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"A little bit steep": Jetstar passenger hit with "wild" excess baggage fee

A Jetstar passenger has been slapped with a "wild" excess baggage fee after her luggage was less than just one kilogram overweight. Monique McCreanor was flying from Melbourne to Sydney after competing in a fitness competition when she was hit with the unexpected fees. Travelling with only carry-on luggage, Ms. McCreanor said she made a mad dash to the airport to catch her flight, only to be stopped at the gate due to the weight of her bag. Because of the prizes she won at the competition, her bag was just 900g over the 7kg limit, and she was issued a $75 fine. Ms. McCreanor took to TikTok to share a warning with other travellers to triple check the weight of your bag, as even being over the limit by mere grams will set you back. “This isn’t a complaint, this is merely just warning you guys,” she said in the clip. “If you do fly with Jetstar on a domestic flight, and your bag is even 100g overweight, you’re going to get charged $75 at the gate for that excess luggage." “Now, this kind of sucks, because I’m like damn, I could have had 15kg in this bag to really make it worthwhile." “I got hit with $75, so just make sure are booking the extra checked baggage, it is better to be safe than sorry, because $75 is a little bit steep for just 900g overweight.” While her video quickly garnered thousands of views, many were left divided in the comments about her complaints. One person sided with the airline, saying, “No sorry, it clearly gives a weight allowance. You went over, you pay.” “Seriously it doesn’t matter who you are with, you will have to pay any way, they are the rules,” another added. Others were quick to empathise, sharing their own experience of encountering excess baggage fees. “They did this to me on my honeymoon... I was p****d,” one person said. Image credits: TikTok

Travel Trouble

Dad kicked off Jetstar flight for breaking cardinal rule

A dad has been kicked off a Jetstar flight after snapping a picture of his family boarding the plane from the tarmac. Jimmy Mitchell was with his wife Pauline and their two children as they went to board their flight from Sydney to Brisbane, where they were embarking on a cruise. As the family were boarding the plane from the tarmac, Jimmy quickly took a picture of his kids and his wife who were walking up the rear stairs of the plane. According to Jimmy, who is a seasoned traveller, he didn't hear an announcement be made that passengers were prohibited from taking photos on the tarmac because the plane was refuelling. He was eventually able to board the flight after being confronted by cabin crew, but described the debacle as “one of the most traumatic experiences” he’s had. In a viral TikTok, he alleged that while he was taking the photo, a cabin crew member called him an “idiot”. He said that when she tried to get his attention to put the device away it left him embarrassed and shocked. “This is the worst experience I’ve ever had flying,” he said in the clip. “I try and get on the plane, I take a photo of my kids as they get on the plane, in flight mode, and the lady calls me an idiot,” he said. After he confronted the staff member, Mr Mitchell claims he was told he won’t be allowed to board the flight. “I turned around in disbelief because I was half way up the stairs at this point. I basically stormed over to her and I was like, ‘Are you serious? What did you just call me?’ “She was basically saying ‘you can’t take photos on the tarmac, you can’t take photos on the tarmac’.” The pair allegedly went back and forth before the father-of-two, known for his travel content, was rejected from boarding the plane. “If she had literally just said anything else, like ‘get off your phone’, I would have done it.” “Apparently, they made an announcement, but I had noise cancelling headphones, Pauline (wife) told me after the fact – I didn’t hear it, there was no notifications about it, there was no signage, no nothing." “All she had to do was say something constructive. ‘Get off your phone,’ ‘you can’t have your phone out’ and I would have been like ‘sorry’, but she screams across the tarmac calling me an idiot.” “I can see how she maybe felt I was being intimidating because I am a big guy and I am a loud guy. She turns around to me and goes ‘you almost assaulted me, get off the tarmac, you’re not getting on this plane’.” Mr Mitchell then walked back inside the terminal where he awaited further instructions, and was later able to board the flight “after cooler heads prevailed” but wants the airline to apologise to him and his family over the “stressful” situation. “The way they treated Pauline and the kids and not allowing me to communicate with them what was going on, was completely unacceptable,” he said. The debacle has sparked a huge debate on his TikTok and Instagram over who is in the wrong. “Wow … that’s insane! So sorry that happened to you!” one person wrote. “Take it further and don’t let them get away with what they have done,” a second person said. However, others were quick to comment that as a seasoned traveller, Jimmy should've been well versed in the rules of not taking photos on the tarmac. Image credits: TikTok

