Update | Jetstar has opted to delay the announcement of new international Boeing 787 routes until next week – see our story for details.
Previous | Jetstar is set to upgrade its its international service with new business class and economy meals and the debut of inflight duty-free shopping.
Qantas' low-cost sibling is also promising to reveal "new route launches planned for 2014" at a media briefing to be held in Melbourne today, Friday December 6th.
Also on the agenda is "a new inflight duty-free shopping service" which should provide an additional revenue stream for the airline.
Jetstar represents one of the happier columns on the Qantas Groups' balance sheet, compared to the loss-making Qantas International arm and the challenged Qantas Domestic operation.
The low-cost airline took delivery of Australia's first Boeing 787 in October this year, with 13 more Dreamliners to follow until Jetstar has an all-787 international fleet by 2015 covering all destinations currently served by its Airbus A330s.
Review, photos: Jetstar's Boeing 787 business class
With Jetstar expecting to have three Boeing 787s flying by early next year, this Friday could also see the announcement of new Dreamliner routes.
Earlier this year Jetstar CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said "we expect to add more destinations, including Phuket, Japan, Hawaii and Singapore, to the 787's flying schedule as we receive more aircraft."
Australian Business Traveller will be attending Jetstar's international launch event – watch for live updates on our @AusBT Twitter channel from 12 noon.
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 732
I've always been unconvinced by the economics of in-flight duty free. I've never seen anyone buy anything from the cart which the FAs always wheel out in a mutually embarrassing display.
If you're flying to or from Australia, it's guaranteed that you either (a) already had to pass through a duty free store obstacle course just after emigration, or (b) you're gonna be passing through one before you can get to customs. Either way, you're not gonna be short of opportunities to buy duty free. (And of course Australian duty-free prices are still much higher than supermarket prices in most other countries). So who exactly is the customer who decides "Hmm, I think I'll pay fifty bucks for a bottle of twenty-five dollar scotch" in the middle of a Jetstar flight somewhere over the Arafura Sea?
21 Apr 2012
Total posts 3006
Duty free shopping is anachronistic in this age of border less online shopping.
They're better off redesigning the experience and call it "Novelty Shopping". Sell us something we cannot get elsewhere...
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 780
Sell raffle tickets - with upgrades as prizes :)
08 Dec 2013
Total posts 2
Hugo, I was a BNE based short haul flightie a few years back, when (through trip swaps with the 'mothers club'), I was able to spend most of my time doing SIN and HKG (back when short haul did them). I always offered to do duty free, and always did (I got a commission on sales - boosted my pay significantly). Each flight has a sales target (BNE-AKL might only be a few hundred $, but HKG could be $1200 or more). I never had trouble reaching those targets, and quite often would bank over $5000 at the end of a flight. In one week, I had $22,000 worth of sales (someone in business class bought two of the $7500 watches).
It never ceased to amaze me that people bought that crap - but rest assured it's a definite money spinner, for the airline and the crew member selling.
They gave me a hefty bonus for having the highest sales over christmas - enough to buy a decent home theatre kit out.
The other advantage was it got you out of clearing meal trays/toilets - I never understood why other crew hated doing it so much.
07 Aug 2012
Total posts 192
I think the "new route launches planned for 2014" would be short haul routes flown by A320s. JQ is sending back their A330s to QF as they receive 787s so there's not much room for long haul growth.
Maybe new routes to NZ or Pacific islands are on the cards?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2011
Total posts 362
AKL-NRT? NZ is a huge market for Japan. Having this route would have feeder from/to Jetstar Japan domestic and to/from Jetstar NZ domestic.
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 732
>NZ is a huge market for Japan
I doubt it. Air New Zealand operates a 767 from AKL to NRT most days, because they (presumably) can't even fill a daily 777.
What really surprises me is that these days there isn't even a direct flight to Japan from MEL, on any airline.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2011
Total posts 362
Just because Air NZ can't fill an aircraft doesn't mean NZ isn't an indication of the market. Japanese could fly any number of airlines to New Zealand incl. Qantas/JAL via Sydney, Jetstar via Gold Coast, Korean via Seoul, Thai via Bangkok etc etc. Not to mention the large number of Japanese charters Air New Zealand operates every year from Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka etc etc.
