Airlines have been getting a bad rap lately. Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have heard all about United’s woes. First we had teenage girls denied boarding in what I have dubbed ‘leggingsgate’ and the latest scandal where a paying customer was forcible removed from an overbooked flight drew worldwide condemnation. Low Cost Carriers (LCC’s) get a bad rap at the best of times and Jetstar has had it’s own fair share of PR mishaps, like when they refused an arthritic child the use of a pillow on the way home from Bali. Or when they denied this family boarding in Hamilton Island. Or when they ejected two families returning to Adelaide for refusing to take their assigned seats. Slamming Jetstar is almost a national sport in Australia. Some genius even set up a website dedicated to gathering whinges from aggrieved passengers. So are Jetstar really that bad? In my experience, no. I’ve flown them countless times and while I have certainly experienced a few niggles, the bottom line is that the cost keeps drawing me back. On our Tasmanian road trip we took advantage of one of Jetstar’s free return flight specials and we lived to tell the tale. If you have never flown Jetstar and are wondering what to expect, read on for all the details …
Jetstar Domestic Overview
Jetstar is Qantas’ low cost baby who now fly to 75 destinations around the globe. For all the complaints, Jetstar does have some saving graces and has won multiple prestigious awards since it began operation in 2004. I love the comfort that Jetstar’s price beat guarantee brings, not that I have ever had to use it, but it’s good to know it’s there. The one thing that almost all LCC’s have in common is that everything costs extra. And I mean everything. Literally the only thing your ticket will get you is a seat and a small carry on. Want to check a bag. Yep that’s extra. Want to pick your seat? Yep extra. Pillow and blanket? Extra. Thirsty? Yep that’s extra too. You get the idea. So with all the add ons is it still a bargain? I believe so. Mostly because I choose very few of the ‘optional extras’. If you love a bargain and have turned you nose up at Jetstar in the past, it may be time to check your snobbery and jump on board.
At The Airports
Jetstar flight JQ745 leaves Sydney airport at 7am. Bizarrely, neither of my kids were keen to get up at 5am to drive us to the airport. Weird right? Luckily Sydney’s airport train had less qualms about the early start (read more about getting around Sydney here) so we hopped the train instead. All Jetstar domestic flights depart from T2 which works out perfectly for me because I can grab a Macca’s breakfast before boarding, unlike in T3 which houses Burger King. We didn’t check in online because 1) I was lazy and 2) we had bags to check so there is little point. Check in was simple using the automated kiosks which dispense both boarding passes and bag tags. I did think the placement of the kiosks was rather strange as the exit leads to the check in queue rather than the bag drop and a bit of ducking and weaving under the barriers was required. On arrival in Launceston we quickly realised the tiny airport had no aerobridges and a walk across the tarmac was required. Thankfully we had fine weather. As a result of the compact size, finding the Eurocar desk to pick up our Airport Rentals hire car was a breeze. The Tasmanian’s are super fussy about bringing fruit in and request you dump it all on arrival. Many didn’t, but the dogs in the baggage claim area sniffed the rule breakers out pretty quickly. Please don’t be one of ‘those people’.
Inflight
Our Jetstar Airbus A320 arrived slightly late from Perth which delayed the boarding process. The 3 x 3 x 3 seating configuration made the maximum use of space and the cabin was as basic as it gets. In a surprising move for an LCC, the seats were leather, but that’s where the luxury ends. Don’t expect adjustable headrests, USB connections, personal screens or anything that has become standard on the more expensive airlines. Clearly my kids are not the only ones adverse to waking up at 5am because the flight was almost empty. We chose row 7 because it’s the first of the cheap seats ($7pp to chose). Of course you can elect not to pay to pick you seat and leave the allocation to the mercy of the airline and if I was travelling solo I probably would. On this flight it was $14 wasted because after take off we could have sat virtually anywhere and I had no hesitation launching into an empty row of three the minute the seat belt sign went off. With six seats between us we stretched out in our makeshift flat beds and caught up on some much needed sleep after our early wake up. On the return journey Jetstar switched us from our selected seats (another $14 wasted … sigh) and placed us in the exit row (12 D/E). While the exit row does come with a bit of extra leg room, I still normally avoid it like the plague as ALL the hand luggage needs to be placed in the overhead bins and I prefer to keep some of my carry on handy.