Travel Trouble

Jetstar announce “free flight” offer

Jetstar has announced an incredible offer for Aussies travelling overseas, giving holiday goers the chance to see the world without breaking the bank. The budget airline announced that it’ll be launching free flights out of Japan, meaning you’ll just have to pay for the first leg of the journey. The popular ‘Return for Free’ sale, which the airline has run in the past as part of their international travel promotion, means that passengers from most major ports along the east coast can return from Tokyo or Osaka without having to pay for the fare home. The sale, which runs from Tuesday for only 72 hours, requires travellers to book an outbound fare from either Brisbane, Cairns or Sydney and on select dates, can return for free from either Tokyo or Osaka. Some of the cheaper fares start from $337 from Cairns to Osaka one-way where a free return flight is available, or Brisbane to Osaka (Kansai) from just $476. While travel dates are set to vary depending on the route, travellers can book a free return journey anywhere from late February until early December 2024. The sale comes as Japan continues to rise in popularity for Aussie travellers, with Expedia revealing that Tokyo had claimed the title over Bali for Australia’s beloved summer holiday. New data released by <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.japan.travel/en/au/__;!!F0Stn7g!Fe29fDLHDgEMgFlKEbiGPEaf5wufMPYYfaMxDE_Gh60ZPBhREGiNDxD6KJ9Mf1DYYoS8kJ2q800pKhhl4Za2sacG1pqO%24">Japan National Tourism Organization</a> shows the number of Australians visiting Japan in 2023 came close to matching levels seen in 2019, reaching 98.6 percent of pre-pandemic visitation numbers. Image credits: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

"Tone deaf": Jetstar forced to apologise over "racist" joke

Jetstar has been forced to apologise after posting a "racist joke" on their Facebook page, in which they poke fun at the Vietnamese currency. The Aussie airline mocked the currency of the Southeast Asian country in a post, saying, "Sorry but Vietnamese money being called Dong is objectively funny." "And a million Dong is $65 and I basically have $65 which means I'm a millionaire," it wrote. The post was flooded with comments from many of their 782,000 followers, resulting in the post being deleted. One person wrote, "No more Vietnamese will fly with Jetstar. Racial hatred." "I'll never choose Jetstar until they issue an official apology to the Vietnamese people," another declared. A third comment read, "A tone deaf joke. Just a reminder — racial hatred is illegal in Australia. Just because you delete the post doesn't mean it's OK." One commenter slammed the joke for being "unprofessional, disrespectful, and unacceptable". "Ensure understanding of cultural respect and sensitivity before making culturally disrespectful joke on such a formal airline page." Jetstar responded to some of the comments made about the post, with one response saying, "You are totally right, and that's why we've deleted the post. We're really sorry for any offence caused." Another apology added, "We agree the post was inappropriate and as a result it was removed earlier today." One flyer shared a personal apology message she received after contacting the airline through its official Facebook page to complain about the post. "We agree the post was inappropriate and as a result it has been removed. We're really sorry for any offence caused," the Jetstar spokesperson wrote." 'Please be assured that this incident was in no way related to Vietnamese nationality or race." "You have my absolute assurance that Jetstar will not tolerate discrimination on ethnicity, race or any other unlawful grounds." Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Trouble

"No empathy": Grandmother kicked off flight over unpaid fee

An outraged father has unleashed over Jetstar's decision to remove his mother-in-law and children from a flight over an unpaid fee. Father of three Jay Tee took to social media to slam the airline over their treatment of his family on their flight from the Gold Coast to Melbourne. Tee's kids were being accompanied on the flight by their grandmother, who was informed she needed to pay a $35 fee to check in a bag. The woman forgot to pay the fee before boarding, on what was her second time ever on a plane. Tee was then contacted by the airline after his family had boarded and was told they would not be allowed to travel if the charge wasn’t paid for within 10 minutes. “They informed me I had 10 minutes to pay $35 or else they would be removed from the flight extra fees would accur (sic) for holding up the flight,” he said. “I hung up transferred funds and rang back within four minutes. Jetstar did not take payment and had removed my mother-in-law from the flight altogether leaving her and 3 kids stranded at Gold Coast airport no water no food.” The father slammed the airline for “disgusting service” that was “the worst I have ever been treated” by a company. “My anger is not with the payment for luggage, it is how my mother-in-law and three kids under 10 were treated.” The airline confirmed the family were removed from the flight, with a spokesperson saying the airline was trying to contact Mr Tee for more information. “We’re really sorry to hear about the customers’ experience and are reaching out to get a better understanding about what happened,” the spokesperson said. The airline went on to say they had no record of any payment being made, while also clarifying they asked the elderly woman to move to the service desk multiple times to pay the fee, but she didn't. Mr Tee says he was then forced to pay another $600 to book the group on the next flight to Melbourne with discount airline Bonza. The situation stirred up debate on social media, with some blaming the woman for the mishap. “I don’t understand how this is anybody but the mother in laws fault, She would have checked bags in then should have walked over and paid for the excess, not boarded the plane,” one person wrote. But others defended her, and the fact the charge was paid by Mr Tee. “Would have thought Jetstar could have helped in some way, but that sums up Jetstar’s customer service for you. No empathy what so ever.” Image credits: Facebook / Getty Images

