Jetstar Air ??

[DP]

I am considering flying Business Class Sydney to Honolulu but I cannot understand this airline's baggage rules. Can someone please tell me how many checked bags I can have and the weight restrictions. If it is only 1 bag for BS how much $$ for 2nd bag? Also what is carry-on limit?

[fifa]

This Jetstar link may help:

http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/travel-info/starclass.aspx

 

Checked baggage allowance for Starclass is 30 kg.

[turtlemichael]

Just some friendly advice. Please do not be hoodwinked that Jetstar Star Class is Business Class. At best it is economy plus. It does not compare with Business Class on Qantas, for example.

[kenexx]

Just some friendly advice. Please do not be hoodwinked that Jetstar Star Class is Business Class. At best it is economy plus. It does not compare with Business Class on Qantas, for example.

 

It's also a hell of a long way behind Premium Economy on Qantas flights as well.

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Jetstar? Don't do it. You'll be sorry!

[Landth]

Jetstar? Don't do it. You'll be sorry!

Agreed, my wife and I flew to NZ with them 2 years ago, on our last day she became quite ill and I rang to see if we could change our flights (which had been bought at a discount rate) to something later in the day so she didnt have to get up at 4am to catch the 1st plane out.

 

They said no, all flights were full for that category, however we could pay roughly double and fly anytime as they had available seats on Every craft, this despite my explaining the reason for the request. Customer service Zero....

 

On the flights you have to pay for everything, you are literally treated like cattle at every opportunity, if you can handle that go for it as they are cheap, just be aware they are also nasty, and I imagine that their business class is as relatively deficient as their economy :)

[kenish]

You Aussies are spoiled (a good thing)! We flew Jetstar from MEL-Cairns. Maybe we got lucky but we were impressed. I consider them better than domestic flights on AA, United, etc. here in the States.

 

Our flight pushed back from the gate right on time, it was a 3-week old Airbus A321. Very high winds at MEL were causing delays and the captain kept us informed of the situation. The crew was pleasant and the breakfast I purchased was edible and reasonably healthy (airline meals here are nutritional disasters!) The only thing that could have improved was check-in at MEL. There was a single huge line and numerous early AM flights were leaving around the same time. Judging progress of the line I didn't see how we would make it through the line before the cutoff time. Fortunately they started a new line for our flight and it moved quickly.

 

I realize Jetstar has fees for just about everything, are inflexible with the rules, and have poor customer service....sadly that's still better than non-discount airlines here.

[Globaliser]

They said no, all flights were full for that category, however we could pay roughly double and fly anytime as they had available seats on Every craft, this despite my explaining the reason for the request. Customer service Zero....

While I'm no fan of Jetstar either, I don't think that this is a valid complaint.

 

If you buy a cheap ticket that can't be changed at that price, you voluntarily assume the risk of being too ill to travel. You can buy travel insurance to palm off that risk onto someone else.

 

If you don't want to assume that risk, you should buy a more expensive flexible ticket instead. The airline retains the risk.

 

I can't see why you would buy a cheap ticket and then expect the airline to assume the risk of your illness anyway. You're buying a cheap ticket and wanting the benefits of an expensive ticket. That's trying to have your cake and eat it too.

 

While there are other aspects of Jetstar strictness that are unpleasant, they were absolutely right on this occasion.

[turtlemichael]

On the flights you have to pay for everything, you are literally treated like cattle at every opportunity, if you can handle that go for it as they are cheap, just be aware they are also nasty, and I imagine that their business class is as relatively deficient as their economy :)

 

In addition to Globaliser's comments I also think the above statement is unreasonable.

 

They are a low cost carrier - by definition you pay for anything extra so it's a little unfair to criticize them for that. Nasty? Treated like cattle? My experience is that the ground and cabin crew are generally friendly, efficient and professional. That's all I ask. I don't blame them if I choose a low cost carrier.

 

As you appear to have not flown in Starclass I can tell you you get similar food to economy and plenty of it, you get a personal entertainment system which is ok, you get more leg room than economy, a generous amount of beverages, and a passably comfortable seat which is not a bed. The staff in Starclass I found to be very friendly, helpful and well trained. All up it's fine but it is not business class - it's a very large step below.

[Landth]

In addition to Globaliser's comments I also think the above statement is unreasonable.

 

They are a low cost carrier - by definition you pay for anything extra so it's a little unfair to criticize them for that. Nasty? Treated like cattle? My experience is that the ground and cabin crew are generally friendly, efficient and professional. That's all I ask. I don't blame them if I choose a low cost carrier.

