‘Business class’ for half the price of others, but no lie-flat seat

The Airline: Jetstar

• Route Sydney to Seoul, flight JQ47
• Frequency Four flights a week (plus three from Brisbane)
• Aircraft Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
• Class Business; seat 3F
• Flight time 10 hours, 11 minutes. We depart 30 minutes late and arrive 45 minutes behind schedule

Jetstar will increase its flights from Sydney to Seoul to daily from June.Credit:

Checking in

I’m connecting from Melbourne, so I have an early morning departure. Jetstar does not check bags through from domestic to international connections, which means collecting my luggage in Sydney and catching the free airport bus to the international terminal (you can also take the train, but you’ll have to pay at least $7.30 to go one stop). At the international check-in, business class passengers have a dedicated lane, and there’s no queue.

Long queues for immigration and security at Sydney Airport.Credit: Craig Platt

The same can’t be said for security and immigration, with the queue, hundreds of metres long, wrapping around the whole terminal. It moves along at a reasonable pace, but eventually I, like many others, am advised by staff to skip ahead lest we miss our flights.

Baggage

Business class passengers are given some reprieve from Jetstar’s notoriously stingy (and strictly enforced) baggage limits – up to 30 kilograms of checked luggage and 14 kilograms of carry-on.

Loyalty scheme

You can earn points for Qantas Frequent Flyer but only if you’ve booked the more expensive “Business Max” fare (which also gets you lounge access).

The seat

Jetstar’s business class seats are comfortable, even if they don’t lie flat.Credit:

The 21 business class seats are laid out in a 2-3-2 configuration, and the cabin has a dedicated toilet. Don’t let the name fool you, though: it may be called “business class”, but the seats are more like premium economy on a full-service airline – they do not lie flat (which comes as a surprise to one of my fellow travellers).

Business class passengers get an amenity kit that rivals, if not surpasses, what you’d get on a full-service airline’s business class.Credit: Craig Platt

That said, there’s plenty of space, with a 38-inch (97cm) pitch and 19 inches (48cm) of width. My long legs can stretch out easily without my knees coming anywhere near the seat in front. There’s less room for my feet in this aisle seat due to the supports and the in-flight entertainment box beneath the seat in front of me (the one advantage of the middle seat in this cabin is more room for your feet). I’m concerned that sitting at the rear of the cabin, against the economy class partition, will mean limited recline, but the seat appears to go back just as far as the other rows. There’s a blanket and a pillow, along with a nice amenity kit featuring an inflatable neck pillow, eye mask, earplugs, lip balm, toothbrush and paste, and a pen. Unfortunately, I fail to get any sleep during the flight, despite getting up at 4am to catch my connection from Melbourne.

Entertainment + tech

There’s an impressive collection of new and recent releases, older favourites including rom-coms, superheros, Harry Potter and Jurassic Park movies, along with genuine classics such as The Shining, The Wizard of Oz and An American Werewolf in London. Access to the entertainment system is included in business class, though the selection is big enough that if you fork out $15 ($10 prepay) to access it in economy you’re unlikely to be disappointed. Noise-cancelling headphones are supplied in business. If you prefer to use your own, you’ll need a wired jack – there’s no Bluetooth option. The touchscreen isn’t particularly responsive, and despite the system asking me if I want to resume from where I left off, the movie I was watching begins again. There are USB and power ports in the seat, but no Wi-Fi.

Service

The crew is excellent; friendly and efficient. The call button is answered immediately when I fancy a cup of tea late in the flight. The only blemish is the timing of meals. We eat our main not long after departure, and the lighter meal a little after the halfway mark, which leaves us with four hours to go.

Food

The shiitake-glazed salmon fillet with rice is quite good. It’s served early in the flight.Credit: Craig Platt

There are three options for our main: a lamb shank with mash and veggies, spinach and pumpkin ravioli or a shiitake-glazed salmon fillet with rice. I opt for the salmon and it’s quite good. Mains come with a roasted pumpkin salad, a slice of sourdough and an orange and almond cake for dessert. A vegetable pie is served later in the flight with another slice of sourdough and a piece of cheesecake. Snacks are available at any time in business class, including cheese and crackers, salami sticks, chocolate and more.

Sustainability

Jetstar offers a carbon offset program and, as part of the Qantas Group, has committed to net zero emissions by 2050. It’s also looking to reduce emissions through minimising fuel use and developing sustainable aviation fuel.*

One more thing

South Korea’s popularity as a destination for Australians has surged since the pandemic, with the number of residents visiting up by 50 per cent compared with 2019, and up a further 20 per cent over the past 12 months. Reflecting this, Jetstar is increasing its flights on this route to daily from June.

The price

From about $1900 return for business class.**

The verdict

Jetstar’s business class may not have lie-flat beds, but it’s also about half the price of business class on a full-service airline. Rivals on this route don’t offer premium economy, so if you want to fly to Korea without paying a fortune for business class, this is your best option.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

The writer flew as a guest of Jetstar and Inside Asia (see insideasiatours.com/au).

*For more information about air travel and sustainability, see iata.org

**Fares are based on those available for travel three months from the time of publication and subject to change.

Read more
A to Z list of all Traveller’s expert airline reviews