Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar in Australia: Rankings and Comparisons

Australia is a vast country with scattered cities, so it would be a waste of time to go out by car or train so most of our friends in Australia will choose to fly as their primary means of transportation. If you want a good flight experience, it is essential to select a reliable airline. The most famous airline in Australia is Qantas, and Virgin Australia and Jetstar are very popular. So, who has the best service among these three airlines? Which one should I choose? We will compare the three airlines regarding baggage check-in and overweight charges, refund/revision requirements, frequent flyer programmes, etc. If you are interested, please read on!

Qantas in Australia

Official website address: https://www.qantas.com/cn/zh_CN.html

Qantas, or Qantas for short, is Australia’s largest airline, the largest airline in the southern hemisphere, and Australia’s national airline. Headquartered in Sydney, Qantas takes Sydney [SYD], Brisbane [BNE] and Melbourne [MEL] on the east coast as its main hubs and Adelaide [ADL] and Perth [PER] as its sub-hubs and its route network covers six continents in the world except for Antarctica, and its North American destinations include Los Angeles [LAX], San Francisco [SFO], New York [JFK], Dallas [DFW], Honolulu [HI], Hawaii [DFW], and New York [JFK]. Honolulu, Hawaii [HNL] and Vancouver, Canada [YVR], while in China, it covers the international gateways of Beijing [PEK], Shanghai [PVG] and Hong Kong [HKG]. Due to its geographical location, Qantas operates several ultra-long-haul routes, with two of the world’s top ten long-haul routes.

Qantas has not had a fatal accident since 1951 and is considered to have one of the best safety records of any major airline in the world, having been ranked first in the world’s top 10 safest airlines by Airlineratings.com in 2015. Qantas’ service is excellent for transfers between terminals and at the check-in counters. The plane seats are relatively comfortable, and many flights will come with tablets to pass the boring flight time. Some flights provide WIFI, but the speed is still good; if it is, the kind of display in front of the seat will be at the check-in gate with a headset you can pick up. Qantas will also issue free snacks and drinks from time to time. Overall, I think there is no better airline than Qantas in Australia.

Customer Service Number

1 (800) 227-4500

Frequent Flyer Programme

The Qantas Frequent Flyer Programme is Qantas’ official loyalty programme. It is Australia’s most popular frequent flyer programme, having started in 1987 and grown to nearly 12 million members.

The Qantas Frequent Flyer Programme allows you to earn points through Qantas credit cards, flights, points promotions and more. As you earn more Qantas points, you’ll also have the potential to earn status points, unlocking exclusive status benefits. Points can also be redeemed for award flights in all classes.

The programme is available to passengers in Australia who are flying with Qantas and its partners, such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Cathay Pacific.

Holding Qantas Gold, Platinum, or Platinum One status is the key to unlocking a range of premium benefits from Qantas and its partners, such as complimentary upgrades, lounge access, priority check-in and more, regardless of the cabin class you are travelling in Qantas Platinum members are eligible to enjoy oneworld Emerald Airline benefits. This includes First Class lounges where available.

Status Credits (SC) determine the level of membership you currently earn. Qantas has five standard membership levels, from lowest to highest:

Bronze (entry-level)

Silver (entry-level)

Yellow

Platinum

Platinum One

Here’s a quick summary of the Qantas Frequent Flyer elite status tiers.

Qantas Bronze Member

This entry-level doesn’t have any substantial benefits; it just means you’re a Qantas Frequent Flyer programme member and can earn or redeem Qantas Points and Status Points.

Qantas Frequent Flyer Silver

You’ll receive a single lounge access pass and a free Q-bag tag as a first step towards having Qantas Frequent Flyer status. Other benefits include:

50 per cent more Qantas Points on eligible flights

better seat selection on board

a guaranteed upgrade

extra baggage allowance on Qantas

Priority upgrades over Bronze

Premium desk check-in on domestic flights and priority business class check-in on international flights.

Qantas Frequent Flyer Gold

In addition to the benefits mentioned for Silver:

Earn more than 75 per cent Qantas Points on eligible flights

Higher upgrade priority than the Silver level

Business Class priority check-in, boarding and baggage.

