TIGER AIRWAYS ADELAIDE - BE WARNED!!!!!!!!

FracknPorky on 24/09/2013 - 17:00

Hi Guys

I just want to share an experience I had with Tiger Airways recently which I think is quite out of line. I even went about complaining to them in an email but got no response. I was flying Tiger Airways from Adelaide to Melbourne on a Sale Fare, was still $89, with extra for 15kg of checked baggage. Due to a traffic accident on the way to the Airport we made it to the check in lounge with just 5 minutes to spare from their 45minute cut off time. Proceeded to check in myself, wife and 6 month old son and when we weighed our luggage we were 16.5kg, so 1.5kg over. So fair enough the girl tells us we need to take something out of the checked baggage as we only have 15kg paid for, what happens in the minutes immediately after this though was quite unnecessary. We were told we had 3 minutes to take 1.5kg out of our luggage, 1 minute later, after we had just opened out our luggage we were told we had 2 minutes or the baggage check in will close, then 1 minute later as we were closing our suitcase we were told we had 1 minute or they won't let us check in. Seriously, what kind of non-existent customer service is this? It's got to be the worst I've experienced and all during that final minutes my wife was carrying 2 bags and my 6 month old son and I was frantically trying to open the luggage to throw away one item. Can't they see that we're at the airport and that we're doing our best? Never will fly Tiger again and I suggest anyone who expects good customer service boycott that airline. Before they were grounded a few years back they were a decent service, heck sometimes they even let us on with 2kg over, but now all they want to do is try to get money from people. Exact words from check in girl: "Sir, you've got 30 seconds left to check in our you'll have to buy another ticket and wait for a different flight." Is that even legal?

Tiger Airways - I wish you'd see this and respond but I doubt that
Everyone else - BE WARNED!!!

Travel

Comments

  • Car-la-la on 24/09/2013 - 17:42
    +84

    sounds reasonable to me…

    you arrived with a few minutes to spare but not ready to leave (too much luggage), they have a cut of time for a reason - and they gave you adequate warnings so you'd meet the cut off time…

    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/09/2013 - 09:52
      +18

      + Learn to use paragraphs.

    • tomleonhart on 26/09/2013 - 17:51

      Agree. Sorry OP, no sympathy for you on this one.

    • bargainchampion on 26/09/2013 - 18:08

      Agree

    • arcticmonkey on 26/09/2013 - 18:34
      +6

      +1 no sympathy for OP.

      Why should Tiger have to delay everyone just for you? If they did, people like you would probably be whining about delays.

    • [Deactivated] on 27/09/2013 - 11:02
      +2

      OP, get yourself a $5 hand luggage scale and spend 5 minutes at home to scale your luggage and get rid of excess items before you head to the airport. saves you trouble with this kind of issue in the future.

    • nikey2k27 on 28/09/2013 - 20:58

      They pay for slot of time and have fly on it. it big deal cost them alot of money if miss it it can be any where from 1,500 to 15,000 LAX it more like 30,000 plus they have to for time miss at other airport. As i like to say with airline you get what u pay for. if u want cheep u get cheep. i only fly full service airline oversea.

  • PissLUR on 24/09/2013 - 18:02
    +18

    they are just being kind to you.

    think about this, what would happen if you take your time and miss the checkin time?
    you would blame them for not reminding you, wouldnt you?

  • TheAviator on 24/09/2013 - 18:29
    +14

    yes it doesn't sound good, but perhaps their computer system physically won't let them check in a bag after the cutoff time? Just a thought.

      • MementoMori on 25/09/2013 - 14:52
        +4

        +1

        Agreed, a human configures the computer and the cut off times. In general I also hate this side stepping of responsiblity 'it's the computers fault'.

        Having said that though, it's certainly not in the check-in girl's power to do anything about it other than pass complaints up the line to her boss repeatedly until some programmer changes the configuration.

        And, having said all of that - for an airline to charge prices this low they have to be pretty strict on all this stuff. If you want an airline that can 'bend the rules' a little for you, overlook that extra 2kg your carrying, or that you are 5 minutes past cut off, you have to pay for it because the pilots have to burn extra fuel to make up that time / carry that weight.

      • coolhand on 25/09/2013 - 15:05
        +8

        Don't all airlines have this exact policy? I was 2 minutes late for a quantas flight once and was not allowed to check in. I didn't whinge and stomp my feet, I just accepted I should have been more organized…

        • cookie2 on 25/09/2013 - 18:24
          +12

          FYI- airlines have this policy as there are strict fines imposed by the airports for each minute of delay that the aircraft sits in the terminal for.
          Also airlines have to log their rates of On Time departures so it also effects their business stats and impacts on them in regards to CASA, the regulatory body for airlines etc.
          When you look at the bigger picture you understand more why airlines can be so strict in regards to not delaying flights by even a minute and dont take it as a personal attack on you and your wife and baby, not that it should matter if you are a single traveler, special needs passenger, single mum with 2 kids or family.
          Plus if you'd just paid the extra at the airport in baggage charges, you wouldnt have had the problem of the lack of time, throwing out stuff and you family holding onto lots of things.
          In saying that I dont fly Tiger but that's due to other reasons entirely.

