Jetstar asks Aussies for forgiveness after months of turbulence
Jetstar is begging for forgiveness in an effort to win back furious customers after months of turbulence.
The airline has blamed "bad luck" for the string of recent cancellations and is promising improvements ahead of the Christmas period.
Jetstar has ruined the travel plans of thousands in recent months, with flights between the US and Asia cancelled.
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Jetstar Chief Operating Officer Matthew Franzi has said he knows the airline has not met expectations. Nine
The airline has now spoken to 9News to apologise for its errors.
"We know we haven't delivered to the customer expectation," Jetstar Chief Operating Officer Matthew Franzi has said.
"We honestly do understand it has been hard, and frustrating and disappointing," cabin manager Catherine Barker said.
Franzi said Jetstar's string of issues is officially over, with the airline's fleet finally back to normal after a lightning strike and damage from runway debris forced two Boeing 787s out of action for more than a month.
"We plan to have spare aircraft, to lose two aircraft in such quick succession made a significant impact on our operation," Jetstar engineer Greg Evans said.
"It had nothing to do with the pandemic. It was kind of just bad luck in a way that these things happened at the same time."
READ MORE: Aussies stuck overseas for up to a week due to Jetstar cancellations
Jetstar has said its run of disruptions has come to an end. Nine
Having two of eleven 787s grounded exacerbated problems, leading to hundreds of Australians being stranded in Bali in September, some for more than a week.
The following week led to more pain for travellers, with 22 passengers forced to camp out on the floor of Narita Airport in Japan for days.
Staff shortages have also caused chaos.
The airline says it has solved the issue by hiring 1500 extra staff across the Qantas Group.
Jetstar now has fewer flights and more spare planes available, which will mean higher prices and more expensive Christmas travel plans.
Independent travel expert Chris Zeiher has suggested the airline needs to use financial perks to win back passengers.
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Jetstar has said its run of disruptions has come to an end. Nine
"Jetstar really needs to do quite a lot to build their reputation back, whether that's via travel vouchers, whether that's via cheaper flights or other incentives whilst you're onboard," Zeiher said.
But Jetstar has said that is not the plan, having already offered vouchers to all customers affected by the disruptions.
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