Worldwide Business Class lounge access (Qantas Club domestic)

Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum

For frequent flyers, the Qantas Platinum Card offers premium service and additional benefits, as shown below:

100% Qantas Points on eligible flights.

Upgrade priority over Gold, starting 48 hours in advance.

First Class priority check-in, boarding and baggage.

Worldwide First Class lounge access (domestic Business Class lounges).

Qantas Frequent Flyer Platinum One

Qantas Platinum One has the highest standard status among its most elite frequent flyers. It comes with a dedicated Platinum One team to assist you with your travel plans. While many of the benefits are similar to the Platinum card, new benefits include:

Free Qantas Platinum membership for a friend

Higher upgrade priority than Platinum, including on behalf of other family members

Waiver of many support and booking fees

Two complimentary lounge invitations to any Qantas-operated lounge (including First Class)

Complimentary extra seats (where available)

Exclusive access to MONA (Hobart) and MCA (Sydney) privileges

Invitations to special events and experiences

Baggage Check-in Provisions

The rules for free carry-on and checked baggage allowed on Qantas aircraft are as follows:

Carry-on Baggage:

Domestic flights:

The carry-on baggage allowance for all classes of Qantas domestic flights is 7kg, which can be either one or two pieces: one piece with dimensions not exceeding 115cm on all three sides combined, two fragments with dimensions not exceeding 105cm on all three sides combined, or one soft bag with dimensions not exceeding 185cm on all three sides.

In addition to your hand baggage allowance, you may carry one small personal item on board, such as a handbag, laptop*, jacket, small camera, a modest amount of reading material or a small amount of duty-free goods (where permitted).

International flights

In Economy Class on Qantas international flights, you can only have one 7kg piece, with the sum of the three side dimensions not exceeding 115cm or a soft bag with three sides 185cm; in First, Business and Premium Economy, you can have either one or two pieces, with the sum of the three side dimensions of one piece not exceeding 115cm, and the sum of the three side dimensions of two pieces not exceeding 105cm, or a soft bag with three sides 185cm, with the same weight of 7 kg/piece.

Checked Baggage:

Qantas’ checked baggage allowance is divided into three categories according to routes: 1) domestic flights, 2) international flights – except Americas routes, and 3) international flights – Americas routes.

Domestic flights

For domestic flights, one piece of 23kg is in economy class, and two pieces of 32kg are in business class; Qantas Silver members have one piece of 32kg in economy class and two pieces of 32kg in business class.

Gold members enjoy 2 for 32kg in both Economy and Business Class. Platinum cardmembers are entitled to 2 x 32kg in Economy Class and 3 x 32kg in Business Class.

International flights – except Americas routes

For Qantas international flights other than those to the Americas, the number of pieces is not restricted, but based on a weight-based system, the total size of a single piece of baggage must not exceed 158cm (62 inches).

Economy class 30kg, premium economy and business class 40kg, first-class 50kg, Qantas silver, gold and platinum card members will have a more free baggage allowance, platinum card + first-class case can reach 70kg.

International flights – American route

Qantas’s baggage on the Americas route is based on the piece system, with two pieces of 23kg in Economy Class and Premium Economy Class and three of 32kg in Business Class and First Class. Qantas Silver, Gold, and Platinum cardholders will have an additional baggage allowance, up to 4 pieces of 32kg in the case of Platinum Card + First Class/Business Class.

The total dimensions of 3 pieces of baggage must not exceed 405 cm (159 inches), the total dimensions of 2 pieces of baggage must not exceed 270 cm (106 inches), and the total dimensions of a single piece of baggage must not exceed 158 cm (62 inches).

The international checked baggage allowance also applies to domestic flights if your ticket includes international and domestic flights. When global and domestic flights are separate tickets, the international checked baggage allowance applies to both flights if the connecting flights are within the same day. Please be sure to present both tickets when checking in your baggage.

Excess Baggage Charges

For international flights, the overweight charges must be considered in two dimensions: the weight or the piece system. Domestic flights cost okay; the overweight fee is AUD 75 or USD for international flights on the piece-weight system.

