Jetstar New Zealand Domestic

Jetstar flies the A320 across NZ and Australia, I have flown with Jetstar many times across the Tasman however I have only flown it within the domestic sector twice. Today I will be flying to Queenstown and I will be comparing their domestic product with Air New Zealand A320 domestic product. Is it worth paying 2 or 3 times more for Air New Zealand? Let's find out.

Jetstar is well known in the Asian and especially Pacific region, where they operate a large number of flights within Australia, between Australia and NZ and also domestically within NZ. Jetstar is a Low Cost Carrier (LCC) airline, which means their fare is based on a pay for what you need basis, a basic fare will get you a seat and a carry on, and that's it, the rest are additional add on that you'll have to pay for.

Getting on board my flight from Auckland to Queenstown, we were delayed for an hour due to cargo door issue, the seat padding is not great, but not the worst I have sat on. The seat doesn't come with IFE, but there are magazines for you to read. There's the usual tray table, and the seat is also reclinable (not a lot), however if you do, the passenger behind you won't be too happy given the seat pitch is not a lot and that will further reduce the space you already have.

They sell food and drinks during the flight, hot drinks are around $5 while food is about $10, snacks are available and prices depending on what you are after. They also offer a bundle deal which is about $15 where you can choose a meal, drink and snack.

The crew are nice and I have no issue with the flight, which brings me to my comparison to Air NZ, which is equally good with slightly better seating and free drinks and snacks. Air NZ has adopted the LCC model as well, which they charge you for baggage and seat selection, however Air NZ does not offer hot meals for their flight, which is a key difference. On Air NZ Koru Hour flight, they do offer complimentary muffin (morning) and alcoholic beverages (evening), for the rest of the normal flights, you will be offered tea or coffee with chips or/and cookie.

Would it be worth it paying double or triple the price to fly on one airline over the other? My answer is no, Jetstar often offer competitive prices and their additional add ons are reasonable compared to Air NZ, for onboard dining, the prices are not too terrible either. If you can score a deal with Air NZ, and the price difference is not significant, then Air NZ may be a better option for slightly better comfort.

You can read a comprehensive review of everything Air New Zealand, including their frequent flyer program and lounges on my blog.