This is the sequel to the previous trip report – the link can be found above.
Clicking on the images themselves will bring up a better quality picture than what is given on this page.
The New Zealand domestic scene is hotting up with the recent arrival of Jetstar (replacing Qantas, who in New Zealand were flying under the name of Jetconnect) on the main trunk routes (Between AKL, WLG, CHC, ZQN), sharing the market with Air New Zealand and Pacific Blue. I thought it was about time to check these LCCs out on a short hop to Wellington and back and compare the flights with Air New Zealand.
Today’s trip report is on the 2 other players in the New Zealand domestic market – Jetstar and Pacific Blue. Their services/schedules are very small in comparison to Air New Zealand’s – a fact that keeps a lot of businesspeople away from these two carriers. A comparison will be made at the end between all three airlines.
The websites of JQ and DJ are relatively easy to use. Jetstar added on another $2 for a credit card booking fee which made me think that their sale price was misleading. The good thing about Jetstar is that you can reserve your seat whereas on Pacific Blue, you aren’t given that opportunity until you come to checking in online or at the airport. Jetstar for some reason does not email you the itinerary straight away (this one took quite a while) but to my surprise instead sent me tonnes of confirmation emails that I had successfully subscribed to their email and text message services. Since then, I have received itineraries much quicker. These above points are reasons why full fare airlines like Air New Zealand benefit. Both no extra costs and the ability to choose your own seat straight away appeal to me. Although the LCC websites are easy to use, the things they either add or omit can really frustrate some. All of this makes Air New Zealand’s booking experience a much easier way to start the journey with the airline.
In April, Jetstar made changes to their schedule. Luckily it wasn’t late enough to disrupt my schedule and I’d still have plenty of time to explore Wellington’s terminal. And then a couple of weeks before the flight, the decided to change the schedule yet again, this time a little bit earlier than the first change. They are having some rather frustrating teething problems which should have been sorted out a long time ago.
On the day, I knew I had to get to the airport early or face missing my flight. Jetstar closes its check-in counters for flights 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure. I checked online to see if my flight was to be delayed (I had expected delays) and sure enough it was. After my friends’ ordeal the day before mine (which included something like a 7 hour delay and a technical delay on another flight), I surely couldn’t expect much worse from them. I got to the airport with an hour remaining before the scheduled departure. I could have checked in online for the outbound flight too – I did just that with my Pacific Blue flight because I was afraid that this delay could end up making my time in Wellington much worse than I had hoped.
The Jetstar/Pacific Blue domestic terminal was once a freestanding building which housed Ansett New Zealand, Origin Pacific and Qantas/Qantas New Zealand over its lifetime. It was fused to the Air New Zealand domestic building a year or so ago and shops were opened in between, outside where the security checkpoint exists for the Air New Zealand jet gates. This end of the terminal only has 2 jetbridges at present.
Check-in Counters
Upon arriving at the terminal, I was straight onto the self-service check-in booths to check myself in for the flight. It gives you a range of options to identify yourself with – scanning the barcode, using your credit card/FF card, entering your FF number/flight number and name/booking reference. Being the aviation enthusiast I am, I went ahead and plugged my FF number in without needing to get anything out and away I was. The process is simple but it doesn’t give you an option to change your seat – once you’ve selected it online at an earlier time, it’s final. It wouldn’t help if you found people you knew at the airport who were flying on the same flight. Because I knew of this rather lengthy delay, I went outside to the carpark to do a little bit of spotting.
JQ Self Check-in Counters (sorry about the glare)
Boarding Pass
DJ’s Self Check-in Counters
DJ/JQ FIDS
Domestic Jet FIDS
DJ/JQ Baggage Claim
JQ A320: Hasn’t Found The Pot Of Gold In The New Zealand Market
NZ 733 I Flew On The Previous TR
Another NZ 733
EK A345 As EK 406 From Melbourne/Dubai
CX A343 as CX 108 Back To HKG
The weather got the better of me in the end so I ventured back inside the terminal and through security before my plane had arrived. The departure lounge is no where near big enough to cater for 2 departing flights. Pacific Blue had a 737-800 departing and our plane (A320) was late which clogged up the entire area. Because check in closed so early and the plane was so delayed, everyone who was on the Jetstar flight was outside the gate waiting for a very long time. Quite a few people were sitting on the floor and leaning against the walls. I’ve never seen that area so packed before. The position of the security doesn’t exactly help things either. Disembarking looked like a real shambles too as those getting off the plane had to somehow clamber through the mess to get out of the departure lounge. Fortunately, both planes arrived and departed at slightly scattered times, meaning 200 odd people didn’t rush through the 200 odd who were standing around waiting for their planes. I could imagine the absolute hectic nature of that area!
Way Overcrowded Departure Lounge
So the Pacific Blue 738 came and had been loaded up by the time my Jetstar A320 pulled up to the gate some two and a half hours late. People eventually started coming off the plane which had just arrived from Queenstown including the Melbourne Victory soccer team. Finally, at around 2:45, boarding commenced. I didn’t get onboard for another 10 minutes either.
The Very Late Plane
PAX Load Sheets
Boarding
Flight Information
29 June 2009
Routing: Auckland to Wellington (AKL-WLG)
Airline: Jetstar Airlines (Codeshared with Qantas, its parent company)
Flight: JQ265
Scheduled Time of Departure: 1340
Actual Time of Departure: 1514 (pushback), 1524 (rotate)
Scheduled Time Of Arrival: 1445
Touchdown: 1612
Flight Time: 58 min
Aircraft: Airbus A320-232
Registration: VH-VQS
Seat: 6A
Jetstar operates both A320s and A321s. Its New Zealand-based fleet comprises of 3 A320s. VH-VQS is an IAE V2500 powered Airbus A320-200, which was registered with JQ as new on 1 September 2005. The seating onboard this Jetstar A320 is all Economy with seating capacity for 177 passengers.
