John Bowie
Law firm marketing comes in many shapes and forms, but for Tyrone-Jay Barugh his law firm with the funny name – Spilt Milk Law – is now at the center of a ‘funny case’ against airline Jetstar after booking and canceling 50 flight deals between Australia and New Zealand.
Barugh booked one-way flights from Auckland to Sydney on Jetstar for NZ$285, taking advantage of the airline’s ‘Return for Free’ promotion that provided the return Sydney to Auckland leg at no cost.
Shortly after booking each one-way flight, Barugh canceled the Auckland to Sydney portion, leaving just the free return segment.
Barugh made the booking for one passenger to travel from Auckland to Sydney for a NZ$285. The return Sydney to Auckland leg was $0 as per the Return for Free sale.
Barugh then requested the Auckland to Sydney leg be cancelled and that he be refunded in the form of a Jetstar credit but with the free flight from Sydney to Auckland retained. He would then use the credit to make a further booking – and cancelation – and credit.
And so on.
Jetstar alleges that by agreeing to their Conditions of Carriage and Fare Rules prior to booking, Barugh was then able to use the credits from the cancelled Auckland-Sydney legs to book new ‘Return for Free’ tickets, repeating this process 57 more times.
The result is a claim for NZ$3,540 from Jetstar, which he contends represents passenger movement charges of approximately A$60 per flight that he is owed under Section 10 of Australia’s Passenger Movement Charge Collection Act.
Although he never made the trips, he claims that the airline’s policies require them to refund the taxes.
Was the whole thing a joke, or a marketing ploy?
“Lawyers say a lot of implausible shit, but I don’t think for a second anyone would believe I intended to take 58 Jetstar flights from Sydney to Auckland,” he told an Australian website.
But it was not just for a laugh, either. “No, [it was] to claim a refund of [the] passenger movement charge. Not out here doing gags for nothing, mate.”
He said his actions were motivated somewhat by curiosity over how Jetstar would respond. It was more than simply crying over spilt milk, but taking a case based on the various taxes and ‘passenger movement charges’ that are made on such trips for passengers departing Australia, even though he had no intention or arriving there, let alone departing.
His social media postings even provided a ‘Jetstar discount’ on his already low-cost legal fees –
Jetstar has pushed back, attempting to bring legal representation to a recent Disputes Tribunal hearing on the matter, which is not permitted under the tribunal’s rules.
The only problem was the airline’s attempts to front the matter at the complainant-only Tribunal saw their lawyer told to go away.
The Spilt Milk Firm
Barugh’s quirky law firm title focus on low-fee work, working as an “unashamed generalist” helping solve small but important issues.
With degrees in commerce and law and able to practice in both New Zealand and New South Wales, the site reflects an equally quirky attitude designed to create attention – as has the Jetstar case.
