I booked return flight for me and my girlfriend from Auckland to Christchurch. We live in Boston, United States and were flying New Zealand domestic for the first time while on vacation.
While booking the tickets online well in advance I prepaid for my baggage (1 bag , $15) but I wasn't sure if my girlfriend will check in her bag and even if she does we can do it at the airport counter. Every airline allows 1 check in bag per passenger (even if it is with a fee usually $15,$20 or $25) and this can always be paid at the check in counter.
As expected we were happily checked in at Auckland airport, 2 passengers 2 check-in bags no additional fees but when we made our return trip back from Christchurch to Auckland, this rude guy at the check-in counter asked us to pay $600 for our 2 bags. He told that since while booking the flight I only paid for my 1 bag, my girlfriend bag would be considered as excess baggage and will be charged $15 per kilo. Not just this, he admitted that they made a mistake while check-in us on our incoming flight so we will have to pay for both trips $300 + $300 = $600 ( i finally had to fight to waive that off but not until i had to go a little personal in arguments with him)
No where in the world I have ever heard this, 1 bag per passenger is allowed to check in and cannot be considered and fined as excess baggage, it does not make any sense. All the more the guy threaten us that he will not let us fly if we don't pay the excess baggage fee immediately and clear the line.
All in all we end up paying $300 for that 1 bag which they called as excess baggage and spoiled our mood at 6:30 am in the morning. Rude staff and shameful behavior, will never fly Jetstar or Quantas again.
Ravi
Comments
If you'd flown from Boston
If you'd flown from Boston USA, who did you fly with, to get to NZ? Let me guess Qantas? Pay for peanuts and you get monkey's. I'm not getting at you, Ravi, but if you had gone that extra mile, expect the best. Don't rely on cheap ass outfits like JS. You should have went the full monty and gone in style. . .F**K JS.
You have been charged the
You have been charged the international excess baggage fee. That only makes sense if you travelled with an international component which you did but heck, they could have just charged the domestic rate on your trip back, Christchurch to Auckland - that would have been $80 for 20Kg - it's about $20 or $25 if you pay when you book.
My own experience with Jetstar - Months ago I left a netbook under the seat when I got off in Auckland, asked if someone could get it for me really soon after. They wouldn't help, said cleaners would find it and they'd send it to me. I refused to leave airport but they wouldn't get it, then said it wasn't on plane. More to the story, but I never got my netbook back. That and some booking problems mean I will never fly Jetstar again. Their staff attitude was very poor (comes from the top down)
Well, I am so happy that I
Well, I am so happy that I did not flew Qantas, I was with Air NewZealand and United. I dragged Qantas in my complaint because its JetStar parent company.
It's really crap, especially
It's really crap, especially when coming from the US where baggage isn't usually an issue. But the worst part is they actually get commissions for charging extras. No surprise why they're so eager to weigh every single tiny piece of luggage...
Baggage usually isn't an
Baggage usually isn't an issue in the US because they get double the baggage allowance than than anywhere else. I flew some shitty airline in the US and had to pay baggage. Having said that though, $300 each way does sound outrageous.