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'Can't get through to anyone': Jetstar Asia passengers facing issues with refund applications

'Can't get through to anyone': Jetstar Asia passengers facing issues with refund applications

Airline says it has fixed the issue on its refund form and is reaching out to impacted customers
'Can't get through to anyone': Jetstar Asia passengers facing issues with refund applications
Several customers have lamented the refund process and are struggling to get help from customer service.
PHOTO: Facebook/Jetstar Asia

Unable to reschedule flights and receive refunds, many Jetstar Asia passengers are voicing their frustrations as they try to adjust their travel plans.

Jetstar Asia announced on Wednesday (June 11) morning that it will be ceasing operations effective July 31 after years of financial losses, and will be operating on a "progressively reduced schedule" for the next few weeks.

In a statement on Wednesday, it said that customers with bookings after July 31 would be offered full refunds for their flights, but many are facing difficulties in claiming refunds.

'Can't get through to anyone'

Speaking to AsiaOne, an affected passenger, who wanted to be known as Megan, said that she has been unable to get help from customer service.

The 27-year-old had booked a flight to Bangkok in August and received an email on Wednesday afternoon that provided a form to apply for a refund.

She received what seemed like "an automated response" later that night, informing her that Jetstar Asia was looking into the matter.

"I tried to message them on Instagram and also tried to use the live chat function but I can't get through to anyone," she lamented, adding that she had no time to purchase travel insurance prior to the sudden announcement.

The next day, she received a follow-up email saying that she was "not eligible for a monetary refund" and that they were unable to process her request.

Instead, Jetstar Asia offered her a credit voucher and provided a link to contact customer service, though she was unable to connect with a live agent due to high volumes of traffic on the website.

Megan has since rebooked her flights with a different airline and is still unsure of how to proceed with the refund.

Other affected passengers have also shared their experiences in the comments of Jetstar Asia's Facebook and Instagram pages, detailing similar experiences.

Many passengers have shared that they are having trouble applying for refunds under Jetstar Asia's recent post.
PHOTO: Screengrabs/Facebook/Jetstar Asia

Pending refunds

But some Jetstar passengers have had more success, including 23-year-old Tan who booked her flights through trip.com.

Her flight to Bali is scheduled for July 31, Jetstar Asia's last day of operations, and her flight back to Singapore was booked for Aug 3, she told AsiaOne.

Her departing flight will proceed as scheduled, and trip.com alerted her that she would need to change her return flight, upon which she will receive a refund.

Rescheduled flight

Another affected passenger AsiaOne spoke to, Phillina Teo, had her flight to Bali rescheduled instead.

Upon hearing the news on Wednesday morning, she immediately called customer service to check if her upcoming flight was affected, but was reassured that it would carry on as planned.

It was only later that night that she received an email informing her that the flight was being cancelled.

"At this point I was so frustrated as I was given wrong information," the 29-year-old said, adding that she called customer service again on Thursday and requested a change of flight instead.

Explaining her rationale for not wanting a refund, she said: "Rebooking a flight now will be so much more expensive than when I first booked it."

Updating passengers

A spokesperson for the airline told AsiaOne on June 13 that there was a "systems issue" with the refund form.

"This error has now been fixed and we are reaching out to impacted customers to let them know their refund is being processed and that we sincerely apologise for any confusion and inconvenience," the spokesperson said, adding that all impacted customers have been contacted.

It also said that customers may experience "longer than normal wait times" on their calls and Live Chat due to increased traffic volumes.

Case working closely with Jetstar Asia

In a statement on Thursday (June 12), Melvin Yong, MP for Radin Mas SMC and president of the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), said that the association is working with Jetstar Asia to clarify how it intends to handle and process these refunds and rescheduled flights.

Case has received three complaints regarding passengers facing difficulties with their refunds as of Thursday, reported The Straits Times.

Income Insurance covering affected customers

Income Insurance will be covering eligible customers affected by Jetstar Asia's closure as a gesture of goodwill, it said in a statement on Thursday. 

Affected customers who have purchased Income Travel Insurance with pre-trip cancellation cover prior to June 11 will be able to claim for "unused and prepaid expenses such as accommodation, travel packages, local tours, amusement park tickets and transport expenses".

The cessation of Jetstar Asia's operations would not normally fall within Income Travel Insurance's insured events for trip cancellations, which only account for events such as natural disasters, riots and family bereavement.

"We recognise the stress and anxiety that our customers are experiencing due to the impact of this sudden news," said Dhiren Amin, Chief Customer Officer of Income Insurance. 

dana.leong@asiaone.com

For more original AsiaOne articles, visit here.

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