JetStar International Upgrade Options

[kangarooflyer88]

Hello,

I'm travelling to HNL at the end of May from SYD on a paid JQ Plus fare. I'm curious what upgrade options (if any) there are to move up to business class. In particular can one use points to upgrade the flight? What about cash? If I was successful in the upgrade how would the status credits be calculated (i.e. would they be based on the original fare or something else)?

Also it's my understanding that since I'm travelling on a JQ Plus fare I won't have access to the international QF lounges at SYD or HNL despite my QF Gold status. Is that correct? Are there options to buy into the lounge? Would it make sense?

-RooFlyer88

 

[Mattg]

You can't use Qantas points to upgrade on Jetstar (which is a shame). Pre-covid, Jetstar used to invite pax to pay for an upgrade (generally at a cost of $200-300) exactly 14 days before departure. I'm not sure if they're still doing this.

If you have Qantas Gold status, you can use the Qantas lounges at both SYD and HNL if they are open regardless of what type of fare you've booked on JQ.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

You can't use Qantas points to upgrade on Jetstar (which is a shame). Pre-covid, Jetstar used to invite pax to pay for an upgrade (generally at a cost of $200-300) exactly 14 days before departure. I'm not sure if they're still doing this.

If you have Qantas Gold status, you can use the Qantas lounges at both SYD and HNL if they are open regardless of what type of fare you've booked on JQ.

Will keep an eye out for upgrade opportunities, especially if the price is right. Would be curious if additional status credits are possible with such an upgrade as the prospect of earning 300 SCs return over the paltry 90 I'll be earning on a Plus fare will be useful now that these credits will be rolled over to next year (which when combined with the 50 SC threshold bonus would put me in a very good spot for re-qualifying for status in 2023).

One thing I'm confused by is the lounge access eligibility site which lists QFF Gold with a checkmark for JetStar but there's a plus sign which reads:

+ Jetstar refers to Jetstar Airlines (JQ), Jetstar Asia (3K), Jetstar Japan (GK) and Jetstar Pacific (BL). Must be travelling onwards on a Jetstar Airways operated and marketed flight in the business cabin on a business max fare. Lounge access is only permitted in the port where Jetstar Business operates from. No guest permitted.

This footnote applies to QF International and Domestic lounges which I find confusing since I have used the QF Lounges at ADL, SYD and MEL travelling JQ on a Starter Max (economy) fare. Perhaps that footnote is referring to people without QFF status?

Equally confusing is the QFF earn rate on Business vs Business Max where only the latter earns SCs. A discussion for a different day I suppose.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Mattg]

This footnote applies to QF International and Domestic lounges which I find confusing since I have used the QF Lounges at ADL, SYD and MEL travelling JQ on a Starter Max (economy) fare. Perhaps that footnote is referring to people without QFF status?

-RooFlyer88

This footnote refers to access based on class of travel. You would be accessing based on status.

This is the page you need to look at:

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/frequent-flyer/status-and-clubs/status/gold.html

FWIW I have personally used the QF lounge in HNL on a JQ Starter Plus ticket as QF gold.

 

[Hvr]

Before you get your hopes up, try and book a business class seat on the flight(s). I.e. a dummy booking.

The number of vacant seats, if any, may provide a guide as to the potential for an upgrade offer.

 

[henrus]

JQ stopped the cheap upgrades to business class well before covid. They haven't offered at check in upgrades since about 2016 and the online offers emailed a few days before were basically non existent.

If you want to upgrade then the only guarantee is to pay the fare difference between what you paid and business class.

 

[dylarr]

JQ stopped the cheap upgrades to business class well before covid. They haven't offered at check in upgrades since about 2016 and the online offers emailed a few days before were basically non existent.

If you want to upgrade then the only guarantee is to pay the fare difference between what you paid and business class.

They were still doing this right up until Covid.

Both myself and my travelling companion (on seperate bookings) got upgrade offers on 6 Nov 2019 for a SYD-SGN flight at $239, which we both accepted and were successful.

