Showing posts with label Jetstar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jetstar. Show all posts

Jetstar carry-on baggage rule is stricter this year: This is what happens at the airport

March 11, 2020



Jetstar carry-on baggage rule is stricter this year: 
This is what happens at the airport


MANILA - SINGAPORE ROUTE
I've been flying Manila to Singapore via Jetstar airlines from NAIA 1 almost every year and this year they became stricter with their carry-on baggage rule.

For the past several years, their carry-on baggage allowance is limited to two items, which consists of one small item (includes items such as a handbag or thin laptop bag that must fit under seat). + 1 main item (which must fit in the overhead locker and not exceed 56cm (H) x 36cm (W) x 23cm (D)), which must all equal 7 kg. Both items are weighed together at the airport. Unlike other airlines, where they only weigh your main item like a stroller bag or backpack as carry-on baggage and exclude the handbag, laptop and camera bag, Jetstar weighs both items at the check in counter and puts a tag on it. Note that web check in is not available for this route so everyone passes through the check in counter where the first thing the airline employee does is to weigh your main item as carry-on plus your other small item like a handbag.






What's new this year:

What's new this year is that the airline employee at the check-in counter warned us not to buy anything at the airport duty free shops because they may charge us at the gate if we exceed our carry-on baggage allowance. I thought they were not serious. Lo and behold, they actually weigh your carry on baggage again at the gate. But this time, they only weigh the big carry-on baggage (which may be a stroller bag or a backpack), without the handbag.


Carry-on luggage being weighed at the gate


The only time I saw the same thing happen is when we flew Jetstar from Melbourne to Adelaide. They make everyone line up and weigh their carry on luggage prior to passing through the gate

Charges for excess baggage:
So don't make a mistake of not weighing your carry on luggage without your handbag, laptop bag or camera bag. Excess baggage paid at the check-in counter is 2200 pesos for a minimum of 15kilos, if you don't have prepaid baggage (which means baggage paid online before check in), or 650 pesos per kilo if you exceed your prepaid baggage allowance.

SINGAPORE - MANILA ROUTE
In this route, check in is automated. This means that you simply approach a kiosk, type in your booking reference number, scan your passport then they issue you a boarding pass. After getting your boarding pass, you approach a desk where you present your passport and boarding pass for document verification. Then you proceed directly to immigration.

They don't weigh your carry-on luggage at check in. No one approaches you to inspect your carry-on, weigh both your carry-on luggage and one other small item allowed as cabin baggage. This is unlike our experience in 2015, as I've described in my post JETSTAR AIRLINES: Are they Enforcing the Strict Carry-on Bag Weight Policy for Economy Class Passengers?, where they weigh both carry on luggage and whatever else you intend to bring to the cabin to tag it.

At the gate, they make several announcements that you should only be carrying 7 kilos of carry-on luggage but no one weighs it before or after boarding commences. You get through easily as long as you only bring one carry on size luggage and 1 small item.

SINGAPORE: Which Budget Airline to Book: Cebu Pacific Airlines or Jet Star Airways

November 3, 2015




SINGAPORE: Which Budget Airline to Book: 
Cebu Pacific Airlines or Jet Star Airways


To guide you on whether to choose Cebu Pacific or Jet Star Airways for your flight from Manila to Singapore and vice versa, below are the important things to consider to help you decide. Since both are budget airlines and priced almost the same, the points below are crucial in helping you decide which one to choose when booking a flight.


CREDIT CARD PAYMENT OF AIRFARE BY A PERSON WHO IS NOT PART OF THE TRAVELING PARTY OR WHO IS NOT ONE OF THE PASSENGERS 

Cebu Pacific:

To be allowed to check-in and given a boarding pass, the passenger needs to present the photocopy of the credit card used for payment of airfare.

Jet Star:

To be allowed to check-in and be given a boarding pass, the original physical credit card used must be presented IN PERSON by the owner of the credit card to verify the booking while checking in at the check-in counter of Jet Star Airways or at the MIASCOR office at the airport.

The Rule is stated below:
On selected routes, it is a condition of sale, check in and boarding that the original, physical credit/debit card used to purchase the ticket(s) must be presented by the credit/debit card owner for verification at the airport. Where you book travel on these selected routes, you will be informed the need for verification during the booking flow. Prior to check-in, the credit/debit card owner must take the credit/debit card used to purchase the tickets together with his / her government issued identification (such as a passport, identity card or driver’s license) to the Jetstar check-in counter. This requirement applies irrespective of whether the credit/debit card owner is or is not a part of the travelling party. If the credit/debit card is not verified as required, the passengers whose tickets were purchased with that credit/debit card may be denied check-in and boarding at Jetstar’s sole discretion. One verification is required for each return journey." (http://www.jetstar.com/ph/en/planning-and-booking/booking-with-jetstar/payment-methods)


CARRY-ON BAGGAGE LIMIT OF 7 KILOS

Cebu Pacific:

Passengers are allowed 7 kilos carry-on baggage. But the 7 kilos limit EXCLUDES additional items on board such as handbag, coat, laptop bag, camera bag, cane and crutches (for Senior Citizen and/or Person with Reduced Mobility (PRM) guests).

