A 36,000-signature petition folded into a giant paper plane has launched a credit card charge protest into the headquarters of Australian airline company Jetstar.

Delivered last week, the consumer revolt was kicked off last month on the Change.org website by Gold Coast businessman Klaus Bartosch who said he was sick of Jetstar’s $8.50 credit card surcharge. “These ‘booking and service fees’ are ridiculous,” he said.

“Jetstar is the worst. The airlines adds on $8.50 per passenger per flight to pay by credit card - hitting us with a huge surcharge for using the only real payment option they give us. 

"I posted a petition against what I regard as the latest retail scourge in Australia - credit card surcharges that are unique to this country. Jetstar's surcharge amounts to around 20% of their published airfare price! They deny it is a surcharge because they call it a ‘Booking and Services Fee’ - but it only applies when you pay by credit card.

“The petition was started around three weeks ago and now has over 36,000 signatures and growing. Change.org says it is the largest consumer backlash and petition in change.org's Australian history.

"This is just the beginning. This will not go away and the petition will continue to grow as more and more Australian's realise how serious an issue this really is."

Klaus Bartosch printed out the names of signatories to the online petition to create the giant paper plane. When he delivered the “protest plane” to Jetstar’s Melbourne headquarters, the event was recorded by news crews from Channels 7, 9 as 10 as well as a number of print journalists.

Below is a link to the credit card charge protest petition: http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/jetstar-drop-the-8-50-credit-card-surcharge-on-our-airfares-in-line-with-the-new-reserve-bank-ruling

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