When onboard, I handed my boarding pass to the purser to which he replied: “Window seat on the right”. Impersonal, but I didn’t really expect more from them considering they were so delayed and this was a LCC I was on. The seat itself is quite comfortable and the legroom is sufficient, especially for short haul flights like my one to Wellington. Legroom of 30 inches is more than what Air New Zealand provide on their 733s. The difference was definitely noticed when I went to sit down. Once I was seated, I had a look at what was surrounding me – a completely shabby interior. For a plane which is barely 4 years old, I’d have expected it to be maintained much more thoroughly than it had been. I’m pretty sure the windows were dirty. I felt like I was in a kindergarten even though I was on the plane. Someone had drawn on the wall below the window with a crayon – not cleaned. Someone had scribbled with a ballpoint pen on the seatback once the tray table was folded down – not cleaned. Chewing gum – not cleaned. A crack on the tray table itself – ok it can’t be cleaned.. But that itself shouldn’t be happening! Who chooses such flimsy materials for use as a tray table? So my first impression of the airline didn’t go down too well. Surely you’d even expect the most budget of airlines to clean the plane up properly! Obviously not. The tray table lock also felt rather tacky – I’d prefer it if they had just stuck to the normal plastic ones like everyone else! As this was my first LCC experience, I was really wondering what to expect later on in the day with my return Pacific Blue flight.
Cockpit
Cabin
My Row
Legroom – Not Bad
Crack Which Looks Better In The Pic Than In Real Life
Pen Scribbles
Gum
Pushback occurred some 1.5 hours after scheduled. As Jetstar’s A320s have no TV screens at all, they play an automated audio file for the flight attendants to do the safety demo along with. The pilots were quick to apologise and blamed the delay on a technical fault in the cockpit in Queenstown – something that could be true or something just said to cover themselves for the lack of RNP technology which allows those planes with the technology to land with less visibility than usual. 10 minutes later, we were lined up on runway 05R for our takeoff towards the east – could be the first time I’ve departed to the east. And away we went. I had forgotten how quiet the A320 was from the inside in comparison to the 737 as my previous and only A320 flight was 5 years ago. It could have something to do with where I was seated too. Off we went, heading towards a cruising altitude of 30,000 feet. It wasn’t long before we cleared the clouds and were winging it towards Wellington.
Finally Leaving The Terminal
NZ Dash 8-Q300 Departing
Lining Up Runway 05R
Take Off Roll
International Terminal – LA A343, DJ 738, NZ 763, NZ A320, QF 744, EK A345
Domestic Terminal
Turning Over South Auckland
Ardmore Airport In Center Screen As We Pass Through The Clouds
IAE V2500
New Zealand Is Called The Land Of The Long White Cloud For A Reason
The plane itself was about 70% full. Luckily there happened to be an empty seat between me and the person sitting on the aisle. It wasn’t too long before the FAs came around with the buy on board items. They didn’t seem to be wanting to increase the airline’s profit much because they didn’t ask everyone whether they wanted anything to eat or drink. I could have been a willing customer and bought items which were marked up by over 150% but they didn’t even ask if I wanted anything. I bet their bosses won’t be too happy if they find out they’re not doing as much as they can to maximise their revenue! As the FAs did two runs virtually simultaneously (the sales and the clean up), I had no time to head to the rear of the aircraft to take pictures. I checked out the front toilet which was rather cramped. Just as I got up, the seatbelt sign was switched on, followed by the purser touching the control and on came a pre-recorded message about starting descent. I believe it’s rather impersonal and lazy of the airline. It must get boring if you fly with them all the time! They have these messages for everything, probably to save them time. I thought I’d better go straight back to my seat instead of wander around for another couple of minutes. In fact, we were still over 20 minutes out of Wellington and I don’t believe there was much need in turning the seatbelt sign on so early.
Toilet
Touch Screen Control Panel – So Many Pre-Recorded Announcements On The Right!
Nevertheless, the rather uneventful flight started descending into Wellington from the north, buffeted by gale-force southerlies. I was hoping for a rougher flight but the A320 handled it quite well. The weather was rather similar to Auckland’s – cold and dreary, laced with rain. We touched down with nearly a 1.5 hour delay. A couple of minutes was spent taxiing to gate 22 and it was there where we encountered more problems. A couple of minutes after coming to a halt at the gate, the pilots announced over the PA that the airbridge wasn’t working and that they had contacted WIAL’s operations to get the problem solved. Of course, this wasn’t Jetstar’s fault but the experience some people had on the flight would have left them wondering why on earth they had chosen Jetstar to fly to Wellington that day. There were no interesting movements out the window and I couldn’t really do much in my seat. A mere 16 minutes later, the airbridge was finally attached to the plane and we finally disembarked. It’s one experience I hope doesn’t repeat itself again.
Crossing Over Land – Titahi Bay Below
Over Porirua
Lower Hutt In The Background
The Roundabout With The Wind Sculpture – Quite Strong Today!
Touchdown! Northern Pier At WLG, Rather Empty
Heaps Of Air NZ Planes
Vacating The Runway
I’m Lead To Believe That Most Of These Are Swing Gates – International+Domestic
I See The Airbridge!
Not Moving..
Company A320 Departing
Service Vehicle
Finally Working
Passengers Eager To Disembark But The Door Still Isn’t Open
Purple!
International/Domestic Segregation I Believe
I Wonder How Long They’ve Been Waiting There For..