I'm not sure what the criteria is for selection, but we are both traveling on a Starter Max fare.

 

[ANstar]

Given how popular HNL is currently - I'd sat it's unlikely that their will be any special offers. The small J cabin sells quick on that route. Best bet would just be to call and pay for the normal upgrade if its important.

 

[Mattg]

Just having a look at the loads on Jetstar's MEL-DPS which are restarting from tomorrow. J looks to be pretty much full on most flights, but plenty of Y seats available.

 

[henrus]

Just having a look at the loads on Jetstar's MEL-DPS which are restarting from tomorrow. J looks to be pretty much full on most flights, but plenty of Y seats available.

Given JQ doesn't show in EF I assume you're just looking at the current seat map? If so I'd say it's probably not the best gauge of load given many on JQ don't pay for seat selection and wait until the airport. I've been on a few JQ flights where the night before the seat map was quite empty but they ended up being rather full flights.

 

[Mattg]

Given JQ doesn't show in EF I assume you're just looking at the current seat map? If so I'd say it's probably not the best gauge of load given many on JQ don't pay for seat selection and wait until the airport. I've been on a few JQ flights where the night before the seat map was quite empty but they ended up being rather full flights.

JQ does show in EF as that's where I'm looking at the loads. Most MEL-DPS flights over the coming week or so are showing J0 or J1.

 

[henrus]

JQ does show in EF as that's where I'm looking at the loads. Most MEL-DPS flights over the coming week or so are showing J0 or J1.

I always thought what JQ shows in EF is just a subset of availability they release for the GDS.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Just thought I'd provide an update: checking ExpertFlyer now for my outbound this Saturday on JQ3 it looks like J is fully sold out. Y9 so hopefully not a full economy cabin. For my return the following Saturday on JQ4, it's also J0 and Y9 (albeit cheaper buckets have more availability). No doubt the appetite of Hawaiians to travel to Australia during our winter is minimal.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Mattg]

Just thought I'd provide an update: checking ExpertFlyer now for my outbound this Saturday on JQ3 it looks like J is fully sold out. Y9 so hopefully not a full economy cabin. For my return the following Saturday on JQ4, it's also J0 and Y9 (albeit cheaper buckets have more availability). No doubt the appetite of Hawaiians to travel to Australia during our winter is minimal.

-RooFlyer88

My only comment is that it's unusual for airlines to allow entire aircraft cabins to fill up/become sold out more than a week out from the flight. On any other airline, it would be a sign that something is wrong with revenue management.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My only comment is that it's unusual for airlines to allow entire aircraft cabins to fill up/become sold out more than a week out from the flight. On any other airline, it would be a sign that something is wrong with revenue management.

Would tend to agree but then… JQ fares in the front cabin are quite expensive at the moment and for somewhere like HNL… if you needed a ticket at short notice… would you pay $$$ for JQ or a little bit more for HA?

 

[ANstar]

My only comment is that it's unusual for airlines to allow entire aircraft cabins to fill up/become sold out more than a week out from the flight. On any other airline, it would be a sign that something is wrong with revenue management.

I'd agree in normal times but with capacity still short of pre covid levels and demand as high as ever flights are selling out in advance. Just looking at EY/EK ex AU and they have been sold out for weeks already ex Aus.

 

[Mattg]

Does anyone know if Jetstar ever resumed offering paid upgrades via email ~14 days out from departure?

 

[dylarr]

Does anyone know if Jetstar ever resumed offering paid upgrades via email ~14 days out from departure?

I have the same question as well - wondering if anyone has seen one of these upgrade offers from JQ recently. I'm assuming they are rare because flights are rammed with pax at the moment anyway.

 

[dylarr]

I have the same question as well - wondering if anyone has seen one of these upgrade offers from JQ recently. I'm assuming they are rare because flights are rammed with pax at the moment anyway.

Just bumping this thread to see if anyone has seen one of these upgrade offers on JQ recently.

 

[yachty]

I don't know about the emails but they are selling them at check-in again. You have to hope there is seats left though.