Travel Trouble

Fly free for a year with Jetstar

Jetstar is offering a golden ticket - a year of free flights - to mark its 19th birthday. The airline is calling on Aussies to channel their youth and feel 19 again as it celebrates 19 years of flights with its “Feel 19 again” giveaway. Twelve domestic return flights and six international return flights are available, with 86 locations to choose from, including Japan, Hawaii and Indonesia. The lucky winner can bring a friend along too. To enter, head to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cso3ZSOA_ks/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jetstar’s Instagram</a>, where participants answer in 19 words or less, “If you could try any job for a day, what would it be and why?” Keen travellers can enter via Jetstar’s Instagram by 11:59pm, May 31. The 19 most creative entrants will progress through to the semi-finals on June 1 and will then be given three days to send a short clip highlighting why they would be the best pick. Once the best entries are chosen, Jetstar will reveal the winner on Instagram. Image credit: Getty

Travel Tips

“From future Captain Seb”: Little boy blows away Jetstar crew with kind gesture

An aviation-obsessed boy’s act of kindness has resulted in him experiencing the “best day of his life.” Little Seb, 11, was travelling from Brisbane to Melbourne with his family for a holiday when he gave the Jetstar crew a homemade thank you card. The card wrote, “From future Captain Seb,” including a drawing of a plane. The message was relayed to the pilot, Captain Hadrian Zerbe, who found it so sweet that he invited Seb into the cockpit for a chat as other passengers left the aircraft. Captain Zerbe was so touched by Seb’s love for aviation that he then invited the 11-year-old to come back and visit the Jetstar hangar. “He said it’s the best day of his life so far,” Seb’s mum, Emma, told <a href="http://news.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “Definitely,” Seb confirmed. <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NLFu8d1rTQI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Seb is a big fan of plane spotting and playing flight simulator games but said he had never been so close to a real plane. When asked about the coolest part of the experience, Seb replied, “When I walked around the plane close up, it was just so big. Bigger than I expected. All the engines were massive,” Seb was not the only one left in awe. Captain Zerbe was blown away by how much knowledge the young boy had of the Airbus A320. “I’ve certainly never met an 11-year-old who knows so much about aviation and hopefully he’ll be sitting in the flight deck as a pilot some day soon,” the captain said. Emma said planes consume most of her son’s thoughts; even before he could talk, he was overjoyed whenever he heard a plane fly above. “If I find something I tend to research it for the rest of the night before I go to bed,” Seb said regarding his aviation research, which he takes very seriously. “He stops mid-play if he hears something,” Emma said. “Every story or picture has always been a plane. At school, it’s always planes that come home. He doesn’t deviate much from that.” Seb has plans to get his recreational pilot licence when he turns 16. Image credits: Jetstar, Youtube

Domestic Travel

"It was a nightmare": 11-year-old kicked off Jetstar flight and left "stranded"

A Sydney mother has slammed Jetstar after they kicked her 11-year-old son off a flight to the Gold Coast, despite previously being told he was allowed to fly. Emma Garland decided to let her two kids Scarlett, 13, and Jack, 11, travel on their own for the very first time ahead of the June long weekend. Emma and her husband were both working at a conference in Queensland, so a plan was made for the kids to fly up together and meet them for a weekend away. Slightly wary of letting her children make the journey alone, Emma called Qantas to "see what the options were". “They said, no worries Scarlett can fly with Jack as an accompanied minor, so I changed the tickets,” Emma told <a href="https://7news.com.au/travel/jetstar/sydney-mum-slams-jetstar-after-kicking-11-year-old-son-off-flight-c-8863550" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>. On their travel day, Scarlett and Jack were taken to the airport by their grandparents and boarded their flight with no issues. “They boarded the flight, and it was all fine, all smiles,” Garland said. However, just before take off, a flight attendant approached the kids and asked Jack how old he was. Jack was then told he wasn't old enough to fly and was escorted off the flight alone. “They tried to get her [Scarlett] off too but said ‘sorry the gates are closed’,” Garland said. “No one explained to her what was happening, or even asked if she was okay.” “No one said anything to her, which is just disgusting.” Meanwhile, Jack was “hysterical” after the ordeal, and was left temporarily “stranded” until he was reunited with his in-laws who were contacted to come and collect him. Emma promptly left the Gold Coast after purchasing a "very expensive" last minute flight to Sydney to be with her son. “My husband was upset at the Jetstar counter and was just saying ‘I can’t believe you’ve done this to my family’,” she said. “He was in tears at the counter. It was a nightmare of a day.” Now, several months after the ordeal, Emma said her family have yet to receive any kind of compensation or apology from the airline. “I have no idea which policy the Qantas consultant was referring to over the phone that day, but they assured me they would be okay to fly,” she said. “It’s just terrible and not to mention the duty of care aspect.” Meanwhile, a Jetstar spokesperson told 7News they are looking into the matter, to “ensure this doesn’t happen again”. “We sincerely apologise to Ms Garland and her family for the extremely distressing situation and acknowledge our teams should have handled this situation better,” they said. The airline explained while they “enjoy welcoming young passengers on board”, they do not offer an unaccompanied minor service and that passengers must “meet certain requirements in order to travel independently”. Image credits: Garland Family / 7News

