JETSTAR ASIA review : 8 September 2008 : by David Chin

Customer Rating : 1/5

Our latest experience with Jetstar on our flight back to Singapore from HCMC left a sour taste, and made an otherwise enjoyable time in Saigon, not so great.On a budget flight we may be made to tolerate things like cramp spaces between seats or the lack of service or food or drinks etc but we did not expect rudeness! After the 'bad' experience we decided to write to Jetstar to let them know of their staff behaviour, but it has been three weeks now, and they have not even bothered to respond.

JETSTAR ASIA review : 2 September 2008 : by F Chan

Customer Rating : 3/5

Singapore-Bangkok. This is a budget airline, and there is nothing to be thrilled about. You get what you pay. Having said that, here are the positives: You select your seat beforehand; You get to use Changi Terminal 1 and not the budget terminal. The negatives are: Extremely tight seat pitch, although the A320 is more spacious than the competition; Only snacks on sale.

JETSTAR ASIA review : 17 June 2008 : by Richard Tay

Customer Rating : 4/5

Jetstar Asia from SIN-KUL return. A short afternoon flight, A320 on both legs of the flight. Seats were comfortable and cabin staff were nice. However, the drinks sold in-flight were a bit too overpriced. I paid $3 for a can of pepsi. The service standards of Jetstar Asia is comparable to that of a commercial airline, although it being a budget airline.

JETSTAR ASIA review : 10 June 2008 : by J Yao

Customer Rating : 3/5

Flew with Jestar Asia SIN-BKK-SIN. Generally the check in and arrival and departure are pretty organised and they depart on time. However the seating arrangement and seat space very torturous even if its a mere 2 hr flight. I do not understand why cant they serve water or coffee/tea just like Valuair? Is Jetstar so budget? I fly Jestar Asia for destination that falls within the 2hr range - any longer, I will definitely pay more to fly with conventional airlines.

Jetstar Asia review by L Clift

15 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

We just flew to Bali from Sydney via Jetstar and it was the worst flying experience we have ever had. Both departure and returning flights were delayed by over two - without any explanation or apology until 30 minutes into the flight. The staff were rude and discourteous - definitely not service with a smile. And the cabins were freezing - and passengers were being asked to pay $8 for a blanket. All passengers around my husband and myself were complaining of cold, and now a day later, instead of feeling happy and relaxed from a fantastic 5 star holiday in Bali, I am fighting off a cold.

Jetstar Asia review by Bert C J Besseling

14 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

As a regular traveler on Jetstar Asia flights from SIN to various destinations in Asia, I regret to say that I dislike the way the seating arranged are done. By making an internet booking and trying to select for a row, it is always impossible to book a.o. row 12 and 13 being the emergencies rows. I do realize that you might do that to avoid families with children to book those seats, although that could be checked on forehand when the internet booking is made. Usually, I will than book row 14 knowing that the backs of row 13 cannot decline and being 1.80+, I prefer some space for my legs. What I really dislike is when by check in, I do request if rows 12 or 13 is available and very often the answer is no. On this flight, I did ask it again and again the same answer that seats were taken. To my surprise, after the doors where closed, row 12 had still 4 empty seat left and right but what I found extremely irritating was that row 13 was blocked by Jetstar Asia non flying staff and they left the seats in the middle open so that they could stretch their legs or even sleep over 2 chairs. I feel that paying passengers have a higher right on the correct seats if requested and I dislike that your staff if not adhering to this principle and that check in staff should not protect these seats for staff. There is no problem with Jetstar Asia service as such and in general the crew is polite and correct but the attitude today was a very disturbing experience. The main reason why I put this complaint on this message board is that it seems to be impssible to contact Jetstar by phone (only recorded tapes) or by email.

Jetstar Asia review by Guy Miller

23 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SIN-BKK-SIN. I have flown Jet Star several times before on this route and find them great for flight from check-in to arrival. However, their web system for bookings and especially for changing bookings is not user-friendly. They appear to be unable to deal with web-problems. Today at just over 2 hours more than the required 24-hours notice for a change, I found the web system down so I phoned the customer service centre. I hate doing this, "press 1 for english" and :"Press 2 for booking change" and then a long message saying you can change your booking by SMS (really?) or on the internet, Look guys, if I could do it on the internet I certainly would not go through this pain of calling your centre. I just spent 45 minutes listening to the message " our agents are busy - your call is important to us - please continue to hold and we will deal with your call shortly". Eventually I was cut off. I'll try again but want JetStar to try to improve this aspect of their "service" - it totally lets them down.

