Jetstar in the gun again over refunds

Shelly Fatialofa (left) and Mikayla McNabb were to fly into Christchurch for a swimming event. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Budget airline Jetstar has been forced to back down after refusing to refund a group of teenagers for flights to a cancelled swimming competition in Christchurch.

The South Auckland group spent months fundraising for the national swimming meeting, to have been held in the quake-stricken city's QEII Leisure Centre from March 16.

But the swimmers, aged 13 to 15, spent yesterday battling to get their hard-earned money back.

The case is one of several complaints received by the Weekend Herald about Jetstar since the February 22 quake.

Most are from passengers upset that airline staff have been trying to charge people needing to change their travel plans.

Jetstar has said it is waiving such fees because of the earthquake, and is offering those who need to change their flights vouchers to use within 12 months.

But Teresa McNabb, mother of 13-year-old Mikayla McNabb, said she had been struggling to get answers from the airline since learning the NZ Division 2 swimming competition had been postponed until further notice.

Mrs McNabb said the 12 students held a social and sold raffle tickets, raising $2933, to pay for their trip.

They had been training five evenings a week after school and at 5.30am three days a week.

Mrs McNabb said the airline was not being compassionate because its policy was unsuitable for the children - and they had only one week to raise money for an alternative meet being held in Rotorua, a city to which Jetstar does not fly.

"We would like to get a refund because that would pay for us to get to Rotorua," she said.

"I understand that Jetstar is a big corporate and they don't want to lose the money, but to me it's a bit of a compassionate thing.

"If Jetstar flew to Rotorua, I'd gladly fly there and I'd shut up."

Yesterday, the airline told the Weekend Herald it was dealing with cases on an individual basis and would handle the matter "offline ... not through the media".

But last night, a Jetstar representative called Mrs McNabb and said the airline would refund the money.

This week, Jetstar apologised for a "miscommunication" after telling Christchurch woman Gillian Smith she would have to provide photographic proof, signed by authorities, to show her home was damaged in the earthquake before her return flights to Australia could be refunded. The airline has resolved the matter.

Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway yesterday apologised to customers who felt they had not received the proper treatment, and asked them to keep trying its contact centre if they were having problems.