Jetstar - ultra-early check-in

[gizzard]

I have a flight with them tomorrow returning next Monday. You can check-in online 48 hours before your flight and can choose your seat at that point although it appears that many of the seats are blocked.

What's interesting is, because both flights are under the same booking reference I was able to check-in for my flight for the return trip - one week before I'm due to travel. In fact, I could check-in for the return without checking-in for the outbound! I wonder how far out you can do this. Not surprisingly I was number 001 to check-in which doesn't happen often. I'm also wondering what happens if they alter the flight time now that I'm already checked-in.

 

[TheInsider]

JQ don't block seats, so the majority of seats that you cannot allocate, would already be allocated by other passengers.
For delays or what have you, you'd be sent an SMS.

 

[gizzard]

JQ don't block seats, so the majority of seats that you cannot allocate, would already be allocated by other passengers.

That's what I thought but the unavailable seats were very structured with the front 10 or so rows and back 6 or so unavailable. They could be group bookings, of course, but it certainly wasn't random.

 

[dk4]

I have a flight with them tomorrow returning next Monday. You can check-in online 48 hours before your flight and can choose your seat at that point although it appears that many of the seats are blocked.

What's interesting is, because both flights are under the same booking reference I was able to check-in for my flight for the return trip - one week before I'm due to travel.

IME, just before the 48 hour mark, Jetstar automatically allocates seats to every passenger on a flight, whom has not already purchased a preselected a seat.

Thus at T-48, when WCI “officially” opens, the number of seats that are not filled will match the number of seats left for sale on that flight. So an empty seat (at less then T-48) will remain empty unless - 1) Jetstar sells another ticket, and said passenger selects that empty seat, 2) Another passenger changes (or is changed at the airport/onboard) from their seat allocation to that seat, 3) A standby passenger gets on that flight at the airport. (Beware that on certain routes/times, there is heavy demand for standby (i.e. staff) seating, so “empty middle seat only” rows are more likely to fill on those flights.)

If you WCI for your return flight at the same time, and it is more than 48 hours prior to that flight, the system will not have pre-allocated a seat to every passenger on the aircraft yet, so only those passengers who have pre-purchased a seat allocation, and all premium seats (i.e. upfront & exits rows, if you didn't pre-purchase either option) will be blocked out, giving you a whole lot more choice of where to sit. (But obviously this seat map will not be indicative of what seats are likely to be filled or remain empty after the T-48 system allocation. However, generally the system allocation does this fairly methodically from the front to the back, so "empty middle seats only” rows toward the rear, are more likely to remain empty than those at the front, if a flight is not fully loaded.)

Jetstar uses front and rear boarding/disembarkation at most domestic ports, but often the last flight into an airport of a night (i.e. when the aircraft is not going to turn around and fly out again until the following day) will be forward door disembarkation only. (So if you select a seat at the rear of the cabin, you will be last off the aircraft.)

 

[cmon0005]

On a slightly off-topic question related to this, I am flying one-way JQ later this week for the first time in years, only because the route I am flying is JQ only.

I have already selected a standard seat as a part of my starter bundle.
When webcheck opens can I select a premium seat aka 1D for free? or will it still try and charge me?

 

[markis10]

On a slightly off-topic question related to this, I am flying one-way JQ later this week for the first time in years, only because the route I am flying is JQ only.

I have already selected a standard seat as a part of my starter bundle.
When webcheck opens can I select a premium seat aka 1D for free? or will it still try and charge me?

If its available its yours free of charge.

 

[samh004]

If its available its yours free of charge.

Good to know, despite already being "checked-in" for flights in October

 

[cmon0005]

If its available its yours free of charge.

Just realised JQ Webcheckin is 48 hours not 24 hours like most carriers are.

On the purchase seats screen it shows the entire row 1 is available for purchase, a few single seats scattered around rows 4 and 5 for purchase and a few random seats around the middle.
Yet when I goto seat selection on web checkin it shows all of row 1 and the available scattered seats in rows 4 and 5 with an X, when infact no-one is in them yet.

Ploy to make me pay for a seat? This is why I never fly J*!!

Also FWIW I tried a dummy search and there are around 18 seats still available for sales on this flight.