Travel Trouble

Disabled woman slams Jetstar for “extremely humiliating” treatment

A woman has said she was humiliated at the end of her flight after Jetstar staff couldn’t provide her with a wheelchair for her, forcing her to leave the plane by crawling. Natalie Curtis has been in a wheelchair since high school but said she has never been as humiliated as she was left to crawl to her wheelchair after flying from Singapore to Bangkok. While she was provided a standard “aisle” wheelchair to board the plane, Ms Curtis was told she would have to pay to use another chair to get off the plane - a service which is usually free. “I didn’t really comprehend it and I was like, ‘No, I’m not paying to be able to get off this plane’,” Ms Curtis told Sunrise. With her friend Natasha Elford unable to carry her due to a knee injury, Ms Curtis crawled on the floor past eight rows until she could reach her chair. “It was extremely humiliating,” she said. Ms Elford said she was in shock while watching the ordeal and that she was “absolutely gutted”. “I was like, ‘Is this actually happening?’” she told the program on Monday. “I couldn’t physically lift her so I felt really hopeless and I couldn’t believe this was really happening.” She added that she tried to find out if a wheelchair could be fast tracked to Ms Curtis, but said the flight attendants “didn’t really try to do anything”. <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnatalie.hodges.50%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0ewJHd3156WaV46vd8LHJWCwLrxBQraSgSfAP1dZqcfPc47oo4WkNmCj7VWjda6Rl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="393" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> A spokesperson for the budget airline said Jetstar had sincerely apologised to Ms Curtis and had offered her a refund and additional compensation. “We unreservedly apologise to Ms Curtis for her recent experience while travelling with us,” they said. “We are committed to providing a safe and comfortable travel experience for all our customers, including those requiring specific assistance.” The spokesperson added that Jetstar staff don’t charge for using a wheelchair, and that an inquiry into the incident had found a language barrier led to the miscommunication of a fee. “At no point was an aisle chair withheld due to a request for payment,” they said. Ms Curtis isn’t the only person to have experienced such an incident over wheelchair use, and her experience comes as disability advocates call for a complete overhaul of the treatment of passengers by airlines. In August, Brad Wszola had to be carried by his wife and a staff member over the gap between the air bridge and the Jetstar plane he was trying to board to fly from Darwin to Cairns, per <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/oct/06/second-class-citizen-man-lifted-on-to-plane-as-darwin-airport-had-no-ramp-for-wheelchair-users" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a>. “Watching these people having to lift me, to bend down, Jen had to bend down below the level of the floor of the plane, bend over and grab the bottom of the aisle chair to lift me … That put myself at risk, also the staff at risk and Jenny at risk,” Mr Wszola said. “She was the one helping lift me into the plane.” Mr Wszola even encountered issues prior to leaving Darwin, with his wheelchair being sent to the baggage carousel rather than the air bridge on his arrival. After his wife made multiple requests via email to Darwin airport and Jetstar, she was told a ramp wasn’t provided to bridge the gap as it was a low-cost airline - but a ramp has since been provided to the airport after The Guardian contacted Jetstar. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Just made a cute little video about how <a href="https://twitter.com/Qantas?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Qantas</a> broke my wheelchair and won’t fix it 🙃🙃🙃🙃 <a href="https://t.co/CnFXazJ1ox">pic.twitter.com/CnFXazJ1ox</a> — Zoe Simmons | she/her (@ItbeginswithZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ItbeginswithZ/status/1577502974796247041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2022</a></blockquote> Earlier this month, Qantas reversed its decision not to refund Zoe Simmons, whose wheelchair was damaged on a flight from Sydney to Canberaa, after she took her complaints to social media. In a column for <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/flights/disability-advocate-lashes-qantas-over-broken-wheelchair/news-story/72ae759ca7960ab607610c5ebd6c8bca" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>, Simmons explained that damage to her chair brakes had left it “unusable” and was initially told Qantas wouldn’t reimburse her or repair her chair, which she needs as someone living with the nerve disorder fibromyalgia. “I am so angry that this is how wheelchair users are treated by airlines, over and over. And it’s not just Qantas: it’s a systemic issue, because the system is so very broken,” she wrote. With the airline reaching out to apologise and offering to pay for her wheelchair repairs, Simmons questioned whether she would have received such a response if she hadn’t taken matters into her own hands. “I wonder: would this resolution have occurred, had I not made a fuss about it?” she wrote. “I shouldn’t have to hope to be an exception to the norm. The norm should be that disabled people are looked after, treated well, and able to get the same resolution I’ve been able to get here.” Image: Sunrise

