Flying Jetstar today? Staff are waiving some passenger fees

Jetstar passengers could find some extra charges disappearing at airport counters today and tomorrow as about 1000 airline workers begin an unusual form of industrial action.

Members of the Australian Services Union (ASU) are taking protected industrial action (since 12.01am Wednesday, September 23) until midnight Thursday, September 24 as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

But rather than walking off the job, participating workers will continue helping passengers while refusing to collect a range of additional Jetstar charges.

Which fees are affected?

The ASU says participating members will waive, or record as zero dollars, fees including excess baggage, some seat-related charges, late fees and other sales transactions. The action involves Jetstar employees at seven major airports: Sydney, Melbourne, Avalon, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Cairns.

For passengers, however, there is an important catch: this should not be treated as a two-day free-for-all on baggage.

The action relates to fees handled by participating ASU members. It does not mean Jetstar has suspended its normal baggage rules or charges across its booking systems.

Passengers who have already paid for baggage, seat selection or other extras should not assume those charges will be refunded. The industrial action involves participating staff declining to collect certain fees during the two-day action; it is not a Jetstar-wide promotion or announced change to the airline’s normal fee structure.

Will flights be disrupted?

Jetstar says it does not expect the industrial action to affect operations.

That means passengers should still arrive for their flights at the normal recommended time, check in as usual and comply with the baggage allowance attached to their booking.

The timing is significant, with the action falling during school holidays and just days before the AFL Grand Final in Melbourne.

The ASU says the dispute centres on wages and conditions, including penalty rates, leave arrangements, weather protections and job security.

Jetstar says it has put forward an offer including pay increases, improved penalty payments and allowances and greater rostering flexibility.

For anyone travelling today or Thursday, the message is simple: proceed as normal. Don’t deliberately arrive with excess baggage expecting the charge to disappear. But if an additional fee arises at a staffed Jetstar counter, a participating union member may not collect it.