 

As you appear to have not flown in Starclass I can tell you you get similar food to economy and plenty of it, you get a personal entertainment system which is ok, you get more leg room than economy, a generous amount of beverages, and a passably comfortable seat which is not a bed. The staff in Starclass I found to be very friendly, helpful and well trained. All up it's fine but it is not business class - it's a very large step below.

 

I somehow feel we were making the same point, only you elected to make it with tact, they are cheap and you get precisely what you pay for is what we both said.

 

I took great exception to the fact my very ill wife was a complete non issue to them, despite the fact that they could have assisted without cost to themselves...

 

I do not consider perfunctory to be polite or professional, if you get/got more that that well done, we didn't, and we are now back to flying with "full fare" airlines and a lot happier :)

[Landth]

While I'm no fan of Jetstar either, I don't think that this is a valid complaint.

 

If you buy a cheap ticket that can't be changed at that price, you voluntarily assume the risk of being too ill to travel. You can buy travel insurance to palm off that risk onto someone else.

 

If you don't want to assume that risk, you should buy a more expensive flexible ticket instead. The airline retains the risk.

 

I can't see why you would buy a cheap ticket and then expect the airline to assume the risk of your illness anyway. You're buying a cheap ticket and wanting the benefits of an expensive ticket. That's trying to have your cake and eat it too.

 

While there are other aspects of Jetstar strictness that are unpleasant, they were absolutely right on this occasion.

 

My initial post was unintentionally misleading, the tickets were purchased with our Qantas FF points, thus the "discount". I say discounted and not free as we still paid 200 odd dollars in taxes.

 

At no point were we told these tickets where unchangeable, (in fact it was my belief they were if we used an extra 10k points), nor in fact were we even aware it was Jetstar flights until the week before departure, probably our own fault for not checking but to be honest the idea we would be flying on another airline when redeeming Qantas points was not something we considered.

 

The doubling of the fare was "yes sir, we can change your flight, we will need a cc to charge the additional fares of 385 dollars to"....... or, "no, screw you loyal client of a sister airline, your problems are not ours" in slightly less straight terms.

 

We had travel insurance, the excess was $200.

 

I paid for the upgrade and didn't make a claim as i felt the fault, if any, was mine, however it didn't change my view of the service Jetstar staff gave us at every contact point I can recall and we will never fly with them again.

[Globaliser]

I took great exception to the fact my very ill wife was a complete non issue to them, despite the fact that they could have assisted without cost to themselves...

 

I do not consider perfunctory to be polite or professional, if you get/got more that that well done, we didn't, and we are now back to flying with "full fare" airlines and a lot happier :)

At no point were we told these tickets where unchangeable, (in fact it was my belief they were if we used an extra 10k points), ...

 

The doubling of the fare was "yes sir, we can change your flight, we will need a cc to charge the additional fares of 385 dollars to"....... or, "no, screw you loyal client of a sister airline, your problems are not ours" in slightly less straight terms.

There is always a cost to the business in providing flexibility. That's one of the reasons why flexible tickets are more expensive.

 

And while profanity from an airline res agent would have been unacceptable, if you held a ticket at a fare that required a change fee to change it, the plain fact is that your wife's illness wasn't their problem, however sympathetic any of us may be on a personal level.

 

You will find many "full service" airlines (including Qantas) taking exactly the same attitude towards this. Choosing to fly them on non-flexible tickets may lead to the same result, although I hope that you will never have to find this out personally.

 

Qantas makes it completely clear what the rules are on changing an award ticket.

Changing your Qantas & Partner Classic Award

 

You can change your Qantas & Partner Classic Award online through Manage Your Booking.** Changes can be made to dates, flight times, or travel class plus you can search for new flights using the 'flexible with dates' display calendar.

 

** Changes must be made at least 24 hours before first flight departure. ...

And there are full details in the T&C.

... to be honest the idea we would be flying on another airline when redeeming Qantas points was not something we considered.

Qantas Frequent Flyer is not slow to point out the wide range of partner airlines on which you can redeem points, so it seems a little surprising that you weren't aware of the possibility. Was it a flight that was originally supposed to be operated by Qantas, but was later changed to Jetstar?

[Landth]

1. There is always a cost to the business in roviding flexibility. That's one of the reasons why flexible tickets are more expensive.

2. Was it a flight that was originally supposed to be operated by Qantas, but was later changed to Jetstar?

 

1. Granted, however I have redeemed points many times and whilst I have only had to change a flight once and did it with more notice there was a points cost but no other issue...

2. I have no idea tbh, as I said I may have missed it, but we thought it was a Qantas flight right up until we confirmed the booking.