Travel Trouble

Like father, like son: Man’s sky-high dreams come true

Having dreamt of being a pilot just like his dad since he was a boy, Luke Schembri’s dream has come true in the sweetest way possible. After becoming a fully-fledged commercial airline pilot, the 23-year-old found out that his first flight from Melbourne to Sydney came with a surprise: his dad, Jetstar captain John, would be joining him on the flight deck for his debut trip. "I freaked out and gave him a quick call and asked him 'how did this happen?'" Luke told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/son-to-fly-first-commercial-flight-alongside-dad-copilot/9f89ad30-e337-4686-beaa-bfaadbb85453" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a>. "He told me the story, that he's been planning it for three months." Luke’s dream of flying with his dad and following in his footsteps has been a long time coming, with the signs appearing from the start according to John. "When kids like something, you can tell, because their eyes light up when we'd be in the backyard and the aeroplane would fly over," John said. "I knew then that Luke had the bug, because I still do that." At the age of 14, Luke joined the Air Force Cadets, which led him to receiving a cadetship with Jetstar. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/luke-schembri1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Luke Schembri’s dream of flying a plane with his pilot father has come true, and it’s been a long time coming. Images: Facebook With his dream in reach, Luke hit a major snag: the COVID-19 pandemic. Luke was stood-down during the pandemic and worked at Coles as a shelf stacker. Luckily, the aviation enthusiast was able to return to work at Jetstar, where he continued training and became a pilot. His first flight was a success, with John giving his son five stars and saying that he was “100 percent” proud. "[He] picked me up on a few things I missed. He did a really good job," John said. “[I] don't need to add any more that, very proud, how could you not be?" Image: Nine

Domestic Travel

"Terrifying" mid-flight brawl forces Jetstar plane to make emergency landing

A Jetstar flight has been forced to make a priority landing after a brawl broke out on the plane. Just 24 minutes into a flight from Melbourne to Brisbane, two men were being pulled apart from each other after several punches were thrown. One passenger captured the chaos on video, with another traveller saying the altercation was "absolutely terrifying". "It was unnerving," the passenger told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/cabin-brawl-jetstar-flight-melbourne-brisbane-video-footage/b797737a-d832-4135-a2bd-a68cdc3e98be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a>. "There was a commotion, there was yelling, people started standing up, it went on for a couple of minutes." "One gentleman was then escorted to the rear of the aircraft, he had blood on his face... we didn't hear anything else, we had no information." The passenger said the plane started to descend without warning, as the pilot carried out a priority landing. "We didn't know what was happening," the passenger said. A map of the flight's path shows the aircraft turned around near Mansfield and returned to Melbourne airport where Australian Federal Police removed the two people from the plane. Passengers claim one of the men involved in the brawl was behaving aggressively before he boarded. "The guy was aggressive before he got on the plane and we thought surely they won't let him on the aircraft," the passenger said. A Jetstar spokesperson said the airline had a "zero tolerance for disruptive and abusive behaviour". "The safety of our passengers and our crew is always our first priority and we thank our customers for their patience," the spokesperson said. Shortly after landing, the flight resumed to Brisbane, as the AFP confirmed no arrests have been made. Image credits: 9News

Travel Trouble

Stranded opera singer busks to earn cash after cancelled flights

After her flight home was cancelled, one Jestar passenger said she was forced to busk for money until she could get home. Edit Pali had travelled to a remote resort in Phuket with her husband Tibor to celebrate her 50th birthday when a cancelled flight saw their stay extend for another five days. Having spent a large portion of their savings on their trip, the couple were faced with the problem of paying for their additional days in the resort. Ms Pali told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/stranded-aussie-jetstar-passengers-speak-out/04c064ba-f60c-43dd-8ba8-640595f8ddc9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a> that the airline had offered them $30 for meals and $150 for accommodation each day in compensation - but the money failed to arrive. “I’m a tough chook but I cried, I really cried,” she said. Taking advantage of her skills as an opera singer, Ms Pali decided to sing for her supper at breakfast, lunch and dinner while they waited for the funds to come through. "We're just average people, we don't make a lot of money, so for us to go away to Thailand for a week to a luxury resort, that was a big enough chunk into our savings,” she added. A Jetstar spokesperson said they were aware of Ms Pali’s situation and were doing “everything we can”. But Ms Pali isn’t the only person affected by a cancelled flight, as six out of 11 of Jetstar’s 787 planes were grounded earlier this month. At least 4,000 passengers travelling on popular winter routes, including to Bali, Thailand, and Japan, have been affected by delays and cancellations, with the airline blaming lightning, bird strikes and parts shortages. "Our teams work around the clock to get passengers on their way as soon as possible and we provide a range of support, including help to cover accommodation and meals costs as well as other reasonable expenses," the airline said. In a statement, Jetstar said Ms Pali and her husband were due to have their expense claim paid by September 27. Image: A Current Affair

