Unable to cancel booking using Jetstar website

[Barry Russell]

I have two flights (Jetstar Max) booked for April that I am trying to cancel. Following Jetstar's instructions I end up in an impossible loop. What should be a simple click to cancel takes me to:
"Your options
Chat with us to request reimbursement.
If you need to contact us for help, please try again later – we’re very busy right now."
No chat session - nothing! Cannot reach help. Clearly Jetstar has NO capacity to deal with this. Where do I go from here? Anyone having a better experience? Please share.

 

[samh004]

I too have a booking in early April (Jetstar Max). I realised that this only entitles me for a voucher, even when I booked, but was holding out so I might instead try for a refund. My flight has now been cancelled, although no communication on that just yet. I'm not even bothering to try get a voucher as I don't want a voucher, happy with Qantas ones, but not Jetstar.

Might look into a chargeback on the basis they have cancelled my flight, when they get around to notifying me. Depends what options they give me.

 

[support]

Useful information on this subject: Qantas booking cancellation (new covid19 rules)

Our experience for Jetstar - I am aware this is the Qantas forum but some might find this helpful.

We booked flights to Hawaii leaving Saturday, March 28 and returning Apr 11, both flights have been cancelled and JQ sent an email confirming this about two hours ago. The email mentioned the flight credit again though also suggested to "Ask Jess", typing in "Network Adjustments". Doing this resulted in the option for the voucher again, but also this:

You may also be eligible for a cash refund of your booking. Please note, cash refunds are only available where your flight has been cancelled and you have not been provided an alternative flight OR if you have been provided an alternative flight departing more than 3 hours after your originally scheduled departure time.

If you’d like to cancel your booking and obtain a refund you can request it via our Refund Request Form. Ensure ‘Coronavirus Travel Restrictions’ is selected as the reason for ‘Why are you requesting a refund’. You’ll need your booking details handy including the email address listed on your booking.

The form basically only asked for name, email address, phone number and booking reference and allows a full refund. To be honest, it feels a bit 'too good to be true' but hey, I'd rather have my money back than a Jetstar voucher with (date) restrictions. I hope this helps others in a similar situation, and I will get back to the forum immediately when the funds hit my credit card!

 

[nomis52]

I'm in a similar situation. My DPS->PER flight was cancelled and they are offering a voucher. However I live in the US and there is no way I'll use a Jetstar voucher - I haven't flown them in 10+ years!

I've completed the refund request form. If that doesn't work I plan on issuing a chargeback or filing a travel insurance claim (I have cancel-for-any-reason insurance). Any suggestions on what I try first?

 

[Peter78]

Useful information on this subject: Qantas booking cancellation (new covid19 rules)

An update to this post yesterday afternoon, nomis52, this will most likely be your next step, too. At 2.01am, we received an email saying the following:

We are assessing your request for a refund related to booking reference XXYYZZ and we need some more information from you to proceed.

Please click here to speak to a member of our Livechat team.

There was a direct link to JQ's Livechat, I cannot say whether we got preferential treatment through that link. We started the chat around 7am and were in the queue for maybe 40-45 minutes when Mary came online. She looked into our booking and said 'Upon checking here, we can process monetary refund or voucher refund on your booking. Which option do you prefer?' and we replied with monetary refund. No further questions asked, the next response was this:

Please expect to receive the refund of 1,798.05 AUD on the card used in paying for the booking, it will be with your bank for processing within 7 days of the date of the request.

My wife, being cynical as she is, thinks that this was just another ploy to get people to put this in the too hard basket and to accept a travel voucher, which I guess would have been acceptable but cash definitely preferred. Good outcome and relatively painless.

 

[Chief Wiggum]

EDIT: I've now (properly) read Peter's very helpful info above and found my way through to the REFUND REQUEST FORM page and completed with my details as described. Asking for full "cash" refund rather than a voucher. Will see how it goes and report back - Thanks Peter & All.


Hello All,

I received an email from Jetstar last night advising that my return booking MEL-HKT over Easter was now officially cancelled by Jetstar.

Email told me to go to MANAGE MY BOOKING and enter details and then VIEW OPTIONS then select REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT to generate a CREDIT VOUCHER that would arrive "in 2 weeks".

I have tried this just now and there is no option anywhere to cancel, or request reimbursement or anything of that nature. Just a "greyed-out" display of my former booking details with lines through it and the words CANCELLED repeated against each sector.

• Does anyone know if I now need to formally contact Jetstar myself and ask for a credit at this time?
• I tried the online auto chat which failed to resolve my question.
• It said to contact the customer service centre by phone... but only if my flight was in next 72 hours.
• But my understanding is we only have until 30th March to request credit voucher.

Trying to avoid having to waste a few hours in line for call centre if can be avoided.

Thanks...

 

[nomis52]

I'm in a similar situation. My DPS->PER flight was cancelled and they are offering a voucher. However I live in the US and there is no way I'll use a Jetstar voucher - I haven't flown them in 10+ years!

