This article will tell you all you need to know about how much baggage you can take on your Jetstar flight.
The Jetstar Group consists of three airline subsidiaries as follows:
- Jetstar Airways, JQ (Australia and New Zealand);
- Jetstar Asia Airways based in Singapore, 3K; and
- Jetstar Japan, GK.
Qantas owns Jetstar Airways and has interests in Jetstar Asia Airways and Jetstar Japan.
Jetstar has four economy fare types to choose from. Business class is available on some routes. All fare types include a cabin baggage allowance, and your check-in baggage allowance depends on your chosen fare type.
You have some different opportunities to purchase additional cabin or check-in baggage allowances once you have purchased your ticket. But the fees for additional baggage are cheaper when you make the initial booking (ideally online).
Read on to understand Jetstar’s fare types, baggage allowances, and your options to purchase additional baggage allowances.
Note that if you use the Jetstar Call Center to add baggage allowances, there is a Call Center fee of $US5 per passenger per item to be paid in addition to any applicable baggage fees.
Jetstar Fare Types
Like many other airlines today, Jetstar offers a range of fares and fare bundles, and each offers different benefits such as baggage, seat selection, and ticket flexibility as part of the price.
Therefore, to understand Jetstar’s cabin and check-in baggage rules, you need to have an appreciation of the various fare types and bundles that Jetstar has on offer when you book your ticket. Jetstar has five fare types/bundles to choose from. The fare names may vary slightly across the various subsidiary airlines within the Jetstar group and the baggage-related benefits of each are as follows:
*May not be available on all routes.
So, regardless of the fare type chosen you have the option to purchase an additional baggage allowance of up to 40kg on most routes. The 15kg allowance is not available on international flights or domestic flights connecting to an international flight.
If your itinerary includes Jetstar Airways (JQ) or Jetstar Asia (3K) flights connecting to Jetstar Japan (GK) domestic flights, the higher baggage allowance will be applied to all flights in the itinerary.
Jetstar Cabin Baggage
Cabin Baggage Size and Weight Limits
Starter fares include a cabin baggage allowance of 7kg shared across two items (main item and small item).
Your cabin baggage allowance includes everything you’ll be bringing on board. Items such as handbags and laptops form part of your allowance.
Your main item must not exceed 56 x 36 x 23cm (height x width x depth) and must be stored in an overhead locker. Your small item must fit under the seat in front of you.
Subject to availability, you can purchase additional carry-on baggage to increase your weight to 14kg. With 14kg you can bring two items:·
- one main item (maximum weight of 10kg).·
- one small item.
To get a carry-on allowance of 14kg, you can purchase one of the following*:
- +7kg Extra Carry-on Baggage when you book your ticket, or later online in ‘Manage Booking’
- A Flex bundle when you book your ticket.
- A Business Class fare
*Selected routes only, and excluding a variety of flights such as between Australia and Bali, flights within ANZ, flights between Singapore and Bali, and all flights to, from, and within Vietnam.
If you exceed your carry-on baggage allowance, you will be charged excess baggage fees at the airport.
Carry-On Baggage Fees
The fees for the +7kg additional carry-on baggage allowance (where available), are as follows:
Jetstar Check-In Baggage
Check-In Baggage Size and Weight Limits
Each passenger can take up to 40kg of check-in baggage. Baggage allowance weights apply per passenger with a seat, per flight. Your baggage allowance is given by combined weight, not by the number of bags. As long as your bags have a combined weight within your allowance, you can bring as many as you like.
No individual check-in baggage item can weigh more than 32kg, and therefore, if you have a check-in baggage allowance of 35kg or 40kg, your baggage must be split over at least two bags, with no bag weighing more than 32kg. If any single bag or item weighs more than 32kg it must be carried as freight.
Any baggage item longer than 1m (39in) including wheels and handles in any direction is classified as an oversized item for which additional fees apply (see below).
Check-In Baggage Fees
If you want to add a check-in baggage allowance to your booking you can do this during the booking process or afterward. The post-booking fees are always more expensive than the fees paid during the initial booking process:
Oversized Check-In Baggage
You will need to pay Jetstar’s oversized item handling fee for sporting equipment, large musical instruments, and other large items if they have any side longer than 1m.
The maximum length of any oversized item depends on the type of aircraft. If your trip includes multiple flights and aircraft types, the lowest maximum length applies. The maximum oversize baggage length is generally 2.3m, or up to 2.77m if flying an international route in a B787 aircraft.