      • mooboy on 26/09/2013 - 07:38
        +1

        So, you think the check in staff also write their own computer software to do it?

        • kwaker on 26/09/2013 - 13:49

          did I say anything about check in staff? I don't know how you came to that conclusion but you really need to

        • mooboy on 26/09/2013 - 14:20
          +5

          Well, I think most reasonable people would read TheAviator's comment as meaning the ground control staff had no control over their computer systems, so would be unable to check them in if they weren't ready on time. They're just using a system than enforces their company's rules and regulations.

          You then 'came to the conclusion' that he's just blaming the computers - and you hate people like that.

        • kwaker on 27/09/2013 - 00:58
          -3

          I asked you where did I say anything about checkout staff?

          also where did I say he's just blaming computers because I can't see where I said that and I never said I was referring to him. I actually and agreed with him. stop making stuff up you misread it. faceit your wrong

          I also agreed with the comment below mine. my point is it's not the computers fault it's the airlines policy. that is nothing to do with checking staff.

          strawman argument

        • kwaker on 27/09/2013 - 01:19
          -2

          domcc1 elaborated further on what I said I didn't feel the need to copy and paste that again. the line of conversation was inline until you came in at the end and tried to mislead and you misinterpreted what I said which I've shown so don't try to say that your assumption is whatall reasonable people conclude. you added words to my statement to twist it to fit what you wanted. it's not what I said so it's not what's reasonable person would conclude. IM responsible for what I write not what you understand

        • one man clan on 27/09/2013 - 09:10
          +1

          Wow butthurt much? Chill out

      • DrStinge on 27/09/2013 - 18:06
        +1

        Obviously you've never worked in the enterprise.. changes like this takes years to plan and implement.

        • jimborino on 28/09/2013 - 15:17

          Sad…but true haha. Sooo many "why is this so difficult" moments!

    • skyva on 25/09/2013 - 14:02
      +2

      I recently flew tiger for the first time and was surprised as they cut off 45 min before flight, but checkin does not open until 2 hrs before flight. So the window is 1.15 hr to get everyone checked in!

      Someone explained to me that the reason for the strict times is that the check in person is also one of the baggage handlers. They need exactly 45 min to get the baggage on board themselves, so they don't hang around for stragglers as it affect them directly.

      I would like not to fly tiger again but last time it was $170 v $89, and I spent the extra on a better hotel room, which was well worth it for the short Syd-mel flight.

      They have luugage scales at Syd, so be prepared and weigh in before check in, if a bit over, move stuff around whilst queuing. May not be available in 3rd world airports.

      • donga100 on 25/09/2013 - 20:43
        +5

        The check in person is definitely not handling the bags. Cookie2 has explained the reason above. There are also a number of load, balance and fuel calculations that need to be made and signed off on before the flight departs and these are based on the number of passengers/bags on board. They don't want to start all of this process again when someone shows up late or unprepared for the flight. You also don't want people making rushed calculations on how much fuel will be required to get you safely to your destination or how loads are distributed in the aircraft.

      • ntmango on 25/09/2013 - 22:26
        +1

        there's a few luggage scales in the Adel terminal.

    • kwaker on 27/09/2013 - 01:41
      +1

      incase you misinterpreted theaviator1992, I agree with what you said. sorry if somewhere I said I hate you, I don't hate you , my statement was mostly generalized and you also were not blaming computers.

  • lisss on 24/09/2013 - 18:37
    +5

    Would you have preferred them to not warn you, and then tell you that you can't check in because it has closed?

    It's not the kindest example of customer service, but go with a budget airline and you'll generally get budget service. They state that check in closes 45 minutes before the stated departure time, and they're entitled to enforce that.

    It's not the airlines fault that you didn't leave enough time to get to the airport accounting for unexpected traffic etc.

    Also, isn't it like a few extra dollars to get 20kg when booking?

  • sraymond on 24/09/2013 - 19:47
    +10

    Definitely doesn't warrant the bold type and all caps title. I always weigh my luggage at home before I go to the airport. If I paid for 15kg I would make sure the bag only weighed 14 tops.

  • speedracer on 24/09/2013 - 20:25
    +4

    Sounds crap. I really wonder if the computer locks itself out. Crazy if it does and I feel your pain. But Tiger deals are the only way I can afford to fly these days so will keep flying with them.

  • p1 ama on 24/09/2013 - 20:42
    +6

    There is an old adage, "you get what you pay for".

    If you decided to fly Tiger, then I guess you need to put yourself in a defensible position in the first place.

