Jetstar Incident Thursday 19th January 2017
Flight number: JQ776 (Melbourne to Adelaide)
Ms Fiorella Gentile, Miss Hana Von Allworden-Gentile
and Monique Von Allworden-Gentile
Thursday 19th January 2017
Checked in approximately 5.30pm and proceeded to the Jetstar check in counter. Was allocated rows 10C, 10D & 10E. Which is against their policy as passengers are to be seated in rows 1-5 according to the vision / blind policy.
Had some dinner within the airport.
At 6.45 pm we arrived at Gate 43. Upon arrival I made it known to the staff that I needed to board the aircraft a little earlier due to my vision impairment. They were happy to accommodate. When it was time to board the staff overlooked my needs and proceeded to let others onto the aircraft. I questioned what was happening they fobbed me off and was not assisted in anyway.
Flight was fine until our descent into Adelaide. A storm had just hit and the pilot was unable to land the aircraft safety and was advised by air traffic control to return to Melbourne as the storm was to be hanging around for at least an hour and the aircraft had insufficient fuel. The turbulence the we experienced was really scary. My daughters were terrified. My eldest particularly was shaking in fear. We headed back to Melbourne and arrived safely.
Upon our return we were advised that a flight had been organised for the following morning. This flight number was JQ7476. Departing Melbourne at 6.30 am and arriving in Adelaide at 7.10 am. We were instructed to make way to the check in counter and rebook onto the flight. We were also advised that people that did not live in Victoria would be given a hotel room for the night. We waited patiently for approximately 1 hour. When we finally made it to the beginning of the line we were told that a hotel room had been booked for us as a priority due to my vision impairment. We were booked into the Mantra City Central on Little Bourke Street, Melbourne. We were given a sheet stating that the flight had been diverted back to Melbourne and it had hand written by the staff at the check in counter Mantra City Central on the top right hand corner. I was advised to keep all taxi receipts for reimbursement.
Friday 20th January 2017
We proceeded to the taxi rank and left at approximately 11.45am and arrived at the Mantra at 12.32am. The driver had taken us to the wrong Mantra. We caught another taxi to the correct Mantra at approximately 12.37am. I pressed the intercom service and advised them that we had a booking under Gentile and that the booking had been made by Jetstar. A woman by the name of Monique stated that there was a problem and that there was not booking made by Jetstar. I asked whether there were any rooms available and she stated that they were full. She kept stating that it was not her fault and that we had to contact Jetstar. We explained that our mobile phones were dead and could she call them for us but she just kept repeating you need to contact Jetstar. She even refused to call us a taxi. By this stage it was around 1.00am. I was so tired and was struggling to stand up. My daughters’ was distraught. My eldest became hysterical and started screaming and crying. I was so concerned as she suffers from Epilepsy. I have never felt so much despair and I just wanted to collapse and sob.
We fortunately found a taxi whom was driving past at around 1.10am 20th January 2017 and asked him to take up back to the airport. We arrived at the airport at 1.34am. We proceeded back to the Jetstar check in counter. As we approached the counter the staff were mortified. They were so apologetic about what had happened. We were offered $50 worth of Jetstar vouchers for food which we used for breakfast. I also filled in a reimbursement form for the taxi fares to and from. They advised me it would take 5 working days. I have not received the funds to date.
We found somewhere to camp out for the night on the floor at the airport. My daughters got some sleep but I was just making sure that they were safe.
We went to Gate 41 and 5.45 am and boarded the aircraft first. We were seated 5A, 5B and 5C. The flight was delayed and departed at 6.45am and arrived in Adelaide at 7.33am. As my husband was working we had to catch a taxi home which was an added expense. My daughter was unable to go to work due to be so exhausted and lost 4 hours pay.
Jetstar sent me an email on the 20th January, 2017 offering a $50 voucher to each of us for the inconvenience.
I was also contacted by Jetstar on the 26th January, 2017 at 12.16pm (0387792222). She stated that she had received my complaint and apologised for the situation. She offered me another $50 voucher each for the inconvenience. I explained that this was not acceptable. The situation we were placed was unjust. I stated that I expect a full refund and she declined that saying we had already commenced our flight and that they would be unable to do this. She stated that she was going to pass this onto her supervisor. I asked her to put it in writing what she was offering. I have not heard anything as yet. I also asked her why I was the only one that was not given accommodation and she stated it was a communication breakdown with the check in staff. I told her that this was not my problem and I would be going down the avenue of discrimination and I would escalate this further. She was quite apologetic.
Kind regards,
Fiorella Gentile
Hana Von Allworden-Gentile
Monique Von Allworden-Gentile
26th January, 2017.