Jetstar
8,566 reviews
AI reviews summary
The overall sentiment regarding Jetstar is overwhelmingly negative, with recurring descriptions of the airline as "unreliable," "exploitative," and "lacking in basic empathy." While a small minority of passengers praised specific staff members for assistance with medical or disability needs, the vast majority of feedback focuses on a business model perceived to be built on hidden fees and systemic service failures. Significant recurring issues include last-minute cancellations without compensation and aggressive baggage weighing at the boarding gate.
Pros
- Exceptional Individual Staff: Several reviews highlight specific ground and cabin crew members (e.g., in Sydney and Adelaide) who went above and beyond to assist elderly passengers or those with medical emergencies and disabilities.
- Assistance for Reduced Mobility: A few passengers reported positive experiences with wheelchair and scissor-lift assistance, noting that staff were helpful and courteous during these specific processes.
- Newer Aircraft on Specific Routes: Some users noted that the newer A321neo aircraft felt modern and clean, even if the seating configuration remained a point of contention.
- Occasional Operational Efficiency: A small number of reviews mentioned flights departing on time or arriving early, with smooth boarding processes when systems were functioning.
Cons
- Aggressive Baggage Enforcement: Extensive complaints focus on "gate ambushing," where staff weigh carry-on bags and personal items (like handbags or duty-free) at the last second, charging exorbitant fees (frequently $75–$120) for being slightly over the 7kg limit.
- Frequent Cancellations and Delays: Numerous reports describe flights being cancelled via text or email just hours—or even minutes—before departure, often attributed to "engineering" or "operational" issues, leaving passengers stranded without accommodation or food vouchers.
- Inaccessible Customer Support: Users consistently flag the offshore call centres and AI chatbots as useless, reporting long wait times, frequent disconnections, and staff who are unable or unwilling to escalate issues or provide refunds.
- Poor Cabin Comfort and Amenities: Multiple reviews criticise the "cattle class" seating, describing rock-hard, non-reclining seats with no legroom, alongside the fact that basic necessities like water, blankets, and entertainment are only available for a high fee.
Verdict
Jetstar is described by many as a "bait and switch" service where low initial fares are quickly eclipsed by aggressive baggage fees and the high cost of rebooking after frequent cancellations. While it may suffice for short, no-frills domestic hops for those with minimal luggage, the high risk of being stranded or "gouged" at the gate makes it a source of significant stress for families, international travellers, and those on strict schedules.
Don't fly jetstar. Not economical in the end. Doesn't check bags all the way through if you have a stop, as I did between adelaide and sunny coast. Flight delays. Awful boarding process. Mean spirited about carry on luggage weight. Jetstar terminals are shabby sheds. Staff v defensive. They seem to be mostly casual and underpaid. Depressing experience Show details
Very bad service. Delayed going from Melbourne by 2 hours and coming back by 30 minutes. After we paid the seats and picked up the seat numbers and the last day they change our seat numbers and I have to pay extra money to get the seats at the front. Their wheel chair service is very poor and the Jetstar staff are rude.
2/6/26 scheduled to leave at 10am from Cairns to Sunshine Coast - after a 1hr 15 min trip from home to airport to be told that the flight had been cancelled - no email no message and no phone call, had to catch a later Qantas flight leaving later that afternoon, then a drive from Brisbane to Sunshine Coast at a cost to me of $79 in fuel for the… Read more
driver. 11/6/26 - JQ 808 scheduled to from Sunshine Coast to Cairns at 2.40pm all information provided was that it was on schedule - after 3 hour trip to airport had to sit around for another 2 hours and 40 minutes till take off at 5.20pm arriving Cairns at 7.22pm (scheduled arrival 5pm) for baggage pick up to not be processed for a further 30 minutes. After all the problems prior to leaving not even a complimentary cup of tea or coffee offered. Very poor of you Jetstar. I am hesitant to give a 1 review
Reviews with attachments
Jetstar lost my bag 6 weeks ago and is weaponising a fake police loophole to avoid paying." Show details
I really just dont like the turbulance as it is on a plane its normal and it can be so scarey, at that tuesday flight was, That the lady next to me was holding onto me, very tight which i really didnt mind as she was screaming a little and i helped calm her down But what i really dont like is when the pilot and flight attendents dont warn you or… Read more
apoligise for this happening.. its the 4th plan in 12 months no one says anything why is that ???