    I.e. Don't get there late and make sure your luggage isn't over. I always chuck my luggage on a set of scales beforehand.

    They're just being fair really, it's company policy, they probably would do the same thing to everyone and they did give you a very specific time, to be fair.

    The thing is, budget airlines probably can't afford to be giving you that little bit of extra service, that's why they charge less.

  • tendliya on 24/09/2013 - 20:56
    +7

    Option 1: Should have made it there well before the check in time.

    Option 2: Should have made sure the luggage was not over the limit or should have paid for the extra couple of kilos at the time of check in.

    Option 3: Should have called Jetstar for 10% price beat and flown for a cheaper fare and a better service.

    • FracknPorky on 24/09/2013 - 21:17
      -1

      I should've just called Jetstar, I agree on that one. P.S. At time of check in they told me I had to pay nearly $50 for the 1.5kg over.

      • backpaqer on 25/09/2013 - 08:35
        +1

        They've got shows about Tiger/EasyJet/RyanAir etc about how draconian their approach is to customer service - they don't give an inch - but then that inflexibility allows them to be that cheap because they (a) get to rob you blind in last minute charges, or (b) get to rob you blind because they have a reason to bump you to the next flight that you have to shell out extra for.

        There are plenty of war stories with these cheap flights - best just to be aware of them. My wife and I flew from Syd to Mel on Tiger once and we had 12kg of cabin baggage between us, but in one bag - they insisted we check it in as it was over the 7kg cabin bag limit (but there's 2 of us = 14kg hey?) nope…they wouldn't check us in until that 12kg was distributed between two bags…which then simply got put back into one bag when we were out of sight of the checkin counter.

        a) always get there way ahead of time
        b) always weigh your bags
        c) know their petty rules better than they do
        d) smile at the cabin staff (and not a leering, serial-killer-style one either).

        • Buyer10987 on 25/09/2013 - 09:35
          +8

          99% of the time, the "stories" on the shows you mention fall into one of three categories ……..

          1) The airplane broke or was late

          2) The passenger got to the airport too late and the b@stard airline won't let the passenger on to the airplane

          3) The passenger arrived at the airport with more luggage then allowed and the b@stard airline wants the passenger to pay more

          Regarding #1 …… No airline has airplanes "sitting around" at every airport "just in case" another airplane breaks

          Regarding #2 and #3 ……..HELLO!!!

          And did you ever consider that there might actually be a REASON why they have a 7Kg / bag weight limit ?

          How about that the overhead lockers that you put your bags into have a load limit, both in per unit area and absolute for each overhead locker ?

        • backpaqer on 26/09/2013 - 09:47

          Yep…I've wondered about the reason for the 7kg limit. Do you know what it is?

          Wonder why it used to be 15kg?
          Wonder why the business class passengers are allowed 15kg and the overhead lockers are essentially the same in business class and economy?

        • dealman on 26/09/2013 - 09:54
          +5

          Wonder why the business class passengers are allowed 15kg and the overhead lockers are essentially the same in business class and economy?

          Thinking here,,,
          Could it be that, this is because they have fewer passengers in Business class, per Overhead locker ?

        • Vhaluus on 27/09/2013 - 15:49

          There is actually a very important reason they have the 7kg reason and why they shouldn't have recombined them into one bag.

          In flight stuff shifts on those overhead lockers a lot, particularly if they aren't full. This means they often end up resting heavily on the door at landing. If you have a couple of 15kg bags resting on the door the second you pull the latch it's going to fly open and the rain of heavy bags could easily cause injuries.

          Business class can have heavier bags because it's usually smaller lockers and less bags.

          Watch how flight attendants open overhead lockers if they have to, one hand on the latch and one hand ready to brace the door if it flies open. You think it doesn't happen very often but if you fly with frequency you realize it's a pretty common occurance.

        • wookiebeater on 28/09/2013 - 14:46

          The 7KG cabin bag limit is to ensure that if a bag falls from the overhead locker it doesnt cause serious damage. it will hurt when a 7kg bag falls on you, but can you imagine a 12kg bag? what you did was irresponsible.

    • TrendyTim on 26/09/2013 - 09:26

      The problem with Jetstar Price match is its very hard to get, not because they are competitive, but he flight has to be within 1 hour to be considered comparable.

      The only time i managed to get it was a fluke because i found out later the person i called up checked the wrong day when comparing (i had to correct him at the end when he told me the wrong date, but he didn't recheck the price match apparently). He tried to charge me the phone booking fee which i corrected him on also, as a side benefit when beating the price he actually beat a price even lower than i was trying to beat so i was over $40 a ticket better off. Still flew Tiger home as Jetstar wouldn't match the flight that was 2 hours earlier.

    • arcticmonkey on 26/09/2013 - 18:37

      Better service on JetScum? HA!

  • hazelnutties on 24/09/2013 - 21:19
    -4

    Surely, another 1.5kg isnt going to "sink" the plane! This is horrible!