Qantas - QFF Platinum
20 Mar 2012
Total posts 211
Probably more that they don't have a 777 to utlise on the route
18 Jul 2013
Total posts 27
I was in NZ a fortnight ago, visiting for the first time in years. After a few days I actually commented to someone that I wondered if I had taken the right flights because at times there were so many Japanese in sight I thought I was in Japan! I noticed the Qantas (JetConnect) flight from SYD to AKL had a Japanese-speaking FA, evident by the small flag symbol on her name badge. I also found many, many tourist shops in NZ catering to the Japanese market - and they were busy. I don't know the stats of incoming airline pax but my basic observations were that NZ is indeed a huge market for Japan. Reminded me of the Gold Coast during the 80's and 90's.
20 Aug 2012
Total posts 117
Hey Jetstar, can I suggest a 787 to San Francisco? We hate having to go through LAX to get to SFO!
Cathay Pacific - Asia Miles
25 Apr 2013
Total posts 542
Hong Kong on the list or not?
04 Nov 2010
Total posts 670
I reckon Sydney or Melbourne to Hong Kong would be sweet. It'd dovetail into Jetstar Hong Kong and be the ONLY low-cost carrier to HK, at the moment we have only full-service carriers (QF, CX and VX). If JQ put a Boeing 787 onto the HK service that would really be a winner!
09 May 2013
Total posts 8
I'm not sure that Jetstar represents one of the happier arms on the Qantas group's balance sheet. There's still not full disclosure about their true costs and any subsidising across the Qantas cost centres. Given the seemingly endless forays into asia with more and more capital for as yet non existent Jetstar asis/Japan profits then the 787 would seem to be able to boost Qantas domestic and the overall Qantas bottom line than what it's going to be doing on a low yielding discount airline.
15 Sep 2012
Total posts 95
What about international services from Adelaide considering Qantas has abandoned them. Perhaps Adelaide - Bali, Adelaide - Singapore.Even Adelaide - Dubai. Also what about some International services from Hobart and Canberra particularly to New Zealand. Somehow i reckon the new routes will mainly be ex Sydeney. Qantas/Jetstar management is all Sydney centric. They wouldn't even know there were other cities in Australia!!!!!
07 Aug 2012
Total posts 192
JQ already announced ADL-DPS starting this month, but an A320 can't reach ADL-SIN.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jul 2012
Total posts 39
Jetstar is suppose to be based in Melbourne yet most of its international flights leave from Sydney. Thats because its daddy, Qantas, is based there. What other airline bases itself out of one city but acutally flys most of its flights out of another city? Until recently Qantas and Jetstar both fly out of Sydney to Hawaii leaving other states/cities to fly through Sydney. Jetstar is a joke. Qantas is fast becoming that way also.
12 Jun 2013
Total posts 732
>What other airline bases itself out of one city but acutally flys most of its flights out of another city?
Well, there's (Brisbane-based) Virgin Australia for one...
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
16 May 2011
Total posts 111
Thats not really true, JQ offers 5 long haul destinations from MEL, whereas they only offer 3 from SYD. What MEL really needs is JQ's NRT & KIX services !
MEL-HKT: x2 Weekly (x3 Weekly from March)
MEL-HNL: x3 Weekly (x4 Weekly seasonally)
MEL-DPS: x6 Weekly (x7 Weekly seasonally)
MEL-SIN: x5 Weekly (x6 Weekly seasonally)
MEL-BKK: x3 Weekly
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 May 2012
Total posts 76
Once the AVV base is scrapped, that should free up some aircraft for these new routes???
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
25 Jan 2013
Total posts 240
I am eager to meet the managemnt team at Jetstar as I have a great plan.
I'm going to give them a table of fees. It will cost $3.50 for each e-mail to organise the meeting. $4 for everytime they need to speak to someone and $8.70 for each section of road I need to walk down to get to the meeting.
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