This Aussie airline now has more complaints than Jetstar
Jetstar has gotten a pretty bad rap over the years, earning itself the reputation as one of Australia’s most complained-about airlines. However, another carrier has now overtaken, according to the airline ombudsman – Virgin Australia.
New figures released in the 2016 Airline Consumer Advocate annual report has found that, after Tigerair, which again received the most complaints (31.9 per million customers), Virgin received the second-highest number (13.5 per million customers).
On the other hand, the number of complaints against Jetstar has dropped from almost 20 per million passengers to just 12.3. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Qantas maintained the lowest rate, with just 7.2 per million.
A Virgin spokeswoman has blamed the increase in complaints on extreme weather events – including volcanic ash in Bali and cyclones in Queensland, Darwin and Vanuatu – forcing the delay or cancellation of many flights.
“Virgin Australia wants all of our guests to have a wonderful experience when they travel with us,” she said. “In instances when we unfortunately don’t meet their expectations, our Guest Relations team works closely with our customers to resolve any issues.”
By contrast, Jetstar chief executive Dean Salter has praised his employees for the sharp drop in complaints, calling it a “testament to our teams who work tirelessly to provide the best possible service”.