Jetstar Travel Credits Class Action

Echo Law has commenced a class action in the Federal Court of Australia on behalf of Jetstar customers who held tickets for domestic or international flights cancelled by Jetstar between 2020 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The class action is based on allegations that Jetstar failed to refund customers’ payments for those flights, despite being legally obliged to do so.

Instead, Jetstar issued the majority of its customers with travel credits (also called travel vouchers), which were subject to significant restrictions. Accordingly, those travel credits were of much lower value to customers than the refunds to which customers were entitled.

By acting in this way, Jetstar has enjoyed significant financial benefits at its customers’ expense.

We consider that affected Jetstar customers may be entitled to compensation, even if they have used the travel credits they were issued.

Register by clicking the button below. It does not cost any money to register and you will never be 'out of pocket' as a result of participating in this class action.

Allegations

The class action is based on allegations that:

  • Covid-19 travel restrictions ‘frustrated’ Jetstar travel contracts, causing these contracts to be automatically terminated and giving customers a right to automatically recover money paid under those contracts.

Under Australian law, an event is ‘frustrating’ if it occurs without default of either party and renders the performance of contractual obligations impossible or radically different from what was originally contemplated.

  • Jetstar’s failure to issue refunds was a breach of contract.

  • Jetstar engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct in contravention of Australian Consumer Law, by misleading customers as to their rights in the event of widespread COVID cancellations.

  • By holding customer’s funds that ought to be refunded, Jetstar attained unlawful financial benefit (including from the interest accrued).

  • Jetstar have engaged in a system or pattern of unconscionable conduct, in contravention of Australian Consumer Law.

Who can participate in the class action?

If you held tickets for a Jetstar flight that was cancelled between 1 January 2020 and 1 November 2022, you may be eligible to participate as a group member in this class action. This claim has been issued on an open class basis. This means if you are eligible, you will automatically be included as a group member in this class action.

Even if you have since used the travel credits issued by Jetstar, or were eventually able to obtain a refund, you may still be entitled to compensation.

You can register for this class action by clicking the ‘Register Now’ button. You will also receive regular updates from Echo Law about the progress of the class action if you register now. You do not need to do anything else at this stage.

What is the class action seeking to recover?

In addition to seeking refunds of any outstanding amounts owed to Jetstar customers, as well as compensation representing the difference between the ‘value’ of the travel credits issued to customers as compared to a cash refund, the claim will also seek to recover an award for interest and for consequential losses – for example, compensation for ‘loss of use of money’, which recognises the impact on customers who were deprived of a significant sum of money for a lengthy period of time.

Costs

There are no out of pocket costs to participate in the Jetstar class action.

This class action is funded by Court House Capital, an experienced Australian-based litigation funder.

You will not have to pay any money out of your own pocket for legal fees or related expenses and you will not be responsible for paying any costs if the class action is unsuccessful.

If the class action is successful and financial compensation is recovered from Jetstar, legal costs and any litigation funder costs payable will be deducted from the amount of compensation recovered for group members. These costs will never exceed the amount of compensation to which you may otherwise become entitled and will be assessed by the Court to ensure any legal costs deducted from the amount of any compensation are fair and reasonable.


Frequently Asked Questions

  • While this class action is on behalf of Jetstar customers, we have also issued proceedings on behalf of customers who held tickets for Qantas flights that were cancelled.

    You can read more about the Qantas Class Action here.

    Qantas customers are invited to register their interest by clicking the ‘Register Now’ button above. If you register your interest, we will keep you updated on the Qantas Class Action as it progresses.

  • Yes, you can still participate if you booked your tickets through a third party such as a travel agent or online booking platform.

  • When you register, you will have the option to specify if you used the credits you received, or have since obtained a refund for your flights. Even if you have used your credits or eventually obtained a refund, you may still be eligible to participate if you experienced loss or damage (such as ‘loss of use of money’).

    Accordingly, we encourage you to still register for the claim using the ‘Register Now’ link at the top of the page.

  • Yes, the class action will seek a refund for customers who still hold Jetstar travel credits. Even if you end up using your credits, you may still be eligible to participate if you experienced loss or damage (such as ‘loss of use of money’).