Travel Trouble

Cheering erupts as “unruly” passenger escorted off plane

A woman who kicked up a storm over not having a window seat on a plane was kicked off the flight to the sound of cheering passengers. The Aussie woman was travelling from Phuket in southern Thailand to Sydney on Jetstar flight JQ28. It is alleged that she began to abuse other travellers and staff members after being given the aisle seat and not one next to the window. Incredible footage shows two passengers gesturing to the woman to move along before a staff member arrives. The video then cuts to her being escorted off the plane to the sound of cheering passengers. Jetstar confirmed that an “unruly” passenger was removed from their flight for being disruptive and abusive. "An unruly passenger was escorted off our flight prior to take off in Phuket after becoming disruptive and using abusive and inappropriate language towards other customers and our team members," the spokesperson said. "Airport security in Phuket was called and the passenger was escorted off the flight. "We take safety and security very seriously and this type of behaviour will not be tolerated on our aircraft.” Watch the footage <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/jetstar-passenger-kicked-off-flight-phuket-thailand-to-sydney/4fb9135f-d33f-444b-b343-efc52ea59ee2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: Nine

Travel Trouble

Paralympian told she can’t board plane with wheelchair

A paralympian has been left embarrassed after Jetstar staff refused to allow her to board with her wheelchair. Karni Liddell represented Australia at the 1996 and 2000 Paralympic Games and had booked with Jetstar to fly from Brisbane to Proserpine on Wednesday. She was however told she would not be allowed to board the plane because there was a lithium battery on the wheelchair - even though she had a dangerous goods certificate issued by Qantas and Jetstar. “I was told on the phone beforehand that I could fly, but I couldn’t bring my wheelchair,” she said on Sunrise on Thursday. “I asked her again to repeat it because I actually thought it was quite funny. “I said ‘that would be like me telling you to take your legs off, to jump on the plane and fly without your legs’ and she said ‘stop being so rude’.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeQYUC0lJ3m/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeQYUC0lJ3m/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by karniliddell (@karniliddell)</a> </div> </blockquote> Karni explained that this is not the first time she has been discriminated against on recalling about 10 incidents over the past few years. She said every time she arrived at the airport she was riddled with anxiety and is questioning why it’s so hard to accommodate those who need a bit of extra help. “It’s so common for us, we are always fighting to fly. So I just want to find out why? Why is it so hard?” Jetstar has since made a statement in response to the horrific incident which saw Karni miss out on an income. “Unfortunately her booking was made through a travel vendor and did not include the requirement to travel with a 25-kilogram lithium-battery-powered wheelchair,” the statement read. “Carrying a 25-kilogram lithium battery on our aircraft requires special clearance in advance of the flight’s departure.” Images: Instagram

Travel Trouble

Jetstar drops another massive sale

Just over half a million seats are on sale in a bid to get Aussies travelling again, including flights from one capital city to Bali for just over $100. From midnight Wednesday the 23rd of March, the airline will launch over 600,000 low fares across 58 domestic and 28 international routes. Coinciding with the return of flights to Bali this week, seats are on sale from Perth to Denpasar Airport from $115. Starting at $29 for a ticket from Sydney to Melbourne, cheap domestic routes also include a cross-country flight from Sydney to Perth for $99. The tickets are only available at specific times between late April and November 2022 and fare differences does apply if passengers change the date of their flight. For Melburnians looking to escape the bitter cold, seats are on sale from Tullamarine to Ballina, Hamilton Island and Townsville for between $49 and $99. Cheap trans-Tasman tickets are also on offer, starting at $159 from the Gold Coast to Wellington, celebrating the airline’s resumption of quarantine-free flights to New Zealand from the 13th of April. All passengers on Jetstar international flights (aged 12 years and older) need to be fully vaccinated with a TGA-approved or recognised vaccine. Earlier this week, over 300 passengers took an advance Jetstar flight to Bali, as Indonesia officially reopened its border to Australia. At the time, Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans, said he was confident Bali will bounce back to being the premier international tourist destination for Aussies. However, not everybody is ready to take the plunge. An informal News.com.au online poll that scored close to 25,000 votes, showed 30% of respondents said they were not planning on doing any travel until things became more stable with the pandemic. The larger group though were the 41% who said they were either planning to, or were about to travel internationally, or were not deterred by the pandemic whatsoever. More about the sales can be <a href="https://www.jetstar.com/au/en/deals?pid=mainnav:deals">found here</a>. Happy cheap travels!