    • SaberX on 25/09/2013 - 10:46
      +4

      Yes but times that by a fwe hundred passengers. Remember you're running a business. Everyone flouts your weight regulations, your plane is heavier, burns more fuel when it runs etc etc. How would you feel?

      They do state the weight so you should abide by it. I know we weigh our bags before we goto airports and sometimes we try and sneak more weight via hand luggage when the check in bag is overweight (becuase rarely these days do airlines turn a blind eye to check-in bags since they're weighed at the counter). But you have to be prepared that if your overweight, it's your problem to a) pay the exhorbitant fees or b) throw something quick-smart.

      Both suck and in a perfect world you say whats an extra 1 kg, but yeha… where do you draw the line on the rule of law then as a business if you don't enforce your already specified limits?

  • Buyer10987 on 25/09/2013 - 01:06
    +7

    I think you have a valid complaint.

    Obviously there is a lack of staff training on Tigers part, their staff should know their rules ..

    1) Check-in CLOSES 45 minutes prior to departure

    2) Unless a passenger is late in which case it closes when the passenger is good and ready to check their baggage in

    3) Certain Fare Categories have baggage allowance rules. Passengers entitled to carry 15Kg of baggage must carry no more than 15kg of baggage unless their baggage is heavier than 15Kg, in which case they must carry no more than the total weight of their baggage

    4) No airplane shall depart until all passengers have checked in for that flight

    5) In the event of an airplane departing before all passengers check-in for that flight, Tiger shall arrange all meals, hotel accommodation, ground transportation and incidentals to be supplied to the passenger, their families, friends who came to see them off and their pet beagles until such time as Tiger is able to provision a flight at the passengers next convenience

    Their rules are so clear ………….

    So clear in fact, you were able to quote them yourself !!

    Call the ACCC and tell them that Tiger now expects their passengers to abide by the terms and conditions of travel.

    • lisss on 25/09/2013 - 12:33
      +4

      Call the ACCC and tell them that Tiger now expects their passengers to abide by the terms and conditions of travel.

      Haha gold. Not much sympathy in this thread for the OP, lesson learnt hopefully…

  • gimme on 25/09/2013 - 10:48
    +12

    People need to take responsibility for their own choices and actions and stop blaming everyone else.

    1. TIGER is a discount (cheapsh**t) airline and if you CHOOSE to fly with them you need to take into account the lack of flexibility in their T&Cs. After all that's why they're CHEAP!!

    2. Be prepared - Weigh your luggage at home and make sure you're not over (common sense)

    3. Traffic is your problem not theirs. Leave early, allow for contingencies etc.

    Whether you fly with them again or not is your decision. People don't choose to fly with these types of airlines because they love it. They do it because it's cheap!! If you have an alternative that meets your requirements better then by all means.

    We can't have it all and shouldn't expect to. I wouldn't boycott an airline because of your lack of planning/preparation.

  • snook on 25/09/2013 - 10:51
    +4

    Imagine, had you weighed your bag at home like the rest of us do, there would have been no story to tell. You just would have made a mental note to allow more time to get to the airport next time.

    I feel for you in relation to the stress of the moment, but this is the other side of not following their regulations. No matter how petty they seem, they are still in the right.

    On a flight from Munich to Barcelona on Ryan Air and they made every, single person, squash their carry-on into that metal carry-on-display thing - you know the one that no one ever, EVER, uses? Well, each bag that didn't fit EXACTLY had to be checked in at extra cost. I really felt for those people too but … they have rules and they can enforce them however, and whenever, they please.

    • Rode on 25/09/2013 - 12:45

      Ah Ryan Air.. They were pretty good getting us around Europe. One thing i remembered was the loud applause and cheer that would always happen every time we arrived at our destination haha. Lucky for us we never had to squeeze our cabin bag in that metal bracket thing.

      • snook on 22/10/2013 - 16:13

        That applause is some weird European thing. They do it because they're going on holidays and then they do it because they're going home. My partner is German. That's what they do.

    • callum9999 on 27/09/2013 - 08:36

      Noone may use them in Australia but its standard practice to use them with budget airlines in Europe - presumably because people take a lot more onto the plane due to baggage fees.

      Of the 39 flights I've taken, I've only had one where they didn't check the bags.

      • snook on 22/10/2013 - 16:17

        On a flight to somewhere else they enforced the one-piece-of-hand-luggage rule and made women with handbags combine them. They seriously were not allowed to have any two bags.

        I noticed on the plane that the overhead compartments neatly fitted 3 bags side by side. If luggage actually exceeded the limits they imposed, there would literally be nowhere to put the bags inside the cabin!

        • Ughhh on 23/10/2013 - 00:58

          I thought the applause was for getting to the destination safely.

