AUCKLAND – It appears New Zealand has been totally under whelmed by the launch of Jetstar flights across the country.

Last week Consumer New Zealand urged the Qantas subsidiary to improve check-in procedures after a flood of complaints about the airline's service.

Consumer New Zealand chief executive Sue Chetwin told Radio New Zealand she has received a number of complaints from passengers denied boarding after Jetstar accused them of being late for check-in.

Chetwin said Jetstar might need more staff at check-in counters to ensure passengers are processed in time for flights.

She found it hard to believe Jetstar has teething problems with its new domestic service, “considering the airline is part of Qantas”.

In response to Jetstar customers’ complaints, Air New Zealand last week offered domestic Jetstar passengers who are denied check-in or significantly disrupted, a $50 fare so they can get to where they need to go.

Ben Sandilands, writing his Plane Talking column for Crikey.com commented, “In the most recent reaction to the ill-will it has generated, Jetstar is proposing a campaign of ‘public education’ on the use of the low cost carriers, according no doubt to the Jetstar concept of very cheap, but also tricky, rude, unaccountable and chronically unreliable.”

Sandilands asked, “Will the public education of Kiwis be voluntary or compulsory? You would have to wonder after spokesperson Simon Westaway was quoted by NZ media as blaming it mainly on the media and the airline’s customers.

Westaway has been giving interviews in NZ explaining that the 30-minute cut-off rule is there to ensure flights depart on time.

“Well, it isn’t working,” wrote Sandilands. “At least half of its flights have been running over an hour late, which in a country which measures about 8 minutes wide by 80 minutes long in a jet is very, very late.”

He added, “New Zealand is going to be a good test of whether a low fare airline being confrontational in a small market where the distances are short and the alternatives on Air NZ and Pacific Blue are many will work.

“Maybe it will switch to a charm offensive.”