Food & Drink
Here’s a revelation … Jetstar, like many LCC’s, don’t offer free food. I know, shock right? That said, they do have a reasonable sized menu that is not as exorbitant as you may fear but not all items are available on all flights. On our short 1½ hour flight we didn’t sample anything (remember the Macca’s breakfast?) but I have had the ham and cheese toastie in the past. Honestly? Not that good. If I had to choose again I’d opt for the Sumo Salad.
Entertainment
As an LCC, Jetstar doesn’t even pretend to care about keeping you amused in flight. This magazine is all you are getting. Bring your own fully charged (no USB remember?) devices to stave off boredom.
Things To Do In Tasmania
Looking for inspiration once you land? We stayed at the Grand Chancellor Launceston. The premium location makes exploring the CBD a breeze and it’s steps away from my favourite restaurant The Black Cow Bistro. Cataract Gorge is a great way to spend and afternoon but had mixed results at The Prickly Cactus Launceston when we were craving Mexican. If you are keen to explore further afield, a visit to Port Arthur Historic site is a soul-shuddering reflection on the past and Wineglass Bay Cruises will take your breath away.
Final Thoughts
I’m not gonna lie, after my recent experiences on Emirates A380 first class and Emirates A380 business class Jetstar domestic smacked me back into reality with a thud. If I didn’t know better, I would swear the old saying that you get what you pay for was specifically created for budget airlines. This was absolutely a no frills experience but considering we paid $110 for two return tickets (baggage and seat allocation are extra) I’m not complaining. Jetstar got us to Launceston safely with a minimum of fuss and I’m grateful. Flying used to be a folly reserved for the rich but LCC’s have made travel accessible to many more and that can only be a good thing. The money that we saved by scoring a bargain airfare was put to good use on our Tasmanian road trip and that makes Jetstar a winner in my book.
Airlines are not all created equal so check out more of my airline reviews before you make your next booking. Have you got any airline horror stories? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.
Until Next Time …
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. We paid for our Jetstar flights in full and as always, all opinions are my own.
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Elaine J Masters says
Great details. I’d love to see Tasmania and always look to stretching my travel dollars, so Jetstar may be a good option. I wouldn’t be expecting 1st class service.
Allison Smith says
Tasmania is fabulous and as long as you book Jetstar with your eyes wide open you should be fine ?
you.theworld.wandering says
I flew Jetstar to here in Bali a month ago and had a great experience this time round – no delays! . I always think you get what you pay for and yes agree the lack of entertainment and USB plugs aren’t so convenient but I do really enjoy the Jetstar mag. Great review love your honesty.
Kristie – you.theworld.wandering
Nisha says
Never had the opportunity to fly Jetstar but I can say that the airlines industry is always on news and mostly for wrong reasons however the amount of work that goes on in the background to get a flight up there is unbelievable. I have stopped paying for seat preference and many times, if you are early for check in and ask nicely, they oblige.
Allison Smith says
Yes there is lots that goes on behind the scenes I’m sure. I always think I won’t pick a seat and crumble and do it anyway. It’s usually only a couple of dollars for piece of mind lol
Siddharth and Shruti says
The ‘cheap ticket’ experience. You get what you paid for, I’d guess. Unfortunate that they don’t serve any free food. For a short flight, I would say that’s fine. The seats look alright though! Thank you for your honest review.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I was under no illusions I would be getting a budget experience so I was all good with it. I think the problems arise when people think they are going to get the ‘Emirates’ experience at a Jetstar price. Just doesn’t happen!
Jen Joslin says
I think ‘you get what you pay for’ is a fair assessment of budget airlines. Going into a cheap flight experience with minimal expectations certainly helps. As long as you make it safely from A to B, the savings is worth it! Based on your review I would definitely try Jetstar out when we travel to Australia.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Totally agree. The unrealistic expectations are what gets people unstuck! For short flights budget works for me every day of the week ?
