Yesterday we needed to fly from Queenstown to Sydney, and booking a revenue ticket ended up being the most practical option. Virgin Australia had a flight in the afternoon, while Jetstar had a flight in the morning. The timing of the morning flight worked out much better, so we went ahead and booked it.
I have to admit upfront that I had no clue what to expect from Jetstar. I knew they were an ultra low cost carrier who charges for everything, but I wasn’t sure whether the experience would be more like Easyjet/Ryanair/Air Asia, or more like JetBlue. What I did know is that Jetstar has A320s with 180 seats, featuring 29″ of pitch. That’s tight, and the same number of seats that Easyjet crams on their A320s.
I assumed it would be like the former, based on the booking process. I don’t remember the last time I’ve booked a ticket which involved so many upsell options.
From entertainment to discounted inflight vouchers, there were so many things they tried to sell us on.
While I normally exclusively travel with carry-ons, I assumed there was no way they’d let me get away with my massive carry-ons, so I pre-purchased a 15kg checked bag for 25NDZ.
We also went ahead and paid 31NZD (~20USD) to sit in an exit row for the flight. I find this to be well worth it on ultra low cost carriers for a couple of reasons:
- It gives you significantly more than 29″ of seat pitch
- In my experience many on ultra low cost carriers are looking for the absolute lowest fares, so aren’t as likely to pay for exit row seating as on other airlines; therefore your odds of having an empty middle seat are better (otherwise you’ll want to resort to Travis’ method for securing an empty middle seat)
Anyway, we flew out of Queenstown, which is a tiny and beautiful airport. We arrived about 75 minutes before departure, and there were no queues for check-in, which was one of my biggest concerns about flying with them. I guess that’s one benefit of flying out of an airport with only one flight at a time.
Jetstar check-in Queenstown Airport
You board directly through the stairs in Queenstown, which always makes for some great views.
Jetstar A320 Queenstown Airport
As I boarded the plane I couldn’t help but think “yow, that’s a lot of seats.”
Jetstar A320 cabin
Jetstar A320 cabin
The legroom looked tight, though not as bad as I was expecting.
Jetstar A320 legroom
In the exit row the legroom was excellent, and I was happy with the ~20USD we spent to snag those seats.
Jetstar A320 exit row seats
But what impressed me most was the crew. It didn’t fully “click” with me until I was aboard that Jetstar is wholly owned by Qantas, and that was clearly reflected in the service.
There were four female flight attendants, all in their upper-20s or early-30s, and they couldn’t have been friendlier or more professional. So even though the airline operates on an ultra low cost model, I was extremely impressed by the professionalism of the crew.
If you want any food or drinks on the plane you have to pay for them. On the plus side, the menu is decent, with fresh food options, and all kinds of drinks. Here’s the food and drink menu for the flight.
I ordered a sparkling water and an egg & lettuce sandwich.
Jetstar food and drinks for purchase
I didn’t buy an iPad for the flight since I worked on my laptop instead.
The flight time was just under three hours, and soon enough we arrived in Sydney. Unfortunately we were a bit early, and had to wait 45 minutes for a gate, as the Virgin Australia plane using our gate was delayed.
Bottom line
This was my first flight in a while on an ultra low cost carrier. What did I learn?
- The money it costs to upgrade to an exit row is almost always worth it; however, the 29″ of seat pitch didn’t actually look too bad
- Jetstar is an extremely professionally run low cost carrier; this isn’t like Ryanair, where they print the safety card on the seat in front of you, or Easyjet, where they plaster ads all over the cabin
- The cabin crew were exceptional; they were every bit as good as on any “legacy” airline
So while I came into the flight not knowing what to expect, I was very pleasantly surprised, and wouldn’t hesitate to fly with them again if the price is right. It just always makes sense to crunch all the numbers, especially if you have elite status with other airlines. It’s not just about the base fare, but also about how much all the add-ons cost.
If you’ve flown Jetstar, what was your experience like?
I remember booking Qantas to Hawaii, got to the airport and they put us on Jetstar. There wasnt supposed to be a stopover but yes stopped in Sydney. We had already got duty free booze in Melbourne, got to Sydney they told us to take everything with us, which we did. Boarding again they took all our booze. They are crap, need government intervention but no they dont do much.
worse ever airlines!;
dont dont dont definitley not worth it!!!!!!
poor customer service, not a single smily face @newcastle airport, wondering how they made them so miserable!!!
Seat ergonomics most uncomfortable yet experienced. Jetstar CEO and other decision makers should be forced to endure the torture for extended periods and engage ergonomists capable of designing a seat for a diverse range of people - not just a population average.
Terrible terrible terrible, that’s my comment for Jetstar. My flight was canceled this week due to pilot striking, but they only inform me 8 hours before my flight and that’s 3am in the morning. I was awake and called, no one picks up the call. Only option was chat with an agent and get pushed to get refund. They’d rather take the easy way out to refund you than rebook you on another flight. The...
Terrible terrible terrible, that’s my comment for Jetstar. My flight was canceled this week due to pilot striking, but they only inform me 8 hours before my flight and that’s 3am in the morning. I was awake and called, no one picks up the call. Only option was chat with an agent and get pushed to get refund. They’d rather take the easy way out to refund you than rebook you on another flight. The only option given was to take a 11pm flight or refund. I’ve paid couple of grand already for tours so had no choice but to book a full fare flight which costs an extra $800/each.
