Business – Page 34 – Michmutters
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China’s trust audit shows how worried it is

The review of the trusts and their exposure to property developers, however, suggests that they aren’t entirely confident that the crackdown has reduced the risks the shadow banks pose to financial stability to non-threatening proportions.

They shouldn’t be complacent. The scale of the issues within China’s property sector, the size of the sector within China’s economy and the degree of leverage associated with property in China does make property and property finance a threat to stability.

While the size of the threat posed by shadow banking might have been reduced since 2017, the implosion within the property development sector, the scale of the industry – property accounts for about a third of China’s GDP – shadow banking exposures to property, and the extent of leverage in the property and non-banking sectors, mean it remains very material.

China Evergrande is at the center of the country's property crisis, with its more than $US300 billion of liabilities providing context for the scale of the problem.

China Evergrande is at the center of the country’s property crisis, with its more than $US300 billion of liabilities providing context for the scale of the problem.Credit:Bloomberg

Property developers have defaulted on more than $US20 billion of largely offshore bonds this year and the sector shows no signs of stabilizing. Indeed, the distress has spread to some of the smaller regional banks, causing them to freeze depositors’ funds and sparking protests.

The pre-sales model used by the development sector has also ignited protests and refusals to service bank loans by mortgagors in more than 320 cities who are facing interest and principal payments on borrowings for uncompleted apartments.

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At the epicenter of those protests is the world’s most indebted developer, China Evergrande, with its more than $US300 billion ($431 billion) of liabilities providing some context for the scale of the property crisis.

The concern of the authorities is that, even though they have shrunk the shadow banking sector, it remains sizeable and opaque and its relationships with the rest of the financial system, and banks in particular, are often disguised by complex and less than transparent structures.

China’s big banks are well-capitalized and heavily regulated but, as a spate of scandals and outright fraud has shown, its small and medium-sized banks in the regions have sometimes taken on riskier exposures than would be considered prudent, using off-balance sheet structures to obscure what they have been doing.

In some respects, that’s a natural consequence of the tightening of bank capital and credit standards after the global financial crisis in 2008 even as the authorities were encouraging an apartment-building binge to stimulate economic activity and provide housing to accommodate the large-scale migration of rural Chinese to the major economic centres.

It pushed lending out of the mainstream banking sector and into the shadows and, despite the efforts to reign in and regulate non-bank activity in recent years, it appears the authorities are now concerned – in the midst of the property crisis – that they didn’t ‘t clamp down on non-bank activity hard enough.

The scale of the issues within China’s property sector, the size of the sector within China’s economy and the degree of leverage associated with property in China does make property and property finance a threat to stability.

The National Audit Office review of the trusts is looking, not just at the extent of the losses and prospective losses the trusts and their investors are facing but for the nature of those continuing linkages between the trusts and the wider financial system.

There are 68 trusts in China with about $4.3 trillion of assets – property loans, shares, bonds and commodities – under management, with property accounting for at least $500 billion of the total.
Their funding tends to be short term and therefore the potential for liquidity crunches and “runs” — a stampede by investors to get their money out in moments of crisis – and the kind of spreading contagion that the mortgagors’ and depositors’ protests have displayed. is latent.

China’s economic model, with its heavy emphasis on centrally driven growth targets, has been funded by increasing levels of debt at every level of the economy and has resulted in households that are leveraged and whose wealth is overexposed to a property market that is imploding.

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That risks, not just financial stresses within the economy, but the kind of social unrest that, in the lead up to the extension of his period as party leader to an unprecedented third term, Xi Jinping wouldn’t want to see develop.

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Australian mum goes viral on TikTok for 60kg weight loss

An Aussie mum who lost 60kg in a bid to save her life now looks unrecognizable.

After suffering postnatal depression following the birth of her son, Brisbane mum Brooke Hoggan struggled with her weight.

She would turn to food for comfort, while she stopped being as active as she once was – causing her to gain weight rapidly.

After hitting her heaviest weight of 120kg, the eyelash technician decided to see her doctor for help to slim down – but soon discovered that the weight was not her only issue.

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“After having my son, I struggled with postnatal depression which caused major weight gain,” Brooke, 29, said.

