tak2

Our travel is tight for time so Cairns to Perth direct is preferred over the connection flights .
However, the reviews on JetStar , which I understand is the only one offering direct on Feb 14, have been mostly horrible with plenty of 1/10 ratings.
I intend to purchase MAX fare, and other options, which gives me extra legroom, 30 kg luggage, and 10 kg carry on. Are there other issues that I should be aware of, apart from the numerous reviews stating delayed or cancelled flights?
Thanks for your comments.

serfty

@tak2 Are you sure about 14th Feb?<br>
<br>
I can see no direct CNS-PER Qf/JQ flight on that date.<br>
<br>
There is one the day before.

Dave Noble

If you are travelling on a day where there is the direct service ( 13th has one , but other days that week doesnt ) , I would take JQ over Qantas, for economy class, if there was a choice.

No need to pay for a MAX fare, just book what is needed and pay for row 1 seats and it is, imo, more pleasant than Qantas and , unlike an exit row seat on Qantas, will be the 1st off of the aeroplane at the destination

On the 14th, Virgin or Qantas via Brisbane seems the logical routing

tak2

Oops, it has to be Feb 13 then.
We plan to fly from BNE to CNS on Feb 11 right after arriving from Vancouver, Canada.
It was wishing thinking subconsciously that we stay in Cairns for two full days, but now it looks like we have the 12th as the only day, as the flight from CNS departs Feb 13 at 1945 hrs.
Thanks for your suggestion on paying only for what is worthwhile.
Question: I rarely sit in row 1 as there is no underseat storage, where dose one put valuables such as a purse?

nancypants

The crew are generally really good at saving the front most lockers for row 1 customers. They are also really good at coming by as soon as the seatbelt signs are off and passing down any small items one would usually have kept with you. Anything really really valuable of course needs to be in your pocket or hand for take off

i didn’t think starter max bundles included the 10kg carry on- only business max which I don’t think includes checked luggage, it could have changed though

i fly jetstar a lot (DRW doesn’t get much mainline QF service and the timings mean I can get home a day early rather than having to stay in Darwin) and even though people recoil in horror, it is far more comfortable and enjoyable than QF Y with a bit of planning

if you take a bundle aim to maximise the in flight catering you can achieve with the voucher- the menus are available online so you can work out what you fancy. I’ve never experienced them running out of anything but have never not sat in row 1. If you don’t fancy anything use up the voucher for bottles of water or snacks to take with you. Alternatively unbundle and pay for what you want only- cash not accepted by the way

they get a bad rep for cancellations, again i’ve never experienced it but I imagine when it happens it’s on trunk routes eg SYD-MEL. I’ve heard the last flight of the day is usually the issue. Once daily flights are generally not affected and the Darwin flights usually not affected because they will almost always have a plane available to leave the east coast immediately prior to curfew

og

Jetstar 1ABC have better legroom than 1DEF. 1C is best of all. Regarding carry on bags, the crew protect the front overhead lockers so you will be able to stash your things- so long as you board promptly (ie don’t be late in joining the boarding queue).

edited- nancypants and I said the same things, I was just a bit slower ..

tak2

Thanks to all of you with such detailed tips!
What about exit row 13? Wife and I like to each take an aisle seat, i.e. 13C, D if the legroom is , say, 34 inches or so.

nancypants

Not sure if you’re usually in one of those countries that allows it but nothing under the seat in the exit row either just FYI

legroom is I believe the same as row 1

tak2

Both of our airlines, Air Canada and WestJet, allow under seat storage for exit rows. Thanks for letting me know of Australian airline rules, so I can be prepared.

Talking about rules, does JetStar allow bringing food purchased at CNS ( if food outlets are available ) onboard, or one has to buy from the airline? I see that there is a meal option selection during the process of booking a flight.

igel

If you need to check luggage, you can also buy a Plus package which allows up to 20kg (with options to buy up more).
The Plus package comes with a meal voucher for inflight use and allows advanced free selection of the standard seats.
The Plus package is cheaper than the Max package.

Dave Noble

The other thing to remember is that storing things in the overhead lockers is not a big issue. The seat belt signs are turned off within about 10 minutes of takeoff so no real issue getting the items needed soon after take off

Also in Australia, there is not the same level of problem with people trying to take their kitchen sinks on as hand luggage. Checking bags in will not significantly imapct getting away at the destination

nancypants

They obviously want to sell you food but they don’t object to you bringing your own either