Qantas can purchase extra baggage by prepaying for it. After booking your ticket, go to the Manage Bookings page and enter the booking number.

On weight-based routes, a maximum of 35kg can be purchased in a single transaction, up to 100 kilograms in the aggregate; up to 5 additional pieces of baggage can be bought on piece-based routes.

Refund/Change of Ticket

Log on to the website, select “Manage Your Booking” in the Booked Flights section, and follow the instructions to make a refund or change your booking. Before booking your flight, it is best to consult the airline in advance to avoid delays.

Virgin in Australia

Official website address: https://zh.virginatlantic.com/cn/zh

Virgin Australia (English: Virgin Australia) is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Brisbane, Australia’s second-largest airline. Virgin Australia is the airline with the largest fleet in the Virgin Group, founded by British businessman Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. 2011, the Virgin Group combined Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue and V Australia (V Australia). “In 2011, Virgin Group united Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue and V Australia into Virgin Australia, and on 4 May 2011, the new name was officially adopted.

Virgin Australia operates domestic routes to 22 Australian cities and eight international routes. Flights to major cities are relatively frequent, with several times of the day available. Flights to and from New Zealand from Australia are frequent and relatively cheap, and there are often special offers on routes to South East Asia and Japan.

Customer Service Number

Reservations: +852 2532 3000 (available Mon-Sat 8 am-8 pm, Sun 8 am-5 pm)

Flight Information: +852 2181 8888

Flight Club: +852 2532 3000 (available Mon-Sat 8 am-8 pm, Sun 8 am-5 pm)

Frequent Flyer Programme

The Velocity Frequent Flyer Programme is Virgin Australia’s official loyalty programme, with over 10 million members. The Programme makes earning points on various purchases easy, including credit cards, flights, insurance, fuel, accommodation, shopping, and more.

The loyalty programme also offers bonus point promotions, applicable for passengers who live in Australia and fly with Virgin Australia and its partner airlines. Like other programmes, once you have earned enough points, you can redeem them for award flights, merchandise, and travel benefits.

Holding Velocity Gold or Platinum status is key to unlocking a host of premium perks with Virgin Australia and its partners, such as free upgrades, lounge access and priority check-in and boarding – no matter what cabin you’re travelling in.

Status Credits determine the level of membership you currently earn with Virgin Australia. Velocity has four standard membership levels, from lowest to highest:

Red (entry-level)

Silver

Gold

Platinum

Here’s a quick summary of Velocity’s Frequent Flyer elite status tiers:

Velocity Red Membership

There are no substantial benefits to this introductory status level. It means you are a Velocity Frequent Flyer Programme member and can earn or redeem Velocity Points and Status Credits.

Velocity Silver Membership

You’ll receive two two-way boarding and complimentary baggage tags as the first step toward Velocity Frequent Flyer status. Other benefits include:

An additional 50 per cent Velocity points on eligible flights

Better in-flight seating options

Membership suspension for childcare

Extra baggage allowance on Virgin Australia

Upgrade priority above Bronze

International priority check-in with Virgin Australia

Various additional benefits for international airline partners

Velocity Gold Membership

In addition to the benefits mentioned for Silver:

Early access to flights earlier in the day

Up to 75% more Velocity points on eligible flights

Upgrade priority over Silver

Priority check-in, boarding and baggage check for Virgin Australia and most partner airlines

Domestic access to Virgin Australia lounges and premium access points, as well as arrival access (subject to space availability)

Worldwide Business Class lounge access on partner airlines

Up to four guaranteed Economy Class award seats to any Virgin Australia domestic destination when booked at least six months in advance (including peak periods)

Complimentary one-time Gold status on Hilton or IHG

Complimentary one-time Privilege/Five Star status with Europcar or Hertz

Ability to upgrade to flights to Tokyo and Los Angeles at Economy Class Freedom fares or higher

Velocity Platinum Membership

For frequent flyers, Velocity Platinum offers premium service and many additional benefits, as listed below:

Four complimentary upgrades per year from Freedom fares to Business Class on domestic and short-haul international flights