The other thing is when 20mins into the flight i was really sick when i saw the dirty lights above me,,, it looked like blood over them.. It really alarmed me and totally made me sick in the dunny ( frightened me ) i know its extreme yes but it wasnt nice to look at it as it was all red like blood They should be all cleaned also
Rescheduled or bumped off the list! Could this be the case??? Am I assuming yno? Here goes: Flight rescheduled (01,10) by 10 minutes via email notification for flight at Xmas Airline declined to put me on a early flight citing policy 1hr policy Rescheduling and changes to my flight often happens to me as I am a regular flyer with airline this… Read more
is a issue
Due to fly out (24,11) Xmas eve asked I be compensated for this dollar value
I am making a current claim dollar value as I made successful claim and won against the airline in the past once for almost $699
Where a flight was cancelled but airline did not acknowledge the travel insurance I had talken out
This airline needs to reflect and show accountability to customers and honour their customers tickets and schedules
I planned months in advance for this and am organised so why is the airline not organised
I am after some money via a claim Disappointing particularly round Christmas
Give customers a fair go
- +1
Don’t fly Jetstar – We flew Jetstar flight 57 to Bali in December 2024. The flight was supposed to take off at 7:20am AEST and was delayed until 8:30am. Then they boarded everyone and we sat on the plane in the airport until about 9am instead took off at around 9:05am. They did not tell anyone why it was delayed. There was no inflight entertainment and they turned… Read more
off the WiFi, and also the meals were expensive. Since the flight was delayed, we missed our ferry over to Nusa lembongan and had to wait another 3hrs. We definitely don’t recommend flying Jetstar, even though they’re cheap it’s probably not worth it. Also the baggage reclamation was slow.
Great – Just had two very comfortable flights to Vietnam return from Melbourne. Flights JQ63 & JQ64. Staff were very pleasant and we all thought the beef lasagne wasn't bad. The return flight was held up for a while because of a technical issue and we were worried that we might miss our next flight to Canberra with Rex. The pilots did all they could to… Read more
make up for lost time which meant we spent 30 minutes less on the plane trip. There were 6 of us including two grandkids 7 & 10. I've flown 14 times in the last 12 mths. Over half of these have been with Jetstar and I have had pleasant experiences with all flights. The same 6 flew back from Japan last April 2023 with Japan Airlines and we all agree that the flight with Jetstar was more comfortable, go figure? They were both overnight flights as well. If Jetstar keeps this up we won't hesitate to travel with them.
My little brother that is on the spectrum called up for the first time and the jetstar lady made fun of him laughing, muting herself and ending up hanging up on him. They sent us this email and that was it. Thanks Jetstar
I have always fly with Jet star all the time, from Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne. From Check In to Arrival at the destination with effortless Travel. I even made friends with cabin crews and pilots for that matter of how the flight was superb. However, Today, i had o drop off my sister and brother in Law from Sydney airport … Read more
arrival in to Nadi Int Airport this afternoon.. To be Honest Arrival into Sydney Terminal excited when greeted by the lovely Lady who was at the front of the entrance into the checking In line. And when we reached the counter we were served by a lady and i believed who was a Muslim and her name was Raima or Naima and was a very tentative Listener but not very helpful at all. I had prepared the luggage to suit the 3 suit cases totalling up to 47 kg per passengers. Eventually upon calling on line to ask the previous day, the lady that Served me was Chin ron the call Centre i believed, said that it was okay to combine the weights of both passenger into three luggage as she said it was okay to do so. We arrived at sydney airport this morning with the same arrangement that was approved bu Chin on the phone the previous day which was on Monday the the 25/05/2026. Cut the story short, the lady that served us kept aying that we were over the weight and had to pay or buy two plastic bags and take out 1 kilos and pack it in this two plastic bags... which we did not intend o do. As first we cant buy anything else and secondly, why when they both have a total of 94 kilos in total was what i purchased on their behalf through the phone. They arrives into Nadi only to find out that the three suit cases did not arrive at all his afternoon on their flight... and whats worst was, my brother in law was on a wheel chair with Dialysis, heart problem, asthmatic and stomach cramps when he is stressed out and also missed his medication. One of those suitcases has all his prescriptions and medicine and pills and his sickness depends those suitcases thats did not arrive into Nadi Airport in Fiji this afternoon. I made another call as they called me from fiji stating that none of the suitcases arrived and. He needs his medicine (pill) upon arrival.. which did not happened as expected. So i made calls and only to be told that it will take a whole day for the investigation. I am totalling against this procedure, especially when you fully paid for the services and it was not executed and delivered as expected. My Brother in Law life is in The Jetstar's Jurisdictions as you know that the suitcases was not uploaded into the aircraft and you should be transparent with us and tell us openly rather awe realised it upon arrival nothing was uploaded from sydney. SO I LETTING YOU KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF THIS SERIOUS CASE, I HAD LODGE THIS INCIDENT WITH MY Lawyers and THEY WILL BE Contacting THE JETSTAR LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE...REGARDING This issue.