  • chrisburnett on 25/09/2013 - 11:21
    +1

    I was booked to fly with the family Melbourne to Brisbane for a wedding. We were going a day early and the kids were excited. 5 am flight and at 3 am we got a text to say the flight was cancelled. No explanation, no other flight. After 2 hours on hold I got through to someone in the Philippines that changed us to the same flight the next day.

    At 3 am the next day a text saying the flight was cancelled. Bugger them. Hotel bookings and money lost, wedding missed, kids crying.

    When I wanted to get my money back for the flights they initially said that the flight departed without me on and I'd lost my fares. I eventually got my money back. I found out the flight didn't have enough people booked so they cancelled it. They do this all the time apparently. Doesn't matter how important your trip is, they don't care and there's nothing you can do about. Other than pay maximum fare on a real airline because you need a flight in two hours.

    Lesson learnt. Never fly Tiger if you need to be somewhere. Tell anyone you care about the same thing. Leave the tight-arses to fly them as it keeps them in business and the real airlines have to keep their prices down.

    • lisss on 25/09/2013 - 12:32
      +1

      I would suggest booking an airline that has multiple daily flights so that if one gets cancelled, you can get onto the next one. I have flown Virgin and Jetstar multiple times when the flights have been cancelled and it was not much hassle because they just put you on the next flight (in the case of Jetstar, I got put on a Qantas flight). Since Tiger only has one daily flights or less on some routes, if your flight gets cancelled for whatever reason (due to underbooking etc) then you will be forced to pay for another airline and will only ever be refunded what you paid for the Tiger flight (not the difference for a more expensive last minute flight). Be aware of this risk and act accordingly :) I too learnt the hard way!

    • skyva on 25/09/2013 - 14:07

      Agreed, I fly to my destination non-tiger, and would only contemplate Tiger for the trip home, which is normally not as time critical.

    • Cluster on 26/09/2013 - 12:38

      Tiger only has 10 planes flying for all of Australia. If even one plane has a problem or there's bad weather at the other end of the country preventing a flight the whole schedule can fall into disarray with cancelled flights galore.

      As others have suggested, if the trip is important don't use an airline that has one or two flights a day to your destination. If one flight is cancelled the next one is likely to be fully booked out meaning you'll fly a few days later. Useless. I have used Tiger a few times but only for return trips. All other times Qantas and Virgin were within a few dollars of Tiger's price so there was no reason to use Tiger.

      The OP did the right thing about trying to fly out a day early but even that wasn't enough for Tiger. Very unlucky, but it happens.

    • SirFlibbled on 27/09/2013 - 11:31

      My rule has always been never fly with Tiger if you actually need to be somewhere. I only have ever used them for cheap flights for weekenders away where if the flight is cancelled I'd be a little disappointed but I wouldn't lose a great deal (other than the hotel booking).

  • jimbobaus on 25/09/2013 - 11:26
    +1

    Tiger were within their rights, they tell you 900 times on emails, ticket etc etc that you must check in on time.. you should aim to be arriving at airport when check in opens.. that way you have plenty of time.

    Its funny, i have flown Tiger and Jetstar a lot and its Tiger who is the more reliable airline.

  • Merapi on 25/09/2013 - 12:02

    I get that it's super frustrating, but it's Tiger Airways, it would be wrong to expect a decent service. They have bad reputation to begin with.

    • lisss on 25/09/2013 - 12:29
      +5

      Wow, you sound like a nightmare customer…

      • cookie2 on 25/09/2013 - 18:31

        and a fair and reasonable human being. lol

  • moofactory on 25/09/2013 - 12:55
    +19

    no sympathy.
    You were late, your excuses are irrelevant, the accident is irrelevant,
    the fact that you have a 6 month old is irrelevant.
    you didn't weigh your bags before hand.
    They have a cut off time for a reason.
    They are still bound to work within their regulations.
    Tiger staff were actually helping you by indicating how much time you had left.
    you get what you pay for.

  • aerona on 25/09/2013 - 13:06
    +2

    Not sure if tiger are the inconsiderate ones or you are for coming late and playing the guilt trip game and that everyone onboard who came ahead of time to check their things early having to wait for you is.

    Sorry but I'm thinking the latter. Everyone knows about tigers over weight baggage cost using tigers and that's the price that is payed for using a cheap airline (I also use these)

  • bocca on 25/09/2013 - 13:48

    you get what you pay for and Tiger don't wait for anyone :P

  • Brick50 on 25/09/2013 - 13:55

    You said that sometimes your bags are over and they let you in, Wouldn't they need to know exact weights and be strict about it to make sure the aircraft isn't to heavy?

    • MrGareth on 26/09/2013 - 13:18

      It's actually a regulation so they are meant to weigh all the bags. Sometimes they don't, but they're meant to. The aircraft isn't allowed to take off unless the weight of the aircraft itself is under a certain limit. If they don't check all the carry-on, and too many people pack over the limit, there's a possibility the aircraft can go over that limit and then they won't allow the plane to fly.