Cai Dominguez says
I haven’t flown with Jetstar yet for 1 reason. They will not honor your booking if you’re not the cardholder of the credit card you used to book. I find them cheap sometime compared to AirAsia, however, I don’t have CC and don’t have the plan to have one. They say that you can still book but they will cancel it when they found out that you’re not the cardholder regardless if you have an authorization letter so you will need to pay cash and they will refund the card after weeks. I think that’s too hassle.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
That does sound like a hassle. Maybe a Visa debit card would work instead?
Ami says
The first time I came across Jetstar was through Jet Airways in India as they are a partner airline. However, it is through this review that I know the finer details now. A well captured review, something I will keep in mind should I ever need it.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
They do have a few partner airlines Ami. I was recently looking at them in Vietnam but chose Vietjet instead ?
Rhonda Albom says
Ten minutes before her flight, I got the call: “Mummy, they sent us to the wrong gate, we ran to the correct one, but now they won’t let us on. I can see the plane, but the door is shut, and they won’t let us on.” This is the moment I think of when I think of Jetstar. Making fun of Jetstar is also popular here in New Zealand. However, for domestic flights, or flights to OZ, they are often so much cheaper, it is worth the hassle. I just don’t send my unaccompanied teens any longer. (My daughter and her friend were both 15, travelling with an adult when they missed the flight.)
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
That would have been heartbreaking! I can image how distraught your daughter would have been and being a Mum myself how helpless you would have felt in the other end of the phone. I’ve had two ordinary incidents (ridiculous excess luggage fees in Bali and a deviation to Melbourne on the way home from Thailand) but as you say the cheap prices are hard to beat so I keep going back and hope for the best. This particular flight we had no issues ?
Madhurima Maiti says
Haven’t experienced Jetstar yet. Your review is pretty good. You’ve balanced it well. I think I’m going to try Jetstar. Thanks.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Fingers crossed for you Madhurima ?
Indrani says
Haven’t experienced jetstar yet. Your review seems fairly balanced
For me flying in time is most important, can’t tolerate flight delays. That irritates me beyond words.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I’m hearing you but it’s unavoidable sometimes and it happens just as often when you pay a lot for a ticket.
Chrysoula says
I have never flown with Jet as I haven’t traveled to that part of the world but I have flown with other low cost airlines in Europe like Ryanair which is similar and loved it. I believe that when your flight is up to 5 hours you don’t mind the extra legroom or the food (you can bring your own snacks) or the entertainment(you can bring a book or your tablet) I only care to arrive safely at my destination and as cheap as possible.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I’m happy to forgo a comfort for a cheap ticket ?
Taiss says
Glad that the flight was economical for your situation. Too bad that both ways the $14 seat payment was wated. I would think they would refund you if they moved you!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I knew thought to ask for the refund on the return when they moved us. It’s $14 so not really worth the trouble.
Wanderlust Vegans says
We haven’t had the luxury of being on a non budget plane. Jetstar sounds fancier than most we have been on. Haha.. Easyjet and Ryanair give you absolutely nothing. But for a £10 flight, we can’t really complain!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Exactly! I’d love to be able to pay £10 to travel!
Abhinav Singh says
Very balanced review. I agree with you. We should not crib of lack of facilities in a budget airlines. If we choose economy we shouldn’t be expecting a glass of champagne. That said. I still prefer budget airlines over the pricy ones. That magazine looks great. Some of my travel articles are published in in flight magazines and railway magazines, so I always check out such journals during flights.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
How cool! I’ll look out for your article from now on ?
Chiara says
Very complete review! I have never tried jetstar, I almost always use Easyjet but your review makes me want to try a different company
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I’ve yet to try Easyjet. I’ve heard some mixed reviews but I would never say never ?
Reshma says
Tasmania is gorgeous! I have not flown Jet star but your detailed review looks convincing enough! Thanks to these low-cost carriers, flying is easy for backpackers like me!
Vicky says
Haha, I didn’t even realise Jetstar had such a bad reputation! I’ve only flown with them once, a couple of weeks ago, from Hong Kong to Japan, but it wasn’t that bad. We were a bit late but nothing major – I’d say Air Asia is far worse!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I’ve been really lucky with Air Asia. We have flown them four times now and no problems at all.