Jetstar Asia review by J Yao

1 November 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SIN-BKK. First time flying with Jetstar. Flight to BKK was generally good, since its just a 2hr trip, no big deal. Cabin is clean, seat space average. Cabin attendants are friendly, but I think they tried too hard when making in flight anouncement. Just a suggestion, its nice to serve passengers at least a cup of juice. Its understandable budget airline can never provide the services and comfort of a full fledge airline, but at least provide the basics.

Jetstar Asia review by Phil Neo

26 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SIN-BKK Check-in early and was given the emergency exit row with generous leg room. As the seats are assigned, unlike TR or AK, passengers need not have to queue early nor rush to board the plane. Definitely use them again.

Jetstar Asia review by Kevin Tay

18 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SIN-HKG return. First time on Jetstar Asia. . Choice of 2 Hot meals at S$8 and drinks at S$3 are available. The pasta hot meal which I bought was tasty but was small in portion. The leather seats are comfortable but a little cramped. No PTV. FAs did their usual routine. The aircraft cabin interior is modern and clean. Jetstar Asia does not use the aerobridge facilities at HKIA, the plane parked at a remote bay and shuttle buses took passengers to the main terminal building. On the flight HKG-SIN the flight was full. We sneaked in some donuts and pastry, bought drinks on the flight. The choice of Hot Meals is the same when we took our SIN-HKG flight. Jetstar Asia uses the aerobridge facility at Singapore Changi Airport. Overall, a good experience, and I will travel with them again.

Jetstar Asia review by Y Zhang

17 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

HKG-SIN. Strange arrangement of checking in at HKIA Terminal 2, followed by a long trek and a ride on the people mover to boarding gate at Terminal 1, then a 7-8 minute shuttle ride to board the aircraft A320. Keep hand baggage to a minimum but if you must, make sure everything fits into a cabin bag with wheels. I checked in shortly after the counters opened but as flight was full, I was sandwiched between passengers seated next to the window and aisle. I am of Asian build and it was not a comfortable flight so I think the two passengers beside me must be thankful for their seating positions. Take-off was half an hour behind schedule. As Jetstar is a low cost carrier all food and beverage to be consumed on broad had to be purchased from the FAs. There is no choice of hot meal - food is of very poor value and quality. Credit cards are not accepted for payment; only HKD and SGD are legal tender on the HKG-SIN flight, but change is dispensed in SGD only. There is no inflight entertainment and reading material is confined to the Jetstar mag. However, it was difficult to read with no elbow room in the middle seat.

Jetstar Asia review by Terri Tan

11 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Booked ticket slightly more than 2 months before departure Singapore to Hong Kong at a very good price - compared to legacy full-service airlines I checked at the time I booked. Check in very smooth at Singapore. Checked-in 21 kg without being asked to pay extra. Terminal 1 is certainly a lot more easier to access to and comfortable than Budget Terminal. Shops & food outlets at the public and passenger sides are plenty. A320 interiors looks bright, neat, new and clean. Got the seat I selected during the booking. Cabin crew is vibrant. No in-flight entertainment. In-flight meal at $10 is about the same price as you would pay at the airport terminal and surprisingly delicious. Overall impression: perfect. Good value compared to regular full-service legacy airlines.

Jetstar Asia review by M O'Brien

25 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

HKG-SIN. Boarding in Hong Kong chaotic, they opened the check-in desks only 1 hour 45 minutes before departure. I enjoyed being able to select seats online, but legroom was very limited. I wish they wouldn’t insist on no outside food, I don’t enjoy being held captive to their offerings on a regional flight. While I might fly them again, I surprisingly, preferred airAsia as they provided better value and service.

Jetstar Asia review by Byrne Cardwell

1 May 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

SIN-MNL-SIN price was good, tedious booking in at Singapore. Nice clean plane - they had run out of hot food by the time they reached me, no big deal, uneventful trip. On return Philippine check in a little more realistic with baggage weigh in, allowed me through with 22 kg, and 6kg handcarry.

