A Jetstar customer has been unable to receive a cash refund for her tickets from the airline, after her flight from Singapore to Da Nang, Vietnam, was cancelled twice over the span of two years.
Instead, her refund has been limited to the option of voucher credits, the Singaporean surnamed Sim told Mothership.
Flight was cancelled for the first time in 2020 due to the pandemic
Sim said that she had booked her flight to Da Nang in Jan. 2020 for a trip in May of the same year, involving herself, her sister and a friend.
The total cost of the tickets came up to S$660 and were purchased with a credit card.
Subsequently, on Apr. 30, 2020, Sim received an email from Jetstar which said that the flight had been cancelled due to borders restriction in light of the Covid-19 situation.
The email also said, "We are offering all customers impacted by this announcement a Jetstar credit voucher to the full value of their untraveled booking."
Sim noted that this was unlike other airlines such as Scoot which offered the choice of either a cash refund or a voucher with extra credit.
She added, "As consumers, we had no choice but to accept this form of compensation."
Cancelled for a second time in June 2022
Sim said that she subsequently redeemed the vouchers this year, for a flight to Da Nang in November 2022, following the re-opening of borders.
She also included an insurance add-on for this purchase, which was underwritten by American International Group (AIG).
However, on June 27, she received an email informing her that the route to Da Nang had been cancelled from Aug. 9, 2022, onwards.
This email listed the following options of recourse for cancellation:
- Cancelling the booking and receiving a refund to the full value of the untraveled flight in the form of payment for the booking,
- Flying to Da Nang at an earlier date before Aug. 9, or
- Changing the booking to an alternative destination near Da Nang.
Unable to obtain cash refund because of payment via voucher credit
Sim added that she initially tried to obtain a cash refund through the Jetstar travel insurance policy she had purchased, only to discover that it does not cover cancellations by Jetstar itself.
She then turned to contacting the airline but was told by Jetstar's customer service that she could only obtain a voucher credit instead of a cash refund, as the voucher had been the mode of payment utilised for the flight.
In voicing her frustration at the entire matter, Sim said:
"So now, not only have I wasted money on junk insurance, I am unable to obtain my money back after having extended an interest free loan of two-and-a-half years to a multinational airline carrier.
In any ordinary circumstance, where the seller is unable to honour the terms of the contract and deliver what was ordered, it is a matter of course for the seller to refund the monies paid."
"The airlines have been pleading for understanding and assistance during the last two years of the pandemic. The least they could do is extend the same understanding to their customers in return," she added.
In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson for Jetstar said:
"We sincerely apologise to our customers impacted by the recent suspension of services between Singapore and Da Nang and for any inconvenience caused. All customers were contacted directly in June to advise them of the change and were provided with a range of alternative options, as per Jetstar’s policy, including:
1. A refund to the full value of the untraveled flights back to the form of payment for the booking.
2. A free move to an available Jetstar Asia flight between Singapore and Da Nang departing on or before Aug. 9, 2022.
3. A change to selected alternate destinations including Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh or Phuket on the same day or the day immediately before or after the originally booking. "
Top photo via Changi Airport/Facebook