Complimentary Economy Class X-seats on domestic and short-haul international flights, including other guests on the same booking as you

Earn more than 100% Velocity points on eligible flights

Upgrades are prioritised above Gold and begin to clear up to 5 days before departure

Guaranteed discounted Economy Class seats to any Virgin Australia or shared international destination, up to a maximum of six months in advance (including peak periods)

Access to better international partner lounges, such as Etihad First Class Lounge Abu Dhabi

Guaranteed domestic lounge access on arrival and the ability to carry up to three guests in all Virgin Australia lounges

Complimentary one-off Platinum/Diamond status with IHG or Hilton

One complimentary use of Privilege Elite/President’s Circle with Europcar or Hertz

Complimentary companion Gold/Platinum status when you maintain Platinum status and earn an additional 500/1,000 SC, respectively.

Checked Baggage Regulations

The rules for carry-on and checked baggage that you can take with you on Virgin Australia are as follows:

Carry-on Baggage

Virgin Australia allows one 7kg piece of free carry-on baggage in Economy Class and two 7kg pieces for Business Class and Gold and Platinum members. The maximum size of a single piece of baggage must not exceed 56cm x 36cm x 23cm.

Checked Baggage

Virgin Australia is a low-cost airline, so the most basic fares are for seats only, with no checked baggage allowance. Below are Virgin Australia’s fares corresponding to checked baggage allowances for international routes, subdivided into short-haul and long-haul.

Short-haul international routes

Short-haul international routes are those travelling to and from destinations in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, or across the Tasman Sea. The baggage size for short-haul international routes should not exceed 140cm on all three sides and should be 23kg, with the maximum weight not exceeding 32kg.

There is no checked baggage allowance on the most basic fare, Seat, but there will be at least one piece of 23kg if you are a Virgin Australia Silver member or above and two pieces of 23 kilograms of Platinum.

The fares Seat and Bag, Saver, Flexi, Premium Saver, and Premium will all include one piece of 23kg baggage, and Business Class consists of two pieces of 23kg baggage. For Economy Class fares, Silver and above members can add at least one piece of 23kg baggage, while for Business Class, only Platinum can add one piece of 23kg baggage.

Long-haul international routes

Long-haul routes are routes to and from Hong Kong and Los Angeles or via these two places to North America, Europe, or even beyond. For long-haul international routes, the baggage size should not exceed 158cm on all three sides, the weight should be 23kg, and the maximum weight cannot exceed 32kg.

For North America and Hong Kong routes, two pieces of 23kg will be in Economy Class, and two of 32kg will be in Premium Economy and Business Class.

In addition, on flights to and from Abu Dhabi with Etihad Airways code-share flights, flights to and from South Africa with South African Airways code-share flights, flights to and from Singapore with Singapore Airlines code-share flights, and flights with Virgin Atlanta code-share flights, the check-in baggage allowance varies. You can go to the baggage page on the Virgin Australia website according to the need to check.

Excess Baggage Charges

Short-haul international flights

There are overweight and over-piece charges, and different destinations use different currencies. The total weight is about AUD130; the over-piece is the first, AUD130, the second, AUD215, and the third, AUD265.

Long-haul international flights

For long-haul international routes, the overweight/oversized fee is approximately US$100/piece for US Hong Kong routes and US$160/piece for overweight pieces; for Asia routes, the overweight fee is AUD30/kg and AUD70/kg for Europe and Africa.

Virgin Australia only provides prepaid baggage service for short-haul international routes. Buying online is the cheapest way and much more affordable than paying overweight and over-piece fines over the counter at the airport. The cost of purchasing extra baggage in advance is only half of the penalties you would have to pay on-site at the airport! So make sure you calculate the amount of luggage you need in advance.

Refunds/Changes

Changes can be made through Manage Bookings Manage Bookings or by contacting the call centre.

Saver

Change: Flight bookings can be changed up to 24 hours before the flight for a slight change fee (AUD$80).

Refund: Cancellations can be made at least 24 hours before the flight and are subject to a cancellation fee (AUD$80).