FYI, however much $ you’ve paid for your trip are not claimable if Jetstar suddenly cancels your flight. They’ll provide you with some odd hour flight replacement just so that they’ve covered their arse and pushes you to get refund instead.
Their famous line is “I apologise, and will pass your feedback to our management “.
BULLSHIT!!! All lip service and they just bloody leave you stranded
JETSTAR AIRWAYS is rotten from the top.
CEO Gareth Evans runs a predatory organization designed to mislead and trap budget conscious customers. This company is the most morally bankrupt airline we have ever experienced throughout our over 30 years of international travels to almost every continent. Aside from the rude staff (some are friendly, but speaking generally), uncomfortable seating and persistent flight delays due to "operational issues" (see more on this below), there are many...
JETSTAR AIRWAYS is rotten from the top.
CEO Gareth Evans runs a predatory organization designed to mislead and trap budget conscious customers. This company is the most morally bankrupt airline we have ever experienced throughout our over 30 years of international travels to almost every continent. Aside from the rude staff (some are friendly, but speaking generally), uncomfortable seating and persistent flight delays due to "operational issues" (see more on this below), there are many more serious problems with this company.
If you think you're saving $100 on a flight, think again!
This company will weigh your purse, lunch, duty free purchases, heck probably even your child as carry on luggage, right before you board a flight. They are trained to embarrass you in front of other passengers and force you to pay an exorbitant cost per kilogram for anything over 7 kilograms per person. They are intentionally quiet about this when you check in your bags and use the infamous 'read the fine print' line when they eventually collect from this scam. It is not uncommon to be forced to pay a $250.00 USD bill when the flight only cost $150.00 USD.
It is daylight robbery and I cannot believe governments and airports allow this company to get away with this predatory behaviour. Jetstar is currently facing numerous lawsuits of passengers being told they cannot board a flight unless they pay these costs- that's right, extortion. They claim it is a 'safety issue,' and in some cases, they have trained their staff to call the police to block them from boarding if customers are being "non- compliant." One case involving an international customer involved racism against an asian pregnant woman. CEO Gareth Evans was directly made aware of this and did not even respond to numerous emails and letters. This is telling of his dictator leadership style and speaks to the corporate culture of this airline.
The response cited the companies privacy policy and claimed they would 'look into it' with no follow up. Discrimination against minorities and workplace harassment is rampant under Gareth Evans leadership and in the year 2019, he should be held accountable for his actions. It would be interesting to see the extent to which political contributions have allowed this company to get away with these practices.
Their customer service line is intentionally understaffed and outsourced in the Philipines with no ability to speak to anyone of importance at the company. They use this as a shield from the plethora of complaints they receive on a daily basis. The responses are generic copy and paste responses promising they will look into it with no follow-up. It has been systematically designed to remove accountability of the management team and employees who are trained to treat customers this way. Staff are underpaid and are treated poorly, but they are a large employer in Australia so they receive leniency from lawmakers.
In the airline business, there are many ways carriers can save a buck. Jetstar uses the same staff that checks in your luggage before security to load your luggage on the flight, clean the plane and prepare it for the your flight. You will often see a flight arriving 10 minutes before you are supposed to board your departing flight and staff panicking to complete the turnover. Wherever they can save a dollar, they will at the expense of the customer.
Jetstar needs to be stopped and Gareth Evans has to go. Until then it is BUYER BEWARE!
Jetstar is probably THE WORST airline I have ever flown. We upgraded our seats and got no overhead space. When I tried to put stuff in the next bin, the flight attendant closed the door and almost caught my hand with it while he yelled at me saying I had to pay for my the seat if i wanted that space. We had already paid to upgrade our seats and the space over my seat...
Jetstar is probably THE WORST airline I have ever flown. We upgraded our seats and got no overhead space. When I tried to put stuff in the next bin, the flight attendant closed the door and almost caught my hand with it while he yelled at me saying I had to pay for my the seat if i wanted that space. We had already paid to upgrade our seats and the space over my seat was taken. How does that make sense?
Before boarding they charged us an additional $65 for 3 more kilos of carry on baggage. I know this is part of the LCC concept but this just added to the aggravation...
They allow people to bring food and beverages onboard as they probably know their food is lousy. My husband had a cup of coffee he had bought at the terminal an hour earlier and they said coffee was not allowed onboard. It is apparently a hazard of some sort.
If you have a choice, never fly Jetstar... pay any other full service airline and you will get more value for your money. Their seats are uncomfortable and filthy. I understand the concept of low cost carrier, but these people take it to the lowest possible level.
Their planes are dirty and they stink. They should take some of those a la carte dollars they collect to do some maintenance inside their filthy cabin. Yikes... I give them 1 star at most!!!
There are no chargers for your devices, no entertainment system, no Wifi... not even for a price!
The staff is rude and the food you can pay for is also bad. I regret having flown them twice during our holiday in NZ and AU. Please fly #VA or any other full service carrier. Perhaps a different LCC but NEVER fly #Jetstar.
