat at hawker centres, then the hawkers may say - that's what you get for eating at budget eating places. You must get used to this. This is budget eating, after all.
If you don't want to risk that, then eat at expensive restaurants.

We don't have this scenario because the public does not tolerate it.

Right now, the budget airlines are trying to see how far they can go. Especially about flight delays. How much pain you can take just because you are flying budget and not economy/business/first class in main airline. It is a benchmark.

 

[BlueBull]

Just came back on Sunday from Hong Kong. To and fro on Jetstar. 4th time flying with them.

No frills, no delays, no unpleasentness, no worries.

Looking forward to flying a 5th time with them.