Wx4caster

I need to book one-way tickets for 3 from HNL to MEL in November, and as much as it pains me, no airline comes even remotely close to the Jetstar price (even after I select the Max bundle to include extra luggage and seat assignment). And there's the fact that Jetstar offers the only non-stop service from HNL to MEL - so while it may be a miserable 11 hours, at least it's 11 hours and done with no connections! (Fortunately the return is out of AKL on NZ).

However, I'm so confused by how the meals work on the HNL-Australia flights - and there's supringly little recent information or reviews to be found on the internet about the JQ services on this routing. The max bundle option says it includes "meal or meal voucher". However, I have also seen many website reviews suggesting one "pre-order meals". Nowhere during the booking process does Jetstar ask me to book a meal - is pre-booking required even with the max bundle that includes meals?? Even if I have to pay extra for meals and entertainment on top of the Max Bundle, I'll still come out way ahead price-wise, but I definitely don't want fail to plan ahead appropriately and end up with no food for 11 hours.

I'd appreciate any other thoughts/experiences on Jetstar Hawaii to Australia flight, if anyone can provide. Mahalo!

Dave Noble

Why will it be miserable? if you book the extra legroom seats (which are included in cost of Max bundle) it will be more pleasant than a regular seat on Qantas
On the page after seat selecton, you will get "Meals and Snacks" option
Click on there and you can select your meals. If you have included the max option, then the meals will generally say "Included in max bundle"

Wx4caster

Unfortunately my 3 year old will keep us out of the exit row, and bulkhead seats are already gone. As to the food, I kept expecting to see a meal and snack option, as you describe, however I got all the way to payment page without being asked to pre-order a meal.

Dave Noble

If you cannot take exit seats and don't need a refundable ticket, why go for the Max bundle? it will be cheaper just to pay for the meal. 20Kg baggage plus standard seating and a standard meal would come to $67 which is a lot cheaper than the Max bundle

I just did a dummy booking and after clicking on "proceed to extras" , had options for "meals and snacks" , Club Jetstar and "Offsite airport parking"

Wx4caster

I suppose I could do a la carte instead of bundling and save some cash. Still, though, I made yet another dummy booking and DID NOT select a bundle this time to see if the website then directed me to meals and snacks, and it still does not. I get all the way to payment screen. I just don't understand how my dummy process is any different than yours. Unless it has to do with logging in - i do not have a jetstar account.

Dave Noble

From bundles page I have
Continue to Bags
I select 20Kg for $46 and click "add now"
Continue to seats
I then have choice of Standard seats, Upfront seats or Extra legroom or I dont mind
clicked on Choose seats on map
Selected a seat and clicled Confirm and review seats
Then clicked on Continue to extras

Then arrived at page stating "Your trip, your way "

where there are pictoral links for meals and snacks, Club jetstar ,offsite airport parking, entertainment and comfort packs

At this page can click on the meals and snacks picture and select meals

Only after then clicking on "Continue to booking details" do I get to point where passenger details are added

Wx4caster

i just tried entering the australia site, and now at last I see the extras you are talking about - this screen does not show up on the US site. So confusing!

Mwenenzi

While not familiar with the HNL B787 flight, on other JQ flights cabin crew with a trolley will walk down the aircraft ask if you want to buy foods/drinks. Payment with credit card only. If you have a pre-paid "meal-snack" they give it to you then. Keep your expectations low on the quality, options & value for money.

You do not need to join the JQ club.

Wx4caster

I continue to be confused by the food selection. When I try searching the internet for info, I see pictures of fairly "traditional" airline meals like this one -

However, when I get to the "extras" selection of the booking process, nothing on the menu looks remotely similar to this - certainly nothing that contains protein, startch, veggie, bread, dessert all on one tray.


How on earth does one pre-order one of the "complete" meals? Also, is there any advantage to selecting and paying for meals during the booking process vice later? (I'm not flying until November). -- Mahalo!

moa999

You'll get the complete meal, it's just selecting the main (or Hot Dish)

lokijuh

Wx4caster

I finally gave up trying to figure out the mysteries of flying Jetstar economy and went ahead and purchased their faux-business class fare. Getting 3 people from Hawaii to Australia for under $1,000 US is an incredible deal and I told myself I could handle 11 hours crammed in the back for that kind of savings, but I wimped out. Now I'm up to $979 per person, but that's still within $100 of what Qantas is charging for basic economy, and Jetstar is nonstop. I was also able to get us seats in row 1, so we won't have anyone reclining into us. Hopefully the airport experience will be a bit less stressful as well. Assuming there is a business class check in counter at HNL, I'll sleep in an extra hour and arrive 2 hours before departure instead of 3. Does anyone know if JQ business class passengers have access to an expedited customs/immigration line upon arrival in MEL?

Mwenenzi

JQ business class is more like a premium economy, but far better than economy.
My understanding is QF do not advertise a "basic economy" fare. QF economy would include meals & checked luggage, but not (like many airlines) seat allocation.

At MEL you may get an immigration express pass from JQ. But if you can use the Smart Gate is of no value. I have a bunch of express cards I have never used.
Smartgate at Australia & NZ immigration

Everyone is the same line for MEL customs, where the queue can at times be a little slow.

og

Wx4caster

I just meant that the QF flight from HNL to Australia does not offer premium economy, even if I were willing to pay for it. So my choices are QF Economy ($888 US, with a layover and terminal change in SYD) or a comparably constructed (i.e., with bags, food, entertainment) JQ non-stop economy ticket for about $340. That's a no-brainer, except that there's just too many "unknowns" for me, being new to JQ. Otherwise there's the JQ premium economy (i.e., what they call "business") for $979 US versus true business on QF for $3,500!! So, I'm rationalizing the big purchase I just made bt considering that the $979 premium economy tickets are still a relatively good value (since there's NO way I'm spending $3,500x3 on QF biz!!). I hope I still think so after I've completed the flight!

Ah rats, I got all excited for a moment, and then read the rules. The same 3 year old that prevented me from selecting exit row seats on JQ (before I switched to biz) will also prevent us from using the smart gate. SO, the express cards may indeed come in usful.