Fly Australia Charters — Local services in Flametree

I booked a scenic flight for my girlfriend’s birthday, and the experience was extremely disappointing due to the poor service we received from Gabriele, the pilot manager. Just 10 minutes before takeoff, we were told that my girlfriend and I would be placed on two separate flights, which completely defeated the purpose of celebrating her special day together.

When we asked if there was any way to resolve the issue, Gabriele seemed uninterested in helping and rushed us to make a decision: either stay and lose our money or take the separate flights. He claimed that we had signed the terms and conditions agreeing to this, but we had not. In fact, the terms and conditions were only sent to us on the morning of the flight, well after we had made the payment.

What made the situation worse was Gabriele’s attitude. Even though it probably wasn’t his fault, he made no effort to listen to us, understand our concerns, or offer any kind of solution. Despite us being polite and even apologizing for the situation, he seemed irritated and dismissive. We work in customer service ourselves, and his handling of the situation was far from acceptable.

After speaking with another staff member, Gabriele did eventually rebook the flight for us two days later. However, by then, the experience had already been soured. The flight itself was enjoyable, and the other staff members were great, but Gabriele’s poor customer service left a lasting negative impression.

Recommendations:

The company should provide all important information, including terms and conditions, well in advance of the flight to avoid last-minute surprises. Customer service training is needed to ensure staff listen to customer concerns and show empathy, even if the issue is out of their control. Rather than rushing customers to make quick decisions under pressure, offering alternatives like rebooking or compensation would improve the experience. Transparency about flight assignments at the time of booking would allow customers to make informed decisions and avoid...

Terrible Experience with Fly Australia Charter – Avoid at All Costs! I recently booked the Whitsunday Islands & Reef Scenic Flight with Fly Australia Charter on 14 January 2025 (14:30–15:30), and it was a complete disaster. Before boarding, I inspected the plane and was shocked by its condition: The plane was small, old, and dirty. The windows were so filthy that visibility was significantly hindered. The overall state of the plane failed to inspire any confidence in the quality of the Scenic flight. I decided I could not board the plane under these circumstances and requested a refund for the two tickets I purchased. Unfortunately, the pilot’s response was shockingly unprofessional. He was rude, nasty, and argued with us in public for an extended time before outright refusing to refund our tickets. This refusal goes against consumer rights under Australian Consumer Law, as the service did not meet the advertised standards or any reasonable expectations. The entire experience was a rip-off, full of lies, and a complete waste of money. I would strongly advise anyone considering booking with Fly Australia Charter to think twice. They failed to provide a quality experience and handled the situation in a highly unprofessional manner. Avoid this company if you value your time, money, and...

The staff were genuinely lovely. Both the person who gave the safety briefing and the pilot were friendly, professional, and made us feel welcomed. The views were absolutely stunning and the flight had so much potential to be unforgettable.

That said, our experience was unfortunately affected by being seated in the last row. I felt nauseous for most of the flight due to turbulence, which made it hard to enjoy the journey. I was in the window seat and could still catch glimpses of the scenery by leaning in, but even that was uncomfortable at times because of how dizzy and unwell I felt.

My partner, who was seated beside me (next to the gate), had an even harder time. The window was positioned too far away from her seat to properly see anything. Unless you were physically leaning against it, you missed most of the iconic sights, including the Heart Reef, which was a real disappointment.

Overall, while this can be a fantastic experience, seat placement makes a huge difference. If you’re booking, I highly recommend checking what seats you’re getting in advance. In our case, I feel that a partial refund for the seat beside the gate would have been fair, as it simply didn’t deliver what was promised in terms of views or experience ($300+ for a seat which is not exactly close to the window...