I had a horrible experience with Jetstar. After I paid extra for more luggage space, the online Jetstar customer service representative told me that I could check in or carry aboard the plane any number of items as long as they didn't go over the weight limit. When I arrived at Sydney airport, the Jetstar checkin counter was closed. It wasn't going to open until half an hour later. I thought it wasn't a big...
I had a horrible experience with Jetstar. After I paid extra for more luggage space, the online Jetstar customer service representative told me that I could check in or carry aboard the plane any number of items as long as they didn't go over the weight limit. When I arrived at Sydney airport, the Jetstar checkin counter was closed. It wasn't going to open until half an hour later. I thought it wasn't a big deal because I could carry my suitcase aboard the plane. Most people do that in the U.S. anyway. Minutes before I was about to board the plane, a very RUDE Jetstar employee told me that I had to pay $60 to carry my suitcase aboard the plane. I explained to her that I already paid extra for more luggage space. She said that was for checkin--not carrying aboard the plane. I explained to her that I'm an American, this was my first time flying on Jetstar, and I was only going by what a Jetstar employee told me. Well, she wouldn't budge. She demanded I pay $60 or I couldn't board the plane! Not only does Jetstar rip you off but they have HORRIBLE customer service.
I flew with jetsatr and they forced me to sign a release form for my vision impaired partner, this is not the first time. Three times now, I refused this last time and was told If I did not sign we could not board the plane and would not get a refund. This is discrimination of the first and worst type. QANTAS should be ashamed to call themselves ( Aussie). I was of the opinion...
I flew with jetsatr and they forced me to sign a release form for my vision impaired partner, this is not the first time. Three times now, I refused this last time and was told If I did not sign we could not board the plane and would not get a refund. This is discrimination of the first and worst type. QANTAS should be ashamed to call themselves ( Aussie). I was of the opinion that Discrimination in our country is a big No No, in fact criminal, am I wrong and delusional.?????? If they have this attitude on the ground would you feel safe in the air????
you say you wont publish my email (complaint) you are gutless. I will contact the media
I have flown with Jetstar for the last time. You only get what you pay for, how true. I am a frequent flyer. 40 trips to Asia in 8 years. My partner is vision impaired and we have travelled extensively. The last time I travelled with this crowd with my partner we fronted the check in desk, and with a long queque behind us started to go through the process. On the two previous occasions...
I have flown with Jetstar for the last time. You only get what you pay for, how true. I am a frequent flyer. 40 trips to Asia in 8 years. My partner is vision impaired and we have travelled extensively. The last time I travelled with this crowd with my partner we fronted the check in desk, and with a long queque behind us started to go through the process. On the two previous occasions we ( I ) were required to sign a form releasing the airline from any responsibilty toward my partner. ie exonerating them from personal damages or bodily harm etc; This was after being quizzed about my partners health and physical state etc, in front of the entire waiting queque Well on this occasion I said to the check in fellow, I have had enough we refuse to sign this form. We are normal people we have paid the normal fare we wish to be equal to the people behind us. I was put in my place very abruptly, "Sir if you don't sign you cannot board the flight". I said "fine organise a refund now and we will go" Big joke, reply was "no refund". I have tried to contact all and sundry, even QANTAS denied me a satisfactory hearing and I could only get a call centre for Jetstar. I sent countless emails but all were ignored, this is called the too hard basket. I would think QANTAS would take a bit of pride in being an "Aussie" airline but alas it is all money. After prompting from a very impatient gent behind me I signed the paper, I will never fly Jetsar again. With this attitude can you really feel safe in the air???? and QANTAS don' care. This will look good on talk back radio. So to all out there if you have a grievance use the media.
I have NOTHING positive to say about Jetstar. Unfortunately I have had to use them six time over the past couple of months and had book all of these fare at the one time but besides NO planes ever arriving or leaving on time I found myself stranded, along with 200 others, at Ballina. While waiting at Ballina we were told that the aircraft that was coming broke down in Sydney and all of the...
I have NOTHING positive to say about Jetstar. Unfortunately I have had to use them six time over the past couple of months and had book all of these fare at the one time but besides NO planes ever arriving or leaving on time I found myself stranded, along with 200 others, at Ballina. While waiting at Ballina we were told that the aircraft that was coming broke down in Sydney and all of the passengers had to be off loaded with their bags so we the plane to take us to Sydney would be 90 minutes late. Yes it arrived about 90 minutes late and then we got onto the plane taxied out to the runway where we sat for about 40 minutes before we were taken back to the airport and told that this plane also was broken down and that we would need to stay in Ballina that night and catch a special plane at 8:15 the next morning. There was a National Hockey championship on in Ballina and not a spare motel/hotel room in the place with People having to go to Surfers Paradise to get lodgings. Jetstar promptly told us we would be compensated for a meal and $150 accommodation and the claim form was sent to our phone which had a FAX number on the bottom of it. The next morning the plane arrived about 45 minutes late to take us to Sydney. I attempted to make the claim and the FAX number was disconnected. It is still today on their claim form. I have for the past month been attempting to process my claim and spoken to different stay in a far off country who have all told me they have processed my claim. I have just finished this yet again so I will not hold my breath. I do not want to go with in flight service or baggage charges etc as thats a whole new story. It is fair to say that unless it is the only way to get to where I have to go then I will take what ever alternate transport I can rather than use them again.
