Flight Delay/ Retimed for Budget Flights

[slacker]

Hi,

I am booked on flight VF546 on 24/7/2009, and the flight was re-timed to 1855 (scheduled initially to be at 1305). Is it very common for budget flight to be retimed/delay. Hai, it's my first ever budget flight and I got this delay and was only just informed?

Sorry for ranting as I'm quite pissed that my time in SUB is much shortened.

[Doraemon]

Well, at least they bothered to inform you. I was on the evening flight to KUL on 3K (same company as VF, btw) 2 months ago, the flight was retimed to leave 1.5 hrs later and it was showing in Changi Airport website. But when I called Jetstar's call center, the customer service officer denied that there was a delay and requested me to be at the airport 2hrs before departure in order not to miss the check-in deadline. The flight was delayed further by 30mins due to "late arrival" of aircraft.

Given that they informed you a day in advance, it means that the "retime" is very likely planned well in advance due to aircraft MX or shortage of aircraft. This is not uncommon for LCC due to LCC wanting to maximize aircraft utilization. That is one of the many ways they keep the cost lower than legacy airlines.

Welcome to the world of budget travels!

[flyguy]

yes the delayed or retimed flights for budget carriers esp tiger n jetstar usually are fairly often for afternoon to evening flights - this is usually due to aircraft MX issues and in some cases bec of bad weather. But morning and normally 2st departure of the plane are not a problem unless due technical. In the past air asia also faces this delay issues but since last year when they received and operate all new A320s (some 50 of them) air asia delays have been considerably less than compared to tiger (with only 11 planes here and jetsrat with 9 planes) and i can say at least 50% of the flights i have taken on short flights back actually close doors and depart between 8 to 5 mins early. And air asia since Jan this year have a delay guarantee that if their flights are delayed by more than 2 hours - a rm200 credit will be given - which is something that tiger and jetstar do not give.

[sqdazz]

Air Asia do offer you that guarantee but they FREQUENTLY re-schedule flights >24 hours out and send you a SMS , this does not mean the flight is delayed, it is merely re-scheduled. IT has happened to me countless times, there is no compensation for these re-schedulings. I have arrived in KUL before on Air Asia and found my flight not listed on the screen at all, I didn't have my phone or internet access so had no idea it had been cancelled the day before, there was no mention of it on the board, it was just non-existant, I had been rebooked on a flight hours later, meaning a transit at LCCT of about 6 hours. Not happy!

But.... this is the 'price' we pay for the low price we pay!

[flyguy]

do believe now air asia have much less flight delays or rescheduling - yesterday sun saw 2 tiger planes AOG with engine cowlings opened up - and check its site and syurprised to see tiger cancel its 6am flight to cebu, its 1130am to haikou and its 550pm flight to KL - as 2 cancellations a day! But having said that its inevitable for tiger i guess as it only have 11 aircraft in SIN hence there's no avail time on the other planes to provide some buffer as tiger planes are worked very hard.

[marc]

I believe Jetstar Asia is experiencing the same problem yesterday, today and tomorrow. Lots of its flights cancelled / rescheduled. Probably at least 1 of its 6 planes out of action.

[flyguy]

yes today 29 Jul 09 - Jetstar asia Cancelled 4 flights - its 6.40am to HK, 645am to Phnom Penh, 4.30pm to Kuching, and 7.40pm to KL.

[slacker]

Hi,

I am back from the trip. After this flight, I guessed I wouldn't want to take budget anymore unless it's dirt cheap.

The flight (VF547) on 24/7/2009 was further re-timed for another 2 times till 2115. Aircraft used is 9V-JSD.

When we thought all was well when we boarded the aircraft, the plane was still grounded after 30 mins. I knew things are not going well when I see numerous ground crew or engineers walking in and out of the cockpit. Upon enquiring one of the crew, I was just told that it is some paper work as this set of crew took over the plane from another flight (rubbish ). After a while, it was announced the plane was having some technical problems and there is a need to switch off the aircon. It was only after a while that we were told to de-plane again for the engineers to work on the problem.

So, we waited at the holding area till around 11pm. The problem is now rectified, but even if we depart now, the airport and airspace at SUB will be closed. Majority of the pax will be accommodated at the hotel in Changi Village while the rest (likely to be those domestic workers going back home) are accommodated at some hotel in Katong, and it is announced that the flight will depart at 7am next morning.

It is only at 1.30am that we reached the hotel as we need to retrieve our bags again. However, this period of time, not a single food and water is being provided. Bad Service There are people who have checked in at the original time and only had Refreshment voucher worth $8.50 (valid only at some stalls in Food Gallery). There are people who did not take lunch and dinner. And the only things edible in the hotel room is just a bar of chocolate.

