Jetsgo offers refunds

[Kip Powick]

Jetsgo offers refunds to angry fliers

By STEVEN CHASE

OTTAWA -- Discount air carrier Jetsgo Corp. is offering apologies and rebookings or refunds to passengers whose travel plans were disrupted when it cancelled more than 30 flights in the last two days before Christmas.

But that's small consolation for customers such as Paul, a 49-year-old bank official in Toronto.

He spent Christmas Day separated from his wife and son after his Dec. 23 Jetsgo flight to Halifax was cancelled.

"It was just a complete logistical meltdown," said Paul, who asked that his last name not be published. "I would not fly with them again."

He waited at Pearson International Airport for 14 hours past his Jetsgo flight's original departure time until it was finally cancelled at 3 a.m. Dec. 24. "They kept saying that we were going to fly." He didn't get his luggage back until 5 a.m.

Like other carriers, Jetsgo was hit hard by winter weather in Toronto on Thursday that prevented some flights from leaving or landing at Pearson International Airport. This stranded numerous Jetsgo planes and pushed many flight crews past the maximum regulated hours they were supposed to fly.

The situation led to 23 Jetsgo flight cancellations and 24 delays on Dec. 23 and another eight flight cancellations on Christmas Eve.

"It's probably among the worst times of year that something like this could happen," said Brad Cicero, a spokesman for Jetsgo.

"We completely empathize with people who may not have been able to get to where they were hoping to at the time they wanted to," he said.

About 3,000 Jetsgo passengers felt the impact of delays or cancellations.

The "vast majority" of affected Jetsgo customers rebooked on later flights. Some switched to other carriers.

About 500 in-transit passengers stranded in Toronto as a result of the cancelled flights were put up in hotels at Jetsgo's expense and received $50 a day for meals.

Jetsgo waived rebooking fees for travellers switching to later carrier flights and refunded tickets to those who found seats on other airlines. It also worked to return travellers, at no cost, to their original departure city if they wished.

The carrier pledged in a Dec. 24 news release that "unused segments of Jetsgo tickets will be fully reimbursed by the airline."

Jetsgo said yesterday that it had cleared its backlog of passengers and that all scheduled flights would depart as planned.

[CD]

Drunk ruined flight, airline will pay

MONTREAL - Jetsgo Corp. has been ordered to pay damages to a Montreal couple whose cross-Canada trip was ruined by a woman so drunk she passed out and was rolled off the plane in a wheelchair.

(I don't subscribe to National Post ...remainder of story "locked").

Drunk ruined flight, airline will pay: judge

NATIONAL POST

12/29/2004

MONTREAL - Jetsgo Corp. has been ordered to pay damages to a Montreal couple whose cross-Canada trip was ruined by a woman so drunk she passed out and was rolled off the plane in a wheelchair.

But Quebec Court Judge Raoul Barbe awarded the pair less than half the compensation they were seeking. He noted the two professionals travelled on a budget airline and "cannot expect to get high-end service."

The judge ruled on Dec. 21 that Jetsgo must compensate Sharon and Robert Bishin for spoiling their flight from Montreal to Vancouver. He pegged the damages at $350, plus $119 in additional court fees. The Bishins had asked for $1,000.

Jetsgo declined to comment on the decision yesterday.

The Bishins were on their way to B.C. in March last year to visit their 20-year-old daughter, and Robert was seated at the front of the plane next to a woman who was already tipsy when she boarded. His wife sat nearby.

The woman yelled at Mr. Bishin during the flight and at times jumped out of her seat, uttering things like, "This is a pig pen," and, "I gotta get out of here," Ms. Bishin recalled yesterday.

Meanwhile, the woman was flirting with a Jetsgo attendant who continued to sell her wine.

"She was out of her head," Ms. Bishin. "Everything she said she kind of illustrated with a whack on [my husband's] shoulder and an elbow to his ribs."

The woman passed out on Mr. Bishin about halfway through the flight, Ms. Bishin said. On arrival, she was pushed off the plane unconscious in a wheelchair.