“I was eating takeaway all the time, and wasn’t very active. I tried lots of different methods to lose weight, but nothing worked.

“I decided to go see a doctor to get help losing weight, but that’s when I found out about more serious issues.

“I had a fatty liver due to my weight. My levels were quadruple what they were meant to be.

“It was a life or death situation. My doctor told me that I’d have to either lose weight straight away, or I would need to go in for a liver transplant.

“It was terrifying.”

Brooke said her GP gave her a grim diagnosis – either she lost weight, or she could die.

Her only option was to either get a gastric sleeve to help jump start her weight loss, or to undergo a risky liver transplant, which could take time she did not have.

Faced with this unimaginable choice, Brooke decided to undergo gastric sleeve surgery in March 2021.

The surgery involves the removal of 80 per cent of the stomach organ and is performed under a general anesthetic using advanced laparoscopic keyhole surgery.

While this helped her initially lose 20kg, after three months Brooke noticed it “stopped working”, and no matter what she did, the weight wouldn’t budge.

Going back to her doctor, she was told this was “very unusual”.

“I couldn’t understand what was happening. Everything had been going well and they bam – no more weight loss” she said.

“I’d seen people who could lose way more than me after having this done, so I couldn’t understand it.”

It turned out she had an underactive thyroid, and the gastric sleeve could only do so much before it stopped working.

Determined not to let herself gain the weight back she had already lost, she sought help from a personal trainer, and followed a strict high-protein meal plan, along with regular PT sessions that included a mix of strength and cardio exercise.

“After the tests revealed I had thyroid issues, I knew it was up to me to put in the extra work to get the weight off.

“I’d already lost 20kg, so I had that motivation. I found an amazing personal trainer who set up an eating and exercise plan.

“In the past year, I have managed to drop another 40kg through a strict diet and exercise program.

“I could never have done it without this change.”

Now, after losing a total of 60kg, Brooke said she feels like she has her “life back”.

When she shared her journey on TikTok, the mum-of-two went viral – racking up nearly two million views on her video.

“My liver is totally back to normal, and I owe it all to weight loss” she said.

“I could have lost my life. I might not have been there for my kids, and that terrifies me.

“Everything I do is for them. I feel like a different person now, and a better mum.

“I’m so much happier, more confident, and I have the drive to go out there and do things.

“At my biggest, I only wore black clothes. Now I’m wearing all types of bright colors.

“I’ve got my life back and kicked old Brooke to the kerb for good.”

Read related topics:Brisbane

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Fire escape plan reveals Air New Zealand’s top-secret lounge with incredible perks

The location and incredible perks of Air New Zealand’s top secret Koru Club – reserved for its wealthiest and most famous flyers – has been unveiled by Stuff Travel.

Membership to Elite Priority One (known as EP1) is highly secretive with Air New Zealand keeping it completely under wraps.

The airline has no publicly available information on its website about the programme.

The exact location of the clubs has long been rumored but never publicly revealed – until a missed morning shower led to the clue I’d long been waiting for.

After running late for an international trip, I decided to skip my morning shower and instead have one in the Koru Lounge at Auckland Airport.

On the hunt for hygiene, I wandered down a little-used corridor I’d never explored. It had a kids area and shower block.

There, innocently attached to the wall, was a fire escape plan. And it’s here I discovered a secret wing of the Koru Club right under my nose.

The map revealed that just a few meters further down the corridor I’d find an entrance. Sure enough, I found a semi-frosted door with the words “by invitation only”.

The floor plan revealed an expansive space including a boardroom, offices, and a stairwell leading to a mystery location.

A peek through the frosted glass showed large floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the main departures area, with plush decor. Gone is the usual Koru Club buffet; Meals are à la carte, with a premium selection of drinks.

Access to the EP1 program is understood to be by invitation from Air New Zealand’s CEO Greg Foran.

Membership is thought to number about 100, including chief executives of top New Zealand companies and a university vice-chancellor.

Stuff has previously reported that “details of where the lounges are located and the VIP treatment they offer are a closely guarded secret”.

That is, until now.