Each passenger can bring up to two oversized items.
The oversized item fee is paid per item and is in addition to any checked baggage allowance. Paying an oversize baggage fee does not increase your baggage allowance and all oversized items count towards your check-in baggage allowance.
The oversized baggage fee can be added to your fare when you purchase check-in baggage during the booking process. You can also pay for oversized items fee after you book, at ‘Manage Booking’ or via the Jetstar Call Center. There is a standard fee is $US25 for oversized baggage, except for Jetstar Japan (GK) passengers, where the oversized item fee is more expensive when paid at the airport.
Excess Baggage Weight Fees
If you haven’t added baggage and you arrive at the airport with checked baggage, you’ll be charged a fee of $US50 for up to the first 15kg of baggage per passenger, and after that you’ll be charged $25 per additional kg. So, for example, a 20kg bag not booked before you arrive at the airport will cost you a whopping $US175.
Similarly, if you have added checked baggage to your booking but arrive at the airport with more than your purchased allowance, you’ll be charged an excess baggage fee per kg.
Sports Equipment
In general terms, Jetstar applies its baggage size and weight rules to sports equipment. So, if your packed sports equipment item meets Jetstar’s standard carry-on or check-in weight/size restrictions it can count as part of your carry-on or check-in allowance.
Items that exceed the standard weight/size allowances are subject to Jetstar’s oversize and/or excess weight baggage fees. No single item can weigh more than 32kg or have a length of 2.3m, or up to 2.77m if flying an international route in a B787 aircraft.
Note that sail masts exceed length restrictions, so Jetstar does not carry windsurfers and sailboards as check-in baggage.
Musical Instruments
Small instruments that weigh less than 7kg, with a maximum size of 85 x 36 x 23cm can be taken on board and stored in the overhead bins. The instrument weight counts as part of your carry-on baggage allowance.
Larger instruments can be taken into the aircraft cabin if you purchase an additional seat for the instrument, or they can travel as check-in baggage. If you want to book a seat for your instrument you must contact Jetstar in advance. If your instrument weighs more than 15kg, it must travel as check-in baggage and the oversized item fee may apply.
The standard maximum permitted size for instruments in the cabin is 120 x 45 x 20cm, and there is a limit of two large instruments per aircraft cabin. Very large instruments with a maximum size of 140 x 45 x 50cm may be accepted in the cabin up to a limit of 1 per aircraft.
Note that Jetstar Asia (3K) does not accept larger instruments for carriage in the aircraft cabin.
If you want to bring your musical instrument as check-in baggage and it is longer than 1m (39in), including packaging, handles, and wheels, the oversized item fee applies.
Remember that the weight of any oversized musical instruments counts towards your total check-in baggage allowance.
Traveling With Infants
If you have an infant or small child on your booking you may bring one of each of the following:
- A stroller, pusher, or pram
- A portable cot
- A car seat, baby capsule, or booster seat
- A portable high chair
These items are carried as check-in baggage for free, regardless of fare and in addition to any check-in baggage allowance.
Approved car seats can be used onboard, but you must contact Jetstar in advance.
If your stroller collapses to Jetstar’s carry-on baggage dimensions (56 x 23 x 36cm) and the stroller is securely packed within a protective cover/bag, then it can be carried on board most Jetstar flights. However, it will count towards your carry-on baggage allowance.
Conclusion
When traveling with Jetstar, your carry-on and check-in baggage allowances depend on the fare type selected. If you select the lowest economy fare (Starter) your only baggage allowance is 7kg of carry-on baggage which you can split across two items. The maximum carry-on baggage allowance is 14kg and this is included Economy Flex and Business Class fares. For other fares, an additional 7kg carry-on allowance can be purchased subject to availability.
If you want to take check-in luggage, you will need to purchase a fare type that includes an allowance (Economy Plus, Economy Max, and Business), or add baggage to your booking. It’s best to add baggage during the booking process to avoid higher fees later.
Jetstar baggage works on the weight concept, so you can take multiple check-in bags weighing up to your purchased check-in bag weight allowance.
You should never turn up at the airport with check-in baggage without a previously purchased allowance, or with more baggage weight than booked; the Jetstar fees at the airport for baggage that has not been pre-booked are very high and can easily be avoided by adding baggage to your booking (preferably online) prior to travel.