Ms. Bishin said she contacted Jetsgo to demand an explanation for the incident. The airline sent a thank-you letter in response, signed with the company's happy-face logo. After what she said were other fruitless exchanges in which she asked for two one-way tickets as compensation, the Bishins eventually turned to small claims court.

The judge said Jetsgo had an obligation to refrain from selling alcohol to the woman when she was drunk and failed to offer other seats to either the woman or the travellers she was disturbing. The plane was not full.

[Don Hudson]

Re, "The judge said Jetsgo had an obligation to refrain from selling alcohol to the woman when she was drunk . . . "

Jetsgo (or any other airline) didn't just have "an obligation" to refrain from serving alchohol, they were required to by the CARS. Where was Transport in all this?

[beaverboy]

. Where was Transport in all this?

In MB's back pocket?

[Flapsforty]

Don,

Transport has no bite. I have a very close friend in transport and they say the airlines pretty much do whatever they want. (unless there is political interferance).

Cheers.

[Guest stones]

"Where was Transport in all this?" I suspect the same place they were when your 320's were departing YOW on the 23.

First off if the person was that drunk she should have been denied boarding. Second the FA's should have stopped serving her. We cut people off from alcohol all the time. Its unfortunate but if they didn't like where they were seated they could have asked to move. Can you imagine if every person who was disatisfied with their flight asked for free ones in return or took it to small claims court? Does this make any sense, "we are so disastisifed with your service that we would like to travel on you again for free." If this were the case AC would have been out of business along time ago.

[Kip Powick]

Stones posted......

Does this make any sense, "we are so disastisifed with your service that we would like to travel on you again for free." If this were the case AC would have been out of business along time ago.

Now what we have here is a very good example of one of the 3 "Ds" when responding to criticism.......

"DEFLECTION"....well done

[Trader]

The problem is defining "drunk". These two people claim that she was drunk--prove it! If there was no breathalyser then it is hearsay. This is the very reason that when you have someone removed from a flight for being drunk and disorderly you do NOT tell the police officers that the person is drunk but only that they are disorderly. They may appear drunk but you can't ascertain that.

These people could easily have gotten up and switched seats. There 'claim' appears to me be nothing more than a cash grab and the judge, to some degree, appears to have agreed.

[Guest stones]

You can call it anything you want kip. This complaint does not seem to have much merrit. I know my employer in the past has not done much for customer service. Thats why if a passenger had a legitimate complaint I used to direct them to the proper channels and give them my email address and the odd time my cell phone number in case they had further problems.

From what I have read, which I am sure isn't the whole story all I am seeing is two pax trying to take advantage of the system/airline. If they really were offended did they voice their concerns to the FA? Did they ask to change seats? Did they ask for the other person to be relocated? They don't seem to be shy off the airplane so what made them so shy onboard?

Hope to have you onboard heading southward one day kip, unfortunately my PA's won't be as elegant as yours (if I'm still here)!!

[Canus Chinookus]

Trader, they said that the woman was carted off the airplane in a wheelchair... now i'm going to go on a limb here and say she was hammered... but what do i know?

[deicer]

Trader, they said that the woman was carted off the airplane in a wheelchair... now i'm going to go on a limb here and say she was hammered... but what do i know?

[Trader]

CC, the problem is that if you call the police to escort her off and claim that you are doing so because she is drunk you may have a legal battle on your hands. You CANNOT tell if she is drunk- you can only assume, which doesn't cut it in court. For all you know she is diabetic.

If they are disruptive then that is the reason you give for having them removed--do not mention drunk.

That was my only point.

[handyman]

Don,

Transport has no bite. I have a very close friend in transport and they say the airlines pretty much do whatever they want. (unless there is political interferance).

Cheers.

Transport is like every other Government department...overstretched and out of touch. The only way they can bite is if someone or something directs the spotlight on the problem, otherwise the issue goes unnoticed.