COVID-19: Jetstar facing pressure to refund 'deliberately misleading' cancelled flights from lockdown

The Commerce Commission is looking into issues with Jetstar's claims overbooking and refunds. 

Kate Olsen says she's out of pocket and fed up.

"As soon as I mentioned a refund for flights that had been cancelled - nothing," she told Newshub.

Her flights, costing more than $1000 for a family trip to Queenstown have been cancelled. 

Olsen booked in June before Jetstar confirmed its return to New Zealand after the COVID-19 lockdown. The airline advertised flights and allowed for them to be purchased anyway. 

"I think that's misleading," she said. "It's deliberately misleading." 

Figures from the Commerce Commission on complaints it has received about Jetstar show six during alert level 4, one at level three but a jump at level two to 11 complaints.

The commission told Newshub it's looking into claims Jetstar's made in relation to flight bookings, cancellations and refunds.  

Jetstar is also offering international flights to both Australia and the Pacific.

"We don't know when the borders will be reopened so the airline's taking a bit of a punt if it is taking customers' money at the moment," said Jessica Wilson of Consumer NZ.

Jetstar says it will contact customers directly about any further cancellations.

They say when it returned to New Zealand it was clear that it was only resuming 60 percent of its domestic flights - cancelling the rest - and contacting affected customers. 

"For customers with bookings on those flights (40 percent that we had to cancel) post July, as soon as we make a decision to cancel a flight we contact them via email and offer them a range of options." 

The consumer watchdog has had complaints about cancelled Jetstar flights to a place in need of visitors - Queenstown. 

"This is disappointing," Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult said. "I have had some complaints and I would really encourage Jetstar to reconsider."

For Olsen, there's a special reason she wanted to get her kids to Queenstown. Her late mother's family are there and they are missing them.