Statement – Jetstar and Emma Bennison

Emma Bennison is a regular and valued Jetstar customer. Emma is blind, so booked Jetstar specific assistance so a Jetstar staff member could assist her at Melbourne Airport on 20 February 2024 to make her way from the aircraft and through the airport terminal, and to depart the terminal.  

Jetstar did not provide Emma with that specific assistance in a timely manner. After disembarking the plane, Emma was left in a seated waiting area for a significant period of time. Emma was ultimately assisted.  However, this experience was upsetting and stressful for Emma, and caused substantial delay and inconvenience to her.  

Jetstar sincerely apologises for the delay that Emma experienced and for the impact this had on her.    

Jetstar assists many customers requiring specific assistance each year, including customers who are blind.  Jetstar has a range of systems and processes in place to provide specific assistance to its customers, including contingency processes to ensure that customers are assisted in a timely way within Jetstar’s low fares operating model.  Despite those systems and processes, a Jetstar staff member made a mistake and did not assist Ms Bennison to depart the airport in a timely way.  There were also a range of other contributing factors which made it more difficult for staff to provide assistance in the usual way, including building works.   

Emma’s feedback about her experience has contributed to an enhanced awareness of the needs of customers requiring specific assistance and will assist Jetstar with the delivery of specific assistance in the future.  Emma appreciates Jetstar’s willingness to engage constructively and take positive steps to improve the travel experience for people with disability. 

Jetstar has listened carefully to Emma’s feedback about her experience and has considered how it can improve the experience for Emma and other customers in the future. Emma and Jetstar agree that communication between customers with disability and specific needs and Jetstar staff is key.   

If a customer requiring specific assistance needs assistance at the airport (eg, they are waiting in a designated airport waiting area and the Jetstar staff member has not returned as expected), Jetstar encourages them to locate or contact Jetstar airport staff to seek specific assistance.  

Jetstar is trialling an enhanced communication escalation process to be used if a customer at an Australian domestic airport is unable to locate or contact Jetstar airport staff to seek assistance: 

• the customer should contact Jetstar on 131 538 or using the ‘Livechat’ at https://www.jetstar.com/au/en/contact-us;   
• the customer should provide their location in the airport and their contact details to the Jetstar staff member; and  
• the Jetstar staff member will collect that information from the customer, triage that request and seek to contact a Jetstar airport staff member to provide assistance if it is required.   

Jetstar and Emma hope this process will complement Jetstar’s existing systems for provision of specific assistance, and empower customers with disability to get help when they need it. Emma welcomes these changes as an industry-leading example of how airlines can work with customers with disability to create a more inclusive and accessible air travel experience by listening to feedback and collaborating to develop solutions. 

Jetstar takes the accessibility, safety and comfort of customers who require specific assistance seriously.  The safety and welfare of Jetstar’s customers is a top priority.  

Customers should request specific assistance from Jetstar at the time of booking, so that arrangements can be made to assist the customer or alternative arrangements made. Customers with disability and other specific needs can access detailed information about the assistance provided by Jetstar on Jetstar.com (eg, at Specific assistance and Jetstar’s Disability Access Facilitation Plan.  Jetstar.com and the plan outline the assistance which is available at each step of the travel experience, so customers can plan their travel and make decisions informed by their specific needs and preferences.  Jetstar also has a dedicated Contact Centre team to assist customers with specific assistance queries via 131 538 or via Live Chat on Jetstar.com.