A design company that put together a welcome kit for EP1 members has posted mock-ups of what each member receives on its website, revealing lots about the scheme.

On being invited to join the programme, members get a personalized gift that is designed to look like a luxury travel bag.

It includes an ‘Aroha’ bottle of wine from Craggy Range, “a personalized boxed titanium pen, personalized artistic representation of their previous year’s flying data, and a cardboard welcome pack including; a welcome letter, membership card, personalized luggage tags, Deadly Ponies luggage tag holders, and a book of benefits”.

The exact perks of this exclusive program have also long been a closely-guarded secret.

However, in showing off its designs, the company posted a “book of benefits” – and if you zoom in, you can read them all.

Here is the full list of benefits:

Board as you wish: Nobody likes queuing, and if you’re an EP1 member, you don’t need to. The welcome kit explains, “let us know whether you like to board the aircraft early or towards the end of boarding, and we will arrange this for you”.

Gift status: You will become the most popular member of your family if you’re EP1 because you’re allowed to gift an Airports Elite membership to anyone. On top of that, you can also give an Airpoints Gold membership to a family member or friend.

Seat selection: Most of us pay $10 to select a good seat. If you’re EP1, you and five friends get any seat you want – guaranteed.

Yoflight meals: Have you ever sat in the last row of the plane, and when the meals finally reach you, the nice-sounding one has run out? If you’re an EP1, this will never happen – as you’re guaranteed your first meal choice regardless of which cabin you’re seated in. Chicken or beef? You can probably have both.

flexibility: Change of plan? No problem if you’re one of Air New Zealand’s most prized customers. You and five friends can change a flight without any cancellation or penalty fees, and you can change any domestic and short-haul flight on the day of travel free of charge – even if your ticket isn’t flexible.

Valet parking: How about checking in for your flight when you park your car? As an EP1 member, you get “unlimited” access to Air New Zealand Valet parking at Auckland and Christchurch airports. When using the Auckland domestic valet parking, you can check-in for your flight when parking and head straight to the lounge of the boarding gate.

A seat guarantee: Flight full? It doesn’t matter if you’re EP1. The benefits book explains, “For when you just have to be on a flight, you and one traveling companion are guaranteed an economy seat on any Air New Zealand operated service.”

Recognition Upgrades: These are essentially free upgrades gifted to Silver, Gold and Gold Elite members. However, it’s always a gamble if you’ll get the upgrade. Not a problem if you’re EP1, “your upgrade will be confirmed into an unsold seat at the time of the request.” If you have a person traveling with you, they also get the same benefit.

Lounges: You get access to the exclusive EP1 lounge at Auckland International Airport and Sydney International Airport. You can invite five other people, and “enjoy a selection of à la carte dining and a selection of premium beverages.” Traveling domestic? No worries, your exclusive experience continues with a “private Elite Priority One space” at Auckland and Wellington Airports.

meeting and greet: One of the most exclusive benefits is a VIP meet and greet service. When you arrive on an international flight (excluding Australia), “you’ll find one of our friendly staff waiting for you when you disembark.” They are tasked with doing “everything possible” to make your arrival “swift and seamless.”

Most benefits can also be given to up to five other traveling companions. When traveling domestically, you and five friends also get to access the Koru Lounge on arrival, where you can “enjoy à la carte dining and a selection of premium beverages.”

Stuff.co.nz

See also: Inside the invite-only Qantas lounge

See also: Sneak peek inside Virgin’s new exclusive, invites-only lounge

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Millennials, Gen Y plow into SMSFs to take control of retirement savings

“SMSFs may be appealing to younger people because they provide greater control over investments,” he says.

Ease of access to trade shares – both local and overseas – is also driving the trend.

‘When people are more engaged with their investments, and they have that level of control, it feels less risky to them.’

Bell Direct head of distribution Tim Sparks

Thanks to technology and a wealth of complex financial information and advice now available online, this new breed of investors is making decisions about sharemarkets traditionally reserved for institutional investors.

Some took more control of their super after being spooked by temporary market losses when COVID-19 first landed on our shores. Others did so for other reasons, including knowing that their retirement savings were being invested ethically in specific companies for the good of the planet.

