An airline kicked my kids and their grandma off a flight over an unpaid $23 fee, I’m furious
An outraged father has condemned Jetstar after it booted 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 after his family was kicked off the flight from the Gold Coast to Melbourne, Australia over the weekend.
He says his mother-in-law had been informed that she needed to visit the service desk at the airport and pay a $23 fee to check in a bag but forgot to do so before boarding the flight.
It was only her second time on an airplane.
Tee said he was contacted by the airline after the group had boarded and was told they would not be allowed to travel if the charge wasn’t paid for.
“They informed me I had 10 minutes to pay $35 [Australian, $23 USD] 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.”
Jetstar confirmed the 48-year-old woman and three children had been offloaded, with a spokesperson saying the airline was trying to contact 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 has no record of any payment being made for what it says was a $30 checked baggage charge.
It’s understood the airline checked her bags and asked her to move to the service desk to pay, however, the woman did not do so.
She was also reminded multiple times that she needed to pay for the baggage, including by Jetstar staff while boarding the flights, NCA Newswire understands.
Tee says he was then forced to pay another $400 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-law’s 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 Tee.
“Would have thought Jetstar could have helped in some way, but that sums up Jetstar’s customer service for you. No empathy whatsoever.”
“Everyone just has to stop flying with them full stop. Don’t get seduced by cheap as airfares as you only going to go through the disappointment, rage then regret over and over … I will never fly them again,” another person wrote.