Wellington Airport is nice and roomy, much more welcoming than Auckland’s domestic airport. Their free wireless internet is a bonus and of course I was on A.Net for the time I was on the internet. It houses quite a few cafes and eateries but I decided not to get anything. I had already checked in online at home so there was no need to do anything else but show up at the gate. I took another look around the airport before heading to security and waiting for my plane.
You Can’t Miss This!
WLG FIDS
WLG Airport’s Plan
They Expect 77Ws?? That’s Extremely Ambitious..
DJ/JQ/QF Check-In Area
The Plane I Was Just On Back To Auckland
Airliners.Net On Free Wifi Watching The Non-Existent Traffic
My DJ Flight Home
Now Onto The Return Leg
Pacific Blue’s boarding passes from the self check-in look like supermarket dockets. The handheld scanner they use to check you in is much more convenient than Jetstar’s “rip the stub” method and Air New Zealand’s “place the boarding pass on the scanner” method. Boarding began in front of schedule at 5:50. It wasn’t long before I was on the plane and greeted by name by the Pacific Blue FAs. Unfortunately for Pacific Blue, the flight I was on seemed like it was less than half full.
Departure Screen
Flight Information
29 June 2009
Routing: Wellington to Auckland (WLG-AKL)
Airline: Pacific Blue Airlines
Flight: DJ3051
Scheduled Time of Departure: 1815
Actual Time of Departure: 1811 (pushback), 1819 (rotate)
Scheduled Time Of Arrival: 1915
Touchdown: 1915
Flight Time: 1 hr 4 min
Aircraft: Boeing 737-8FE
Registration: ZK-PBA
Seat: 20F
Pacific Blue operate a fleet of 737-800s with winglets, acquired from their parent company, Virgin Blue. This one, ZK-PBA, was the first 737-800 to be registered by Pacific Blue in January 2004 for their initial services out of Christchurch. It was initially registered in September 2003 as VH-VOO when flying with Virgin Blue. These planes do both New Zealand domestic and international sectors. Virgin Blue uses a configuration with a capacity of 180 over its 30 rows and a seat pitch of between 31 and 33 inches.
Not A Vibrantly Coloured Airbridge
As the flight was rather empty, I had the row to myself once again. The seats on board this 737 were a bit harder than Jetstar’s seats but still definitely comfortable enough for a 1 hour flight and the legroom was more than sufficient after many flights on Air New Zealand’s 737s. Pacific Blue’s seats also had more recline than Jetstar’s seats. The light load meant that we were able to push back from Gate 23 ahead of schedule as well. Pacific Blue’s 738s don’t have any TV screens at all and everything was done in a similar fashion to Jetstar’s safety announcement.
Window View
Spacious Legroom For A LCC
Taxiing To The Runway
Takeoff towards the south was quick into the stiff wind and we rocketed towards our cruising altitude of 29,000 feet. Apologies for the lack of pictures as it was simply too dark to take them. The CFMs on the 738 are quite a bit louder than the engines on the A320. There were 3 FAs, one for every 10 rows. It wasn’t long before they came around with the buy on board menu and this was also done as per their block of seats. The friendly FA approached me and asked if I wanted anything.
“Do you happen to have any Solo onboard?”
“I’ll have a look.. [rummages in the bottom most drawer of the trolley] Oh here’s one! Sometimes we have leftovers from the trans-Tasman runs”
It was a great surprise to me that they had some Solo on board and I was quick to buy it as it’s not available in New Zealand and they also deserved my money more than JQ did. The only bad thing I found with the seats was that the tray table kept on sliding towards me and it wouldn’t stay pushed in. This caused the ice inside the cup I got alongside the can of soft drink to topple and the ice went all over me. Luckily it didn’t have any drink inside it and I hadn’t opened my can by then. The cheerful FAs eventually came around to clean up and after they made their way to the back, I was up to take a few pics around the cabin.
My Solo – Nearly Good Enough To Buy A Spare To Have At Home
While all of this was happening, the cabin lights remained dimmed, from before takeoff to after arrival, which I found strange. The other two airlines don’t keep the lights dimmed for the entire flight and it meant turning on the reading light. I guess it does allow for a more peaceful sleep if people wished to do that. The toilet onboard was around the same size as the JQ A320 one. Soon enough, it was time to descend into Auckland. It was a really smooth landing on 05R and we shortly rocked up to Gate 21 on time.
Toilet – About The Same Size As JQ
Cabin Views
First Time I’ve Noticed The Plate
Overall, my experience with Pacific Blue was much better than my experience with Jetstar. They were on time, their flight attendants were much friendlier and the interior of the aircraft was well maintained. (Not to mention I enjoyed flying on the 738 for the first time!) The strange dimming of the lights for the entire flight made everyone keep their personal lights on – something that will definitely be improved when planes start receiving the mood lighting.
The Comparison
Air New Zealand offers a great service. Their fares come “all inclusive” of a bag, taxes, levies, surcharges etc. This idea has been recently displayed in their TV ads in New Zealand showing that “they have nothing to hide”. Air New Zealand’s product is great, no doubt about that. The only downside is the lack of seat pitch in comparison to both Jetstar and Pacific Blue. If you are eligible for Space+ or you’re small enough to cope with the 28” seat pitch, you can’t go wrong with Air New Zealand.
I didn’t try to scorn Jetstar at all but the product which was put in front of me left me with no other choice. The shabby interior summed up the experience – even the inside of the aircraft can’t be cleaned properly. At least the engines weren’t falling off and we reached the destination. Their uniforms don’t look great either. The lack of RNP will undoubtedly affect their OTP over the next year and a half – there are many factors which JQ should have considered and also had the time to consider. As a typical LCC, it’s not bad for getting point to point for $10 excluding luggage but expect delays.