INTERNATIONAL area at Perth Airport with almost no staff around to help? Around 10 of us were waiting at T2 from 10:45am with nobody at the booth, no proper info on domestic boards, and we only found out after running between terminals ourselves. Then your staff acted like it was our fault and support wasted 2 hours just to “open a case.” Absolute mess of an experience. Do better. Also who da phuc have domestic flight on international rows? Show details
We had purchased extra legroom seats; however, these were not provided. While I understand that operational changes can sometimes occur, such changes should be communicated to passengers in advance. However, instead: 1. There was no notification regarding the seat change. Considering that Jetstar can send 100 emails regarding constant change of… Read more
flight time, they should be able to send one extra message regarding seating changes. The lack of communication resulted in unnecessary confusion when attempting to locate seats that did not exist.
2. The staff was rude. When approached a female flight attendant to kindly clarify the seats, the interaction was not handed in a nicest way.
3. I believe it would be appropriate for refunds to be processed automatically when a paid service is not delivered. Instead, customers are required to initiate the refund themselves. The customer service representative on live chat who assisted with my refund was extremely kind and helpful, and I appreciate their support. However, the last thing one wants to do after returning from holidays is wasting the time on live chats, chasing the refund.
Overall, this experience resulted in a waste of time and avoidable frustration, which could have been prevented with clearer communication and more proactive service. The lady sitting in the seat next to us told us, that she not only did not get extra room seat but also had been separated from her husband. At least, I could still sit next to my partner. We booked extra leg room for a reason, as my partner is very tall and does not fit in a ridiculously small room Jetstar basic seats have. Imagine sharing the seat with a stranger...
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disappointed service .. at hobart international airport ..australia.. They charge $85 just for 2kg.. if i ask them to take my stuff back.. she just argued and says just 30 seconds left for your flight.. lady name [Name Removed] .. worked at hobart airport Show details
Unprofessional and unreliable. Flight cancelled on morning of leaving. ‘Operational issues’ - during a busy school holiday period. This is a poor business model. Such a disappointing company. Is this the best Australia can do? Show details
An absolute disgrace for their customer service. Price gouging all the way. My original booking cost $518 for 2 adults return flights in total, not for just 1 person and not just one way. Tried to add my child to my flight and was quoted over $1k to change the flight booking in addition to what has already been paid. I am totally disgusted by Jetstar. Show details
What a pathetic airline. Charging $25 per kilo of excess carry on luggage. I sincerely hope Jetstar goes bankrupt as soon as jet fuel becomes scares. It doesn’t deserve to be in business. Where are all the reimbursements for people like me who travel regularly and regularly get delayed b y upto 3 hours on the way to the Gold Coast. Without a word of explanation or an SMS no courtesy for customers. Jetstar be gone! Show details
i bought club jetstar to make my life easier, but i was unable to login for a week- tried probably 40 times over and over, and when i asked to book tickets through the jetstar customer service agent for the same club jetstar price, it was like pulling teeth. they also gave me no compensation for the mess around- and were so reluctant to help… Read more
offer any compensation. the customer service agent who helped me was lovely, but i could tell that her manager was probably refusing every request i had. the company itself just refuses to take accountability for its errors and offer any real compensation. I ended up getting the club jetstar price through the agent, which took 2 hours of back and forth, as they were wanting to charge me 200 dollars more- and i ended up not getting any compensation at all for me not being able to log into my club jetstar- i know you get what you pay for but, jeez, jetstar is just the crack dealer i want to be done with- but cant quit cause its cheap :/
I will NEVER fly Jetstar again. We flew internationally to Bali return in March 2026. The aircraft was a Jetstar A321LR (neo) and it is undoubtedly the WORST plane I've ever experienced. There’s so much to say that bullet points are necessary: 1. Grumpy ground staff at check-in (as always) 2. The aircraft brings a new elevation to the word… Read more
