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Jetstar has apologised to passengers in New Zealand who were not compensated after domestic flights were delayed or cancelled.
By law, if a flight in New Zealand is cancelled or delayed for reasons within the airline’s control, passengers may have a right to a remedy, including refund or compensation. According to a statement from Jetstar, its ability to provide these remedies was disrupted by pandemic issues.
“The restart following the COVID-19 pandemic was a really difficult time for travellers and airlines in New Zealand and we acknowledge that our communication and customer service for New Zealanders could have been better. We sincerely apologise for letting customers down during this time,” the airline said.
“We are encouraging anyone who feels they may not have received adequate compensation for a New Zealand flight disruption to contact us to have their case reviewed.”
On its website, Jetstar is inviting NZ customers whose flights were disrupted before 7 May 2024 to have their historical claims reviewed, while those who have not yet made claims or experience flight disruptions after that date can make new claims for compensation.
“To assess your claim, our team will need your booking reference or itinerary, flight information and you’ll need to provide any supporting documentation such as email or SMS notification about the delay or cancellation and any receipts, invoices, or other proof of payment for expenses incurred as a result of the disruption,” said Jetstar.
The news comes the same week as Jetstar’s parent company, Qantas Group, reached a deal with the ACCC in Australia to pay a $100 million penalty and $20 million in compensation to passengers over tickets being sold to flights it had already cancelled.
On Monday, the consumer watchdog revealed the airline subsequently admitted its misconduct continued for a year longer than originally thought, now stretching from 21 May 2021 until 26 August 2023.
However, in a significant win, the Flying Kangaroo said the ACCC is no longer proceeding with claims the airline received payment for flights it had no intention of providing – essentially removing the suggestion it deliberately misled consumers.
Jetstar at the end of March began ramping up its New Zealand operations, increasing frequency on popular domestic and international routes.
It expects to reach 100 per cent of pre-pandemic domestic capacity in NZ by the middle of this year, with trans-Tasman routes almost 40 per cent higher than 2019 levels.