Pacific Blue, if they could increase their schedules, has the opportunity right now to cement the second most important domestic carrier position. The product they provide is far superior to Jetstar’s. They only fall behind Air New Zealand in categories such as advanced seat booking, the complimentary tea/coffee, extra baggage costs, and surcharges - rather petty issues if you fly with hand luggage only. Their FAs do what’s required and a bit more – it was a really nice touch for them to personally greet passengers.
It’s quite funny how both JQ and DJ’s final PA mimicked each other: “We acknowledge that there is a selection of airlines out there today and thank you for flying ....”.
Out of all this negative publicity, Jetstar have released statements and promises which include a NZ$50 Jetstar voucher for anyone who arrives at their destination more than an hour late. Too bad they didn’t have that when I flew or the voucher itself would have been worth more than how much I actually paid for my flight.
I wouldn’t mind flying Pacific Blue again – they make great competition for Air New Zealand. All they really need now is to boost their timetable to be able to compete more closely with Air New Zealand and stop them running away with the pie. Jetstar on the other hand has a lot of work to do to even compete with the other two airlines because I feel that their product is that much more inferior in all aspects from what I experienced on my journey. Air New Zealand is the way to go and its fleet is probably the only thing which needs upgrading. Flight attendants on both Air New Zealand and Pacific Blue take pride in their job and provide a very satisfying inflight service which is friendly and helpful.
Acknowledgements:
Globetraveller for the inspiring report on airline comparisons within Europe
Kiwiandrew From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 8308 posts, RR: 17 Reply 1, posted (2 years 10 months 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 10610 times:
thanks for the TR Nicholas
It is good to see that a TR on a one hour domestic can be just as interesting to read as a longhaul TR - you obviously put quite a lot of effort into your TRs .
very interesting to see how the domestic scene in New Zealand is changing . I agree that shabby looking planes are disappointing ( and I imagine that for infrequent/nervous flyers it will inevitably lead to thoughts of whether or not the aircraft is safe - yes , I know that shabbiness doesnt have anything to do with airworthiness - but it looks unprofessional , and that is enough to disturb the nervous )
I have been reading with some amusement about Jetstars introduction into New Zealand , before they arrived I thought " well , they have one thing in their favour , they are operating newer aircraft so their schedules must be more reliable than the unreliable Jetconnect schedules they are replacing" ... instead , they actually seem to be making the previous service look reliable. I think that they will need to be offering some bloody good fares to make up for all the negative publicity they have received in their first few weeks . Anyway , good to see competition , it helps to keep the other operators on their toes , but I do wonder how long a country of 4 million people can sustain 3 mainline jet operations - at some point I see someone dropping out of the domestic market , and I dont think it will be NZ.
Moderation in all things ... including moderation ;-)
DALCE From Netherlands, joined Feb 2007, 1495 posts, RR: 8 Reply 3, posted (2 years 10 months 4 days 16 hours ago) and read 10599 times:
Hi Nicholas,
what a great comparison between the 2. I would stick for Pacific Blue too.
Jet* simply aren't doing their job the right way.
Thanks for this insight in ' LCC flying Kiwi-style '
And congrats on scoring the 738 for your log! Always nice to add a new aircraft type!
cheers,
Joost(D-ALCE)
flown on : F50,F70,CR1,CR2,CR9,E75,143,AR8,AR1,733,735,736,73G,738,753,744,319,320,321,AB6. Next flights AMS-ZRH-AMS on
A1ring23 From Australia, joined Jun 2009, 196 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (2 years 10 months 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 10589 times:
Hi Nicolas,
Excellent TR, thanks for sharing!
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): For a plane which is barely 4 years old, I’d have expected it to be maintained much more thoroughly than it had been. I’m pretty sure the windows were dirty. I felt like I was in a kindergarten even though I was on the plane. Someone had drawn on the wall below the window with a crayon – not cleaned. Someone had scribbled with a ballpoint pen on the seatback once the tray table was folded down – not cleaned. Chewing gum – not cleaned.
Yep as you said before, this is typical JQ. I don't understand how airlines can leave their planes in such terrible condition, I'd feel so bad!
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): My Solo – Nearly Good Enough To Buy A Spare To Have At Home
Where exactly is this? I've always tried to find it on the way out and never had any luck.
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Out of all this negative publicity, Jetstar have released statements and promises which include a NZ$50 Jetstar voucher for anyone who arrives at their destination more than an hour late.
Really? That is pretty good, although I dunno why they'd introduce that though - it would put crews under extreme pressure to be on time even if circumstances go against them.
NZ107 From New Zealand, joined Jul 2005, 4887 posts, RR: 50 Reply 6, posted (2 years 10 months 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 10393 times:
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for reading!
Quoting Kiwiandrew (Reply 1): It is good to see that a TR on a one hour domestic can be just as interesting to read as a longhaul TR - you obviously put quite a lot of effort into your TRs .
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I strive to make the best TRs I can possibly make and that includes dragging out hour-long flights! Hope it wasn't too boring for some people!
Quoting Kiwiandrew (Reply 1): very interesting to see how the domestic scene in New Zealand is changing . I agree that shabby looking planes are disappointing
It was a complete disappointment. My other A320 flight has been with Air NZ and that was with a brand spanking new aircraft, ZK-OJC, back in Jan 2004. They shouldn't treat planes so poorly, let alone expect people to enjoy their flight when it flies in such a condition!
