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.
However, what if you are flying outside Australia? Qantas Lounges are only found in a small handful of airports. Even then, they may not be open when you are flying.
Starter Max and Business Max Bundles
The good news is that Jetstar does offer lounge access for some passengers purchasing a ‘Max’ bundles. These include the Economy Starter Max and Business Starter 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.
In some cases, the lounge is different depending on where you are in Economy or Business, but there is still a lounge option.
Starter Max
If you have purchased a Starter Max fare, Jetstar has arranged access to the following lounges when departing on an international journey.
| Airport | Lounge name and location |
|---|---|
| Cairns International Airport, Australia | Reef Lounge at Airside, after international security screening |
| Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, Indonesia | JAS Premier Lounge at Mezzanine level, Departure International Terminal |
| Juanda International Airport, Surabaya | Premier Lounge at 2nd Floor, between Gates 10 -11 |
| Osaka (Kansai) International Airport, Japan | KIX Airside Lounge at Airside, International Gate Area Center |
| Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia | Plaza Premium Lounge at International Departures Level 2, KLIA 2 Terminal Plaza Premium Lounge at International Departures Level 3, KLIA 2 Terminal Plaza Premium Lounge at Gateway, KLIA 2 Terminal |
| Kualanamu International Airport, Medan | Saphire Mandai Lounge at Air Side Departure Concourse |
| Penang International Airport, Malaysia | Plaza Premium Lounge at International Departures |
| Singapore Changi International Airport, Singapore | Oasis Wellness Spa at Level 2 Terminal 1, Departure Wing Gate “D” Departure/Transit Lounge East |
| Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand | Sky Lounge (Air France) at Concourse F, 3rd Floor |
| Phuket International Airport, Thailand | Lux Lounge – Andaman Aurora Co., Ltd at Airside, Departures |
Business Max
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 |
|---|---|
| Cairns International Airport, Australia | Reef Lounge at Airside – directly after international security screening |
| 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 | JAS Lounge at Mezzanine level, Departure International Terminal |
| Osaka (Kansai) International Airport, Japan | Osaka Airside Lounge at Airside, International Gate Area Center |
| Singapore Changi International Airport, Singapore | Qantas Club at Airside, Terminal 1, turn left after immigration, up escalators |
| Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand | CIP Business Class Lounge at Airside, Concourse G, Level 3 (West Side) |
| Phuket International Airport, Thailand | Lux Lounge – Andaman Aurora Co., Ltd at Airside, Departures level 2 near Gate 4 |
| Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii, US | Qantas Club at Airside, EWA Concourse, above Gate 26 |
Thoughts
I have taken advantage of this offer when flying Jetstar in South East Asia. Given the price of an Economy Max bundle, and its inclusions, I view this as good value for money. For example, for between $80 and $100 Australian Dollars, you get a baggage allowance, a meal, seat selection and lounge access. It seems a good deal.