Father slams Jetstar after airline boots grandmother and children off flight over bags

A father has slammed the budget airline after it kicked his mother-in-law and three young children off a flight for an unusual reason.

An outraged father has condemned Jetstar after it booted his mother-in-law and children from a flight over an unpaid fee.

Father of three Jay Tee took to social media to slam the airline after his family was kicked off the flight from the Gold Coast to Melbourne over the weekend.

He says his mother-in-law had been informed that she needed to visit the service desk at the airport pay a $35 fee to check in a bag, but forgot to do so before boarding the flight.

It was only her second time on an airplane.

The father says his family was left "stranded" after the incident. Photo: Facebook

The group of four were kicked off the flight over a $35 charge. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

Mr Tee said he was contacted by the airline after the group had boarded and was told they would not be allowed to travel if the charge wasn’t paid for.

“They informed me I had 10 minutes to pay $35 or else they would be removed from the flight extra fees would accur (sic) for holding up the flight,” he said.

“I hung up transferred funds and rang back within four minutes. Jetstar did not take payment and had removed my mother-in-law from the flight altogether leaving her and 3 kids stranded at Gold Coast airport no water no food.”

The father slammed the airline for “disgusting service” that was “the worst I have ever been treated” by a company.

“My anger is not with the payment for luggage, it is how my mother-in-law and three kids under 10 were treated.”

Jetstar confirmed the 48-year-old woman and three children had been offloaded, with a spokesperson saying the airline was trying to contact Mr Tee for more information.

“We’re really sorry to hear about the customers’ experience and are reaching out to get a better understanding about what happened,” the spokesperson said.

The airline has no record of any payment being made for what it says was a $45 checked baggage charge.

It’s understood the airline checked her bags and asked her to move to the service desk to pay, however, the woman did not do so.

She was also reminded multiple times that she needed to pay for the baggage, including by Jetstar staff while boarding the flights, NCA Newswire understands.

Jetstar is facing increasing customer dissatisfaction over fees, flight cancellations and poor customer service. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Mr Tee says he was then forced to pay another $600 to book the group on the next flight to Melbourne with discount airline Bonza.

The situation stirred up debate on social media, with some blaming the woman for the mishap.

“I don’t understand how this is anybody but the mother in laws fault, She would have checked bags in then should have walked over and paid for the excess, not boarded the plane,” one person wrote.

But others defended her, and the fact the charge was paid by Mr Tee.

“Would have thought Jetstar could have helped in some way, but that sums up Jetstar’s customer service for you. No empathy what so ever.”

“Everyone just has to stop flying with them full stop. Don’t get seduced by cheap as airfares as you only going to go thru the disappointment, rage then regret over and over … I will never fly them again,” another person wrote.