Have you had communication problems with Jetstar or Jetstar Asia? Communicating with them just via their WebChat service only to find ill-informed call centre staff unable to answer simple questions pertinent to the company’s operations? Have they maybe failed to live up to their Customer Guarantee?
So I have found a solution. Jetstar’s CEO is Gareth Evans and whilst he may not be able to personally respond to every enquiry, he is fastidious and...
Have you had communication problems with Jetstar or Jetstar Asia? Communicating with them just via their WebChat service only to find ill-informed call centre staff unable to answer simple questions pertinent to the company’s operations? Have they maybe failed to live up to their Customer Guarantee?
So I have found a solution. Jetstar’s CEO is Gareth Evans and whilst he may not be able to personally respond to every enquiry, he is fastidious and wants things to be right. If he doesn’t respond to you personally he will definitely pass your enquiry to the correct person.
Gareth can be contacted via his email, [email protected]
I don't know how people can put up with the booking process, i tried and half way through with a million question I gave up. I won't be flying with them.
I agree with the above comment - we too were left stranded and out of pocket by the 2nd April flight cancellation. But, it got even better - our return flights? Also delayed/cancelled. So, no, we will not be flying jetstar again...
Jetstar
HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE!
Message for supervisor OLAF Melbourne airport:
OLAF, great to stick your head in the sand like an ostrich rather than listening to customers!
James, you saw what unfolded on April 2 2017, cancelled flight Melbourne-Cairns-Osaka. James, get a job with a nice airline company instead of those bloodsuckers!
Thank you so much for this review as I have really been struggling with whether or not to book Jetstar for an upcoming trip with my kids. The link to the menu was extremely helpful and your glowing remarks make me feel a lot better about selfishly wanting to save money so we can take another big trip much sooner. Great post; thanks!
This is the first time I try Jetstar and definitely my last. And they rip me off before I even finished booking. For the starter, they would not allow baggage package for one person only. So in order to pay the baggage I required, I had to make two separate bookings for me and my family. And just as I finished my second booking, the system crashed and upon redo, the price went up by...
This is the first time I try Jetstar and definitely my last. And they rip me off before I even finished booking. For the starter, they would not allow baggage package for one person only. So in order to pay the baggage I required, I had to make two separate bookings for me and my family. And just as I finished my second booking, the system crashed and upon redo, the price went up by staggering 50% in minutes. I ended up booking Virgin Australia instead which is surprisingly cheaper, with extra baggage somemore. So much about lowest price guarantee. When I called to change the date of the ticket, I was initially assured that I only have to pay price difference, if it's higher. But when I tried to change the date, I am required to pay eventhough the price is significantly lower. A budget airlines ticket more expensive than luxurious Singapore Airlines ticket, and I still have to pay the price 'difference'. I called the call center to ask why. I was told that because it was the 'class difference'. As I am a frequent traveller I asked them to search the date for the same class, and I was told their computer could not do the search. In a sense, there is no other class or there is no class at all for an excuse. The operator would quickly and insensitively threaten me that for being 'rude' for my rather frustrated voice than actually helping me. Not that she could help me anyway. I am more familiar to their booking site than her. And she could not do more beyond that. I do not see the reason of having a call center that cannot do anything. Jetstar should be ashamed to call itself Australian. And its customers, Australian or not otherwise, do not deserve to be treated this way
Late last year, we flew to Darwin for a holiday. We flew from Sydney on a Virgin flight. Great service, a very light lunch, it was included in the ticket price and the seats were comfy and comfortable legroom. Flight home on Jetstar, a totally different experience. I put the feeling of uncomfortable seats and cramped legroom down the 1.30am flight and being tired. Nothing was included in the flight price, although the ticket price...
Late last year, we flew to Darwin for a holiday. We flew from Sydney on a Virgin flight. Great service, a very light lunch, it was included in the ticket price and the seats were comfy and comfortable legroom. Flight home on Jetstar, a totally different experience. I put the feeling of uncomfortable seats and cramped legroom down the 1.30am flight and being tired. Nothing was included in the flight price, although the ticket price was only marginally cheaper than the daytime Virgin flight.
Once home, I decided to check the seating configuration of the two carriers, 320 for both. No wonder I felt cramped. 162 seats on Virgin, 180 on Jetstar. Explained a lot.
We had a really bad experience flying with Jetstar back from Japan to Hong Kong at the luggage counter. The customer service is poor - staff Mio is very cold and unpleasant and does not accommodate to any extraneous circumstances regarding connecting flights. To be honest, I have never encountered anybody as ridiculous and as cold as the attendant Mio at the check-in luggage counter. She insisted us to throw away all luggages that she...
We had a really bad experience flying with Jetstar back from Japan to Hong Kong at the luggage counter. The customer service is poor - staff Mio is very cold and unpleasant and does not accommodate to any extraneous circumstances regarding connecting flights. To be honest, I have never encountered anybody as ridiculous and as cold as the attendant Mio at the check-in luggage counter. She insisted us to throw away all luggages that she has no right over our freedom. Very overbearing and unyielding and caused us undue stress. playing games with us for the whole half an hour ordeal. The supervisor is more courteous but still unflexible.