 

I am in business, we look after our customers and more particularly our repeat customers, I prefer to spend my money with companies who do the same for me, thats the crux of my first post and drives my thoughts on the Jetstar experience. My biggest issue was that there were seats in economy on every available flight for that day and it would have been a zero cost option for them to change the time, I was not seeking an upgrade in class of travel, merely a later time...

 

However, this thread has become about the legal specifics/semantics of my experience, and that is a long way from the OP's topic.......

[Globaliser]

My biggest issue was that there were seats in economy on every available flight for that day and it would have been a zero cost option for them to change the time ...

It wouldn't have been zero cost. Have you any idea how many people phone up the airline every day and say, "I'm sick, so I want to change my non-flexible ticket for free"? How does the airline discriminate between different customers on the spot and sort out who's lying from who's telling the truth? And have you any idea how much revenue the airline would lose if they just accepted everyone's word for it?

 

You say that you're a "loyal" Qantas "repeat customer". If you're someone who is genuinely provides a lot of repeat business to Qantas, you will of course have the unpublished phone numbers which you can call to sort something out.

 

I know that this sounds harsh, but it's the reality of life in the airline industry. I do over a dozen trips a year with British Airways and spend a five figure sum every year to do so. Yet I know that I'm not even on the airline's radar screen for commercial importance; I can't even describe myself as a frequent flyer.

 

I stress: I'm not a Jetstar cheerleader. Far from it; I won't fly Jetstar myself, either. But on this particular issue, you are very likely to get the same response from most airlines these days.

[Landth]

Well the thread is already derailed so.....

It wouldn't have been zero cost. Have you any idea how many people phone up the airline every day and say, "I'm sick, so I want to change my non-flexible ticket for free"? How does the airline discriminate between different customers on the spot and sort out who's lying from who's telling the truth? And have you any idea how much revenue the airline would lose if they just accepted everyone's word for it?

No, and I cared less, when it's personal that's often the case, forgive my humanity...

You say that you're a "loyal" Qantas "repeat customer". If you're someone who is genuinely provides a lot of repeat business to Qantas, you will of course have the unpublished phone numbers which you can call to sort something out.

No, I have/had the standard numbers, I obviously don't meet your elite criteria, I resent your implication of falsehood.

I know that this sounds harsh, but it's the reality of life in the airline industry. I do over a dozen trips a year with British Airways and spend a five figure sum every year to do so. Yet I know that I'm not even on the airline's radar screen for commercial importance; I can't even describe myself as a frequent flyer.

Damn, yours is sooo bigger than mine...

I stress: I'm not a Jetstar cheerleader. Far from it; I won't fly Jetstar myself, either. But on this particular issue, you are very likely to get the same response from most airlines these days.

Thank you for enlightening me...

[Globaliser]

I resent your implication of falsehood.

None such coming from here.

 

But as you described yourself as a "loyal client of a sister airline" and suggested that you should have been granted a favour because you're a "repeat customer", your disappointment in Jetstar may have been caused by unrealistic expectations of what is likely to be done for someone in your position, particularly given the level of dishonesty displayed by others to try to evade fare conditions. It's not uncommon for full service airlines to take the same approach to the situation you found yourself in, for much the same reasons.

 

Amongst lots of reasons for avoiding Jetstar, this isn't really a good one. And that, ultimately, is the point of this discussion and why it relates to the OP.

[room010]

Some input from an Aussie. Jetstar is the "budget" division of Qantas. It started as a domestic service in Australia but has now expanded its routes to Asia and America. However, it's still a budget airline and as such has the same strict and usually non-negotiable terms and conditions as other budget carriers. I am sorry that you had a bad experience due to unforeseen circumstances but that's the risk you take when you purchase a cheap ticket. The airline would not be able to operate at all on the wafer-thin margins it does if customers were allowed to chop and change their flights due to illness or some other reason no matter how compelling; so taking out insurance to cover these eventualities is always a good idea. I am sure that if you had booked any kind of "Use It Or Lose It" ticket with virtually any other airline, budget or otherwise, you would have had the same problem.

 

As for Jetstar's service. Well, it's a budget airline so you get what you pay for. Baggage allowances are strictly enforced and you have to pay for most "extras" like meals, drinks, movies, etc. And as others have said, it's so-called "Business Class" is nothing of the sort; in fact it would struggle to match Premium Economy on most other airlines. If you want to travel from Sydney to Hawaii in something other than 'cattle class' then you will be better off choosing another airline and probably pay for the privilege too.

 

Australia is a wonderful country but it's a very long way from anywhere and therefore getting anywhere, even flying Economy, isn't cheap.

