How Australia's budget carriers stack up
Want to save some cash and fly with a budget carrier? Here’s what you need to know about Jetstar and Tigerair.
What is a budget carrier?
A budget carrier is essentially a no frills airline that offers very cheap fares for the seat alone. You then need to pay extra for things like checked baggage, meals and entertainment that would normally be included on a full service airline. The budget carrier market has grown rapidly in recent years with hundreds of lines launching around the world. Australia has two budget carriers – Jetstar and Tigerair.
SKYTRAX rating
The SKYTRAX World Airline Star Rating is a globally recognised ranking system that classifies global airlines by the quality of their physical product (like planes, meals and lounges) and service standards.
Jetstar – 3 stars
Tigerair – 3 stars
AirlineRatings.com rating
Independent airline safety and product review website AirlineRatings.com also compares the quality of companies around the world.
Jetstar – 7/7 stars for safety, 3/5 stars for product
Tigerair – 5/7 stars for safety, 2.5/5 stars for product
On time performance
The Australian government Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) analyses the on time performances of all domestic airlines. For 2016, Tigerair was the best-performing budget carrier. 83.1 per cent of its flights departed on time and 81.6 per cent arrived on time. Jetstar ranked the worst of all the airlines analysed – 73.3 per cent departed on time and 76.2 per cent arrived on time.
Fleet
Many budget carriers around the world rely on old aircraft that full service airlines have retired. That means they can be behind the times in terms of technology and style. This is where Jetstar has the upper hand. From late 2013 the airline began to introduce brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliners, one of the most high tech aircraft available. The humidity in the cabin is higher (easing the ‘dry’ feeling of flying and helping to reduce jetlag), windows are larger and dim at the touch of a button, and overhead baggage lockers have more space. Tigerair operates a fleet of A320 and 737 aircraft with an average age of 8.6 years.
What budget carrier do you generally opt for?