Can Jetstar just change our flight??

In November we are traveling to Adelaide for my brother's wedding. I booked the flights about two and a half months ago, over with Jetstar and back with Qantas. We are leaving Melbourne the day before the wedding, a Thursday, in the evening as my DH can only take one day (the Friday) off from work. Jetstar have just sent me an email to tell me they have changed our flight! Now, instead of leaving at 7pm on the Thursday, they have us on a flight leaving at 9am. Obviously no good as DH has to work, I have to get the dogs to the kennel blah blah blah. I booked an evening flight because we NEED to leave in the evening.

I'm furious!! Can they do this? Just change our flight? I have checked the website and they have actually cancelled it, the only Jetstar flight to Adelaide on the Thursday is at 9am. Qantas have flights available in the afternoon, but the only evening flights are through Sydney, turning a 1 hour flight into a 4 hour flight (with three kids)! Will Jetstar move us to a Qantas flight? What about the price difference, do they cop that or do we have to pay?

I know, I need to ring them. I called on my mobile but the expected wait was greater than one hour, and all I could see was my phone bill growing... We have just moved house so I have the home phone charging and I will ring in the morning.

HELLLLPPPP!!!

They probably can. It would be in your terms and conditions of your original flight. They are probably up for negotiating a new flight though. When we had to cancel our plans for Japan after the tsunami there we found them really helpful (once you get onto them through their phone system!). Hope you can get it sorted.

I'm pretty sure they can (bloody fine print) but you should be able to get a refund and book new flights.

Hi hun,

Travel agent here *Waves*

Hate to say it but yes they can. Airlines can make schedule changes at any time. Give them a call and say that the new flight time does not suit and ask what your options are, they have to give you more than one option.

Good luck xxx

I've had several flights changed but they've always been changed to later flights, not earlier. Ring them up and explain why the flight they've changed you to in inconvenient and hopefully they can help.

They can change it,

Unfortunately they can... Airlines are pretty much a law unto themselves. Just a couple of weeks ago my Dad and his partner were on their way back from the UK and had a stopover in Dubai. They had their boarding passes and everything (from when they checked in in London). They got to the gate in Dubai and were told that they no longer had seats and would be on a flight the next day! The airline put them up in a crappy hotel for the night and gave them a $300 voucher (like they'll want to fly with them again)!

Anyway, that's not really relevant is it?

Jetstar do have to offer you another flight and 'may' give you the option of a refund (but I don't think that they have to). Do you have travel insurance? If you do, then the travel insurance might cover your costs for switching to the Qantas flight.

HTH

dh recently had a jetstar flight cancelled a few hours before the flight, he was the photographer for a wedding the next morning so he HAD to be there on time. Jetstar offered a flight the next day and when we said that wasn't an option, they offered a refund. I quickly booked him a new (more expensive) flight with Qantas and sent him on his way. You wouldn't believe it, the flight missed the Sydney curfew by 1 minute, 1 minute!!! They were coming in to land, then they were back up again, and on their way back to Melbourne, he got home in the early hours of the morning, and rebooked on a stupidly early flight as that was the only way he was going to get there. Crazy. He should have just stayed at the airport!

Sorry, that was a bit long! So, yes it seems that they can change it, but you should be able to get a refund at least, it doesn't help with the inconvenient times though!

Hope you can work it out and you have a fabulous time :)