Bags cost shocks traveller

Robert Thomas and his girlfriend Jessica. Photo / Supplied

Air travellers are being urged to check the fine print on their tickets as under-fire Jetstar faces accusations of "profiteering" from baggage charges.

Experienced traveller Robert Thomas has complained to the budget airline about being charged $240 to check in luggage on a trip to the Gold Coast last month.

Thomas booked JetSaver Lite tickets for him and his girlfriend over the internet in April, flying out via Sydney and returning direct.

The flights cost about $400 but Thomas says there was an $80 charge for a 20kg check-in luggage allowance for each of the three legs.

Mr Thomas says he did not pay the $240 charge.

"In the end they credited me a bag because I had to change my flight last minute, but it's total profiteering.

"Stinging you with $80 or $160 dollars for baggage is over the top. It's the same cost as one of our flights."

According to the Jetstar website, passengers with JetSaver and JetFlex tickets have a 20kg baggage allowance.

That increases to 30kg for passengers with StarClass tickets.

Passengers like Thomas travelling JetSaver Lite do not get a checked baggage allowance and have to pay $40 for a website or phone check-in, or $80 at the airport.

Rival budget airline Pacific Blue charges passengers on its cheapest fare only $8 for up to 23kg of check-in baggage, provided the levy is paid before they reach the airport.

Passengers on all international flights have a 20kg allowance for check-in luggage.

"To me, an $8 baggage charge seems fair for a budget airline [but] $80 on Jetstar is not fair at all," said Thomas.

Travel broker Carmel Sheehan was surprised baggage charges for some flights could reach $80.

"The way Jetstar seems to operate is they want most people to book online, which leads to this furore that we have now where people just don't understand the ins and outs of how it all works."

Another Auckland travel agent said excess baggage charges were standard.

"However I do think $80 is quite high. People have to be sure to read the fine print."

The Qantas subsidiary has been beset by problems since launching its domestic service three weeks ago.

Last weekend at least 10 passengers were stranded in Auckland after the day's final flight to Wellington left without them.

Jetstar said they failed to check in 30 minutes before take-off time, an argument labelled a "blatant lie" by one of those left behind.

On Tuesday, the airline cancelled flights into Queenstown because its aircraft lacked the technology to land in poor visibility.

The fallout prompted Air New Zealand to offer $50 flights to disgruntled Jetstar customers bumped off their flights.

Jetstar spokeswoman Simone Pregellio defended the airline's strict check-in times and baggage charges, saying they are all made clear to passengers via their website.

She said Jetstar had employed a new New Zealand team, which included adding more staff and training to airports to ensure "excellent" customer service.

The introduction of a text message service to all customers would serve as a further reminder for check-in times.

"We acknowledge teething problems in the first week of operation but we have been working extremely hard over the last week to implement changes, which are already having a good effect on our operations."

Jetstar's head of commercial, David Koczkar, said Air NZ's offer of $50 flights was a testament to Jetstar being the most affordable airline.

The Commerce Commission has received six complaints from people unable to board Jetstar flights last weekend due to check-in issues. It received a seventh complaint relating to a cancellation.

A spokeswoman said it had assessed five complaints and concluded they were of a "contractual nature" with no breach of the Fair Trading Act.