Customers' refused entry to flights lash out at Jetstar

Australian airline Jetstar concedes it may need to launch an educational campaign in New Zealand to show how it differs from other carriers as complaints from passengers continue.

Customers, including a group of Auckland rugby fans who were not allowed onto a Jetstar flight destined for Wellington on Saturday, complained they were refused entry to Jetstar flights.

Jetstar's head of customer service Mary-Lou Cann admits most New Zealanders will not be used to their half an hour closure prior to departure.

She says passengers must be at the boarding gate at least 25 minutes before departure.

Ms Cann also says Jetstar carries out two mandatory PA announcements advising the check in is shutting.

But customers denied entry to Jetstar flights are adamant they arrived 30 minutes prior to takeoff. However the airline says they were eight minutes late - arriving 22 minutes before departure time.

One of Jetstar's would-be passengers accused the airline of misleading the media.

In a lengthy email titled: 'Fisking Jetstar's Comments in the Media', Michael Earley has challenged the airline to release security camera footage to the media to show what time he and other passengers arrived at the airport.

Mr Earley says he wants Jetstar to admit that their staff did not follow procedures and offer passengers a full refund.

Another person who missed his flight to Wellington on Saturday was Kris Hyman, who wrote on nzherald.co.nz's Your Views forum that a passenger who was behind him in the queue was checked in by Jetstar staff immediately before the group he was with was told check in had closed.

"Once the CCTV footage is out, you'll clearly see that Jetstar didn't comb the queue... that we all turned up outside of the 30 minute window," Mr Hyman wrote.

Another passenger affected by Saturday's check in closure has started a Twitter feed to record the latest developments.

However some Your Views respondents said they understood the need to strictly enforce the cut-off times for checking in.

Sebastian from Grey Lynn wrote: "To the people who think that it's not a problem to show up after the cut off time it is obvious everywhere on the e ticket telling you to show up 30 min before, they are not going to hold the plane for one person."

And Tim Spooner from Remuera wrote: "There is no excuse for people who cannot arrive prior to check-in closing."

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZ HERALD STAFF