      The general rules these days are 10Kg carry-on, split across two pieces of small luggage. Usually one piece is not meant to exceed 7Kg.

      It's all about weight distribution, and weight limits.

      • DarwinBoy on 26/09/2013 - 21:33

        http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2224716/Jaktogo-in…
        Here is a way that you never pay for luggage again.
        Also if airlines get so anal about 1.5kg then why dont they charge tickets based upon your included body weight and therefore total flight weight. it seems that if the missus and i fly somewhere she should get an extra 20kg to take with her, we both paid the same price for the ticket, i just wouldnt be able to check in my extra weight. the plane would be burning more jet fuel carrying me then her wouldnt it?
        I think your "extra weight-no fly theory" is a bit out there, at least for the all the domestic jets used. What if they had a weightloss convention here in Darwin, would a plane load of fat people not get there in the end or are checkin staff guessing our weights at checkin and making sure all the fatties dont end up on one side and therefore stopping the plane flying with a lean one way or the other.

        • donga100 on 26/09/2013 - 22:01

          It's not just the fuel, there are baggage handlers at both ends of the flight that need to get paid.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/09/2013 - 14:48

    cheap price ticket equal cheap service. expected.

  • onlyletters on 25/09/2013 - 14:53

    dont use them at all. PERIOD!

  • indium on 25/09/2013 - 15:40
    +9

    When I see a wall of text not properly set out for people to read I don't bother reading it and assume OP was in the wrong.

  • [Deactivated] on 25/09/2013 - 16:25
    +4

    heck sometimes they even let us on with 2kg over

    If you play russian roulette, you have to expect a bullet at some point.

  • mo danish on 25/09/2013 - 21:26

    Tiger is a LCC (low cost carrier) and such airlines have customer service not at the top of their priorities. Ryan Air which operates in Europe is a famous LCC whose CEO has clearly said a lot of times that their business model is to offer the cheapest prices and to get passengers from point A to B. Same goes for other LCC's and besides they can't bend their rules to suit individual passengers problems, they are there for a reason a lot of which have been mentioned by others above.

  • yasui on 25/09/2013 - 22:22

    It's different story from OP, but With Tiger, you have to queue at check-in counter even though you don't have any check-in luggage. I think it's too much hassle.

  • Ronnnie on 26/09/2013 - 05:09
    +1

    You get what you pay for at the end of the day. I don't fly tiger often because they usually aren't cheaper for me, and even if they are it's probably not a big enough difference in price to justify using them. That being said when I have flown them they have been perfectly fine and saved me a lot of dollars. You just have to make sure you get to checkin early and be prepared to stand in line for a while. Airasia has been the worse in my experience, and they're regarded as one of the best lcc. Scoot I've found to be the best out of the lcc I've used.

  • dealman on 26/09/2013 - 09:57
    -1
    Jetstar > Tiger..

    Enough said…

    • dealman on 26/09/2013 - 21:32

      PS: Didn't mean to say that the OP is right,
      just that

      Jetstar > Tiger..
      • Ronnnie on 28/09/2013 - 10:04

        http://www.bitre.gov.au/statistics/aviation/otp_annual.aspx

        According to this, last financial year tiger beat them marginally in on time arrival, cancellations and departures on time. So yeah looks like tiger somehow performed slightly better than Jetstar..

        • dealman on 29/09/2013 - 17:56

          Ronnie,
          All the stats cannot add up to the fact that Jetstar has undoubtedly better service and support.

          Atleast in my personal exp. Each to their own.

  • MrMaxwell on 26/09/2013 - 11:22
    +9

    I am just sick of people not accepting the blame and blaming stupid rules, stupid companies, stupid contracts, etc etc.

    Accept responsibility for your actions and get your act together :)

    I always arrive at airports hours before my flight so I can relex regardless whether I am flying business class on Qantas or cattle on Tiger. Those few times a year when something goes majorly wrong I have a huge time buffer to play with.

  • PleasureMe on 26/09/2013 - 12:06
    +2

    This doesn't just happen with Tiger, it happens with all budget airlines. A similar thing happened to me with AirAsia, I was 1 kg over with not long to go and knew I wouldn't have time to try lighten my bag so I just agreed to pay the overweight charges. But the lady i was speaking to said i couldn't pay her, I had to go to a different desk to pay, get a receipt and then come back to her. So I did that and then went back to the same lady to check in, but then she told me check in was now closed. I didn't receive any friendly warnings that check-in only had a minute to go or whatever, I wish I did! I think Tiger was nice to you!

    At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. Everyone knows budget airlines are strict on check-in times and weight, if you have a problem with this then you should only fly Qantas, because you will get the same treatment from Virgin and Jetstar as you did with Tiger.

