Article: Air New Zealand versus Jetstar: Head to Head in Aotearoa

[AFF Editor]

Canonical URL

https://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/air-new-zealand-versus-jetstar/

Air New Zealand versus Jetstar: head to head in Aotearoa is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

Air New Zealand versus Jetstar: Head to Head in Aotearoa

How does Jetstar compare to Air New Zealand when flying domestically in New Zealand? Is it worth paying the premium for Air New Zealand? We took two flights to find out.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[jase05]

The NZ product is pretty average but my stubbornness forces me to pay the higher price just to avoid JQ.
I know we got stung a couple of times last trip there but many years ago I vowed never to fly JQ again so I have to pay whatever NZ wants

 

[Mwenenzi]

Air New Zealand versus Jetstar: Head to Head in Aotearoa

How does Jetstar compare to Air New Zealand when flying domestically in New Zealand? Is it worth paying the premium for Air New Zealand? We took two flights to find out.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

On Jetstar I paid NZD54 (~AU$46) plus NZD5.50 for standard seat selection. I added an extra seven kilograms of hand luggage for an additional NZD25 as I knew my soft carry on would likely be above seven kilograms and Jetstar is known for its strict enforcement of carry on rules. The total fare was NZD86 (~AU$74). This fare wasn’t eligible to earn Qantas Points or status credits.

You should have received 400 QF points but not SC if a NZ domestic ticket. All NZ domestic JQ tickets get QF points, but only the higher bundles get SC.
If the JQ NZ domestic flight is in conjunction with an international flight no QF points on the lower bundles (same as AU)

 

[kileskus]

Having a job offer in regional NZ that I'm considering has made me think about JQ vs NZ recently so this is a timely article.

Like jase05 I've vowed not to fly Jetstar again but unlike him I break that vow in NZ most times. I'd take the few hundred QFF points and save $30 than an NZ seat fare.

If I was a frequent flyer in New Zealand I would gravitate towards Air New Zealand for the more extensive network as well as its frequent flyer program, lounge access and so on.

I guess having *A gold would be the main reason to fly NZ if not willing to shell out for more flexible fare classes. As AFF has pointed out before the Airpoints program is terrible. Plus you don't earn points in partner programs on a seat only fare (at least not Aeroplan but I assume that applies to the other partners too).