Key Details

Date: 23rd August 2022

Flight No: JQ240

Route: Christchurch to Auckland 

Aircraft: Airbus A320

Cabin: Economy

The Route

The flight between Christchurch and New Zealand’s largest city is one of the busiest flight routes in Aotearoa with typically around 15-20 daily return services. Two airlines operate the route with Air New Zealand being the biggest player operating most of the services however Jetstar operate typically at least 3 daily services. Both airlines use A320 on the route in an all economy configuration so unfortunately there is no regular opportunities to fly in business class on the route.

Neither airline offer free baggage allowance, meals or any other perks straight off the bat with both operating on a bundle structure for customers wishing to have more than just carryon luggage and involuntary seat selection. The route takes only just an hour but on a clear day would offers some spectacular views of the northern areas of New Zealand’s Southern Alps and the North Island’s spectacular coastlines.

Tonight’s flight up to Auckland was a repositing flight whereby we would fly to Noumea, New Caledonia the next morning on Air New Zealand which you can read about here

Jetstar Flight Bundles

Whilst it is still very much purchase add on inlcusions such as luggage allowance and exit row seats in a A La Carte fashion Jetstar very much pushes its bundle packages when going through the booking process for its flights on its website.

Starter 

Basically the most basic package is the ’Starter’ bundle which is hardly a bundle and is just aliken to purchasing the flight with 7kg carry on allowance and a involuntry seat selection although you can still enjoy 400 QFF points so be sure to put in that membership number when booking!

Flex and Plus 

Flex and Starter are the two mid range bundles and both cost $29 extra on this flight. The former offers a flexible fare features including up to same day flight changes (fare difference may apply) and cancelling for a credit. it is also includes a inflight meal deal or snack, 14 kg Carry on luggage, upfront or standard seat selection and 400 Qantas points. The starter is slightly different and instead swaps the larger carryon allowance of the Flex bundle with a 20kg checked baggage allowance (includes standard7kg carryon on still), 800 QFF points, In flight meal deal or snack, standard seat selection and flight change flexibility (but not option to cancel for a credit) 

Max 

The Max bundle is the most extensive of the bundles that JetStar offers and is what I purchased for this flight. On this flight it cost an additional $60 over the starter fare and essentially doubled the cost of the fare. The perks of this is that you are able to select any available seat which includes exit room and extra legroom seats of which i was able to select 1A. You get a fully flexible fare where you can change your flights and time (subject to any fare difference or cancel for credit. Also included is a generous 30kg baggage allowance, in flight meal deal or snack and a impressive 1200 QFF points. 

Getting to Christchurch Airport

We’d recommend booking the SuperShuttle service to get to and from the the airport especially if departing early or leaving late which will take you the 10km distance to the airport in as little as 20 minutes. Alternatively a slower public bus service is available which will also get the job done. If arriving early or departing late from Christchurch the International Antarctic Centre located across the road from the main terminal is a great way to kill several hours and also offers free baggage storage. It is well worth a visit!

Checking in at Christchurch

I arrived at Christchurch Airport a little over 2 hours ahead of the scheduled departure and presented to check in via the kiosks which will print your boarding passes and bag tags. Unfortunately Jetstar at Christchurch Airport still rely on the old fashioned check in counters which you will need to visit even if simply dropping your bags. I queued for around 15-20 minutes in line which had already been assembling shortly before the counter open time. From all my experiences with Jetstar they will only generally open the bag drop 2 hours prior to your scheduled departure. We do not recommend trying your luck at dropping off bags much over 2 hours early as you’ll likely be left stranded at the airport with bags until the bag drop opens. This is a slight nuance of flying Jetstar as opposed to Qantas or Virgin as it limits your ability to get to the airport early especially if you have time to kill for a flight after checking out of your hotel.

Navigating through New Zealand domestic terminals can be quite a different experience to that of Australia’s big city airports in that any flights on planes seating up 90 passengers do not require security screening. That means a considerable amount of domestic flights in New Zealand don’t require security and passengers can walk straight up to the gates. Unlike at Wellington Airport and perhaps due to a greater portion of A320 departures which do require security) there is a small selection of food and retail outlets post security but the best range can still be had before security which is where the main food hall is.

Seating on Jetstar

All of Jetstar’s flights in New Zealand are operated by single aisle Airbus A320 Aircraft with either 180 or 186 seats in a 3-3 configuration and 30 or 29 inch seat pitch respectively. On this particular flight i was seated in Seat 1A which was on the second variant of the A320 layout. Seat 1A is a great seat to pick especially when purchasing the Max Bundle. Due to having a bulkhead in front it did offer less legroom than the more spacious 180 seat Jetstar A320 layout in the same seats however on the flip side the seats legroom wasn’t protruded by the door of the plane and having the bulkhead provided a better barrier to all the embarking passengers during boarding. Luckily i had the whole row free to myself for the entire flight.

Aside from being in the front row JetStar’s seats come in a leather upholstery and surprisingly comfortable for only the short domestic flights you would expect to take within New Zealand. Seat pitch in the general seating of the cabin is certainly on the smaller size but for a short domestic flight within New Zealand (or Australia) shouldn’t be a problem for most,

Crew and In Flight Service

For this short 1.5 hour hop up to Auckland I couldn’t fault the crew for what it was that i had purchased with the ticket. Being in Seat 1A i was amongst the first on and off the aircraft and was particular impressed that I was welcomed on board by name something that I wouldn’t expect unless flying in Business. Aside the crew were quick to greet me by name and point out immediately after takeoff that i was eligible for a vaguely described ’meal deal. Whilst on a previous Jetstar I was simply given a $10 vouchers on this occasion i got a muffin with my choice of hot beverage. Overall I prefer the concept of just getting a voucher as it affords a lot more flexibility in what you can get. Aside from that the crew appeared efficient to serve those with entitled meals or vouchers first and then efficiently did another service for those wishing to buy from the on board menu. 

Entertainment is non existent on a Jetstar A320 as you would expect so bring your own if you really need but on any domestic flight in New Zealand arguably the best entrainment is the views out the window! All in all despite being a budget carrier where there is no expectation of lavish service, the crew did a great job of quickly handing out all the pre paid or complementary meals and also giving everyone else on board a chance to buy from the menu. Well done to the Kiwi Jetstar crew here!

Arriving in Auckland

After little over an hour in the air we started our descent into Auckland. As it was an evening landing we were afforded some great view of New Zealand’s largest city under lights. We arrived in Auckland pretty much on time. It took around 15-20 minutes for the luggage to finally arrive after disembarking and soon after I was on taking the 15 minute walk to a nearby airport hotel for the night ahead of the next mornings flight to New Caledonia! Upon arrival we’d recommend using the SuperShuttle Service to get to downtown Auckland