Is Jetstar Asia a good way to fly around Asia?

There is no shortage of Low Cost Carrier in Asia, with the likes of Scoot, Airasia, and dozens more that focus more on serving the domestic and short haul market. While I'm no stranger to Jetstar, I've primarily flown them in Australia and New Zealand, so it would be interesting to find out whether there's any difference in the Asian market.

Today I will be flying the A320 which makes up the majority fleet of Jetstar. The first leg will be from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, where I will have an overnight layover before flying from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh. The connection time wasn't ideal but that's the only flight they have operating during this period.

CHECK IN

Jetstar operates out of the low cost terminal, which is KLIA2, where Airasia is based. It seems to be the same story for the majority of the airlines where only a few agents are doing the checking in, but it was moving fairly quickly for the queue we have going on. By the time check in closes, they have already checked everyone in which is fairly impressive in contrast to the flight I took with Malindo which they couldn't get everyone through after the check in time closes for a lesser number of passengers.

As I booked through to Ho Chi Minh, they issued me with both boarding passes so I do not need to check in again when I get to Singapore. My luggage is also checked directly through to Ho Chi Minh, however they weren't able to assign my seats for the 2nd leg and I was advised to do it through the transit lounge in Singapore. When I arrived in Singapore, the lounge agent told me to do it at the boarding gate, when I got to the boarding gate, they told me they couldn't change it and I need to speak to the cabin crew. The whole thing seems to be a little over-promised by the ground staff, I'm not sure if they are lazy to do it or they have been told by the airline not to make changes, but regardless I have wasted a lot of my time trying to get my seats changed by going to different places and people to try to make it happen.

FLIGHT 1: Kuala Lumpur - Singapore

The airport is still very empty for that period, with only a couple of flights leaving. Going through security was a breeze. Not long after arriving at the gate, we started boarding.

The crew was professional, the cabin is well maintained and it was as good as I expect from any airline. As it was a short flight, the flight was uneventful.

FLIGHT 2: Singapore - Ho Chi Minh

One of the early departures from Singapore, we boarded on time and departed Singapore after a long taxi to the runway.

After takeoff, the meal service started. As I did not have any breakfast in the morning, I asked for the menu which shows the options that they have for the flight. I got the Korean instant noodle veggie flavour, vegan/vegetarian as marked on their menu. I got the set which includes the crisps and a drink.

The meal was served quickly and I was filled up and set for the morning. The rest of the flight was uneventful with many passengers sleeping due to the early departure. The crew was still engaging and keeping an eye every now and again. This was hardly the case on the Malindo flight I was on just 2 days ago, which you can read in my review by clicking on the link. I think Jetstar is doing very well by keeping up with crew professionalism, a good cabin maintenance and upkeep, which made me feel safe and undoubtful of their operation or their maintenance of the aircraft.

screenshot of pre-purchase meal option on Jetstar Asia

Option to pre-purchase meals during booking is also offered. You can choose a good variety of meals, which I believe a lot of it isn't being offered on board. I do wish that they offer more vegetarian options both on board and for pre-purchase as there weren't many options on the menu on board that I could eat apart from the instant noodle. Of course, there's also an option to buy a voucher to buy on board instead, I believe in Australia/NZ you get a small discount for buying the voucher but this does not seem to be offered on the Asian network.

CONCLUSION

While Jetstar is a low cost carrier, it didn't feel like they spare any change with their crew training and aircraft maintenance. The 2 flights I was on with them were nothing short of amazing in the soft product section. While my first flight had slightly better legroom, I'm not sure whether that is due to my seat being in the first few rows or the aircraft type, it was still bearable for a short-medium haul route and it works. The ground staff could do with some more training and have their system updated to allow for more seamless check in for passengers with multiple legs. I wouldn't hesitate to fly with Jetstar Asia again if their fare is to remain competitive.

Video review coming soon.