xenole

Looking at various options between Sydney and Cairns at present and Jetstar seem to be a good AUS$100-$200+ cheaper than Qantas although you don't points etc for it.
i.e TVS (Townsville) to SYD comes in at $199 with JQ and $399 with QF.

Is there any advantages or disadvantages to any of these airlines between CNS and SYD?

Based in the UK and flying mainly with British Airways / OneWorld, QF points aren't that much use to me although could be if I start heading to Australia a bit more. I assume no lounge access at Brisbane using OneWorld status with JQ.
I've used low cost carriers in the US before i.e JetBlue and Southwest and no problems on either of them even with their prices being half of American Airlines sometimes.

Possibly looking at a redemption flight from SYD-BNE-CNS in business, few days in Cairns / GBR, then drive down towards Townsville / Magnetic Island.
Seems to easier to get a flight from there than to drive back to Cairns.

Mwenenzi

Depending on the QF fare basis you will get BA avois for fights.
Look at the BA web site http://www.britishairways.com/travel...d/public/en_gb

BA (OneWorld) status will not get you Qantas lounge assess before JQ flights. Needs QF status.
But look in the monthly thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qanta...ne-2013-a.html. Guest spots can be available

Be careful about extra fees on JQ, especially baggage

Also consider http://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/

seat_4D

Personally I would only fly Jetstar if it was too far to walk....

Wollstonecraft

I am not certain of this. I am AA EXP (OWE) and was able to get into the BNE lounge with my companion when connecting from a QF flight to a Jetstar flight just a few days ago. There was a hitch, however.

The desk clerk had a big book, which she showed me, of all the status cards for OW airlines. My problem, personally, is that her book did not have the new AA logo, and all I had was the AA card in Passbook on my iPhone. She said they did not have access to the computers that could verify my number, and although she could see that my Passbook card said I was AA EXP, the image did not match that in her book, so technically she was not supposed to let us in. She did, eventually, "as a courtesy."

I had the impression that if I had a plastic card with the old logo, it would have matched the book, and there would not have been a problem.

That said, I am with seat_4D and will never fly Jetstar again if I can help it. It was pretty horrible.

BadgerBoi

I think that between Sydney and Cairns is perhaps too far to walk

I wouldn't fly them domestically, however I've flown their business class internationally to Hawaii and to Asia, and it for the price it was pretty good, similar to QF domestic business and much better than anybody's eco or premium economy.

But no, you wouldn't get me on one a Jetstar domestic flight.

Mwenenzi

Look here from post 74 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qanta...l#post20900165

Dave Noble

I have often found that Jetstar plus the extra legroom ( such as row 1 ) seat makes jetstar no worse ( and in some ways better ) than Qantas on a short domestic flight and would not avoid it

If a longer flight, I wouldn't tend to want to be flying in economy and so would be unlikely to purchase jetstar on a 1 class service

RooFlyer

Advantages/disadvantages the same as on any other of their shared routes.

Jetstar is a LCC and acts like it. Cheaper fares, but extra charges for just about everything, relatively cramped seating, restrictive fare rules which are enforced (ie if you miss your flight, charges for changes etc).

Qantas is a 'full service' airline and charges like it. A much better pre, during and post (points etc) flight experience. Qantas J is a pleasure.

You pays yer money and ya takes ya chances with Jetstar.

BadgerBoi

I guess I just have a thing against LCCs. Like you, I don't fly Y in anything longer than about 90 minutes, and not even then if I can avoid it without paying an arm and a leg.

Dave Noble

If you try JQ on something like a SYD-MEL flight and book row 1C , you may well find it a better experience than a QF flight

Plenty of legroom and a quick exit off of the aeroplane on arrival ( vs exit rows on QF/VA ) . JQ has online check in just like QF/VA and can head straight through security on arrival at the airport

Ok, it isn't the cheapest way to fly JQ, but even with the extra legroom cost can come in cheaper and better than QF

Qantas does include luggage , so worth checking price for luggage if taking luggage and does include "meals" but I wouldn't assess QF's short domestic economy "meals" or snacks as worth much

I would not agree with another poster's assertion that QF is better pre-flight nor that JQ's fare rules are onorous and worse than QF's nor that Qf is better post flight

In its early days , where it had no allocated seating etc, then JQ was an airline I would avoid, but now, if flying economy domestically I just take the best value of VA,QF or JQ

BadgerBoi

I'll keep it in mind next time I head to BNE.

lokijuh

Coming into the QF board and asking this question is going to get some slightly biased answers, I suspect. Many QFF'ers will not go near Jetstar for a range of reasons, not the least being the way in which QF eroded value for members by transferring many services from Qantas to Jetstar.

Trying to be neutral and not too emotional about this, as I have flown various sectors on both airlines, admittedly more QF than JQ though, and would fly JQ if the value equation is right (that's accounting for more than just price/cost). In summary:
- If all goes to plan, the main difference between JQ and QF is most likely to be the extra charges for food, drinks, baggage etc. After accounting for extra charges, the in flight experience is probably very similar on both airlines
- QF are likely to handle issues like delays due to weather, mechanical problems, etc better than Jetstar
- QF are generally accepted to be a better choice for itineraries involving connections (especially if first flight is delayed for whatever reason)
- JQ will give you, as Dave Noble has pointed out, guaranteed access to better seating, including 1C and exit row seats, albeit at a cost.
- No status benefits with JQ unless holding QF status, which will give lounge access as the only benefit.
- JQ may or not involve longer queues to check-in.
- JQ does allocate seats so it is not a "free for all" (and IIRC they don't charge extra for printing boarding passes at airports)

From what I've read, in European terms Jetstar is more Easyjet than Ryanair (is there a difference?). Although I've never flown Ryanair, I have flown Easyjet once and found the experience similar to Jetstar, although Easyjet seemed more picky about hand luggage than Jetstar. Difficult to compare to Southwest as they do not charge for luggage and offer free drinks on board and have free-for all seating.

Dave Noble

This post http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20900666-post12.html might suggest otherwise. JQ flight cancelled and passenger rebooked onto VA at the same time as the due JQ flight

I would class JQ more like flying on a domestic US carrier than a EU LCC.

Baggage is extra, food n drinks are extra and all that is included is the travel

JQ approach not dissimilar to AA/UA/DL et al, except (ime) that the cabin tends to be better maintained on JQ and less hand luggage issues due to people not able to bring the kitchen sink on as hand luggage

BadgerBoi

When Jetstar first started up they had free-for-all seating, and that was the beginning of my prejudice against them - they haven't had it for many years now, but I still can't shake my feeling against them.

Dave Noble

Perhaps time to stop pre-judging Jetstar and try them out

If you like being 1st off the aeroplane and having effectively unlimited legroom in economy, Jetstar beats most QF domestic aeroplanes