    • jimbobaus on 26/09/2013 - 18:44
      +1

      Qantas are just as strict with check in times and weights these days

      • Buyer10987 on 26/09/2013 - 21:33
        +1

        No we're they're not ;)

        Austen.

  • Frantic on 26/09/2013 - 13:50
    -4

    I'm not even gonna bother reading that wall of text.. heard soooo many bad things about tiger to avoid them at all costs

    • arcticmonkey on 26/09/2013 - 18:40
      -1

      I'm not even gonna bother reading that line of text.. heard soooo many bad things about Frantic to avoid it at all costs

      • Frantic on 26/09/2013 - 20:51
        +2

        dude.. whether this guy has a reasonable argument or not it would hardly make a difference as I am unlikely to book Tiger in the foreseeable future based on all the complaints I've heard since their inception in Australia, even if it means saving a few bucks.. every one of those could be wrong or inaccurate, but when there are better alternatives for not much more money or possibly cheaper depending on destination, why would anyone bother? Maybe one day if I'm bored enough I'll go to the trouble of potentially inconveniencing myself to see just how bad (or good) they really are.. came close a few times..

    • jimbobaus on 26/09/2013 - 18:43
      +1

      I'm not going to even bother reading that wall of text… heard so many bad things about Coffee, wine, driving, riding, walking, buses, trains, boats, taxis, etc etc etc to avoid them at all costs

      • Frantic on 26/09/2013 - 21:05

        eh? he specifically mentioned company name or brand in CAPS in the first two words of the subject title. Why waste precious seconds (that could be used filling out a freebie offer :)) when the OP clearly has a problem with the level of service offered by Tiger which concurs with what I've heard elsewhere, whether or not (in this instance) blame rests with either the OP or Tiger or maybe a combination of both. He's not praising Tiger (which you don't hear very often).. so it would not change my perception of the airline or what they have to offer. If someone comes out with a "TIGER AIRLINES - AWESOME - OMG BEST AIRLINE EVA!!".. then I might give it a read if its somewhat legible.

        edit: their facebook page is like their complaints line.. reminds me of the 13cabs facebook page

  • [Deactivated] on 26/09/2013 - 17:46
    +6

    Tigers fine - just a nooby flyer. It's a budget airline you get what you pay for.

    • Frantic on 26/09/2013 - 21:05

      true, you gets what you pay for. Maybe next time take a Greyhound bus to Melbourne.. probably won't be too fussed about extra few kg's of weight.

  • CI on 26/09/2013 - 19:16

    Op, i'll have to go with everyone else on this one. I understand your frustration. What they said was right. But how they delivered it to you, does seem extremely rude. I just traveled with tiger Adl-Melb return, for $100. plus $17x2 for 20kg baggage allowance both ways, which I believe is not bad at all. I reckon just forget about it as one of those one off experiences. Wish you all the best for future travel.
    I guess this is the ladder quality wise tigerair->jetstart->virgin->Qantas

  • Buyer10987 on 26/09/2013 - 21:46
    +1

    INTERNODE ISP - BE WARNED !!!!!!!!!!

    I just want to share an experience I had with Internode recently which I think is quite out of line.

    I am on a 60Gb / month plan, which by luck more than good management actually rolls over on 1st of each new month.

    This month nearly gone Boy-Child has been downloading heaps of stuff (Linux ISO's I suspect ;) ) and with four days left of the month we have used up all our quota.

    They threatened to throttle my speed until roll-over unless I paid them $10 extra for an extra 10 Gb of data.

    I know I am on the 60Gb plan but I was furious that Internode actually held me to it, without allowing so much as one single extra byte of data through at high speed.

    And then to actually make me pay extra money to purchase an additional data block !!!!!!

    How dare they.

    Do you think I should complain to the TIO ?

    While the entire paragraph above is 100% true, it did happen just as I have described, and very timely too, but just in case anyone thinks I am serious about complaining ……….

    I'M NOT !!!

    I knew the plan I was on, I have MUM installed to watch my quota, and I did chat to Boy-Child when it started "getting close".

    Once I hit my quota I just paid the extra $$'s, actually thankful that Internode allows this to regain my speed for the next four days !!!!

    • donga100 on 26/09/2013 - 22:07
      +1

      If we're comparing to telcos, Tiger should have not mentioned anything about the bag weight. They would then send a bill in the mail notifying him of the extra $122.71 that has been charged to his credit card for going over the baggage limit.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/09/2013 - 03:15

    I can see where he's coming from… when you consider other airlines.

    I flew Jetstar about a year ago. I'd never flown before, so looked up luggage restrictions. Found I could take a bag in the cabin free, but it had to be within certain dimensions. Supposedly because it MUST fit in the space beneath the seat in front of me. If it were beyond those measurements I'd have to pay extra. It also said you should arrive early so staff could check bag dimensions. And if oversized, it would have to be put into the hold and you'd pay extra. If you arrived late and it was too big, you'd have to miss your flight entirely.