Arzo Travels says
Though I love to stay in luxury hotels etc. I am very frugal with flights 🙂 and it sounds pretty much like Ryanair to me (though I would hate to store everything above me). It does not seem like a great experience but considering the price it seems totally fine (but I can see that it is hard to fly with Jetset after flying with Emirates Business Class :).
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Me too! I would rather save my money on the flight and splurge on a hotel. I haven’t tried Ryanair but never say never ?
The Travel Ninjas says
I just remembered a bad flight experience we had a few months ago. We were in Los Angeles flying back to Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific Business Class which was awesome). There was a man in coach trying to get upgraded to First class by pretending to be deathly ill. Instead of getting upgraded he eventually got removed from the plane after lots of arguments with the crew and even the captain. When they said if he was that ill, he couldn’t fly, then he was suddenly feeling ok. But it was too late, the captain said he couldn’t fly. This all took more than an hour, and then it took another hour or more to remove his bags because if a passenger gets booted the bags must be too. It made us all be super late, bags were lost, and led to many other problems all because of one idiot trying to get over.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Wow! Not good! I do rate Cathay Pacific business class though ?
Alice Chen says
The fee they charge for choosing seats is always a hit or miss. I never pay because it’s almost never worth it, and you can always ask the check in people to put you in your preferred seat. Good to know there’s a lot of leg room! Usually budget airlines are super uncomfortable.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I generally pay for peace of mind as I like to be near the front lol
The Travel Ninjas says
We currently live in Vietnam and use budget airlines all the time to get around southeast asia. Fares are so low, taking lots of internaitonal weekend getaways are basically irresistible. Last week we flew from Saigon to Kuala Lumpur for only $30 US. In our opinion, we actually get more than we pay for on those super cheap flights.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
That is amazing! We are heading to Vietnam in three weeks and have a bunch of flights booked in Vietjet which were so cheap. Let’s hope it works out!
Joaquim Miro says
Wow! I totally understand what you mean by the overwhelming difference in comfort between emirates and a budget airline like jetstar. But hey, you get what you pay for right? It’s good to know that you can get two tickets for so cheap though!! As recent graduates we are budget traveling so I guess this is what we will have to live through as well :/
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Absolutely! I didn’t pay for my Emirates tickets. I used points instead and I just can’t bring myself to pay those prices but it was nice seeing how the other half live ?
Gokul Raj says
I always fly with low budget airlines but I also make sure that they are reliable with their service. Anyway it is not fair to compare them with the big guns like Emirates.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Agree Gokul. I do check the safety records of LCC’s before I book but other than that I go in eyes open and therefore am rarely disappointed.
Global Girl Travels says
Yes that United Airlines fiasco is just baaad! You would think companies would have invested on customer service right? As with the case of Jetstar, I love your objective and detailed review. The thing with these low-cost airlines is that they are economical. People should start lowering their expectations to avoid disappointments. They are called budget airlines for a reason!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I couldn’t agree more! If you want all the bells and whistles you are in the wrong place with an LCC ?
Sonja says
I totally agree you get what you pay for! The thing for me is that most of the time I’m not willing to pay much so that leaves me with the low cost airlines haha. I honestly don’t mind though, I’m glad they exist so that I can travel, and I’d rather spend the money when I get there! I’ve flown Jetstar many times and had no complaints.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
Totally agree Sonja. Most often I choose to travel more frequently than more comfortable and what I save goes towards a little more luxury on the ground, usually accomodation. When choosing between a couple of hours of discomfort on a plane or a week at a fancy hotel it’s a no brainer for me ?
Mimi & Mitch says
We have flown a few times with Jetstar, always have been good to us! For a budget no surprise with the no food, although it’s not crazy prices neither to order food!
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
It’s good to hear some of the good stories about Jetstar for balance. I’m not complaining for what I’m paying but I did have two previous incidents which weren’t ideal but on this particular occasion all was good ?
Danik says
Never heard of this airline (maybe because I on;y been to Australia once in my life so far), so would like to try them when I hit down iunder again. Looks similar to Easyjet in Europe.
Sydney Fashion Hunter says
I haven’t tried Easyjet but I would agree they look to be on par. I have flown Jetstar many times and only has two incidents that were less than ideal but one was mostly my fault and the other was a safety concern so I can’t really blame them for that!