By aviation writer Scott Mayman

An angry father has hit out at Jetstar for booting his mother-in-law and three children off a flight because, he says, they didn’t pay a $35 bag check-in fee.

Jay Tee has taken to social media after his family was kicked off the flight from the Gold Coast to  Melbourne at the weekend.

He told News Corp  his mother-in-law was told to go to the service desk at the airport and pay the fee –  but she forgot and the four passengers were off-loaded. It was only her second time flying.

He says Jetstar contacted him by phone and he paid the fee himself within a four-minute period, but the airline still offloaded the family.

Mr Tee says he was then forced to pay another $600 to book the family on the next flight to Melbourne with discount airline Bonza.

The incident has led to backlash against Jetstar on social media:

“Would have thought Jetstar could have helped in some way, but that sums up Jetstar’s customer service for you. No empathy whatsoever.”

“Everyone just has to stop flying with them full stop. I will never fly them again,”  another person wrote.

Comment has been sought from Jetstar.