Airlines in damage control over fees after Cyclone Larry
Both Jetstar and Virgin Blue today were insistent that passengers charged extra for flight changes and cancellations due to Cyclone Larry were the victims of misunderstandings and all such charges would be refunded.
Virgin Blue guest relations manager Matt Dixon said the airline had waived all fees and extra costs for customers who changed their travel plans because of the cyclone.
Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said his airline had also detected “isolated inconsistencies” involving cyclone-affected passengers being charged extra for flight changes.
He said Jetstar had also waived fees for people flying into or out of Cairns and Townsville.
Tourism operators in far north Queensland have reported a rash of cancellations after cyclone Larry.
But Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said Cairns, Palm Cove, the Whitsundays and Townsville were still open for business.
He said the worst thing that could happen to the region was for tourists to stay away.
“We’ve had people ringing in this morning from Sydney and Melbourne asking if they should cancel their holidays,” he said.
“There are obviously some issues like a bit of debris and in some cases power but it’s important to recognise that Queensland isn’t shut and many operators in north Queensland are operating normally.”
Graham Muldoon
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