Jetstar Asia passengers struggle to get refunds for cancelled flights

One day after Jetstar Asia announced that it would soon close, the low-cost carrier's passengers said they continue to struggle with rejected refund requests, congested helplines and disrupted travel plans.

- Savanna Tai

Some of the airline's passengers told The Straits Times they received notifications that they were "not eligible for a monetary refund" after submitting requests to get their money back for cancelled flights, while others said they received links that did not work.

On June 11, the Singapore-based airline made a surprise announcement that it would close on July 31, citing rising costs and growing regional competition.

Since then, its customers have been gradually notified via e-mail to either apply for a refund or reschedule their flights.

Mr David Shuttleworth's June 14 flight to Penang was cancelled, but when he applied to get his money back, he was told that he was "not eligible for a monetary refund".

The 70-year-old consultant said he has been unable to speak to Jetstar Asia staff about his case because of congested chat lines.

Mr Wen Long also received a similar message after applying for a refund of about $50 for his flight to Penang.

The 38-year-old accountant spent 45 minutes on the airline's online chat service before being told that he would be refunded and sent a confirmation e-mail within seven business days.

Ms Atiqah A.R., 32, said the e-mail she received contained a broken link that directed her to Jetstar Asia's homepage, instead of a refund request form.

The tax consultant later found the form on the website, but felt the process is troublesome. She had paid $88 for a July 19 flight to Kuala Lumpur.

She also said she received an Instagram "follow" request from what she believes to be a fraudulent account called "@jetstarclaimresponse" on June 12.