Jetstar Asia review by Richard Coxon

1 May 2007   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

HKG-SIN and amazed by the price - even the day before travel I could get a seat for HKD800. Arrived at HKG and the check-in desks opened 2 hours before departure. Very organised check-in and because the flight was not full I was able to take over 5kg excess without charge. Plane was an A320 in good condition, and I was able to stretch my legs under the seat in front, as there is no IFE. The flight went extremely quickly to SIN and on landing at Terminal 1 the bags were on the belt almost as we left passport control. Definitely would fly again, but would do what many passengers did, and ignore the ban on taking your own food and water, as the choice offered for someone lactose-intolerant was not good.

Jetstar Asia review by S Toh

1 April 2007   Customer Trip Rating : n/a

SIN-TPE and return and found it to be similar to other LCCs. Flight attendants friendly but they seem to be trying a little too hard in making PA sound professional. Pricing of food and beverages not value at all.

Jetstar Asia review by Mike Kwan

26 February 2007

HKG-SIN-HKG during Chinese New Year peak. Jetstar is a very good budget airline! The flights are punctual. In Hong Kong, the check-in counter only opens 2 hours before departure but it is OK. In Singapore, check- in available earlier. The plane is new Airbus A320 and the leather seats are good although the width can be increased. FAs are friendly and the price & quality of food are reasonable.

Jetstar Asia review by Jon Veel

1 February 2007

Singapore to Cairns return.Check in at Changi took over 30 minutes as there were only 2 desks for the flight. Presumably this is an airline cost saving measure. Allocated seats and boarding by seat rows avoids the usual LCC scrum for the door and a civilised affair.. One major benefit of Jetstar was the ability to select seats when booking on their website and allowing to book exit row seats as well. This meant I was able to book row 12 (I am 6ft 5") with I would guess, around 38-40" seat pitch and hence very comfortable. Note row 12 does not recline but row 13 (also exit row) does. Avoid row 11 as it has regular legroom but does not have any recline. Blankets and pillows provided (Qantas logo) and a free basic meal and drinks also served. There were 2 meal choices which were Ok tasting - but absolutely tiny and served in a cardboard box with disposable everything and thin white plastic coffee cups that threatened to collapse in your hand. On the whole crew appeared to be Singaporean and on this flight were a cheerful and smiling bunch. Portable DVD players available for Aus$10 and were a good investment. What makes the flight dreary is the enforced stop and disembarkation at Darwin on the way to Cairns, just when you would normally be in the midst of trying to get some sleep. Presumably this is because the A320 used on this route cant go the distance in one hop. On reaching Cairns it was nice of the pilot to come out and thank all the pax as they disembarked. The return flight was during daytime and again with a transit in Darwin. The only notable difference was the surliness of the crew on this flight that contrasted dramatically with the outbound flight. One hostess verged on outright rudeness to a passenger who asked for help with getting her DVD player to work and a bizarre teepee arrangement of blankets was used to cover the entrance of the rear galley from passengers, clearly showed that requests or interaction with the crew was not invited. Overall not a bad experience but it leaves me puzzled what Qantas are up to. Previously the flight was operated by Qantas under the Australian Airlines branding using widebody aircraft (767) and offering a "leisure" service ie, no business class seating on the plane but a service and cabin crew attitude that was noticeably better than Qantas mainline service. Its now turned over to Jetstar which is supposedly a low cost carrier and using a short haul narrow body aircraft but with allocated seats, free meals, drinks, pillows, blankets. But with prices around double what Australian used to charge, at least out of Singapore. I have no idea what Qantas are up to and strongly suspect that they don't know themselves either - but hopefully they will switch back to widebody aircraft for this route.

Jetstar Asia review by Krishnan Chitoor

19 January 2007

BLR-SIN during the New Year break - allocated seating, punctual and efficient service. The flight was full and the 3:35 a.m. is a bit too late or early whichever way you want to look upon it. Having said that, it is the cheapest means to get between BLR and SIN and far better than Indian Airlines.

Jetstar Asia review by Ron Tan

13 January 2007

SIN-HKG-SIN: FAs were friendly, leather seats were comfortable. Met unfriendly check-in staff at Changi airport. On flight to HKG, my table was dirty with coffee stain from previous flight. When checking in at HK airport, the staff were late and we had no time for dinner, so we ordered the in-flight food. They nearly ran out of the main dishes when it was my turn to place my order (I was sitting at row 25, quite near the back.) It would be better if you had your meals at the airport than on the plane if you don't want to risk having no dinner. Would not recommend taking this airlines unless there are special promotions.