Also, for budget airline like jetstar, we need to allow more time to commute to terminal 3 for all the budget Japanese airlines at Narita, compared to the other ones. Even the local cab drivers did not know about the subtleties related to terminal 3.
Guess our experience is a little different...
On our way back to Japan this summer, we got delayed for 8 hours in DC (on United, argh~ that's another story for another day) so we missed our domestic connecting flight in Japan, and were re-booked to Jetstar for the next morning. We never took a low cost carrier before and therefore it was a big shock right from the beginning. First when the shuttle bus...
Guess our experience is a little different...
On our way back to Japan this summer, we got delayed for 8 hours in DC (on United, argh~ that's another story for another day) so we missed our domestic connecting flight in Japan, and were re-booked to Jetstar for the next morning. We never took a low cost carrier before and therefore it was a big shock right from the beginning. First when the shuttle bus dropped us off, we had no idea where we were - no signs, no any indication. We had to carry our 2 big luggage, plus all the carry-ons and walked through a long road to get to the counter. The check-in counter looked like located in some kind of warehouse, then after the security, we had to walk a long distance (probably 20-25 minutes) to arrive at the gate!
On the flight, the extremely tight seat (I'm Asian and 5-2) was very uncomfortable. The flight attendants were polite but certainly not up to the Japanese standard, far from it. My son was thirsty and I asked for a cup of water and was told unless we were taking medicine, we need to purchase it. My eyes must have popped out at what she said, but then the flight attendant went back, checked our names and realized we were re-booked due to delay and ANA (my guess) had 500 yen credit for each of us for in-flight purchase, so besides getting water, my son also got a chocolate snack. And thank God, our flight was only 2 hours, but overall, I wasn't too happy about the whole arrangement. Next year, we probably go back to taking JAL direct to Tokyo to avoid all these from happening again...
It sounds to me like Jetstar is one of the good ones akin to JetBlue and Southwest Airlines. Sure we have our ultra cheap such as Spirit Air, but in the US low cost carriers actually offer better service than the legacy carriers. If I'm ever in Australia, I will definitely give Jetstar a try.
@Roberto JQ, VA, QF and NZ all charge extra for fares bought in Australia or NZ by credit card. I assume Tiger and Rex do as well (although I've never tried them).
Where have you been. All the low cost carriers in asia have terrific crews and service: Tiger, AirAsia are arguably better than Jetstar. It has nothing to do with qantas. Nobody flies qantas except dumb foreign tourists.
Also what kind of professional traveller needs enhanced legroom for a 3 hour flight. See if there's an option on the jetstar al a carte list for growing a pain and click that.
I don't see the relation between professionalism and safety card location and/or advertising... For sure Ryanair sticks its safety card directly on the seat in front of you but this way they do not get lost (a FA must check before each flight that each seat has a safety card...) and people get to really read them for once! Never heard of cabin-wide advertising from easyJet but Ryanair surely does. What is dislike more is...
I don't see the relation between professionalism and safety card location and/or advertising... For sure Ryanair sticks its safety card directly on the seat in front of you but this way they do not get lost (a FA must check before each flight that each seat has a safety card...) and people get to really read them for once! Never heard of cabin-wide advertising from easyJet but Ryanair surely does. What is dislike more is advertising over the audio systems! Does Jet Star have any such practice?
and beware that Jet Star flies it A320 quite far... For my SIN-PER flights I had the choice between Jet Star, Scoot or Singapore Airlines. Flying in from Europe with small kids and adding all the costs for lugage and seats, I am happy I chose SQ for just a fraction of the cost more! Wide body aircraft vs A320 for an over 5 hours flight!
I flew JetStar from AKL - Queenstown and again from Wellington - AKL and was thoroughly impressed with the service and attitude of the crew. You do have to purchase the perks; however they are reasonable and do provide an excellent experience. I also noticed that the passengers do not crowd the boarding area as you would find at all American airports. The boarding process was much more tame and less stressful. I would fly JetStar again over and over.
There is always a massive danger in taking one flight on a carrier and assuming that is representative of all their operations.
Lucky may have had no lines/wait to check in for his sole JQ flight, but that is certainly not representative at all of JQ's usual massive check-in lines.
Lucky may not have experienced any irregular ops for his sole JQ flight, but plenty of accounts out there of woe, with JQ stranding or...
There is always a massive danger in taking one flight on a carrier and assuming that is representative of all their operations.
Lucky may have had no lines/wait to check in for his sole JQ flight, but that is certainly not representative at all of JQ's usual massive check-in lines.
Lucky may not have experienced any irregular ops for his sole JQ flight, but plenty of accounts out there of woe, with JQ stranding or simply ignoring those caught up by JQ cancellations or re-routings. You are typically on your own.
Lucky may not have experienced the range of seating on JQ's fleet, given his sole JQ A320 flight, so he doesn't understand it gets grim seating wise on some of their aircraft.
Lucky may have not experienced the wide variation in crew quality on JQ, given his sole JQ flight, so he may not understand crew range from OK to US carrier awful. (Which is just scary awful)
Lucky should have known though (from his knowledge of QFF fees and charges, and the Jetstar website) that Jetstar are never shy of slapping you with ridiculous charges.