The average age of someone running their own SMSF has dropped from 58 to 45 in just three years, according to Bell Direct head of distribution Tim Sparks.

“More so than ever, people want to take control because they simply don’t know where their super is invested when they’re with a major super fund. Or they don’t agree with where the fund is investing.

“And when people are more engaged with their investments, and they have that level of control, it feels less risky to them,” he says.

The establishment and running costs of SMSFs are also considerably lower than where they were a decade ago, which makes running your own SMSF far more viable for more people, Sparks says.

A number of share trading websites now offer relatively cheap SMSF administration services.

SMSFs are a popular vehicle to not only invest in shares, but also property and commodities such as gold, which provides portfolio diversification. During periods of market uncertainty, investors take comfort in the diversification benefits those assets provide, Sparks says.

However, taking responsibility for your retirement savings is not for everyone. It takes a good portion of time and is recommended only for those with a genuine interest in sharemarkets – and are prepared to do their own research.

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It’s also not for the faint-hearted, Sparks says. Block out the noise in the market and stay aligned to your long-term financial goals, he says.

“A diversified portfolio of Australian shares, international shares and bonds across a broad base of asset classes over the long term is the best way to build wealth,” he says.

  • Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. They should always seek their own professional advice that takes into account their own personal circumstances before making any financial decisions.
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Domino’s Pizza reportedly closes Italian stores

Seven years after opening its first store in Italy, Domino’s Pizza is reportedly departing with its tail between its legs.

The last of the chain’s 29 Italian stores has shut down, according to a Bloomberg news report.

The company opened its first stores in Italy in 2015 with ambitious plans.

It was planning to open 880 stores and control about 2 per cent of the Italian pizza market by 2030, Italian CEO Alessandro Lazzaroni told Italian economics and finance news platform Money.it in 2019.

“There’s a lot of pizza, but there’s not a lot of delivered pizza,” Domino’s chief executive Patrick Doyle said at the time.

“So there may still be an opportunity.”

However, the rise of delivery services such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Glovo took away any advantage the American company thought it would have, according to a report to investors in 2021.

Many shops on Domino’s Italian website were marked as permanently closed on Wednesday, while others did not appear to be accepting orders.

Domino’s Pizza has over 18,500 stores worldwide in at least 90 countries. The greatest number of stores, outside of the United States, are in India, followed by the United Kingdom and Japan.

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It’s time to fix consumer protection for travelers

It’s time we fixed consumer protection laws surrounding travel cancellations.

The past three years have been the ultimate stress test of our travel rules and regulations, as tens of thousands of trips have been ruined – first by government lockdowns and then, this winter, by labor shortages – and our consumer laws have been found wanting.

A Choice survey found one-quarter of all pandemic-related travel vouchers expired before they could be used.

A Choice survey found one-quarter of all pandemic-related travel vouchers expired before they could be used.Credit:

It is not that consumer protections don’t exist, but multiple laws are operating in tandem, creating a seemingly impenetrable legal minefield for many travellers.

The overarching Australian Consumer Law sets out rights called consumer guarantees. These include your rights to a repair, replacement or refund, as well as compensation for damages and loss, and being able to cancel a faulty service.

The law also guarantees that services, including airfares and accommodation, must be provided “within a reasonable time”. So, if an airline cancels your flight and cannot put you on another within a reasonable period of time, you are probably entitled to a refund.

You might even be entitled to compensation for “consequential loss” – if you are out of pocket because you have missed bookings made at your destination.

However, a big problem is that there is no set definition of “reasonable time:” What if you think one hour is reasonable while the airline thinks six hours is reasonable?

The next problem is: There is no clear definition of what entitles you to compensation. Nowhere is it written down. Consumers are simply told it depends “on the individual circumstances” of their booking and cancellation.

So, we are expected to contact the airline (if we can get through on the phone, which can sometimes take hours), and then to know enough about consumer law to negotiate a refund from a large, sophisticated business.

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Kmart releases new outdoor range, exciting customers

Shoppers who have active, young kids to keep busy are excited over a new outdoor range from Kmart that features a climbing ramp and slide.

