Using Jetstar as a Qantas Frequent Flyer

[LAH]

I have put up with Jetstar for a number of years; experiences between good and downright ugly! I think some of my frustration with Jetstar is brought on by my own expectations as a QFF. I guess this is a 'whinge'.

Luggage allowance is something that 'niggles' with me as I am currently living in Indonesia and I need to bring back certain items from Australia during the year. I have to connect in Singapore if I am going to Europe for work, and Qantas won't take the booking from Denpasar, so I am stuck with the Jetstar luggage allowance. The extra luggage are not my personal items but work necessities and although the company pays my excess, it still irritates me.

I have no choice but to fly Jetstar on some routes - although I often note a QF code share when I arrive at the airport! I take a mental note and try to book that next time, but the Qantas booking engine always redirects me to Jetstar and I can only book the JQ flight number.

Over the last year I have taken to flying to Darwin as I can visit my eldest daughter there, then flying Qantas to Melbourne (home town). But, have to go to Melbourne in June and just went to book 2 x business class fares. My twitch started when the fare automatically included the max bundle at approx 200 dollars per person both ways. what do I get? Oh, QF frequent flyer points and status points. Lounge access? Well, I already get that! And refundable : well, that isn't of interest to me and the business fare has enough flexibility for me not to require. So, it comes down to me paying 200 dollars extra each way for status credits and points.

This is where I start thinking : for a while now I have been debating changing ff programs. Although I am well on the way to enough status credits for P1 this year, I won't achieve it because I don't travel on enough QF metal/marketed flights. Sowhen a 'budget' airline like Jetstar wants to charge me to earn my points and status credits (and it is not a huge earn), I feel very irritated. Their fare in business is not a budget fare for the product provided and once I pay excess luggage (sometimes) and more money to 'status'/'point' earn, is it worth it? No, it isn't. If I have to pay this extra 200 dollars each way, so it is 400 dollars, then why would I fly Jetstar? I am only flying them because I am a Qantas frequent flyer.

Furthermore, my final aggravation, is that it appears that I can't spend points on seats with Jetstar between Denpasar and Melbourne. The Qantas website won't show this route, and I don't see where I can do it in the Jetstar website. Has anybody else tried to redeem points on this route? Have a great week everybody!

 

[samh004]

As a QFF, I find Jetstar very unappealing, simply due to the status I have worked to maintain on Qantas, meaning nothing when travelling with them. I have hopes that this will one day change in a way that benefits myself and others with status... but it's too easy to be pessimistic.

I don't think it's unreasonable to receive some benefits as a QFF that acknowledge status, despite them being a LCC. In the grand scheme of things, it'd make me more likely to include them as a choice when booking, instead of ignoring them. Some things would impact their potential earn, like luggage (though if I don't fly them anyway, they make nothing out of me), while some would be cheap, like a greeting onboard, or standard seat selection.

Because they can't offer me any of these things, I choose to avoid wherever possible. But if they did, I'd probably split my time equally between the two brands.

 

[RailFlyer]

I disagree based on my experiences. I travel on JetStarNZ between AKL and WLG about once per month and always get given an exit row seat at check in when I present my Gold QFF card at check-in desk. Sometimes I don't even have to ask. And I always get a 'Gold Shadow' something I don't think Gold QFF even get on Qantas domestic!

These things may say more about their loading than any official rules, but it suits me well, especially as their fares are normally 50-75% less than AirNZ for the same time of day and the planes and crews are a lot newer and more friendly (I was going to add the word "respectively" to the end of that sentence, but it actually is more true without it!). I have Gold status with AirNZ and still get given the middle seat on a 737-400 sometimes!

I always book the 'Plus Bundle' because:
a) work is paying, so why turn down the SC and points?
b) it effectively makes it fully flexible until check-in opens (a bargain at an extra $20 per leg). Changing flights has also been easy, just log onto their website with your booking reference, select new flight and pay fare difference (last time I did this 1 day our, the extra was $3!)

I haven't had the balls to fly them Trans-tasman yet.... maybe I should put my cough where my mouth is? OT: Currently I have transferred my business from Qantas to Emirates for TT because:
a) the seats are so much better in Y
b) same price
c) better IFE on A380
d) hopefully one day I will get an op-up (surely the J cabin in mainly empty on TT?)

 

[michaele]

d) hopefully one day I will get an op-up (surely the J cabin in mainly empty on TT?)

I flew the A380 TT AKL-SYD in J on a Monday and it was about 50% full.

If I'm on a Jetstar flight I might try present my SG card at checkin - the two times I've flown them recently it was as if QF (and associated status) didnt exist.

 

[LAH]

Hello RailFlyer, thanks for your comments. In general I find the crews really friendly and pleasant - some of them even recognise me (not my status!)! Good to hear you have had these experiences.

Hope you get that op-up!

 

[LAH]

Samh004, agree completely. I really wish that Jetstar (entire!) would recognise QF FF'er status as some of us are just gritting our teeth and traveling with Jetstar because of QF association (thanks to QF, I do get the first class lounge when I fly JQ from Melbourne to Denpasar!) . I don't consider it a LCC given the product it presents for the longer flight in Star Class : and all the addons they charge for : a monetary add on just to get points and sc's!!!

 

[Princess Fiona]

As someone who flys from a place all but deserted by QF ( unless I want to fly to BNE) I feel your pain. My own solution was to take a status match from VA and maintain it. I am however a little bit optimistic that we will see more status recognition on JQ. My optimism is driven by a combination of my own observations on my last couple of JQ flights and the recent "fairer and simpler " changes to QFF.
Here's hoping

 

[ChasingDaylight]

I'm in DRW, which is and has been getting the shaft from both J* at QF recently (though I do note during the dry we get an extra QF flight from SYD). Was pricing up flights recently to HKG from DRW, was much cheaper for me to go with MH than J*. Still get lounge access with decent flight times, food and luggage. I'll use my SG status until it expires then consider MH or AA for crediting.

 

[Barks]

Ever since QF resumed the SYD-OOL route, I've found JQ to be little to no use for me but I've always been surprised (from reading posts here) that QFF status isn't all that recognised on JQ. As others have said, I sense that may change in the future.

 

[LAH]

thanks PF : I maintain my optimism ....... sometimes it flags a little .........

 

[LAH]

Barks, I hope you are right!