Quoting Kiwiandrew (Reply 1): before they arrived I thought " well , they have one thing in their favour , they are operating newer aircraft so their schedules must be more reliable than the unreliable Jetconnect schedules they are replacing"
Exactly my thoughts too. In the end, however, I guess I'm not entirely surprised that they (QF Group) have once again let the New Zealand public down by giving us some of the oldest planes in their fleet! I just wish Jetconnect could re-takeover JQ with their new 738s and maybe QF will get some sort of respect within the New Zealand community.
Quoting TG992 (Reply 2): Did the purser's name on JQ happen to be Tim?
Hi TG992,
Thanks! Umm I'm not great with names and never really pay attention to who is flying the plane and who the cabin crew is - mainly because I know I'd probably forget it by the end of the flight anyway. The most I can retain in my head is what the cruising altitude is and possibly the registration
Quoting DALCE (Reply 3): And congrats on scoring the 738 for your log! Always nice to add a new aircraft type!
Hi Joost,
Thanks for your comments! Yeah, most of my friends now know that I advise them not to fly Jetstar.. And yes I finally managed to score myself a 738 which was a relief after seeing them fly around for so long! Can't wait to do a day flight on the 738 with a better view of the winglet!
Quoting A1ring23 (Reply 4): Yep as you said before, this is typical JQ. I don't understand how airlines can leave their planes in such terrible condition, I'd feel so bad!
Hi Pete,
Thanks for your comments! I really hope the A321 I'm flying on in November is in a better condition than this.. Or it'll be the last of Jetstar for me! In JQ's press conferences, they've been saying "We've been investing tens of millions of dollars into the New Zealand domestic market" yet it seems like they haven't set anything aside for cleaning costs! It's so appalling. It seems like it's more of a case of "We've oversupplied the Australian market and these planes aren't wanted here anymore so you can have them".
Quoting A1ring23 (Reply 4): Come over to Aus and buy a few cartons!!!
Emirates has a 30kg checked baggage limit which I will use wisely!
Quoting A1ring23 (Reply 4): Where exactly is this? I've always tried to find it on the way out and never had any luck.
I was looking around the front of the plane and while asking for the registration, I also asked the flight attendants. To my surprise, they knew what I was talking about and it happened to be placed on the top of the door frame as you entered the aircraft! Kudos to the Pac Blue crew for knowing their plane!
Quoting A1ring23 (Reply 4): Really? That is pretty good, although I dunno why they'd introduce that though - it would put crews under extreme pressure to be on time even if circumstances go against them.
It has been said in the media over here that the pilots have been placed under a lot of stress and they aren't happy. It's not their fault if their bosses decide not to think about putting RNP into their planes, allowing them to service ZQN in bad weather! It definitely helps if you have a fleet size of 3 because that means a third of your flights would be majorly delayed and then you'd also have the hassle of other logistics if you can't land in ZQN and had to divert to CHC/IVC/DUD. I think they set it at $50 because usually the cheapest one way fares are $29, thus making people spend another $10 to get somewhere with JQ. That takes business away from NZ/DJ and they also make a bit more money on the credit card surcharge because you'll be paying at least $9 (then bags too) with your plastic. I think it's a gimmick and would probably use half of it up to get somewhere one way then return with another airline. I have 6 more really cheap flights with JQ to come and I hope my experience does improve..
Quoting NZdsgnr (Reply 5): are you sure about NZ only having 28in pitch? if so maybe you should mention it to NZ so that they change it on their website
Haha whoops, my bad. 30 it is. Even so, the pitch on NZ felt so much more claustrophobic than what I had experienced on JQ/DJ! I feel as though they've put a bit too much emphasis on Space+ and they had to counter the extra space by taking it out of the other rows to avoid losing capacity etc and to make Space+ sound that much better. And I won't be achieving Silver status for a loooooong time.
Cchan From New Zealand, joined May 2003, 1575 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (2 years 10 months 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 10124 times:
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): It’s quite funny how both JQ and DJ’s final PA mimicked each other: “We acknowledge that there is a selection of airlines out there today and thank you for flying ....”.
In South Africa, there is a LCC called 1Time Airline. The last time I flew with them in June 09, they said this too. Must be a standard thing on LCCs?
Hikarufree From Australia, joined Dec 2007, 42 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (2 years 10 months 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 9873 times:
Quoting Cchan (Reply 7): In South Africa, there is a LCC called 1Time Airline. The last time I flew with them in June 09, they said this too. Must be a standard thing on LCCs?
It's standard--or used to be when there were more competitors of all sizes--in the US, particularly when the airline isn't the market leader.
Great report, Nicholas.
I just had my first proper Virgin Blue flight last week, myself.
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): I felt like I was in a kindergarten even though I was on the plane. Someone had drawn on the wall below the window with a crayon – not cleaned. Someone had scribbled with a ballpoint pen on the seatback once the tray table was folded down – not cleaned.
I think it was the pax that did that, not the airline. Yes, planes do get cleaned every day, but it is a deep clean that only happens once a month or so. I am sure you would complain if the flight was late because they had to clean the plane. Get over it.
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): a pre-recorded message about starting descent. I believe it’s rather impersonal and lazy of the airline
It is also called consistant. Many a time I have been on a plane and the FA has changed some of the words around. At least if it is recorded, it is a constant company message to the pax.
I am not a fan of JQ by any stretch of the imagination, but as QF in Australia hands over routes to them, I don't have much choice but to fly them. I treat JQ as a bus. I get on, get to my destination and get off. I do not expect any great levels of service inbetween (and 99% of the time I am not disappointed). I try to fly QF first for all travel. If they are not available on that route, it is a toss between JQ and DJ. JQ is usually cheaper, and it wins as I am a QF shareholder and I have lounge access. DJ does have the better service out of JQ/DJ, but for the shorthaul, I can cope.