Best contribution here is not Lucky's, but @PerthFlyer who reveals a good trick to stop Jetstar hitting you up with outrageous credit card processing fees.
I flew SYD-HNL a few days ago in economy. It's a long time since I've done long haul economy so I stumped up the AU$45 for an exit row seat. Seriously, that was probably the best AU$45 I've ever spent.
No complaints except the length of the check-in queue (it took 45mins to see an agent).
Living in South east Asia, I can say Jetstar is the better low cost carriers than Air Asia or Tiger Air. The stewards are polite and the seats are decent. But kudos Lucky for trying out different airlines!! I like these different reviews than the usual gulf airlines.
@Tom
There was a pre check line at the Southwest terminal at LAX when I flew last month.
I flew JQ SYD-HNL over QF solely for the B787-8. I upgraded my seat as well and payed for meals and IFE. Upgraded seat had good legroom but was uncomfortable. IFE was very sparse and honestly not worth it. And food was decent. Crew was OK, not as good as QF especially their international crews. A long haul flight in a B788 was completely worth it.
The 29in pitch is quite small if you are tall (over 6"). I fly Jetstar regularly and I hate it, unless I can get row one (1D, 1E or 1F). It's cheaper than the exit row but a bulkhead so you get the extra room. Otherwise I feel like I have a seat shoved in front of my face and its almost impossible for me to do anything on my iPad or laptop as I...
The 29in pitch is quite small if you are tall (over 6"). I fly Jetstar regularly and I hate it, unless I can get row one (1D, 1E or 1F). It's cheaper than the exit row but a bulkhead so you get the extra room. Otherwise I feel like I have a seat shoved in front of my face and its almost impossible for me to do anything on my iPad or laptop as I almost have my chin touching my chest.
I'd also say you got a good crew - they are very hit and miss, and if anything goes wrong, you definitely wish you were flying Qantas as they are useless if there are issues.
My work requires me to fly business on international flights and I often booked J from Frankfurt to Moscow on Lufthansa. It looked exactly like this. In J they block out the middle seat but thee is no pitch and no legroom for 2x the price.
As an Australian, I've flown them hundreds of time. You got lucky with the crew. In my experience, they are almost always rude and unhelpful. Same goes for Qantas. Awful.
Hello Lucky,
You were very "Lucky" with your Flight.
I will not fly Jetstar - they always have a.m. Flights and if they do not reach a certain capacity - cancel the flight - leave you stranded - will try and fit you on next flight or offer a refund at a later date unless you stand at checkin and demand a credit. You can then be left to purchase a ticket with another airline at FULL price if you want a flight for that day.
Good call on buying luggage. Granted I've only flown JetStar in Australia (domestic) twice -- but both times at the gate the ground staff were weighing everyone's carry-ons. Anyone more than a couple hundred grams over 7kg was told to gate-check or throw stuff away.
I flew JetStar Melbourne - Tokyo twice last year. Both times in economy but at least the second time around was on their Dreamliner. The crew was lovely, food quite decent, but 10 hours on that tiny economy seat is too much for me.
Hey! Buying the exit row is cheating! ;)
..."this isn’t like Ryanair, where they print the safety card on the seat in front of you, or Easyjet, where they plaster ads all over the cabin"...
You equate professionalism with advertising or where a safety card is placed?
Bizarre.
PS: easyJet don't plaster ads all over the cabin.
What does the age of the flight attendants have to do with anything? Or their gender?
@PerthFlyer - Having flown JetStar several times (Perth - Singapore) I can confirm extra legroom seats are the way to.
To avoid CC charges - purchase a $50 Jetstar voucher (PayPal) - enter voucher details and pay remaining balance with CC - this way negates CC charges surprisingly!
@Rand:
"I live near Seattle and I wouldn’t even fly Southwest as it is always more expensive than legacy carriers like AS. "
Not always. Quite often it's ~equal on nonstops, sometimes less.
And having flown lots of legacies as well as LCCs, Southwest is fine if you're a coach traveler on a 90 minute-3ish hour flight, which is a very common stage length for a lot of America (SEA-SFO/LAS/LAX/PHX, DFW/DAL-LAS/PHX, EWR/JFK-MIA/FLL). For a lot...
@Rand:
"I live near Seattle and I wouldn’t even fly Southwest as it is always more expensive than legacy carriers like AS. "
Not always. Quite often it's ~equal on nonstops, sometimes less.
And having flown lots of legacies as well as LCCs, Southwest is fine if you're a coach traveler on a 90 minute-3ish hour flight, which is a very common stage length for a lot of America (SEA-SFO/LAS/LAX/PHX, DFW/DAL-LAS/PHX, EWR/JFK-MIA/FLL). For a lot of people, the experience is BETTER because they won't have elite status and thus would get jammed into the back of the plane on a legacy, whereas Southwest has decent pitch everywhere, plus get charged for checked baggage.
"Jetstar is an extremely professionally run low cost carrier; this isn’t like Ryanair, where they print the safety card on the seat in front of you, or Easyjet, where they plaster ads all over the cabin"
I think it's a bit much to suggest that Ryanair isn't professionally run. Am I ever keen to fly with them? No. But they are a professional and safe airline.
