Jetstar Airways

Tag Archives for Jetstar Airways.

My 5th Dreamliner Flight: Jetstar “Business” to Singapore

MEL, Melbourne, Australia  to SIN, Singapore  JQ7 Scheduled Departure: 12:00 Arrival: 16:50 Actual Departure: 13:34 Arrival: 18:06 Total distance: 6,040km -3,753 miles Bookings: 10/10 While operating just one class on domestic services in Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam, the carrier runs a StarClass (Business Class) on key international flights between Australia and Honolulu, China, Japan, Singapore and Thailand. I thought I would try this option out, especially as it gave me another ride on a 787, making it my fifth 787 ever! Jetstar’s website is very easy to use. I like the way, they handle choosing between one way and round trip bookings. It is very…

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Journey to the Centre of Australia with Jetstar

We recently spent a few days  at Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock). To get to the spiritual heart of Australia means flying to its remote airport (code:AYQ) at an outrageous cost. Fares from Sydney can range from $450 to $1000 for the round trip.  I could fly round trip to Singapore for $450 to $750 in the same period. Yet, Ayers Rock is three hours and 40 mins from Sydney and Singapore is just over eight hours! We chose to fly with Jetstar, which cost us around $490 round trip. I have never been a huge…

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Will Kiwi Regional Airlines succeed? Risks are high.

Between 1994 and 1996, a small New Zealand airline Kiwi Travel International Airlines established by Ewan Wilson turned Australian-New Zealand air travel on its head. Initially operating from secondary NZ airports Hamilton and Dunedin, the carrier expanded to Christchurch.  Offering a “Cola and Peanuts”  fare, they introduced fares that significantly undercut Air New Zealand and Qantas, the established trans-Tasman carriers. Air New Zealand countered by establishing its own low cost subsidiary Freedom Air in December, 1995 which also operated from secondary airports. Fares plunged so low that passengers were picking up flights for $US120 round trip for the 2200 km (1378 mile) international…

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Jetstar at ten

I make no secret of my dislike of Jetstar (JQ), the low cost arm of Australian airline Qantas. We have never really bonded. I am not alone according to the complaints on the Don’tflyjetstar website. Some would say that Jetstar has been then saviour of Qantas and others would say the advancement of the budget carrier has come at the cost of the mainline carrier. The story started when QANTAS acquired Impulse Airlines, a Newcastle based independent carrier. It took its lessons from that to launch Jetsar in May 2004. The aim was to compete directly…

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Scoot crams 375 people into 787

Singapore Airlines subsidiary Scoot two weeks ago announced  that their 787-9 will have a whopping 375 passengers aboard. This number of seats is a far cry from Boeing’s promise of roomy flights with passengers sitting 2-4-2.  Budget airline Jetstar has gone with 335 seats on their 787-8s and Norwegian has 291 seats on theirs. The budget carrier will receive the first of their twenty 787s in November. The plane will replace their six Boeing 777-200s which were originally flown by Singapore Airlines. The plane will initially fly from Singapore to  Australia, Japan and Taiwan. The airline has orders for ten 787-8s and ten 787-9s. Eight…

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Jetstar Christmas Present-Not

On November 25, one month before Christmas, Jetstar NZ cancelled a December 23 Melbourne to Auckland flight. Jetstar very helpfully tried to accomodate the 80 passengers that were affected. Some were offered tickets on a December 26 flight, they claimed and some were offered flights one week before their original date, when people were at work. Passengers attempting to find flights at this late stage with other airlines faced an impossible prospect. Many shelled out hundreds of dollars more to get seats. Christmas in Australia and New Zealand is the biggest holiday of the year. Most shops and businesses shut down for three to…

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Tuesday Trip Report: Air Australia

  I blogged on Friday about Air Australia – the newest airline operating in Australia.  Today’s Trip Report is about my recent journey on board their only domestic flight: between Brisbane and Melbourne, the two hubs of Air Australia’s international operations. Booking: 6 out of 10 As noted in my blog post, last Friday, the CEO of Air Australia, the newest airline in the country, has promised that the airline will bring “Simplicity”. Well that promise did not extend to fares, the booking process or to the website.  There are five types of fares (Sale, Saver, Flex Saver, Flexible and Business). I have already said Air…

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Qantas is Back

21 days of compulsory negotiations between unions and company to follow. I will be interested in the outcomes! What the unions want: Transport Workers Union:  5 per cent pay rise per year, with an additional 1 per cent in superannuation (pension payments) protected against a rise in CPI. The Australian and International Pilots Association:  2.5 per cent pay increase, each year, for three years Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association : 5.33 per cent pay rise to cover wages plus additional allowances, every year, for three years. This, however, is not what the real issue is about. Qantas announced recently the…

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Qantas and the Unions- Desperate Dejavu?

My friend Leanne has been planning her Italian holiday for 18 months. She was flying out tomorrow with Qantas. Not anymore. In a move thats bizarre, risky and inexplicable, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce told a news conference in Sydney, Saturday: “We have decided to ground the Qantas international and domestic fleets immediately,” Joyce said. How often does an airline shut down all of its operations?  108 planes grounded. Those in the air landed at their destinations. The rest are not going anywhere. On Monday the entire staff will be stood down without pay. There are seventeen…

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