TG992 From New Zealand, joined Jan 2001, 2910 posts, RR: 13 Reply 10, posted (2 years 10 months 2 days ago) and read 9675 times:
Wunala - you seem to be missing the point that the other two airlines NZ107 flew on managed to present a clean and tidy aircraft. I also think his point that prerecorded announcements are impersonal is a valid one. The tone of your post was not particularly nice.
NZ107 From New Zealand, joined Jul 2005, 4887 posts, RR: 50 Reply 13, posted (2 years 10 months 17 hours ago) and read 9375 times:
Quoting Hikarufree (Reply 8): It's standard--or used to be when there were more competitors of all sizes--in the US, particularly when the airline isn't the market leader.
Great report, Nicholas.
I just had my first proper Virgin Blue flight last week, myself.
Thanks for your comments, Hikarufree! It's interesting to know that the final PA message is used around the world. How did you find Virgin Blue to be like?
Quoting Wunala (Reply 9): Either they were dirty or not.
Feel free to write your own trip report of this size: I'll be happy to nitpick my way through it.
Quoting Wunala (Reply 9): I think it was the pax that did that, not the airline. Yes, planes do get cleaned every day, but it is a deep clean that only happens once a month or so. I am sure you would complain if the flight was late because they had to clean the plane. Get over it.
Thanks for pointing out the obvious! The pen marks looked rather shallow. That's all completely beside the point however. The comparison was undertaken from what was put in front of me and Jetstar didn't come close to its competition in any way. It's a real shame that QF has to treat New Zealand like dirt - we don't deserve crappy over-half used A320s which seem to have been maintained worse than the already bad 733/4s operating with Jetconnect right now. They've got plenty of time at night to inspect the condition of the planes and keep them in a state which is acceptable to any passenger flying on it. There's even a sticker on the seat if you take a look at the pictures too - surely that could be doubt with rather quickly but no, it was left alone and had picked up quite a bit of fluff too. I don't think anyone would want to be flying in such a poorly maintained cabin unless they really had to.
Quoting Wunala (Reply 9): I treat JQ as a bus. I get on, get to my destination and get off
I don't spend my time on planes being treated like a bus passenger. That's not why I fly. I endeavour to treasure as much time I have in the air. I didn't have much choice on this JQ flight however. There were some instances where I couldn't wait to get to Wellington. I spend long enough as it is on the bus to and from uni and even then a lot of the bus drivers happen to be more friendly. Might I add that some buses that I travel on are actually cleaner than what I experienced on JQ.
I actually had the opposite experience flying JQ and DJ in Australia.
Hi Pewpew,
Thanks for your comments! That's rather interesting.. I'll be doing another (this time Aussie Domestic) series on QF/JQ/DJ in November. I guess I have something to look forward to and see for myself if it's the same story across the ditch!
Quoting Pewpew320 (Reply 12): JQ the FAs were much nicer and more efficient whereas on DJ they were actually rather rude, In addition the DJ plane was rather shabby looking.
Hikarufree From Australia, joined Dec 2007, 42 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (2 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 9196 times:
Quoting NZ107 (Reply 13): Thanks for your comments, Hikarufree! It's interesting to know that the final PA message is used around the world. How did you find Virgin Blue to be like?
I quite liked them. I thought I would be put off with having the PTVs showing nonstop adverts, but for SYD - MEL it wasn't too bad. I'd rethink that opinion if I had a longer flight.
The seatpitch was very generous.
I'd definitely choose them over JQ and QF.
That said, JQ International (OZ - Asia/USA) seems to be a totally different (and better) animal than the Tasman original.
Shamrock321 From Ireland, joined May 2008, 1477 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (2 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 9169 times:
A great report to read! It gave me that nice feeling inside that I get when flying in the darker winter months, the pictures compliment the report perfectly. A nice simple domestic trip but one of my favourite trip reports on here.
NZ107 From New Zealand, joined Jul 2005, 4887 posts, RR: 50 Reply 16, posted (2 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 9068 times:
Quoting Hikarufree (Reply 14): I quite liked them. I thought I would be put off with having the PTVs showing nonstop adverts, but for SYD - MEL it wasn't too bad. I'd rethink that opinion if I had a longer flight.
The seatpitch was very generous.
I'd definitely choose them over JQ and QF.
That said, JQ International (OZ - Asia/USA) seems to be a totally different (and better) animal than the Tasman original.
That's good. The PTV sounds as though it could be annoying.. However I might be inclined to buy it and check it out. Got a flight SYD-OOL which I think will be a 737 so that might be a bit of fun. I'm liking the seat pitch given by these airlines! I thought that they'd try to jam pack people into 28" but they haven't. And DJ over JQ and QF - well I'll decide that once I fly all 3 airlines (and now considering a 3rd flight to Melbourne in consecutive days to try TT out for fun) with many trip reports to come then! I could also try out JQ's A332..
Quoting Shamrock321 (Reply 15): A great report to read! It gave me that nice feeling inside that I get when flying in the darker winter months, the pictures compliment the report perfectly. A nice simple domestic trip but one of my favourite trip reports on here.
Hi Shamrock321,
Thanks for your comments! I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. I actually wish I had 2 day flights because I wanted to take more pictures! And I personally can't wait for summer! Stay tuned in December for more trip reports from me!
That's good. The PTV sounds as though it could be annoying..
on DJ you can dim the PTV to the point of being effectively blank if you dont want to watch the ads and dont want to pay to watch anything , so it doesnt have to be a nuisance .