‘cattle class’. The seats are cramped and skinny. They are as thin as a wafer biscuit (see photo), so you can feel the knees of the person behind you digging into your back! Imagine, 6.5 hours of your seat being pushed and shoved from behind because a tall passenger behind simply cannot fit comfortably into the reduced space provided. 3. Not even an attached headrest, let alone a pillow or blanket for a 6.5 hour overnight flight from DPS. No reclining either, just 2 inches and no lumber support at all. Some airlines using these planes do have a headrest, but NOT Cattlestar. 4. No entertainment screens, and of course, the proposed ‘paid’ entertainment and internet package was ‘down’. 5. Food - is that what you call it? It was inedible. It came in a brown, cardboard box, heated up slop. I asked the steward if he would feed this to his dog and he just shook his head! 6. Flight departed at 10.20pm and it was due to land at around 7.40am. We had booked an egg and bacon roll, assuming it would be served before landing for breakfast, but no! It was served at around 11pm, just after take-off. I asked if we could have it later as we’d already eaten dinner and was told no and the roll was unceremoniously thrown in the bin. 7. After 6 hours of ‘hell in the sky’ the trolly rolls out again offering tea, coffee, juice or water. My dry mouth and blurry eyes greedily awaited for my turn to get the much needed cup of coffee, only to be told that there was a cost of $5! But hang on, coffee if free on Jetstar, right? And remember, this is an international flight. But no, the hostess could not be persuaded to give me a free cup from her watered down jug poured into a paper cup. I couldn’t believe it. If you’re going to charge $5 for a coffee, then at least make is a cappuccino! I’d accidentally left my credit card in my checked bag and I only had cash on me, which of course, cannot be accepted, so the ‘cattle’ must sit and suffer in silence.
Summary, I suggest you do everything you can to avoid flying on the A321LR (neo) on an international sector. It might be ok for a short domestic flight, but absolutely not suitable for anything more than that. And one question? Why can’t the staff crack a smile anymore? Is it part of their training to intimidate the cattle - oops I mean passengers? Or are they just so unhappy in their job that they find they have nothing to smile about? Remember, this is supposed to be the ‘hospitality’ industry, not a cattle farm, although, I actually think that cattle are actually treated better and certainly fed better. Shame on you Jetstar.
Latest follow-ups
Old aeroplane, broken down and delayed flight for over 7 hours when I waited in Brisbane domestic airport from 9:00am to 6:00pm. Unreliable! Show details
Follow-up · The airport jetstar staff was slow to handle the serious delay. Compensation is a free coffee in the night trip from Jetstar.
Don’t ever fly with Jetstar – Never will I fly with Jetstar again ever you are nothing more than money grabbing you never stop charging people even for water on a flight you offer nothing you charged me an extra $90 for a booking on time am instead of pm which was caused your… Read more
end then you charged me another $75 for hand luggage which was wrong there is no reasoning with Shitstar as people call Jetstar you can not speak to anyone in Australia when you have a problem Jetstar do not want to know about it what a disgraceful disgusting company you are I would rather walk than fly with Jetstar again you just lost another 2 passengers Australians should Not support you
Follow-up · Don’t ever fly with Qantas or Shitstar they are the most money hungry companies I have ever dealt with Qantas advertise Pay Points to upgrade I am flying to the US in a week I wanted to use my points plus pay but they won’t allow us to do that even though they advertise it 4 months ago this started but still NO they said they want people to pay… Read more
Very very rude ground staff with zero empathy. Flew Gold coast to Mel with my 2 daughters, I boarded the flight in tears because of them. Show details
Follow-up · I have had no response since my original review
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Positive reviews
I would just like to say a big thank you to the lady on the enquiry counter who went out of her way to help me with my booking very impressed with service as well as the other staff who helped with my luggage Show details
Thank you so much to Ana at check in Sydney domestic Wednesday 6th May Ana was so professional so polite Thank you so much again for all your help. Thank you staff for having such a wonderful team member. Kind regards, Michelle. Show details
I recently travelled from Adelaide to Melbourne and back, and due to a knee injury I was required to request priority treatment with regards to wheelchairs and scissor-lift access to the plane. I can't speak highly enough about how helpful and courteous the Jetstar staff were in regards to this, bot h at the terminals, and on the flights… Read more
themselves. Thanks guys for making what could have been an uncomfortable journey, into an enjoyable experience! Will be flying with you again for sure....