    I got out a tape measure and made sure - several times. As I packed, it was getting near to the maximum size. I didn't want any problems. So I even removed two towels, found an old one with a hole in it - and cut it in half, so I still had two towels but the bag dimensions were smaller.

    Arrived with a hour to spare. Checked in. Had my wife wait in the car in case there was a problem with the bag.

    Counter girl seemed distracted. I didn't want someone whining about the bag later, after my wife had left. So I asked, "Don't you need to check my bag is the correct size!?" She glances over the counter and waives me on, "Nah - that should be fine." I enter the boarding area, and here's all these people sitting around with HUGE bags that I just KNEW (from all my measuring back at home) were way oversize. Airport staff were everywhere. No one said blip to any of them - and I didn't see a single bag put beneath a seat on the plane. There were many vacant seats, so people had their bags on the seat next to them!

    A stewardess passed my seat. I'd put the next seatbelt through the handle of a small camera bag I also had. She said I had to remove it and hold it because the carry strap could hurt someone in turbulence (or some-such rot). I thought she was joking. (A seatbelt won't let go during flight, but I could!) And what about all the oversized, unrestrained luggage sitting ON seats, instead of UNDER seats (where their website demanded it be put)!?

    So much for safety and rules.

    Another thing… Fussing about 1kg. That was my main fear. How was I going to measure it accurately!? Answer: You don't. You leave leave a kg or 2 out just in case the scales at the chemist are inaccurate.

    Second, you can't tell me there's no leeway. Yes, I know every person has a weight limit for fuel calculations, etc. But the last five people probably got on 1kg, 2kg, etc. under. Someone probably got on with no luggage at all. Some seats were probably empty. So making someone fuss over 1kg is only necessary if staff (or some nitwit higher than them) chooses to be anal about it or make it a problem.

    Especially when you consider that with Jetstar, not only did they not check my (or anyone else's) bag size like their site said they would, but all these huge bags were sitting up on seats because they would never fit under the seat in front - and could be flung around the cabin into other people's heads in an emergency.

  • philart on 27/09/2013 - 08:46

    If you had a coat or other piece of clothing in the baggage, you can wear it, you don't have to throw anything away. We've done exactly that ourselves, you should see the check-in personnel's faces.

  • Dr Techno on 27/09/2013 - 09:53

    Suck it up. Get there earlier next time.

  • perfect-timing on 27/09/2013 - 10:42

    It sounds selfish to me if you would make 'everyone else' in the plane wait for you to check in while you are running late and with heavy luggage. It is a budget airline for a reason.

    Tip: Get there early (expect unexpectd delays…..so….start damn early and pack light)

  • lplau on 27/09/2013 - 11:35

    Yea, I don't feels sorry for the OP.

    Traffic ISN'T an excuse to be late for a check-in no matter which airlines you fly with.
    Which is why most international airlines recommend arriving 2 hours before hand.

    You paid for a budget airlines and expect them to give you a free pass on extra luggage. Its like me buying a knock off iPhone and hoping it will be the same quality as the real thing.

    Stop making excuses OP, don't blame others, blame yourself for not being prepared.

    You could have saved yourself the grief if you prepared yourself in the following ways:
    1. Get your own luggage scales so you can weigh in at home. (Costs $5 and could save you over $20)
    2. Leave home earlier and put on at least 1hour buffer. (You aren't the King of Australia, the plane will NOT wait for you)
    3. Research and buy Travel Insurance, which some of them cover missing a flight due to traffic incidents.

    • nimnomnimy on 27/09/2013 - 22:21
      -5

      1 - luggage scales are a waste of money, a better idea is take only what you need because regardless of what it weighs, you need it. Also you can save $5 by comparing the weight of your bag to something around the house that weighs around 7kg (that's how a true bargainer does it)

      2- Australia has a prime minister not a king

      3 - what's the point of buying a budget ticket if your going to fork out extra cash for insurance.

      I think traffic is a reasonable excuse for late checkin when the operator doesn't offer web checkin or self checking and makes you like up for an hour in a 1.25 hour checkin window (just go to any flight from Melbourne)

      Yes we should be responsible and get to the airport early and adhear to the terms and conditions under which we purchased our ticket but let's try to get the airline to offer a better service rather than accept their stringent policies.

      If they gave you 1kg of carry on and must checkin at the airport 4 hours before your flight, would you accept that too? It's an extreme example but tiger isn't exactly meeting anyone in the middle

  • SydBargainer on 27/09/2013 - 16:13

    <rant> Cease your winging Op! Get to the airport on time. Leave an appropriate time to allow for breakdowns etc. Buy a luggage scales at home. They're CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP! Stop blaming Tiger for your near failure to follow their simple rules. </rant>

  • dorothi_toto on 27/09/2013 - 17:50
    -1

    shouldn't the title just be "tiger airways be warned" (in general).

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