Moderation in all things ... including moderation ;-)
BA319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 7882 posts, RR: 57 Reply 18, posted (2 years 9 months 3 weeks 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 8872 times:
Hi Nicholas,
Good to see you have been travelling again, overall looks like a decent days trip!
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Legroom of 30 inches is more than what Air New Zealand provide on their 733s
- Amazing that both these LCC's have better legroom than ANZ!
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Pacific Blue’s boarding passes from the self check-in look like supermarket dockets.
- I don't like these flimsy things, really nasty.
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Virgin Blue uses a configuration with a capacity of 180 over its 30 rows and a seat pitch of between 31 and 33 inches.
- Just amazing!
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Out of all this negative publicity, Jetstar have released statements and promises which include a NZ$50 Jetstar voucher for anyone who arrives at their destination more than an hour late
- That is good PR, they are obviously worried about the negative press/feedback so a good move on their part.
NZ107 From New Zealand, joined Jul 2005, 4887 posts, RR: 50 Reply 19, posted (2 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 8689 times:
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 18): Good to see you have been travelling again, overall looks like a decent days trip!
Hi Mark,
Yeah, I was glad to have tried Pacific Blue out at last. And, well, Jetstar too for that matter. I've got more really cheap flights lined up with JQ for early December so I'll see if they'll improve by then.
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 18): Amazing that both these LCC's have better legroom than ANZ!
I stand corrected about the legroom of NZ's 733s which are 30 inches as well (I think same as JQ) but I was quite surprised to see I had plenty more room to stand up while in the rows of a LCC!
There is a high probability that I'll get VQS again and if I do, I'll be checking that seat to see if it has been cleaned thoroughly!
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 18): I don't like these flimsy things, really nasty.
It made me glad I didn't check in using the kiosks!
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 18): That is good PR, they are obviously worried about the negative press/feedback so a good move on their part
Time will tell to see if the general public of New Zealand will accept them as a "major" domestic airline. Just a quick check on AKL's FIDS right now - 2/3 of their planes have rather major delays so I think it's going to be a very costly move trying to get their reputation back.
Hehehe... "You shall have no luggage allowance". Funny how they put 0pc/0kgs on the boarding pass. Probably just in case the passenger needs some reminding.
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Out of all this negative publicity, Jetstar have released statements and promises which include a NZ$50 Jetstar voucher for anyone who arrives at their destination more than an hour late. Too bad they didn’t have that when I flew or the voucher itself would have been worth more than how much I actually paid for my flight.
Hahaha... Nice one! But, I am sure there would have been some fine print that would prevent you from getting the voucher if your ticket was so cheap.
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Acknowledgements:
Globetraveller for the inspiring report on airline comparisons within Europe
Thank you! I'll gladly inspire more great trip reports like this one!
Thank you for all your efforts! I know these reports take ages to compile. I look forward to the Australia series as well!
NZ107 From New Zealand, joined Jul 2005, 4887 posts, RR: 50 Reply 21, posted (2 years 9 months 2 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 8427 times:
Quoting Globetraveller (Reply 20): A great little trip report series with some amazing pictures and interesting detail.
Hi GT,
Thanks for your comments!
Quoting Globetraveller (Reply 20): Hehehe... "You shall have no luggage allowance". Funny how they put 0pc/0kgs on the boarding pass. Probably just in case the passenger needs some reminding.
Thanks! The weather was horrible but I was glad I stayed up there to take that photo!
Quoting Globetraveller (Reply 20): Hehehe... You never know with airlines like Emirates around. All those 777-300ERs need to go somewhere after all!
A short runway in WLG and also a restriction on trans-Tasman flights means they can't operate currently. But then again, hearing that AKL-SYD on the A380 had 89 pax a couple of days ago makes you wonder if WLG would be a viable destination over going AKL-SYD double daily. Plus, WLG have asked airlines to use their 787s into WLG and all have rejected! Including Air NZ!
Quoting Globetraveller (Reply 20): Hahaha... Nice one! But, I am sure there would have been some fine print that would prevent you from getting the voucher if your ticket was so cheap.
Just read it now: you have to know about it because it says JQ offer the vouchers; ie you have to accept the offer before you are elligible for it. And it runs out in October but it doesn't seem to have many other limitations! But the $50 would most likely only get you one way and you'd have to pay $50 odd to get home again. You'd be better off going with NZ or DJ.
Quoting Globetraveller (Reply 20): Thank you! I'll gladly inspire more great trip reports like this one!
Thank you for all your efforts! I know these reports take ages to compile. I look forward to the Australia series as well!
You're most welcome! You have already inspired the entire Australian Domestic one too
I was glad I finished them when I had the time to! Now it's (supposed to be) study study study.. I guess I've got something to look forward to once exams are over for the year though!
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 5424 posts, RR: 81 Reply 22, posted (2 years 9 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 8111 times:
Hi Nicholas,
another great report with so many details, I enjoyed reading a lot (after finding some time finally!).
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Once I was seated, I had a look at what was surrounding me – a completely shabby interior. For a plane which is barely 4 years old, I’d have expected it to be maintained much more thoroughly than it had been. I’m pretty sure the windows were dirty. I felt like I was in a kindergarten even though I was on the plane. Someone had drawn on the wall below the window with a crayon – not cleaned. Someone had scribbled with a ballpoint pen on the seatback once the tray table was folded down – not cleaned. Chewing gum – not cleaned. A crack on the tray table itself – ok it can’t be cleaned.. But that itself shouldn’t be happening! Who chooses such flimsy materials for use as a tray table?
Wow, that's bad. I didn't notice anything like that when I flew BNE-HTI on JQ in 2006 - probably because the aircraft was still quite new. Anyway, they should really take care of the interior.
