There is little doubt that once you have had the experience of an airport lounge, it can be quite a let down having to sit in an airport terminal while waiting for your flight.
If you have status with a full-service carrier, or are flying in a premium cabin, then the airline may have a lounge for you to access.
But what if you are flying Jetstar? Currently, Jetstar does not operate any of their own lounges. This is not that surprising, considering it is a Low-Cost Carrier.
Despite this, if you are flying Jetstar, you may have lounge access. For example, you may have access to the Qantas lounges if you are a Qantas Frequent Flyer with Gold, or above, status. You are also eligible to enter Qantas Lounges if you have a Qantas Club membership. For the most part, if you are travelling around Australia, this will probably sort you out.
I originally wrote this article in 2019, and since then things have changed a bit. As a result, I thought it was time to update the article in line with the current situation.
Lounge Access when flying Jetstar
There are a few ways you may be able to gain entry into a lounge while flying Jetstar. These include
- holding Qantas Club membership
- being a Qantas Gold or Platinum Frequent Flyer
- using a complimentary lounge invitation
- buying a Business Max bundle
- pay for entry lounges
Qantas Club Member
As a Qantas Club member, you are able to access the domestic Qantas Club or international Qantas Business Lounge when traveling on Jetstar. For the most part, you will only have access to a Qantas operated lounge, although there are some exceptions.
While that sounds good, there are a couple of issues that can arise. Firstly, Qantas lounges generally open for Qantas flights. This works well when you are flying at a time when there are Qantas flights. For large airports,this is usually ok,however, at smaller airports you may find the lounge closed.
Secondly, in some airports Jetstar operates out of different terminals to Qantas. For example, in Perth Jetstar is currently operating from Terminal 2, while the Qantas lounge are across the airport in Terminal 4.
Qantas Gold, Platinum & Platinum One frequent flyers
As a Gold, Platinum or Platinum One Frequent flyer, you will have access to Qantas lounges prior to a Jetstar flight.
For Gold Frequent Flyers, this is pretty much the as for a Qantas Club member. The same access rules, and caveats apply.
Platinum and Platinum One members can step up to the First lounge (international), ore the Business Lounge (domestic).
Qantas complimentary lounge invitations
Complimentary lounge invitations allow for a single entry into a Qantas operated lounge. These invitations are available from a few sources:
- Silver Qantas Frequent Flyers may be issued two per year
- Points club members get two per year
- They may be available through some credit cards after meeting eligibility criteria
Complimentary Lounge Invitations from Qantas can be used to access Qantas-operated lounge prior to your Jetstar flight. There are a few limitations on this:
- you need to link your lounge invitation to your flight booking at least 24 hours prior to departure
- at some times of the year, the ability to use lounge invitations can be restricted
Business Max Bundles
For most Jetstar fares, including their base Business fare, there is no included lounge access. The good news is that Jetstar offers lounge access for passengers purchasing a ‘Business Max’ bundle. While this option used to appear on some Economy Starter Max bundles, these days they are limited to Business Max bundles.
If you choose one of these fares on an international flight, depending on where you are departing from, you may have lounge access. In these cases, Jetstar has arranged access with a number of lounge operator. If you are flying from Australia, this is often one of the Qantas Lounges. However, Jetstar has arranged lounge access at a wide range of airports outside Australia as well. Sometimes with a local operator, and sometimes in the lounge of another airline.
If you are on a Business Max fare (found on their international 787 services), then there is access as follows.
| Airport | Lounge name and location |
|---|---|
| Gold Coast Airport, Australia | Qantas Club at Airside – directly after domestic and international security screening |
| Melbourne International Airport, Australia | Qantas Club at Airside, Level 1, enter via departures concourse |
| Sydney International Airport, Australia | Qantas Club at Airside, Pier B, via escalators |
| Denpasar International Airport, Bali, Indonesia | Premier Lounge – Take the lift from Level 3 to Mezzanine Level |
| Singapore Changi International Airport, Singapore | Qantas Club at Airside, Terminal 1, turn left after immigration, up escalators |
| Blossom Lounge – Level 2 Mezzanine, Departure/Transit Lounge, Terminal 4 | |
| Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand | Air France KLM lounge, Airside – International departures, Concourse F, level 3, departure level, near gate F2 (Westside) |
| Phuket International Airport, Thailand | The Coral Executive Lounge – 4th floor, international departures |
| Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii, US | Qantas International Business Lounge Lower Level, follow signs to Airline Lounges/Cultural Garden |
| Incheon International Airport, Seoul, South Korea | Oneworld lounge – Located in Terminal 1, near gate 28 |
Priority Pass or Lounge Key
Finally, even if you don’t have access through one of the above, you may have access through programs such as Priority Pass or Lounge Key.
Priority Pass is a subscription-based service for which you pay an annual fee. You may also have membership through a credit card.
Lounge Key is similar to Priority Pass in terms of lounge access, but as far as I know is only available through some credit cards.
Pay for entry lounges
Finally, if all else fails, some airports have lounges that you can pay to enter. There are a few lounges that you can pay to enter, especially from international airports.For example, many lounges that accept Priority Pass will also allow you to pay for a single entry.
Final Words
As Jetstar is a low-cost carrier it tends not to operate its own lounges. That said, there are ways that you may be able to access a lounge – depending on your ticket type or your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership.
The specific lounges do change from time to time, so it is always worth checking the latest information.