A photo series shared by blogger Oh So Busy Mum to Facebook showed mud kitchen, a climbing ramp and slide and hopscotch mat.

“Wow! Kmart Australia have some fantastic outdoor play items at the moment,” the photos were captioned.

The giant hopscotch mat retails for $16, while a wooden climbing frame sells for $39, an adjustable basketball hoop is going for $59 and 4 balance beams also sold for $16.

Parents were extremely excited about the range and what it would mean for their children.

One social media user commented: “My son has Autism Spectrum Disorder and we have spent a fortune on therapy equipment over the years.

“Most of these items are just as good and for such a better price.”

Another said: Go Kmart! It’s so good to see that they have more things to encourage kids to be and playing inside and outside instead of being still and sitting around playing video games/iPads/watching TV.”

Another added: “They have some great things. Now if it’d just stop raining long enough to dry out the backyard to be able to play outside.”

One eager shopper revealed they had already gotten their hands on some of the outdoor equipment.

The social media user said: “Have a heap of the outdoor equipment already put away for Xmas.

“Found a lot on sale in June so grabbed some. Lucky have room in the shed.”

The buzz around the range is growing, with Kmart announcing it has plans to expand the range.

A Kmart spokeswoman told news.com.au: “Over recent years, our Kmart outdoor range has continued to grow in popularity and we are currently expanding these ranges.

“In particular, we have seen huge demand for our kids development, soft play and wooden development products and we have a number of new exciting products in these ranges coming soon both in stores and online.”

Read related topics:Kmart

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Today’s Google outage was brief but disconcerting

Earlier today, reports began emerging Google was down.

While it has since returned, it once again highlights our dependence on technology service providers and shows how reliant many people are on a single operator for daily functions.

There are few things we completely rely upon in our modern lives, but for many people, Google is one.

Its brief disappearance from the internet felt, for many, like an almost-apocalyptic moment – ​​underscoring how deeply “googling” has been integrated into our lives.

As I wrote when the cloud computing firm Fastly had an outage last year,

It’s disconcerting when the sites we rely on suddenly become inaccessible, and even more so when it happens on such a vast scale.



Read more: Fastly global internet outage: why did so many sites go down — and what is a CDN, anyway?


What happened?

We don’t know yet. Google has so far not commented publicly on the outage.

According to Downdetector there was a significant spike in outage reports for Google earlier today. The newswire Reuters reported:

There were more than 40,000 incidents of people reporting issues with the world’s largest search engine, according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collating status reports from a number of sources including user-submitted errors on its platform.

According to the website Downdetector, a significant spike in outage reports was seen by Google.
down-detector

Downdetector also reported people had experienced problems accessing Google Mapswhile The Guardian reported problems with Gmail and Google images, too.

The outage affected a wide range of Google sites, with internet monitoring website ThousandEyes reporting over a thousand servers being impacted.

Despite the scale of the incident, it seems to have only lasted for around 30–40 minutes before services started to return to normal.

Not an isolated occurrence

Google, like all technology providers, is vulnerable to a wide range of potential service failures.

This is not the first Google outage – other outages occurred in 2020 (including a very large one in December reportedly caused by lack of capacity in their authentication systems).

But outages such as these, however brief, do underscore how dependent we have become on “googling” for many aspects of life.

It’s not all bad news

Although any outage at Google becomes major news around the world, today’s incident was short lived – as were all previous cases.

Google certainly has the capacity and capability to act swiftly to resolve service problems when they do occur.

And, as many people noted, you can still search online even when Google is down – you might just have to use a different search provider, such as Bing or DuckDuckGo.

It would seem that even when an almost unthinkable outage occurs, our capacity to search for cat photos will not be impacted.



Read more: Goodbye Internet Explorer. You won’t be missed (but your legacy will be remembered)


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2024 Kia ​​Sorento facelift spied, due next year

The Kia Sorento seven-seat family SUV has begun preparing for its mid-life facelift – as long waiting times for the current model remain.


the facelifted 2024 Kia ​​Sorento large family SUV has hit the road in South Korea, ahead of its global launch next year.