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): It could have something to do with where I was seated too.
Definitely, yes.
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Overall, my experience with Pacific Blue was much better than my experience with Jetstar. They were on time, their flight attendants were much friendlier and the interior of the aircraft was well maintained.
I draw the a similar conclusion after flying HTI-BNE on Virgin Blue. I also made a sandwich test and the Jetstar one couldn't match the Virgin Blue one at all.
NZ107 From New Zealand, joined Jul 2005, 4887 posts, RR: 50 Reply 23, posted (2 years 9 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 7955 times:
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 22): another great report with so many details, I enjoyed reading a lot (after finding some time finally!).
Hi PH,
Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 22): I draw the a similar conclusion after flying HTI-BNE on Virgin Blue. I also made a sandwich test and the Jetstar one couldn't match the Virgin Blue one at all.
I'll also take this into consideration when I go to Australia and test out their competition over there in November. No doubt it'll be interesting to see whether these airlines have kept a consistent level on both sides of the Tasman.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 22): Wow, that's bad. I didn't notice anything like that when I flew BNE-HTI on JQ in 2006 - probably because the aircraft was still quite new. Anyway, they should really take care of the interior.
I'm only going to be flying on JQ's A321 and A332 so I won't be able to see if the rest of their oldest mainstream A320s have been kept in the same bad condition as the one I went on - I'm definitely expecting the A321 and A332 to be clean.
Kaitak From Ireland, joined Aug 1999, 11361 posts, RR: 40 Reply 24, posted (2 years 9 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 7861 times:
Quoting NZ107 (Thread starter): Nevertheless, the rather uneventful flight started descending into Wellington from the north, buffeted by gale-force southerlies. I was hoping for a rougher flight but the A320 handled it quite well. The weather was rather similar to Auckland’s – cold and dreary, laced with rain
You know, it's funny, this is the one aspect of a trip to WLG that interested me; I wouldn't give a stuff about whether the airline is good or bad, but give me a flight into WLG on a windy day and I'd be perfectly happy!
I have to disagree with some of the comments made by others, with all due respect. I thought your tone was perfectly fair; you said nothing to indicate a bias towards/against either of the carriers, or ANZ. You said what they offered and while I think you were perhaps a tiny bit harsh about the condition of the seat (e.g. the crack in the tray), I think you treated JQ fairly. It's not unreasonable, based on your experience, to say that they were below par. Maybe some day you'll fly on them when they'll have got their act together.
I think this competition is good for New Zealand - as long as the new competitors don't just confine their operations to the three major cities and Queenstown. The likes of DUD and Roturua, Palmertston North should also share in the spoils of competition - and likewise, airports in these cities should be incentivising these new carriers to start services to the more peripheral cities.
Is Tiger Air is also planning to fly domestically in NZ?
What is the rule about Australian registered aircraft flying in NZ? Your JQ aircraft was Australian registered; is this possible because of the "Open Skies" regime between the two countries?
Finally, finally ... on the takeoff photo from AKL, what's the yellow 737, in the corner near the hangar?
NZ107 From New Zealand, joined Jul 2005, 4887 posts, RR: 50 Reply 25, posted (2 years 9 months 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 7660 times:
Quoting Kaitak (Reply 24): You know, it's funny, this is the one aspect of a trip to WLG that interested me; I wouldn't give a stuff about whether the airline is good or bad, but give me a flight into WLG on a windy day and I'd be perfectly happy!
Hi Kaitak,
Thanks for your comments! Haha yes I want to be in Wellington to try out a really rough landing (gale crosswinds). It seems like I always miss out by about a day! But I guess it'll happen sometime when I'm least expecting it/don't want it to happen. Something's gotta make up for a poor experience on the plane
Quoting Kaitak (Reply 24): I have to disagree with some of the comments made by others, with all due respect. I thought your tone was perfectly fair; you said nothing to indicate a bias towards/against either of the carriers, or ANZ. You said what they offered and while I think you were perhaps a tiny bit harsh about the condition of the seat (e.g. the crack in the tray), I think you treated JQ fairly. It's not unreasonable, based on your experience, to say that they were below par. Maybe some day you'll fly on them when they'll have got their act together.
Thanks for that! I endeavour to make my reports as unbiased as possible and hopefully I can continue to do this! Yes, I do hope that my experience on them improves greatly - I have 2 flights with them in Australia and another 4 back here in NZ in Nov/Dec so I'm looking forward to this adventure!
Quoting Kaitak (Reply 24): The likes of DUD and Roturua, Palmertston North should also share in the spoils of competition - and likewise, airports in these cities should be incentivising these new carriers to start services to the more peripheral cities.
Yeah, I do hope they find their way soon to these centres. Especially with Pacific Blue who have thought about bringing their E190s over. JQ's smallest plane is the A320 and it might be a bit big for some of these centres if they want to match NZ with schedules.
Tiger don't operate here yet. Not too sure about the Aussie registered aircraft operating here but it must be in some open skies agreement for them to be allowed to fly here. I've asked the question in the NZ Aviation #61 thread so I guess you can keep posted with a few replies on there soonish.
Quoting Kaitak (Reply 24): Finally, finally ... on the takeoff photo from AKL, what's the yellow 737, in the corner near the hangar?
It's ZK-NQC, a 737-219Adv, previously Air NZ's domestic passenger jet. It flew for Freedom Air as well until 2001 when it was sold and bought by Airwork, a charter firm based in AKL. It's a QC - can be made into a freighter config and a door has been installed. Still in operation as a freighter or passenger charter plane. I'd love to charter it out one day!
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