Jetstar says sorry after NZ launch garners wrong sort of headlines

Thursday 9th July 2009

Jetstar Airways, the low-fare unit of Qantas Airways, apologized for glitches in its service since launching in New Zealand a month ago and announced a new flight schedule and training for check-in staff.

The company bought full-page advertisements in New Zealand daily newspapers, looking to bolster the carrier’s image after a series of PR disasters. Prospective passengers had been turned away from flights under stringent check-in deadlines, while some flights themselves missed schedules.

“To anyone who has had their flight delayed or your travel inconvenienced, we are genuinely sorry,” Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan said in the ads.

Air New Zealand looked to capitalize on Jetstar’s bad publicity, offering cheap fares to passengers who had missed its rival’s flights. The Australian airline’s arrival revives competition on some routes after the withdrawal of parent Qantas.

Among the tweaks designed to win back customers are $50 vouchers for passengers on any flights arriving more than an hour late in the next three months. Jetstar blamed delays on bad weather and related disruptions.

A new schedule will allow the airline to cope with weather delays better, while it would add airport staff and improve handling procedures, the airline said. It also offered a text message reminder service for passengers.

Jetstar competes with Air New Zealand and Pacific Blue, the low-fare unit of Virgin Blue, running 84 flights a week between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, the alpine resort of Queenstown and across the Tasman. So far it has carried more than 100,000 passengers, according to its statement today.

Shares of Air New Zealand fell 1.1% to 88 cents today and are little changed this year.

Businesswire.co.nz

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