Jetstar: Australia's Low Fares Airline?

[JohnK]

I noticed an advertisement on Page 3 of today's Courier Mail.

Jetsaver Light direct to Sydney from $109

and Brisbane direct to

Mackay from $79
Rockhampton from $79
Whitsunday Coast $119

I am trying to stretch my imagination as far as I can but not matter which way I turn $109 BNE-SYD is very expensive considering that checked luggage is not included. Both Qantas and Virgin Blue are much cheaper and offer a greater choice of services and on Qantas after 4pm weekdays complimentary alcohol is included.

When people hear or read the name Jetstar do they actually believe Jetstar is the "Low Fares Airline"? Where there is a choice of carrier and there are no sale airfares do people actually pay this sort of money for a Jetstar airfare? How has Jetstar marketing succeeded to make people believe that Jetstar is cheaper?

 

[drron]

Ah but John when you are flying MKY-BNE on friday afternoon and BNE-MKY on Sunday evening the $79 is cheap.They are the fares I am travelling on this weekend to come back and see the grandkids.DJ was $189 and QF $352.

 

[Saab34]

I have been wondering the same thing!

MEL-ADL for $89 in the HSun most days now. Virgin are $20-30 cheaper, QF are $4 cheaper, TT are $60 cheaper, Do they think they are some sore of premium carrier with those 2 horribly timed flights a day? Certainly not scoring points in the value for money department. MEL-OOL is up to $119 now, surely they are just giving pax away to TT at this price? They are 50% cheaper in some cases..

They scrapped the fuel surcharge a while back when the others did, then 2 weeks later they added on $10, and now they just keep adding:shock:

And when reading into the T&C's, it stated "not all flights or days", "not always available in school holidays"....At those prices they should be available on holidays....

I think Virgin is cheaper on most routes than JQ now.

 

[oz_mark]

I may be missig something, but according to the JQ website BNE-SYD Jetsaver Light is from $69 (and MEL-ADL is $59).

 

[JohnK]

Well if that is the case then Jetstar has wasted money on the advertisement in the Courier Mail.

Are the airfares you mentioned available? By the way I did check the BNE-SYD return airfares for next week and Jetstar airfares are on par or worse than both QF and DJ if you include checked luggage. But then by earning FF points with QF and DJ plus complimentary alcohol with QF you end up way in front....

 

[oz_mark]

Well if that is the case then Jetstar has wasted money on the advertisement in the Courier Mail.

Are the airfares you mentioned available? By the way I did check the BNE-SYD return airfares for next week and Jetstar airfares are on par or worse than both QF and DJ if you include checked luggage. But then by earning FF points with QF and DJ plus complimentary alcohol with QF you end up way in front....

LCC's of all persuasions IME are coughpy with prices close to departure date.

I did a quick look for August and the JQ etsave Light fares were available on some flights (and other flights only had the higher advertsed fare!)

 

[dajop]

It's all the marketing image they're trying to convince a big part of the population to not even check the other carriers. And I suspect the marketing is working.

I occassionally look at their pricing ex-SIN for cheap fares SIN-MEL-SIN return (cough, splutter), the latest incarnation of that on JQ was $985 SGD return - this time only $10 more than that notoriusly bad LCC, Emirates and their low frills flights . Next best was QF (direct to MEL return via PER) $1045 SGD.

 

[fortymilliondaggers]

Internationally, I haven't found a Jetstar fare which is enticing for a very long time (since they started sending most Asia-bound flights via Darwin).

For the same money or just a few dollars more, you can sometimes get a direct flight on a full service carrier to Asia.

Alternatively, Air Asia have recently been so much cheaper that a trip from Canberra or Sydney to Melbourne or the Gold Coast can be worth the savings.

Is it a case of Jetstar holding their pricing while other airlines frantically discount?

Are they selling seats at those prices?

 

[whereishome]

I noticed an advertisement on Page 3 of today's Courier Mail.

There's your problem.

 

[JohnK]

I noticed an advertisement on Page 3 of today's Courier Mail.

There's your problem.

And what is wrong with the Courier Mail? As work provides the newspapers the choice is either Courier Mail or the Australian and most of the time I only read the sports pages and the Courier Mail is much better than the Australian for sport. The Australian gives me headaches anyway....

 

[Danger]

Ironic. I was thinking similar today. The West Australian paper has PER-MEL for $189 on a light fare. QF equal or better this in a sale. And now, in a non-sale period, it's $214. So $25 for checked bags, food, entertainment etc. Definitely worth it.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

they have big ads in melb for mel/bkk $409 each way on lite fares, u can fly Thai direct at about the same price, with meals, booze, entertainment, advance seat selection and bags and choice of 14 flights a week compared to JQ's 3. Why advertise this rubbish!

And agree with others, they don't even BEGIN to compete on mel/per and mel/ool with Tiger, i got flights the other day on tiger mel/ool at $48 ea way, same days jetstar is about 120 or 130. What a load of rubbish! Have you decided to just give up and cave in Jetstar?

 

[Alanslegal]

yeah I've seen SYD-MEL/AVV for as low at $29 on Tiger.

Guess JQ wants to suck in your $$$ then let you *pray* for a Best Rate Guarantee promise where you get refunded a voucher* for the difference

* of course the vouchers are only redeemable on JQ flights

 

[gilby08]

yeah I've seen SYD-MEL/AVV for as low at $29 on Tiger.

Guess JQ wants to suck in your $$$ then let you *pray* for a Best Rate Guarantee promise where you get refunded a voucher* for the difference

* of course the vouchers are only redeemable on JQ flights

HUH?? Tiger don't do SYD-AVV, Jetstar's recent sale was $19, cheaper than what Tiger was advertising.

As for their price beat guarantee, they give you a 10% discount on the competitors fare, no vouchers there.

 

[oz_mark]

As for their price beat guarantee, they give you a 10% discount on the competitors fare, no vouchers there.

They have changed the way the price beat works. They used to issue vouchers, but now you ring up to book at the 10% lower price.