Flexi

Change: You can change your flight up to 1 hour before departure with no change fee, but a flight supplement is required.

Refund: Cancellation before departure.

Jetstar in Australia

Official website address: https://www.jetstar.com/cn/zh/home

Jetstar Airways, also known as Jet Airways, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qantas Airways. It is a low-cost airline (LCC) founded in 2003 and headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Jetstar offers a wide range of domestic and international flights. Jetstar was initially established to compete with Virgin Blue, another low-cost carrier in the Australian market, with a fleet of Airbus A320, A330, and even Boeing B787 Dreamliners.

It has 33 stops in Australia, with plenty of flights to the major cities and several times of the day to choose from, with frequent flights to and from Australia to New Zealand, the South Pacific Islands, and, more unusually, to the UK and the US. Fridays are a great time for special offers, and any time you see a “Friday Fare Frenzy” advert, it’s the start of a special offer. Every Friday from 16:00-20:00 (AEDST), Jetstar’s website will have a regular Friday Fare Frenzy on 5-6 selected routes, which are inexpensive but subject to departure dates and times. In addition to Friday specials, Jetstar will hold various specials occasionally, such as Sydney to Brisbane for AUD 1 and Sydney to Melbourne for AUD 19, which seem to be unbelievable prices.

Customer Service Phone Number

1 (866) 397-8170

Frequent Flyer Programme

Jetstar doesn’t have its frequent flyer programme, but it has now teamed up with several great airlines to offer more options for airline frequent flyer rewards programmes.

It’s easy to earn reward programme points or miles when you travel by booking Jetstar’s Basic Plus, Basic Premier or Business Class Premier packages. Select the Frequent Flyer Rewards programme you are enrolled in and enter your membership number when you book a Basic Plus, Basic Premier or Business Class Premier package.

Checked Baggage Regulations

Jetstar is a low-cost airline with only 7kg of hand luggage on all primary tickets unless you upgrade your ticket package. You must pay an additional baggage allowance to check in your baggage.

Hand Luggage:

The size limit for hand luggage is 56 cm (H) x 36 cm (W) x 23 cm (D).

(1) Starter Ticket, Starter Max Combo, Starter Plus Combo: Each person is allowed to carry one large piece of hand luggage and one small carry-on item, each up to 7kg in weight.

(2) FlexiBiz combination: one considerable hand baggage and one small carry-on per person.

(3) Business Class: Two large hand baggage items not exceeding 7kg and one small carry-on item not exceeding 14kg per person.

Checked baggage:

The maximum checked baggage allowance per person is 40kg. The weight of a single piece of baggage must not exceed 32kg. The baggage allowance is calculated based on the total weight, not the number of pieces.

1) Economy Starter ticket: no checked baggage allowance

(2) Economy Starter ticket combined with Plus: 20kg checked baggage allowance.

3) Economy Starter ticket combined with Max: 30kg checked baggage allowance.

4) Economy Class Starter ticket combined with FlexiBiz: no checked baggage allowance

5) Business Class ticket, combined with Max: 30kg checked baggage allowance included.

It is recommended that you purchase the baggage allowance at the same time you book your ticket. It will be more expensive to buy the checked baggage allowance after you have completed your ticket booking, and purchasing the checked baggage allowance only when you check in at the airport counter will be considered an excess baggage charge.

Excess Baggage Charges

Oversize baggage dimensions and charges:

Excess Weight Charges:

If you have not pre-purchased a checked baggage allowance to purchase a checked baggage allowance on the spot at the airport, or if you have added checked baggage to your booking but the weight of your checked baggage on arrival at the airport exceeds the booking allowance, the excess baggage will be charged at a rate per kilogram. Each passenger will be charged for up to 15kg of standard baggage, and the excess will be charged at a separate rate per kilogram.

Refunds/Changes

Jetstar’s basic ticket (Economy Class) is non-refundable. Changes are available until the check-in counter opens.

Refunds: A refund handling fee of AED 50

Change of ticket: Change of ticket handling fee AED 50 (official website), AED 80 (telephone booking, airport counters, GDS, GSA)