Jetstar Asia review by Hugues Martel

13 September 2006

SIN-HKG-SIN: the 2 flights were perfectly on time. The planes are new and the leathers seats are nice. The flight attendant were nice and friendly. However the toilets could do with a bit of cleaning. Overall a good low cost airlines overing a much better service than its competitor Tiger airways.

Jetstar Asia review by David Mogford

22 August 2006

SIN-REP in Economy. New aeroplane and leather seats gave the interior a nice feel. The staff were friendly though the flight was almost empty and it was early in the morning. Prices for basics items such as coffee and food are excessive even by European standards, though this is to be expected with a low cost carrier. I was quite concerned by the laptop computers used at both checkin and again at the gate, most had up to 10 keys missing from the keyboards. On board this concern was heightened by the dirty onboard toilets with multiple leaks occurring from the sink and pan area. I guess you get what you pay for, as the tickets were very cheap.

Jetstar Asia review by John Walker

10 June 2006

BKK-SIN return. Cheap ticket, easy online booking, assigned seating, ontime departure, new planes, friendly flight attendants. Hopefully all of the Jetstar subsidaries including ValueAir can merge and offer streamlined connections and better coverage in Asia.

Jetstar Asia review by Ken Chan

10 June 2006

SIN-REP-SIN. Booked this as this is much cheaper than SilkAir. Outward flight was fine. Got bulkhead seats and everything went fine. The return was disastrous. They cancelled the flight from Siem Reap back to Singapore, without really consulting us. They put us on a Bangkok Airways flight to BKK, to connect with another JetStar Asia flight back to Singapore. However, we had a connecting SQ flight from Singapore to HK, and this change means we would miss the flight! Luckily, our tickets were flexible so we could change the times of our SIN - HKG flight later, but we had to call Singapore from Cambodia and they cost us £15. The most annoying thing is that JetStarAsia had no presence in Siem Reap at all. We had no one to talk to or complain to. Later we read the T&C of JetStarAsia - they do not promise taking you to the destination at the scheuled time or the scheduled route and there is no recourse for compensation when things go astray.

Jetstar Asia review by Robert Kent

22 April 2006

BKK-SIN & SIN-HKT. BKK-SIN Check-in busy but handled well, were lucky to be offered front row. Very friendly crew, made a fuss of the children, chatting with them, offering sweets. Beverage costs reasonable (Sing$2 for a full size can of Coke) (about 75p for us Brits). Good announcements from the flight deck. Captain came out for a chat & invited me & our children to the flight deck after landing. Not bad for a budget airline on a tight turn around ! SIN-HKT After finding out our departure time had been changed from 13:50 to 19:15 I arranged an early check-in & this was honoured & smoothly handled. Had 3rd row seats & felt the leg room/seat width were fine for a short flight. Again the crew were friendly & the flight was on time. I hear rumours they may be struggling financially but our experience was good (apart from the re- scheduling) & would recommend Jetstar Asia.

Jetstar Asia review by Geoff Herbert

18 March 2006

Manila-SIN. The good points include leather seats on the A320 reduced pitch, but I am 6 ft and no problem. Not as cheap as Tiger out of Clark to SIN, but prefer the departure from Manila International. Has a dedicated well positioned departure gate at Manila, some steps involved. FA crew, mainly female, were smart and friendly, mainly Singaporean. The pilot was Australian. The Airline is owned and serviced by Qantas. The onboard cooked meal, a Philippine rice and fish dish, was excellent for around $5. The aircraft was not full and is reportedly unprofitable. The flight was punctual and smooth. I did not need in flight entertainment, of which there is very little. Only possible drawbacks are the frequency if you miss it the flight deadline, and at Singapore Changi, to get my bags transferred to my connecting Qantas flight, I had to take them out through customs and immigration and re-enter the airport, Would happily use them again on this route.

Jetstar Asia review by Addison Low

26 January 2006

SIN-TPE. Jetstar Asia offered me the best value for money for my one way trip SIN-TPE. S$196 (taxes all in). I had to get a single trip ticket as I had an unused TPE-SIN on China Airlines. Take off was on- time. There were free Today newspaper offered. The seat is comfortable, in leather. The cabin crew were warm and friendly. In fact on two occasions, the stewardesses actually switched on the overhead reading lights for me while I was reading a book. The flight was less than 50% full - hence, I had 3 seats to myself. Jetstar Asia is worth taking if the flight is not full. I would dread taking a full capacity 4 hour duration Jetstar Flight. Overall, for a budget airline, I would rate Jetstar Asia 8.5/10.