While the current Kia Sorento has only been in Australian showrooms since late 2020, Kia usually updates its vehicles after three years – an indication the mid-life update for the Sorento will arrive some time in 2023.

Australian launch timing is yet to be confirmed, but if previous model-cycle timing is followed, the updated Sorento may be in Australian showrooms by late next year.



Photos published by ShortsCar (via The Korean Car Blog) suggest the facelifted Kia Sorento will draw inspiration from the car maker’s upcoming full-size EV9 electric SUV, with new vertically-stacked LED headlights akin to concept and production versions of the electric vehicle.

Other design changes are hard to discern below the thick camouflage cladding fitted to this South Korean test car, though its alloy wheel design appears to be new.

Few details have emerged on what other changes will be made for the facelifted Kia Sorento, though The Korean Car Blog speculates on mild engine tweaks and updated interior technology.



Within Kia and sister brand Hyundai’s model ranges, new technology fitted to other models – but not yet fitted to the current Sorento – includes a larger 12.3-inch center touchscreen, as seen in the updated Hyundai Palisade (up from 10.25 inches in the current Sorento ).

The new Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric car is offered with a newer version of the Sorento’s Remote Smart Parking Assist system, which not only allows drivers use the key fob to move the car forwards or backwards when standing beside it – as in the current Sorento – but to remotely enter and exit parallel, perpendicular and diagonal parking spaces.

Above: The current Kia Sorento.

The Kia EV9 electric SUV is also set to debut upgraded ‘Level 3’ semi-autonomous driving technology upon its launch early next year – but it’s unclear if this will be offered on the petrol and diesel-powered Sorento.



Whether changes will be made under the bonnet remains to be seen. The current Sorento range in Australia is available with a choice of a 3.5-litre petrol V6, 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel, and hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains based around a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine.

the 2024 Kia ​​Sorento is expected to be unveiled in full in the first half of next year – ahead of Australian arrivals as soon as late next year, as a 2024 model.

However, Kia may diverge from its typical launch schedule – with a facelift after three years – given the current combination of overwhelming demand and restricted supply for today’s Sorento, which have seen wait times push beyond 12 months in Australia for top-of-the- range models.



alex misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines as a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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Furious Jetstar passenger kicked off flight over wild suitcase ‘mistake’

A traveler has detailed the shocking moment she was “kicked off” a Jetstar flight after being mistakenly told she had a “dangerous” item in her checked suitcase.

Clare Vertannes was in her seat ready for takeoff from Sydney to Perth shortly after 12pm on April 10 when a flight attendant told her she could no longer fly with the budget airline.

WATCH VIDEO ABOVE: Clare shares her Jetstar debacle story

For more Lifestyle related news and videos check out Lifestyle >>

The 26-year-old event coordinator claims she started to “panic” when she was ordered off the flight without any explanation.

“I kept asking the flight attendant what was going on and I essentially started to freak out. Many thoughts started to rush through my head at this point,” Clare tells 7Life.

“I felt beyond confused and in disbelief because I had no idea what was going on.”

Clare Vertannes was traveling from Sydney to Perth on April 10. Credit: Clare Vertannes

Eventually, she was told there was a “dangerous” battery pack in her checked luggage – but Clare insisted hers was in her carry-on handbag.

“I knew my battery pack was not in my suitcase because it was in my handbag, which I proceeded to take out and show her,” Clare claims.

“After I showed her my battery pack and tried to tell her that there had been a mistake, she proceeded not to acknowledge what I was saying and kept repeating that I needed to collect my suitcase from baggage claim.”

Realizing she would miss her existing flight, Clare – who was visiting Sydney on a work trip – asked whether she was going to be put on the next plane to Perth.

‘angry and annoyed’

“The flight attendant said to me… that Jetstar will not be paying for another seat for me,” she claims.

“She said it was my fault that I had held up all these people on the plane and that I, in fact, had to compensate them because I had held up the scheduled flight.

“Again, I was in disbelief and this is when I started to feel angry and annoyed because she was blaming me and not giving me the benefit of the doubt.”

A traveler claimed she was ‘kicked off’ a Jetstar flight after being mistakenly told she had a ‘dangerous’ item in her checked suitcase. Credit: Clare Vertannes

Clare says she was left in tears by the time she arrived at baggage claim.