[kenexx]

It wouldn't have been zero cost. Have you any idea how many people phone up the airline every day and say, "I'm sick, so I want to change my non-flexible ticket for free"? How does the airline discriminate between different customers on the spot and sort out who's lying from who's telling the truth? And have you any idea how much revenue the airline would lose if they just accepted everyone's word for it?

 

Not to even mention the ones who call up with someone who has just died, will die in a minute or maybe die in 2 days time. Yes there are the genuine cases out there that are easy to spot but there are way more out there that are not.

 

Just the way it is sadly, everyone wants cheap fares but not the conditions that go along with them.

[Blazer2]

Big difference in price from Economy, but less than Business. Can someone give me a true analysis of this class of service. I wouldn't mind economy, but DH says no, flying from lax to syd.

 

Also, we want to go the GBR, can a QF flight arriving back in Syd at 1:20 be ok for making the ship. The ship leaves at 6:30pm. Don't know how far it is from the airport to the port for the Rhapsody, so would this be cutting it too close.

 

Thanks I value your opinions.

[kenexx]

Big difference in price from Economy, but less than Business. Can someone give me a true analysis of this class of service. I wouldn't mind economy, but DH says no, flying from lax to syd.

 

Also, we want to go the GBR, can a QF flight arriving back in Syd at 1:20 be ok for making the ship. The ship leaves at 6:30pm. Don't know how far it is from the airport to the port for the Rhapsody, so would this be cutting it too close.

 

Thanks I value your opinions.

 

Blazer2 here are the details of the Qantas Premium Economy experience.

 

It is very much a Business Class lite experience rather than a Premium Y as the catering for example is basically the same as Business Class.

 

As to your second question if the flight from CNS is on time then you really should not have a problem. However if there was an unforseen delay or even cancellation to the flight then you will be in trouble. Depends how much of a risk taker you are but I personally wouldn't do it. I just prefer to be where I need to be with plenty of spare time available.

 

Maurice

[MMDown Under]

We could have used Qantas FF points to fly to Honolulu to join our cruise.

 

Once we discovered that the airline was Jetstar, we chose to buy our tickets from another airline.

 

Where Qantas upsets its loyal FF members is that points earnt flying Qantas are offered for redemption on Jetstar, its budget airline, at equal value. I don't think so!!

 

I agree that Jetstar would not be my airline of choice for long haul flights.

[Globaliser]

Can someone give me a true analysis of this class of service.

QF premium economy is, as kenexx says, more like "business lite" than "economy with extras". But don't expect it to be business class, particularly as far as the seats are concerned. You have more cabin space (about half as much again as in normal economy), and the seats have more recline and reasonable legrests. But they're not remotely comparable to business class seats.

 

Premium economy cabins are relatively small and usually pretty calm and quiet, compared to the nervous energy and tension found in economy.

 

The cabin service is pretty much the same as Qantas' domestic business class - tablecloths, wine from full-size bottles, metal cutlery, food of business class standard, mid-flight hot snacks (toasted sandwiches) on demand on the long sectors, hot towels (which seem to appear at rather random times) etc.

 

Whether it's worth it will depend on the price premium that you're being asked to pay. There's a limit to what I'd pay for premium economy, although I have been very lucky with recent purchases of QF PE and I probably owe the airline a pound or two.

[room010]

As someone noted in a different thread the distance between Sydney to Cairns is roughly the same as Miami to Chigago so flights can be delayed or even cancelled at short notice. If (and it's a big "if") your flight arrives back in Sydney on time you shouldn't have any problem getting to your ship with plenty of time to spare but it's risky. Australia is a BIG country ;)

[SmartTraveller]

Just some friendly advice. Please do not be hoodwinked that Jetstar Star Class is Business Class. At best it is economy plus. It does not compare with Business Class on Qantas, for example.

 

 

That's true but you are not paying anything close to Qantas Business Class or even Premium Economy.

 

It's excellent value for money and for the relatively short flight from HNL-SYD more than acceptable. I fly that route often and have no complaints about Star Class (and I do regularly fly QF First and Business on other sectors).

 

Best of all, if you are a frequent flyer on a One World airline like AA, you will earn points at the business class level for those flights, even though you are paying 1/4 of what you would pay for Business Class.

[Globaliser]

That's true but you are not paying anything close to Qantas Business Class or even Premium Economy.

I agree with the first, but not the second.

 

AFAIK, there aren't any routes on which QF PE flies against JQ StarClass, so a direct comparison is difficult. But a quick look at fares for SYD-BKK (QF PE) against MEL-BKK (JQ StarClass) suggests that the former is around $2,400 and the latter around $2,000. So JQ is a little less but not by that much, and MEL is a lower-yielding O&D anyway.