  • Yes, if you are able to obtain a refund from Jetstar outside the class action, you can seek to do so.

    Even if you eventually obtain a refund from Jetstar directly, you may still be entitled to compensation for losses you have suffered - for example, for interest or for the ‘loss of use’ of the money held by Jetstar for a lengthy period of time. Accordingly, we would encourage you to still register your interest in the class action by clicking the ‘Register Now’ button at the top of the page.

  • We have issued proceedings against Jetstar and Qantas. While we are not currently investigating claims against other airlines, if you wish to provide details of another airline, you may do so via the registration form. If you register your interest, we will keep you updated about other similar claims we are investigating.

  • A class action is a proceeding that is brought by one or more persons on their own behalf and on behalf of a group of people (called group members) who have similar claims against another person or persons. These claims are then heard simultaneously in a single court proceeding. You can read more about class actions on our website here.

    If you held tickets for a Jetstar flight that was cancelled between 1 January 2020 and 1 November 2022, you may be eligible to participate as a group member in this class action.

  • When you register, you will be asked a number of questions about your flight cancellation and whether you received travel credits. Answer these questions as best you can, but don’t worry if you are unsure of any particular detail, as your information can be revised at a later date. You can click on the ‘Register Now’ button above to register your details.

    If you have copies of any documents evidencing your flight cancellation and receipt of travel credits, such as any emails sent from Jetstar to you, you can upload these when you register or, if more convenient, you can email these to enquiries@echolaw.com.au. We may contact you to verify your registration and follow up on any outstanding materials.

  • Why should I register?

    Registration is not compulsory, but there is no cost to register and there are a number of reasons why you should consider registering for this class action now:

    • First, it allows Echo Law to confirm you are a group member, to provide you with updates in relation to the class action, and to contact you if you become eligible to receive compensation.

    • Second, information provided by group members allows us to advance and strengthen this proceeding.

    • Third, by registering now you can ensure you avoid missing any future deadlines for registration if you are eligible to receive compensation.

  • You can register for someone else if you have their permission to do so. You will then receive updates and information about this class action. Where the class action reaches the stage where individual loss is assessed, we may then take steps to ensure you are a duly authorised agent or trustee of the group member you have registered for.

  • This claim has been issued on an open class basis. This means if you are an eligible, you will automatically be included as a group member in this class action. We are encouraging everyone who may be a group member to register now to receive updates in relation to the class action, and so we can contact you if you become eligible to receive compensation.

    You can register by clicking the ‘Register Now’ button at the top of this page.

  • Group members can cease to participate in a class action by taking steps to opt out of the class action. This is called the ‘opt out’ process and will occur at a later stage in the proceeding. Group members who have opted out of a class action will not be bound by its outcome. There is nothing you need to do at the moment if you do not wish to participate in this class action. Group members will be contacted at a later date in relation to opt out.

    If you do wish to participate in this class action, there is nothing you need to do at this stage other than registering your interest.

  • Group members in a class action are not individually responsible for the legal costs associated with bringing a class action and group members do not pay out of pocket costs by participating in a class action. If the class action is unsuccessful, group members will not pay any costs.

    If the class action is successful and financial compensation is recovered from Jetstar, legal costs payable will be deducted from the amount of compensation recovered for group members. These costs will never exceed the amount of compensation to which you may otherwise become entitled and will be assessed by the Court to ensure any legal costs deducted from the amount of any compensation are fair and reasonable.

  • The lawyers running the proposed claim are from the law firm Echo Law.

    Echo Law is a class actions focused law firm founded by experienced legal professionals who have a proven track record of success in the industry.

    You can read more about us, and our track record on our website here.

  • This class action is funded by Court House Capital, an experienced Australian-based litigation funder.

    You can read more about Court House Capital here.

  • If you have a question that has not been answered, you can email us at enquiries@echolaw.com.au


Further Enquiries

If you wish to register your interest in this class action, you can do so by clicking the ‘Register Now’ button above.

If you have a question that is not addressed in the FAQs above, you can also contact Echo Law to discuss the class action by sending an email to enquiries@echolaw.com.au or calling Echo Law on (03) 7046 3565. Please note that while we will seek to respond to you as soon as possible, there may be some delay before you receive a response.