 

[blu]

What about buying additional seats. We paid for 1DE on JQ SYD-HBA.
Can we buy 1F also, keep it through checkin & and travel with it empty?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

What about buying additional seats. We paid for 1DE on JQ SYD-HBA.
Can we buy 1F also, keep it through checkin & and travel with it empty?

You can't just book another seat when nobody will physically be sitting in it as the pax count would not be correct but I don't know whether all airport staff 'get' this so if you'd done OLCI when you go to board the F/A's may just board your imaginery friend despite it not being the correct thing to do.

You'd have to contact the JQ call centre to book an extra seat for pax comfort for one of the pax but TBH I don't really know how well versed they are with this & they're just as likely to tell you incorrect information.

You'd be better off allocating 1D & 1F however there will always be some clown who will pay for upfront seating - yes even a middle seats & think "wow, I got row 1" so be warned.

 

[Esilef]

So if they assign all seats 48 hours prior to flight does that mean that we can go into our booking with our paid for seat choices and change our seats to those with a spare seat next to them?

Hubby has a broken back and we have been desperate to upgrade him to star class and no luck or the use of credit cards will get the upgrade so now we are going the spare seat next to him option whole row would be brilliant but unlikely


We have booked down the back of the air craft about 6 rows from the back. Me & our son at the window & hubby on an isle seat in the middle row of 4. Flying out on a Tuesday & back on a saturday.

The flights are only 60% full

 

[eastwest101]

.... and we have been desperate to upgrade him to star class and no luck or the use of credit cards will get the upgrade so now we are going the spare seat next to him option whole row would be brilliant but unlikely

No such thing as "star class" on domestic Jetstar A320/A321 services - row 1 and exit rows only have the extra leg room, if its an international Jetstar A330 service you will need to book a seat in "Starclass" to get it (they call it business class).

 

[Esilef]

No such thing as "star class" on domestic Jetstar A320/A321 services - row 1 and exit rows only have the extra leg room, if its an international Jetstar A330 service you will need to book a seat in "Starclass" to get it (they call it business class).

We are flying Melbourne to Honolulu next may. It would be easier to cancell his economy ticket and rebook in star class. To upgrade his current ticket they are charging ticket change fees and selling star class at a higher rate than their sale fares.

Our only hope is that they will open upgrades up a couple of weeks prior or they will have another star class sale.

 

[mannej]

If it is cheaper to cancel and purchase a new ticket, why not do it?

 

[Esilef]

Ru

If it is cheaper to cancel and purchase a new ticket, why not do it?

simply cost and we hope he can fly then

 

[Austman]

JQ don't block seats, so the majority of seats that you cannot allocate, would already be allocated by other passengers.
For delays or what have you, you'd be sent an SMS.

Interesting. Are you sure? In the days when it was free seating on JQ, they used to rope off sections of seating on lighter loaded A32x flights. Maybe it's still the same - but not done with the ropes. I saw large sections of my upcoming JQ A32x flight as "allocated" yet there were still at least 50 seats for sale.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

So if they assign all seats 48 hours prior to flight does that mean that we can go into our booking with our paid for seat choices and change our seats to those with a spare seat next to them?

Hubby has a broken back and we have been desperate to upgrade him to star class and no luck or the use of credit cards will get the upgrade so now we are going the spare seat next to him option whole row would be brilliant but unlikely

We have booked down the back of the air craft about 6 rows from the back. Me & our son at the window & hubby on an isle seat in the middle row of 4. Flying out on a Tuesday & back on a saturday.

The flights are only 60% full

The flights may only be 60% full now but May is a very popular time to travel to Hawaii so flights could end up being 100% full.

Have you priced HA in J on the A330 flight ex SYD? Do you need J both ways or only on the overnight flight outbound?

I would also consult your husband's Doctor regarding your planned trip.

 

[Esilef]

The flights may only be 60% full now but May is a very popular time to travel to Hawaii so flights could end up being 100% full.

Have you priced HA in J on the A330 flight ex SYD? Do you need J both ways or only on the overnight flight outbound?

I would also consult your husband's Doctor regarding your planned trip.

his dr is concerned with him flying economy. We are thinking of waiting until there is a sale and trying to get him a seat in star class the last sale was not that good my father and brother are o. The same flights in star class so wise comes to worse they will swop