Travel Tips

Big travel deals predicted to come soon following Jetstar's $22 flights

Travel is slowly returning to normal and our major airlines are slashing fares, with Jetstar offering flights from major cities to our favourite holiday destinations for just $22. "They really want to entice people back into the air and they want to give you an offer that's almost too good to be true," Australian Traveller co-founder, Quentin Long, told A Current Affair. The destinations are far and wide and if a tropical climate is what you're looking for, Queensland's Cairns and the Whitsundays could be an option for you. Jetstar is getting in early, ahead of the launch of budget airline Bonza, which is set to enter the market mid-year. It's offering flights on more than 25 routes to 16 destinations and fares will average $50 one way on shorter flights. Qantas is launching its Asia Fly Away sale tomorrow which includes return flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide to Singapore starting at $699. A flight to Delhi from Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide will cost $119 and a flight to Manila from Brisbane or Adelaide will cost $829. Meanwhile, Virgin Australia has $69 flights until May 10, with its Book Early Fares Sale. They're also running a weekly Happy Hour sale every Thursday with fares as low as $49. Experts believe this is just the beginning of sales to be seen both domestically and internationally, with big deals predicted in March and April - with the hope of getting more passengers back in the air. "You'll see aviation plus tours, plus accommodation deals coming to the market about then," Mr Long said. "Having competitive and very good value airfares is really important to the tourist market, whether it's in Australia or overseas," Flight Centre chief executive Graham Turner said. "Everything that we can do to help that inbound and outbound travel is certainly good for the hundreds of thousands of people employed in the travel and tourism industry. "And good value airfares are a really important part of it. "The domestic travel, tourism, business travel, will pick up steadily over the next 12 months and I think we will be back to around that 100 per cent mark in around 12 months' time." Jetstar's sale closes at midnight on Thursday unless sold out prior. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Image: Getty

Travel Tips

Suspect named in missing campers arrest

A man <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/man-arrested-over-missing-campers" target="_blank">arrested earlier this week</a> over the disappearance of Victorian campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill has been identified as Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn. The 55-year-old from Caroline Springs, in Melbourne’s west, was arrested on Monday afternoon by special operations officers at a campsite near Arbuckle Junction, 166 kilometres east of Melbourne. No charges have been laid against him as he continues to be questioned by police. Jetstar has confirmed that the pilot had been stood down following his arrest. “Jetstar has been advised by Victoria Police that one of its employees is under investigation for a serious crime and will work to assist in this due process in any way we can,” a spokesperson <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-arrested-over-mysterious-disappearance-of-missing-victorian-campers-russell-hill-carol-clay/4f49420d-5d0d-41fc-8f8f-825086c6a3f7" target="_blank">said</a> in a statement. “As a matter of course, the employee has been removed from duty as a result of their arrest.” Authorities have alleged that the dark blue Nissan Patrol they have been searching for - and have since seized - belongs to Mr Lynn. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845854/car-lynn.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/57bd994d209c4e57a02c03c743a53008" /> A car has been seized in the investigation into Russell and Carol’s disappearance. Image: Nine Police allege Mr Lynn changed the colour of the seized vehicle to avoid being found by police, after they <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/huge-new-clue-in-search-for-missing-campers" target="_blank">released specific details</a> about the car’s colour, model, and time period it was made last week. But, the trailer believed to be attached to the vehicle at the time of the disappearance is yet to be located. “Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad have arrested a man as part of the investigation into missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay,” police said in a statement. “The investigation into the matter remains ongoing.” Ms Clay’s sister Jill broke her silence following Mr Lynn’s arrest, saying she hoped his arrest would provide some answers. “Emotionally, it’s brought up everything during that time - a lot of grief and pain. We haven’t known how, we haven’t known why, they just vanished,” she told Nine News. “Now all of a sudden there’s a glimmer and we might get some answers. “It would be such a relief to have those answers, to have a memorial for Carol and Russell.” Image: Facebook

News

“I'm No.1 in this town!”: Nightmare Jetstar passenger restrained and arrested

A man has been arrested after allegedly becoming so aggressive on a Jetstar flight from Darwin to Adelaide that fellow passengers had to assist police in restraining him. Footage filmed by a witness shows the man confronting the police officers who were waiting for him as the plane arrived in Adelaide. As officers try to restrain him, one passenger can be heard yelling “he’s trying to bite”, and officers then used a baton to restrain him. A passenger approaches the officers asking if they “need a hand”, to which they respond by asking him to hold the man’s legs. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Stunned Jetstar passengers had a front-row seat to a dramatic take-down by police on a flight into Adelaide. <a href="https://twitter.com/ellakduffy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ellakduffy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9News?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9News</a> <a href="https://t.co/GCF6ZqlrNO">pic.twitter.com/GCF6ZqlrNO</a> — 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) <a href="https://twitter.com/9NewsAdel/status/1447465947795755008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2021</a></blockquote> Speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/adelaide-jetstar-flight-man-arrested-after-becoming-unruly-mid-flight/de44d038-7d59-4069-91c2-180559461d36" target="_blank">9News</a>, one of the passengers, Jamin Tripp, said it was a scary situation, particularly for the children onboard. "He spoke to a few of the passengers in an aggressive way and said he deserved to be off first, saying 'I'm number one in this town'," Mr Tripp said. "It's not very nice when you've got kids on the plane. A few people were pretty distraught and upset." In a statement, Jetstar said the man had been temporarily banned from flying with Jetstar and Qantas. The statement said, "A passenger was intoxicated, refusing to follow instructions and was being verbally abusive towards crew and other passengers.” Following the arrest, the 54-year-old from Mawson Lakes was charged with multiple offences, including two counts of assaulting police. He is due to face court later this month. Image: William West/AFP via Getty Images