Jetstar are a pretty good LCC in my experience, a step above Easyjet. By comparison Tigerair are more like Ryanair! JQ flights can also be booked as part of mainline tickets - e. g. when my folks came out from Europe the Ayers Rock to Sydney flight was booked on 125 BA stock as part of their trip (you only earn status points and miles if credited to a QF account though).
IME the...
Jetstar are a pretty good LCC in my experience, a step above Easyjet. By comparison Tigerair are more like Ryanair! JQ flights can also be booked as part of mainline tickets - e. g. when my folks came out from Europe the Ayers Rock to Sydney flight was booked on 125 BA stock as part of their trip (you only earn status points and miles if credited to a QF account though).
IME the key thing with all LCCs is to crunch all the numbers - esp checked baggage and travel to/from the airport if non-standard (I'm looking at you here, Ryanair!) - and make sure you compare the final price with with the final price on a non-LCC carrier. Sometimes it works out, other times the so-called low cost one is more expensive!
We flew Jetstar twice inter-Australia flights (AYQ-SYD and SYD-LST). Our first experience with them was a flight from Ayres Rock Airport that was particularly not good. They only had 2 people checking guests for the plane. We were on a package tour but no one at the airport could clearly explain how the bag allowance worked. We are still not sure if we could only check 1 bag, we could check 2 bags but no...
We flew Jetstar twice inter-Australia flights (AYQ-SYD and SYD-LST). Our first experience with them was a flight from Ayres Rock Airport that was particularly not good. They only had 2 people checking guests for the plane. We were on a package tour but no one at the airport could clearly explain how the bag allowance worked. We are still not sure if we could only check 1 bag, we could check 2 bags but no bag could be over a certain weight and the total weight could only be something else. All I know is that they insisted that I pay a bag fee (which may or may not have been correct). Not wanting to hold up the line, I gave my CC which they could not process so had to get out paper charge slips. In the end, the charges never processed. The seats were rather small on the plane. Even being 6 foot, I was cramped in. Thankfully the flights were not too long. I do remember the crews being pleasant but I'd go out of my way to avoid them if I could. Our flights on Qantas (CNS-AYQ) and (HOB-MEL) and Virgin Australia (SYD-CNS) were both much more enjoyable in both the ground experience and in flight comfort.
I do like Jetstar a lot, but I've only flown them between KUL-SIN. The crew is always friendly, and for a budget carrier, it's very impressive. Haven't had a bad experience yet, in the 5 years I've been using them. I avoid Air Asia like the plague once I found Jetstar. Have even tried Tiger Air, and while they're not bad, they're nowhere near as likable as Jetstar. I did do a doubletake when Jetstar introduced a credit card processing fee but....
easyJet don't plaster adverts all over the cabin... there are small adverts on the back of the seat in front, advertising either their partnered car rental firm, or the deals they have on board/ticket deals.
I flew JQ on AKL-ZQN and CHC-AKL in the last month. I agree with the crew being very pleasant, courtesous, and professional. On CHC-AKL, I also got an exit row seat for free (at the airport during check-in) which was very comfortable. My only complaint would be that on the AKL-ZQN flight I did not get the meal I had pre-selected as part of the bundle I bought when buying my flight. There's an online...
I flew JQ on AKL-ZQN and CHC-AKL in the last month. I agree with the crew being very pleasant, courtesous, and professional. On CHC-AKL, I also got an exit row seat for free (at the airport during check-in) which was very comfortable. My only complaint would be that on the AKL-ZQN flight I did not get the meal I had pre-selected as part of the bundle I bought when buying my flight. There's an online menu to select a meal from and I selected one for both flights. However, on AKL-ZQN the crew told me they don't serve those meals on NZ domestic flights (then why advertise them as such?) and I had NZD$10 to spend on something from the inflight menu (much more limited with only snack items compared to Ben's description on ZQN-SYD above). However, on CHC-AKL, the crew without question served me my pre-selected meal (steak and beef pie), leaving me confused.
That's the same pitch and number of seats as Spirit has in their A320s (adjusting by two since their first bulkhead row has four "big front seats").
As noted above, the slim seats make the pitch ok. That's assuming you're not really fat or tall.
The bigger issue with some LCCs is the lack of redundancy if your plane goes MX. And they're sure not going to book you on another carrier either.
Also, as...
That's the same pitch and number of seats as Spirit has in their A320s (adjusting by two since their first bulkhead row has four "big front seats").
As noted above, the slim seats make the pitch ok. That's assuming you're not really fat or tall.
The bigger issue with some LCCs is the lack of redundancy if your plane goes MX. And they're sure not going to book you on another carrier either.
Also, as Lucky noted, having no premium or (in the US) Pre Check lines can be a problem, too.
I love that you are trying new airlines this year! I met a JetStar executive that was on a flight with me on Bangkok Airways. She was super nice and explained that they were working on more flights to Thailand.
Thank you for confirming what I heard about JetStar and Quantas subsidiaries.
Be warned - Jetstar Domestic can be difficult: check-in lines can be exhaustingly long, as is the walk to connect to another flight (Jetstar is often in another terminal), flights get cancelled somewhat frequently with poor options for replacement seats, interlining bags can be a problem (having to collect your bags, recheck them, and then go through security again can be a nightmare), and trying to get refunds is almost impossible. Tiger Air is worse,...