More drama the next morning. There are people who had checked in luggage in the following morning but did not turn up for the flight. In the end, the flight is further delayed by 30mins to offload the bags.

What a bad way to start the trip. I guessed full service carriers would have handled such situation better (especially in not keeping us updated and making us wait without food/water for a few hours). And for all these inconvenience, we are only given a $50 Jetstar voucher which is worthless as I doubt i will fly with them anymore. Is there any way to squeeze more compensation from them?

[Doraemon]

I am back from the trip. After this flight, I guessed I wouldn't want to take budget anymore unless it's dirt cheap.

You pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

What a bad way to start the trip. I guessed full service carriers would have handled such situation better (especially in not keeping us updated and making us wait without food/water for a few hours). And for all these inconvenience, we are only given a $50 Jetstar voucher which is worthless as I doubt i will fly with them anymore. Is there any way to squeeze more compensation from them?

Err, have you ever read the "Conditions of Carriage"? Even full service carriers like SQ do not guarantee to bring you to the destination as per the timing in your ticket. Hence, people buy travel insurance. Take the $50 voucher with a smile and give it to your friends or relatives who want to use it. If it it Tiger, I don't think you will get anything from them.

Jetstar's Conditions of Carriage (http://www.jetstar.com/sg/en/travel-...-carriage.aspx)
Para 8.1a - The flight time shown on your Itinerary and Receipt may change between the date of issue and your date of travel. Jetstar Asia does not guarantee the flight times and they do not form part of your contract of carriage with us.

SIA's Conditions of Carriage (http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_U...l/carriage.jsp)
Article 10 Para 1a - Carrier undertakes to use its best efforts to carry the passenger and his baggage with reasonable dispatch. Times shown in the ticket, timetables or elsewhere are not guaranteed and do not form part of the contract of carriage and Carrier assumes no responsibility for making connections.

[flyguy]

Yes need to be make informed choice when flying budget carriers but at the same time its also not that they want to cancel or delay flights as once the aircraft goes technical or held back by really bad weather or technical/cabin crew issues - its hard for the smaller budget carriers to respond. But luckily so far my personal trips to KL on AK so far have not resulted in any l9onger delays or cancellations for the past 2 yrs - and in fact my monday morning 745am flight to KUL was 6 mins ahead of time for pushback and my return on wed 1245pm back to SIN was again was 8 mins ahead of time!
But have seen before how air asia managed to switched planes if the delayed one is more than 2 hrs - as they do have now enough planes to take on some of the affected delayed flights and have at least 3 to 4 aircrafts onground in KUL at any one time - considering now they have a total of 56
A320s in service now and with 12 coming in every year - as compared to tiger's perhaps only 10 aircraft right now and perhaps less for jetstar - so these 2 carriers are not able to subsitute aircraft or reduce delays.

[slacker]

Take the $50 voucher with a smile and give it to your friends or relatives who want to use it.

So, the voucher is transferable and I can just just pass it on to other people?

[Doraemon]

So, the voucher is transferable and I can just just pass it on to other people?

I have not seen the voucher before, you can check the terms on the reverse side. If your name is written/printed on the voucher, then it is not transferable.

[flyguy]

since the subject of delays n cancellations by budget airlines - have been glancing at the airport's flight info whenever I pass by which is almost a daily - and notice that Tiger and jetstar often have flight cancellations every 2 to 5 days usually bec of aircaft going technical - and today jetstar cancelled its KL and macau flights bec of that. hence one must be aware of such issues of cancellations esp by this 2 carriers. Another fairly often is Lion air but whether its due to aircraft issues is another matter.

[lingua101]

And air asia since Jan this year have a delay guarantee that if their flights are delayed by more than 2 hours - a rm200 credit will be given - which is something that tiger and jetstar do not give.

but i looked at their web, it mentioned that if the re-time was inform xx hours ahead, it is not considered as delayed.

i got THB1,800 voucher for air asia due to the "delay" of the flight on my BKK-KVB, and KVB-BKK. Not too bad for THB1,900++ ticket price Not sure if the voucher for both legs or only 1 leg. I remember the first leg information was sent out 2 days before and the last leg only less than 24 hours. both retime about 2 hours later

[lingua101]

Majority of the pax will be accommodated at the hotel in Changi Village while the rest (likely to be those domestic workers going back home) are accommodated at some hotel in Katong, and it is announced that the flight will depart at 7am next morning.

why there is different treatment? is it because they are domestic workers?.

BTW I have vowed my self that I will not fly with any budget/low-cost airlines unless their fare is less than 50% of any ticket that I can find (inclusive what they charge for check in lugages)