Negative reviews
Absolutely the worst airline experience I have ever had. Even after paying extra before check-in to increase my baggage allowance, Jetstar still weighed all of my luggage again at the gate, including my carry-on, seemingly looking for another opportunity to charge additional fees. The staff made it very clear that if I did not pay, I would not be… Read more
allowed to board, and they warned that all baggage would be weighed again before boarding.
To make matters worse, the additional charge at the airport was extremely expensive. After already paying for extra baggage in advance, being forced to pay even more felt unreasonable and unfair.
The payment process was equally frustrating. They would not accept many common credit cards, including American Express, and they did not accept cash either, leaving passengers with very limited options.
The entire experience felt focused on extracting extra fees rather than providing customer service. I have flown with many airlines around the world, and this was by far the most disappointing experience.
There are plenty of other airlines offering similar prices with far better customer service, clearer policies, and a much more passenger-friendly experience. I would strongly recommend looking at alternative airlines before choosing Jetstar.
Really disappointed by delays (both ways) … especially the lack of notification. Both times we were already at the airport before the delay was posted. Won’t use them again. Show details
If any 0 review I more then happy to do that for Jetstar. We recently travelled with Jetstar from Sydney to the Gold Coast and were disappointed by our experience with the airline’s baggage policy. Although my husband and I were travelling together, we were advised that unused baggage allowances could not be combined or transferred between… Read more
passengers. I offered to keep my own baggage within the 7kg carry-on limit and pay an additional fee only for my husband’s excess baggage; however, this option was not permitted.
What was particularly surprising was that the total carry-on weight calculation included our cabin suitcases, personal bags, and even a tablet. As a result, we incurred an additional charge of $170 for excess carry-on baggage at the airport.
While the advertised ticket prices may appear competitive, the associated baggage fees can accumulate quickly and substantially increase the overall cost of travel. We found the policy restrictive and felt it lacked reasonable flexibility for passengers travelling together.
Overall, we were dissatisfied with this experience and would encourage travellers to carefully review Jetstar’s baggage policies before flying to ensure they are fully aware of any potential additional charges.
Recent reviews
Flight from Perth to Bali – JQ106 , 8.30pm from Perth int airport , 8 June 2026 I have flown many times before, but this was by far the most frightening flight experience I have ever had. Approximately 30 minutes after departure from Perth, the aircraft encountered extremely severe turbulence that lasted for around 10 minutes or more. The shaking… Read more
was so intense that the entire aircraft was vibrating violently. Passengers who were not seated were thrown off balance, and many people were visibly distressed and frightened. At the time, it genuinely felt as though the aircraft was in serious danger. During this period, communication from the flight deck was minimal. The only announcement I recall was an instruction to remain seated with seatbelts fastened. Given the severity of the situation, more frequent communication and reassurance would have been appreciated. Additionally, when approaching Bali, passengers were informed that we would be landing shortly. However, the aircraft continued circling for what felt like approximately 15 minutes before finally landing more than 30 minutes later than expected. While I understand that operational or air traffic reasons can necessitate holding patterns, no explanation was provided to passengers. Safety is always my highest priority when flying, and this experience left many passengers feeling extremely anxious. I would encourage Jetstar to improve communication during significant turbulence and unexpected delays so that passengers are better informed and reassured throughout the flight. I appreciate that turbulence and operational decisions are not always within an airline's control. However, the lack of information provided during such a distressing experience made an already difficult situation much worse.
Absolutely garbage, not even that cheap, last time 6 hr delay but only told at terminal, and this time people about to board on plane ( which wasn’t there) we told 30 minutes before leaving that it’s delayed, no times no nothing I bet their going to cancel it. Jetstar and qantas are garbage. Next time I’m going to pay less and do 4 hr stopovers and get to my destination quicker.
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Why is Jester doing this to me? I paid my money for my luggage to be safe and delivered to where… Read more (+1 reply)