A Jetstar passenger has hit out at the budget airline after an apparent airline tactic of overbooking flights left her potentially facing a long wait for another plane.
Young Aussie Sky Kennedy told Yahoo News she was getting ready to fly home after a two-week solo adventure around Bali when, at the check-in desk, she was told she may be refused boarding because she hadn’t pre-booked a seat.
“When I got to the desk, the lady mentioned that the plane was full and because I hadn’t selected a seat, that I didn’t actually have one secured on that flight,” Sky recalled for Yahoo News. Sky said she was “confused” because she’d booked the flight months ago.
“She explained that even though I bought the ticket, because I hadn’t selected a seat, it wasn’t guaranteed,” she said.
Seat selection on Jetstar flights – do you have to buy a seat?
Basic seat selection on Jetstar flights costs around $8, while seats closer to the front and on exit rows can go for up to $32. For Sky, she usually doesn’t select a seat because she’s “happy to sit anywhere”.
“If I had known that choosing a seat meant my booking wasn’t secured, I would have, of course, selected one,” she said.
“But when you book online, it doesn’t say that and even gives you the option to skip seat selection. If it’s essential to secure your ticket, in my opinion, it should be included in the price or mentioned at the time of booking.”
Yahoo contacted Jetstar to find out if what Sky was told in Bali is airline policy.
Jetstar advised that customers aren’t required to pre-purchase seats to guarantee travel. If a flight is overbooked, Jetstar can choose passengers to change to another flight. It will provide affected passengers with compensation, reimbursement and assistance to secure another flight, the airline’s policy says.
Sky said once on board, the people next to her said they had booked the seat for their friend who was suddenly hospitalised with Covid.
Sky, who shared her story online, said she learned that airlines are known to overbook flights, expecting that some passengers won’t show up. On its website, Jetstar says flights may be overbooked “on rare occasions”.
Following her experience, Sky has warned Aussies to leave nothing to chance and simply pay the $8 fee.
“Pay the extra however much it is for your seat and check in as soon as you can, don’t wait until you get to the airport,” she warned.
Yahoo understands that Jetstar has apologised to Sky for the distress the incident caused her. On occasion, passengers aren’t able to be accommodated due to a change in aircraft, weight restrictions, or, in rare circumstances, when a flight is overbooked.
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