Be warned - Jetstar Domestic can be difficult: check-in lines can be exhaustingly long, as is the walk to connect to another flight (Jetstar is often in another terminal), flights get cancelled somewhat frequently with poor options for replacement seats, interlining bags can be a problem (having to collect your bags, recheck them, and then go through security again can be a nightmare), and trying to get refunds is almost impossible. Tiger Air is worse, but thinking of Jetstar as Qantas Lite is not accurate - this IS a ultra-low-fare-carrier.
Thanks for the info, I will be flying jetstar NRT-MEL-AKL on the 24th and was hesitant and only booked because it was a Qantas owned airline. This helps a lot to put my mind at ease that the service is up to snuff.
Thanks for the info
Thanks for the info, I will be flying jetstar NRT-MEL-AKL on the 24th and esd hesitant and only booked because it was a Qantas owned airline. This helps a lot to put my mind at ease that the service is up to snuff.
Thanks for the info
Nice report. Did you have to check any of your carry-ons or were they all permitted?
I booked 3 Australian domestic segments (Sydney-Cairns, Cairns-Melbourne, Melbourne-Sydney) last fall. Overall, things went very well. Although we also paid for checked bags (we usually only fly with carry-ons), it was still a better deal than any other carrier. We had some lines at check-in/bag drop, but the process was easy and moved quickly. We didn't pay for extra leg room, since we're not very tall, but did pay for seat assignments, because we wanted...
I booked 3 Australian domestic segments (Sydney-Cairns, Cairns-Melbourne, Melbourne-Sydney) last fall. Overall, things went very well. Although we also paid for checked bags (we usually only fly with carry-ons), it was still a better deal than any other carrier. We had some lines at check-in/bag drop, but the process was easy and moved quickly. We didn't pay for extra leg room, since we're not very tall, but did pay for seat assignments, because we wanted to be sure we could sit together (which also allowed us to get seats near the front of the plane). Service was just fine, and FAs were professional.
Our 2nd segment (Cairns-Melbourne) was cancelled the night before we were scheduled to fly, and I was a little worried about what kind of customer service we'd get, but I looked up our other options, and used the chat feature on their website to request being placed on the Qantas flight that left at around the same time, which they did with no problem. So we ended up getting Qantas service (including meal, entertainment, etc.) for Jetstar prices.
I was very happy with my Jetstar experience (but at this point, I'm strictly a leisure traveler, and alway sit in the back of the plane, so I'm used to that) and would absolutely fly with them again.
Timing on this is perfect - I just booked AKL-ZQN on JQ yesterday and wasn't quite sure what to expect. Thanks Lucky!
I flew Jetstar from SYD to HKT a few years ago and it was a pretty good flight. The one way fare was right around $300 then the meal, bags, seats came out to roughly $375 all in. The crew was friendly and the planes were decent. Considering most international one-way fares are ridiculously priced , I had a very positive experience on the 9 hour flight for the price i paid.
Good review, very helpful to see something different for a change.
So about that Norwegian review? ;-))
"I didn’t buy an iPad for the flight since I worked on my laptop instead." I didn´t get this sentence, weren´t you supposed to buy an ipad for the grandma whose ipad you broke? ;-)
I think 29" pitch with slimline seats is about the same as 31" pitch on older planes with chunky seats. I was on a AA A319 in coach yesterday that was pretty bad even though it claimed 31" pitch.
I have yet to fly a discount carrier. I live near Seattle and I wouldn't even fly Southwest as it is always more expensive than legacy carriers like AS. I don't fly much anymore but unless I absolutely had to I wouldn't fly Spirit and the rest. My choice would have been Virgin on your flight Ben just because they are a known quantity. Be glad you weren't in the US doing this, I shudder to think. Great report Ben
That's thank you not tank you ;)
I've always avoided the brand out of confusion when booking with Qantas points or revenue
Looks like I made a good choice
I viewed it as Qantas lite
tTank you for the review very helpful
You have dome some really good posts as of late on some very good topics
Recently flew on Jetstar Japan and had a similar experience. Very professional and attractive crew.
Hi Lucky did JQ make you pay an extra "credit card processing" fee? They are trying to get me to do this when I try to book a ticket SIN KUL on them which I find extortionary.
One thing to take into account in Australia is that Qantas and Virgin Australia include checked baggage even on domestic whereas Jetstar and Tiger both charge. When you add the cost on for these it can wipe out any savings from the lower ticket price and you also get some free refreshments onboard (although on Virgin I got the worlds smallest sandwich and both airlines have a terribly small window where they have complimentary alcohol).
...One thing to take into account in Australia is that Qantas and Virgin Australia include checked baggage even on domestic whereas Jetstar and Tiger both charge. When you add the cost on for these it can wipe out any savings from the lower ticket price and you also get some free refreshments onboard (although on Virgin I got the worlds smallest sandwich and both airlines have a terribly small window where they have complimentary alcohol).
Also you can collect miles with Qantas and Virgin, although it's a minuscule amount. I think you can collect Qantas points with Jetstar, but can't credit them to other Oneworld carriers.