I've completed the refund request form. If that doesn't work I plan on issuing a chargeback or filing a travel insurance claim (I have cancel-for-any-reason insurance). Any suggestions on what I try first?

It took 4 days and then I received an email saying my refund had been approved and to allow 7 days for it to show up on the card.

Thanks @Peter78 !

Now I'm off to deal with Singapore Airlines for my other trip...

 

[Chief Wiggum]

Update from me also. I got my email this morning from Jetstar saying that my refund request has been approved and is processing and should be back on my original CC in the next week.

All in all happy with that result.

 

[JohnK]

I too have a booking in early April (Jetstar Max). I realised that this only entitles me for a voucher, even when I booked, but was holding out so I might instead try for a refund. My flight has now been cancelled, although no communication on that just yet. I'm not even bothering to try get a voucher as I don't want a voucher, happy with Qantas ones, but not Jetstar.

Might look into a chargeback on the basis they have cancelled my flight, when they get around to notifying me. Depends what options they give me.

In line with my complex life i have 2 bookings, me with Jetstar Max and wife and daughter vanilla booking with paid seats, and the majority has been paid using JQ gift vouchers.

Flight has now been cancelled. Don't want credit voucher as I don't know when the 3 of us can find time to travel again once normal operations resume.

I may try using the refund request form.

 

[samh004]

In line with my complex life i have 2 bookings, me with Jetstar Max and wife and daughter vanilla booking with paid seats, and the majority has been paid using JQ gift vouchers.

Flight has now been cancelled. Don't want credit voucher as I don't know when the 3 of us can find time to travel again once normal operations resume.

I may try using the refund request form.

The real annoyance in all of this is that when I emailed QF the other day I received a reply back solving my issue within 12 hours. I also had reason to phone them twice on 2 separate matters, and ended up with the same agent who did their best on both occasions, remembering the previous interaction on the second one. I fear Jetstar will be an entirely different experience that I just don't want to deal with – why should I be made to feel awful because they don't know the first thing about treating customers with respect?

 

[Bolt]

To revive an old thread, I'm experiencing the same problem. They've hidden any method that will allow you to cancel or contact them. Screenshots attached.

Changed restrictions since the 17th of December mean that we will be unable to complete our trip.

I also note that there's no option for Jetstar chat.

 

[aikman]

If you did not buy a Flex or Max bundle then you cannot cancel your flight. You should be able to change dates though and pay the fare difference.

Go to the Help pages on the website and search for the "Start Live Chat" button. It is there somewhere.

 

[ethernet]

I hate it when they hide/delete contact details. I know one crafty lawyer who loves sending process servers to the door of CEO's. Done the first time, then he can chat direct to their corporate council.

This confirms my decision not to book any holidays until certainty of arragements resume.

 

[Bolt]

Update: It ended up that I could change the flight. I originally paid $55 for the flight. There were plenty of options for $55 flights on different days. If you look at booking a new flight, they're all $44 in January. So, should be no problem right?

Wrong. Even though the app showed plenty of days available in January with $0 fare difference. Every time I clicked on it, it changed from $0 to $14 or $20 fare difference.

Am I missing something here, or is this just misleading advertising/bait and switch? In reality, there is no fare difference, but the app tries to make you pay one.

I just shook my head and gave up. Good thing I did. They just cancelled the flight tomorrow night.

 

[ethernet]

Technically plus or minus, that would be the 'difference' and correct. It does not say the difference if higher, or nothing lower. Marketing says difference is more sellable. Do not get me started when your computers unique fingerprint, is used in online booking to enhance revenue.

 

[Bindibuys]

Booked 2 x QF classic rewards bookings on Jetstar flights (syd-hba-syd).
These flights have now been cancelled, but I can only find the QF booking references, not the JQ booking reference to enable me to claim back my paid seat selection total of $103.01 (6 of us were travelling)
Does anyone know how I can get that JQ booking reference, now that the QF booking has been cancelled?

 

[Bolt]

Update. I got an e-mail from Jetstar about the cancellation. You click on the link to view your options, and then click view your options, and you're given no options. When you chat to Jess the robot, you get the same link to view your options, which are again, no options.

 

[DC3]

Booked 2 x QF classic rewards bookings on Jetstar flights (syd-hba-syd).
These flights have now been cancelled, but I can only find the QF booking references, not the JQ booking reference to enable me to claim back my paid seat selection total of $103.01 (6 of us were travelling)
Does anyone know how I can get that JQ booking reference, now that the QF booking has been cancelled?

I thought that they would be the same. Well, something that I’ve learned today.

 

[Bindibuys]

I thought that they would be the same. Well, something that I’ve learned today.

Bingo, found on my desk top where I had done a screen grab showing the QF booking ref along with the JQ booking ref.
So, yes they are defiantly different when you book a QF classic reward booking on a JQ flight.
Now to see if I can get my paid seat selection refunded.

 

[AIRwin]

Bingo, found on my desk top where I had done a screen grab showing the QF booking ref along with the JQ booking ref.

I always load the booking into the JQ app once it has been ticketed by QF just in case I lose the booking reference...