They only weigh the carry-on luggage to see if it's within the 7 kilos limit but do not weigh your handbag, laptop bag, camera bag, etc. You are therefore, allowed more than 7 kilos.

For more details, see my post: Cebu Pacific Lite Fare: Hand or Carry-On Baggage


Jet Star:

Passengers are allowed 7 kilos carry-on baggage, which includes all that you will bring in to the cabin. You are required to have everything weighed and tagged. Otherwise, it will not be allowed on board.



REBOOKING OF FLIGHTS

Cebu Pacific:

The fare offered for the new date of flight is the same for both new passenger and rebooking passenger. This means that if you go online and buy a new flight worth, for example, 5000 pesos, the same cost of flight is offered to the rebooking passenger. The rebooking passenger only pays the difference in fare from the original booking + a rebooking fee. This means, if the old fare of the rebooking passenger is 3000 pesos, the fare difference with the new fare is 2000 pesos. Therefore the rebooking passenger pays 2000 pesos + the rebooking fee.


Jet Star:

The fare offered for the new date of flight for the rebooking passenger is MORE EXPENSIVE than the fare offered to new passengers. Although they provide a way to rebook flights, when you compute the additional cost of rebooking, it is always more expensive than buying a new flight for the same route. It's always better to buy a new flight than to rebook an existing flight. This policy shows Jet Star totally discourages rebooking of flights.


MY CONCLUSION: 

Unless Jet Star airfare is so hugely discounted compared to Cebu Pacific, I will prefer to book Cebu Pacific flights rather than Jet Star Airways because of the reasons I discussed above.

JETSTAR AIRWAYS: Are they Enforcing the Strict Carry-on Bag Weight Policy for Economy Class Passengers?

October 13, 2015

JETSTAR AIRWAYS: 
Are they Enforcing the Strict Carry-on Bag Weight Policy 
for Economy Class Passengers?


Since November 25, 2014, budget airline Jetstar Airways cut its carry-on baggage weight allowance from 10 kg to 7 kg. Other budget airlines, like Cebu Pacific, weigh only the carry-on bag and exclude additional items such as a handbag, laptop bag and camera bag from the weight restriction. (check out my post Cebu Pacific Carry-On Bag). In real terms, this translates to at least 10 kilos allowed as cabin baggage.

The Jetstar cabin bag crackdown not only reduced the carry-on bag allowance from 10 kg to 7 kg, it also included in the weight restriction all the items you  are carrying with you . This means that they weigh the ff: the carry-on bag (with dimensions that must not exceed 56 cm x 36 cm x 23 cm.) AND all items you'll be carrying inside the plane like your handbag, camera bag, laptop, etc.

ARE THEY ENFORCING THE POLICY? YES!

They require passengers to go to a separate counter to have their cabin baggage and all items they're bringing inside the plane to be tagged. So the cabin officers at the boarding gates can identify if the cabin baggage have been weighed.

This means, whether or not you're checking in at the airport check-in counter, self check-in kiosk, or have done web check-in, you're still required to pass by another counter to have your cabin bag tagged.


MY EXPERIENCE AT MANILA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT:

At Manila International Airport Terminal 1, they put a tag on all your carry-on items while you're in line at the check-in counter. Then when it's your turn to check-in, that's when they weigh all your carry-on items.

If you're in a group, your bags are weighed together and weight allowance is 7 kg multiplied by the number of persons in your group. 


MY EXPERIENCE AT CHANGI AIRPORT


At Changi airport, after checking-in at the airport counter, we go to another counter to have all our carry-on items weighed. If the items/bags meet the weight limit, the items/bags are tagged. If you checked-in at the self check-in kiosk or via web check-in, you still have to pass by this counter to have all your carry-on items tagged. If you don't have your carry-on bags tagged, it will not be allowed onboard the plane.


If you're in a group, your bags are weighed together and weight allowance is 7 kg multiplied by the number of persons in your group. 

The notice at Changi Airport

The notice shown above states:
1. You are allowed only 1 main carry-on baggage and a small item with TOTAL COMBINED WEIGHT of 7 kg.
2. Certis Cisco Security Officers are employed by Jetstar to verify that your carry-on baggage conforms to the baggage policy. 
3. Certis Cisco Security Officers can check your bags at check-in, at entry points to immigration and at the boarding gate. 
4. Bags not tagged will not be allowed onboard.


What the tag looks like