Travel Trouble

Jetstar launches massive Christmas sale

Jetstar has launched a massive Christmas sale to make up for massive losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company is offering 300,000 fares across 55 domestic routes, with some flights starting from $29 one way (Adelaide to Avalon, Melbourne). The sale starts today and ends on 11:59 pm Saturday 19th, so get in quick if you want a last-minute Christmas gift for your loved ones. Jetstar Group CEO Gareth Evans said that the airline is in a unique position to offer additional flights in the new year. "We have a lot of repair work to do given the huge toll the COVID crisis took on airlines. But the flexibility we have across our fleet means we can offer these extra services, help boost tourism and the local economies of the communities we fly to and also get more of our people back in the air," he says. The airline has committed to operating more than 860 return weekly flights over 55 routes by March 2021. A recent survey done by Jetstar shows that 86 per cent of respondents said they intend to travel domestically in 2021, with more than half planning on visiting places they've never been before. Below is the full list of the one-way fares <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.jetstar.com/au/en/deals/christmas-sale?dealsorig=*" target="_blank">available</a>. <ul> <li>Adelaide-Avalon $29</li> <li>Adelaide-Brisbane $79</li> <li>Adelaide-Cairns $99</li> <li>Adelaide-Darwin $119</li> <li>Adelaide-Hobart $75</li> <li>Adelaide-Sunshine Coast $85</li> <li>Adelaide-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $49</li> <li>Adelaide-Gold Coast (Coolangatta) $89</li> <li>Adelaide-Perth $119</li> <li>Adelaide-Sydney $75</li> <li>Avalon-Gold Coast (Coolangatta) $65</li> <li>Avalon-Sydney $41</li> <li>Uluru (Ayers Rock)-Brisbane $89</li> <li>Uluru (Ayers Rock)-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $89</li> <li>Uluru (Ayers Rock)-Sydney $89</li> <li>Brisbane-Cairns $79</li> <li>Brisbane-Darwin $89</li> <li>Brisbane-Hobart $119</li> <li>Brisbane-Launceston $109</li> <li>Brisbane-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $89</li> <li>Brisbane-Mackay $59</li> <li>Brisbane-Newcastle $49</li> <li>Brisbane-Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine) $55</li> <li>Brisbane-Sydney $59</li> <li>Brisbane-Townsville $89</li> <li>Ballina Byron-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $97</li> <li>Ballina Byron-Sydney $56</li> <li>Busselton (Margaret River)-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $99</li> <li>Cairns-Darwin $129</li> <li>Cairns-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $99</li> <li>Cairns-Gold Coast (Coolangatta) $79</li> <li>Cairns-Perth $129</li> <li>Cairns-Sydney $99</li> <li>Darwin-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $129</li> <li>Darwin-Sydney $119</li> <li>Hobart-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $45</li> <li>Hobart-Gold Coast (Coolangatta) $99</li> <li>Hobart-Sydney $69</li> <li>Hamilton Island-Sydney $99</li> <li>Launceston-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $45</li> <li>Launceston-Sydney $49</li> <li>Sunshine Coast-Melbourne (Tullamarine) $85</li> <li>Sunshine Coast-Sydney $59</li> <li>Melbourne (Tullamarine)-Newcastle $45</li> <li>Melbourne (Tullamarine)-Gold Coast (Coolangatta) $69</li> <li>Melbourne (Tullamarine)-Perth $129</li> <li>Melbourne (Tullamarine)-Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine) $99</li> <li>Melbourne (Tullamarine)-Sydney $49</li> <li>Melbourne (Tullamarine)-Townsville $99</li> <li>Newcastle-Gold Coast (Coolangatta) $45</li> <li>Gold Coast (Coolangatta)-Perth $129</li> <li>Gold Coast (Coolangatta)-Sydney $45</li> <li>Perth-Sydney $149</li> <li>Whitsunday Coast (Proserpine)-Sydney $69</li> <li>Sydney-Townsville $89</li> </ul>

Domestic Travel

How man flying Jetstar completely avoided quarantine after testing positive for COVID

A young man who received a positive coronavirus test result in Queensland was found to be infectious on a domestic flight after returning home from overseas. The man remains in quarantine, and is the state’s only confirmed case on Sunday from more than 13,700 tests in 24 hours. He flew into Maroochydore from Sydney on Friday on Jetstar flight JQ790. Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the man, who is in his 20s, was infectious on the flight. Health authorities are tracing people who sat near him. The man was allowed to take the domestic flight and quarantine at home as part of a select group of exemptions, Dr Young said. "He did everything that he should have done... but it does mean that this is a risk," she added. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is urging people in Queensland to remain cautious as 13 COVID-19 cases remain active in the state. "We are very comfortable with the figures overnight, but that next week is very crucial," she said. "We are in a little bit of uncharted waters at the moment."

Travel Trouble

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"A little bit steep": Jetstar passenger hit with "wild" excess baggage fee