While for some of us getting accidentally given something with alcohol in it on a Jetstar flight would be an absolute dream, it would appear that this is not a universal experience.
A woman, identified by the Courier Mail as Debra Pettigrove, is reportedly launching legal action against the airline following an incident on Boxing Day last year in which her 12-year-old grandson, Dean, was mistakenly given a gin and squash. According to Pettigrove, the drink was a double.
According to Jetstar, while drinks were being brought to the boy and another passenger on their flight from Brisbane to Bali, the plane was struck by turbulence. The flight attendant took the drinks back to the galley until the turbulence subsided, at which point there was a confusion over which drink was which, with the other passenger apparently identifying his gin-less squash as a gin and squash.
Pettigrove told the Courier Mail that Dean quickly identified that something was afoot:
Dean said ‘this tastes yuck’. I thought it must have been lo-cal squash or something … the furthest thing from my mind was that it had alcohol in it.
I had a swig and, no joke, it burnt my throat — it tasted like metho (methylated spirits). I thought, ‘what the hells is this?’ I went straight for the head guy (cabin steward) and said ‘what in God’s name is in this drink? Get me a water ASAP.
Dean had a bad reaction — he gets hayfever and couldn’t stop sneezing for four or five hours on the flight.
He had a headache and was in a lot of discomfort. It was terrible.
A Jetstar spokesperson told the AAP that they weren’t made aware of any difficulties Dean was experiencing at the time:
We are in contact with a family after a mix-up of drinks occurred on a flight six months ago which resulted in a child having a few sips of an adult customer’s drink. There was never any mention of the boy feeling unwell on the flight so we’re surprised by the claims now being made by Ms Pettigrove and her lawyers.
Pettigrove was given a $400 Jetstar voucher after the incident but is apparently seeking further compensation. According to the Courier Mail, Pettigrove has taken up litigation firm Shine Lawyers in her case against the airline.