Jetstar Asia review by C Santoso

5 January 2006

SIN-HKG. The only plus point I could think of is the cheap fare. The seat was leather, but is not that comfortable - seat pitch is very small. You won't feel cramped, you "are" cramped. I am only 1,75m and I cannot sit without my knees pressing the seat in front of me. Flight was on-time and service was standard. If you get the really cheap fares, you can fly it - otherwise, fly some other airlines.

Jetstar Asia review by Ajay Nair

18 November 2005

BKK-SIN-BKK, both flights were on time and comfortable. However the PA system on the outbound A320 might just as well have not been there - couldn't hear the inflight announcements at all. Seats were leather and comfortable - no hassles on check in on both legs.

Jetstar Asia review by  Francis Teo

13 April 2005

SIN-BKK and return. On out-going flight, the check-in agent told me that my partner and I were seated together. However, on further checking, I discovered we were allocated seats C and D, which were separated by the aisle. I went back to the agent and requested for a change. The airline representative apologised and tried to explain that the system allocated seats automatically. Nevertheless, we eventually received our new seats a couple of rows back. Seat pitch on the new A320 was very tight. However, they had leather seats, which were comfortable, so that lessened the pain. Cabin crew were friendly and did their job well. The captain also gave a detailed report of flight information prior to take-off. In-flight announcements were fairly clear and audible throughout the flight. Departure and arrival were both on-time. On the return flight, there was a medical case on board and the cabin crew reacted professionally. A good and value for money budget carrier. Was happy with the overall experience and would definitely consider the airline for the next trip. Area for improvement would definitely have to be the seat pitch, though the emergency exit rows had generous leg space for passengers.

Jetstar Asia review by  Simon Loh

11 March 2005

SIN-TPE and return on its A320-200. Disappointed with ground crew while check-in at SIN. Although 3K has seat allocation, I was separated with my partner even though we check-in more than 2hrs before departure, can't imagine how on earth that unfriendly staff checked our flight! That's why on the return trip I had to specifically ask for a window seat. Announcement of boarding by row number starting from the rear seat makes boarding more swiftly. Very impressive cabin with stylish leather seats. Menu & duty-free brochure is already placed at seat pocket (unlike TR). Push-back for departure, and arrival on time. Only one round of meal is served (for purchase) followed by duty- free sale. Didn't try their hot meal but it really smells nice from a distance, and I notice the FAs aren't so particular on passengers who brought their own food & drink on board. Surprisingly, free local newspapers were offered. For a 4.5hrs flight, it's best to have something along e.g. a magazine for self-entertainment (other than taking a nap), as it can be quite a torture with the tight seat pitch and with nothing else to do. Take-off from TPE delayed about an hour due to some fault in the two rear toilets on board (apparently due to an inconsiderate inbound passenger who choke up the toilet bowl). But the Captain had made a sensible decision to return back to SIN with just one toilet operating, if not there would be a further 3hrs delay for a complete repair. FA consists of mixtures of male & female crews, friendly and quite attentive too. But they got to be more fluent with their language while making announcement. The outbound announcement in mandarin seems quite embarassing though the FA had tried her best to complete the sentences. FA uses passenger's call light to communicate between cabin & the rear alley which is quite a rare scene to me. Overall Jetstar Asia stands out well compared to AK or TR with its 20kg baggage limit, assigned seat, and newer plane.

Jetstar Asia review by  Tyler Thia

7 March 2005

SIN-HKG and return. Check in was hasse-free at both counters, boarding was alright with assigned seating. Both flights left on time, short and sweet, no disappearing acts from either pilots, though I must admit that it gets really boring when your seat is totally devoid of any IFE. So if you're not the sleeping type, ipods are a MUST. Also, coupled with minimal legroom and practically no seat decline, the 3.5 hours (or more) can be testing. FAs did their job, nothing of the pretentious sort. The only gripe I have is the lousy PA skills on the outgoing trip. It was embarassing and torturous. Otherwise it was commendable for the price - SGD40 one way, with the total even less than a one way SIN - KUL (pre taxes).


 

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