Fly straight to the Margaret River region with new direct flights from Sydney

Fly into Busselton instead of Perth for your Margaret River getaway, and you can be on the beach in just half an hour instead of enduring a three-hour drive.

Head straight to the beach like a Margs local with Jetstar's new Sydney to Busselton direct flight to one of Australia's top culinary coastal destinations.

You'll say goodbye to the tedious three-hour drive from Perth Airport and hello to a mere 11-minute trip to the pristine white sands of Geographe Bay or one hour to the renowned surf breaks of Margaret River.

Contos Beach, Margaret River. You can now get there in record time. Picture: Tourism WA

Jetstar is the only airline offering this service, but what's it like to fly the route with a budget airline? I jumped onboard for a return flight from Sydney to Busselton.

Check-in

Jetstar's latest advice is to be at the airport two hours before departure, as check-in closes 40 minutes before the flight. You'll need every minute of that to negotiate Sydney Airport's nightmare queue crush.

The Sydney to Busselton flight, arriving at the airport. Picture: Kerry Heaney

Checking in for the return flight home at Busselton airport was a complete contrast. There was a queue of just six people, and I chatted with the friendly folk at security screening in minutes.

The departure lounge has a small cafe selling local Margaret River Roasting Co. coffee and snacks. It's an excellent spot to stock up if you don't fancy the limited Jetstar inflight menu.

The plane

The aircraft is a frequently flown A320-200, showing signs of wear. It is clean but lacks shine. There are 186 economy seats in a 3-3 seating layout.

The seat

The plane is clean, but lacks shine. Picture: Kerry Heaney

The seat is cosy but not cramped with a seat pitch of 29 inches, a width of 17.9 inches, and a recline of 3 inches. Need more legroom? Consider booking row 1 or 12/13 for an additional fee. For easy boarding and exit, rows 2-5 at the front are also bookable. Seat features are basic, with no USB chargers and only a standard flip-down tray table.

Food

The chicken wrap. Picture: Kerry Heaney

The inflight menu looks like it has been lifted from a football stadium. It's full of cheese and ham toasties, steak pies, and sausage rolls. The healthiest option is a simple sandwich, wrap, or cup noodles, which I haven't eaten since my student days. Savoury snacks include green olives, cheese and crackers, and popcorn. You can pre-purchase an inflight food voucher or use a physical credit card onboard. Cash and cashless payments are not accepted.

Entertainment

The Jetstar Airbus A320 fleet is being fitted with a Jetstar Entertainment app that can be purchased on board and downloaded to your personal device to stream content.  You can pay to watch movies and play games. Most importantly, the kids' shows include Bluey. 

You still have four to five hours to kill, so in case you score an aircraft that has not yet been fitted with the app, come prepared with loaded devices or a good old-fashioned book.

Luggage

Depending on your ticket choice, it's a standard 20 kg checked luggage and 7 kg across two items for carry-on, with a payable option up to 14 kg. Expect to have your hand luggage weighed. Sadly, you can't check your bags from another Jetstar domestic flight through, so I had to take two trips through airport security as I travelled from Brisbane to join the flight.

Flight time

There's plenty of time to enjoy the view of the clouds. Picture: Kerry Heaney

The flight schedule departs Sydney at 11.05 am, taking about five hours to arrive in Busselton at 2.05 pm. My flight left at 11.30 am but arrived on time. The return flight departs at 2.50 pm for a quick four-hour return flight, arriving in Sydney at 9 pm before the airport closes at 11 pm.

The verdict

Who needs frills when you can be on the beach in 30 minutes deciding where to swim first? If the price doesn't get you, the convenience will.

Jetstar currently flies Sydney to Busselton return three times a week.

The writer travelled as a guest of Jetstar.

Originally published as Fly straight to the Margaret River region with new direct flights from Sydney