The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was returning home to Melbourne after a weekend getaway with friends and her husband in Hobart.

The passenger had no difficulties getting to Hobart. However, due to the self-serve kiosks experiencing technical difficulties, she was checked in by a Jetstar employee for her return flight.

When asked to present her ID, the Jetstar employee noticed that her driver’s license was still in her maiden name, while her digital boarding pass showed her new married last name.

While Jetstar’s “fees and charges” section on their website has a name change on a domestic flight listed as $70, as the passenger had already completed the first half of her booked flights, she was told she would need to purchase an entirely new ticket to get home.

On top of the $330 the 28-year-old paid for the original fare, she was forced to pay an additional $559 for the whole new flight, leaving her in tears.

Jetstar’s terms and conditions do break down the little-known rule, but it is in a different area on the website that the woman had not seen.

“Name changes can be made for an individual passenger on a booking but must apply to all flights for that passenger,” it reads.

One of the woman’s friends has described the rule as an “exploitative practice”.

Speaking with 7News, Ammad Arshad said, “It seemed Jetstar was exploiting the urgency of travellers needing to return home by presenting them with exorbitant fees, knowing most people would feel cornered and compelled to pay whatever was necessary”.

A Jetstar spokesperson has confirmed that they have reviewed this woman’s case and issued her a refund for the cost of the new flight.