As she made her way to the counter, she was allegedly told her checked suitcase did not contain any “dangerous” item.

“The staff member said, ‘I’m so sorry, there’s been a miscommunication… there is nothing wrong with your bags – I left the desk to go to the bathroom and came back to this mess, I’m so, so sorry’,” Clare recalls.

“Honestly, I was hoping there was something in my suitcase so this drama wasn’t for nothing.”

‘Absolute s*** show’

Furious, Clare says she started to “raise her voice” because she was “upset and emotional” over the debacle.

“I got very angry and started to vent to her about how ridiculous this is and how it was an absolute s*** show,” she says.

“But then I started apologizing to the staff member because I knew it wasn’t her fault.

“After all that, I took a moment to breathe and said, ‘Ok, well, it is what it is, what’s the plan now? Can I get on the next flight?’ She said, ‘There’s no more flights to Perth until tomorrow’.

“I then told her that I needed to be on a flight back to Perth today and that I’d sit and wait for a flight – and that’s what I did.”

Clare was offered a free Qantas flight on the same day – but had to wait seven hours. Credit: Clare Vertannes

After waiting for an hour, Clare was offered a free Qantas flight to Perth on the same day – but she needed to wait seven hours.

“Qantas had a spare seat and they had secured it for me. No upgrades or compensation – just the seat,” she says.

During the wait, she tried to leave her suitcase at the airport so she could return to the city – but was told she needed to pay an extra $50 for storage.

“When they were asking me to pay to put my luggage somewhere after the whole order, I was over it,” she says.

“I decided to lug my suitcase back to the city. I ended up catching a cab because the trains weren’t working.”

‘I was shook’

In a shock turn of events, Clare received an email from Jetstar saying she was charged $10 for a pie under her seat number – despite her having been kicked off the flight.

“I remember sitting in my (Qantas) seat, thinking what else could possibly happen? And then I get an email from Jetstar. It goes: ‘Thank you so much for your pie purchase on your recent Jetstar flight’,” she says.

“I was shook… Someone on my flight had charged a foot to my seat and I got that invoice.

“Honestly, I was just in disbelief. I was thinking, ‘Is this real? Are they having me for a laugh?’ I was done at this point.”

Jetstar offered a refund and voucher, left, but charged $10 for a pie to her seat – despite having been kicked off the flight. Credit: Clare Vertannes

After the mishap, Jetstar offered her a $116.22 cash refund and a $350.78 voucher.

However, Clare is demanding a full cash refund of $467 and a $50 reimbursement for the taxi fare into the city.

“They didn’t give me the compensation I asked for, but they sent me a voucher to ‘compensate’ for the flight I was kicked off,” she says.

“I don’t know why they bothered giving me a voucher – it’s not like I will be flying with them again.”

Jetstar responds

In a letter to Clare, a Jetstar employee explained why the airline was unable to offer her a “monetary refund”.

“I hope you’d appreciate that we can only return something to you in its original form,” the letter read.

“Since you have paid for this booking using a voucher and a credit card payment, we can only process a voucher equivalent to the amount paid via voucher and a cash refund equivalent to the amount paid via credit card.

“We are unable to process a cash refund for a booking which wasn’t paid in cash in the first place.”

Clare demanded a full cash refund – but Jetstar has since declined. Credit: Clare Vertannes

The letter added: “We have assessed your claim in line with all relevant laws and conventions and I appreciate how unhappy you are with this outcome.

“However, we’re comfortable that we’ve met our obligations under applicable law by providing this outcome to you.

“We will respect your opinion and decision on this matter however our position remains the same.”

A Jetstar spokesman told 7NEWS.com.au: “We sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding and are looking into what took place.”

Four months on from the flight drama, Clare is speaking out about the ordeal on TikTok.

“Now that I’ve overcome my PTSD, I can finally share to you all the trauma that Jetstar gave me,” she said in a now-viral video with more than 700,000 views.

She adds: “I’m glad I shared my experience though because everyone is starting to share their horror stories too and hopefully something will change on how budget airlines treat their customers.”

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