Aussie low-cost carrier Jetstar had a bad weekend: A power surge at a telecommunications exchange meant that the airline's check-in system went down and delays were all around.

Worse, at some airports where there are strict night curfews, like Sydney, flights had to be canceled--about 10 departures in all.

Delays and cancellations are bad, but they're common enough that we're able to ignore them. But what we can't ignore is another Jetstar flight that had to turn back to Darwin after take-off because one of the passengers was bleeding. The cause of the bleeding? He'd attacked himself with a toothbrush.

We're not sure if turning his toothbrush into a weapon to use on himself was simply a demonstration against the Jetstarve flight quality but we should mention that mental health authorities are now taking care of him.

Related Stories:
· Jetstar Computer Glitch, Flights Canceled [news.com.au]
· Passenger Stabs Himself with Toothbrush [Northern Territory News]
· First Person Flight Review: Jetstar Melbourne to Perth [Jaunted]

[Photo: This Year's Love]]]> amandak 2008-10-06T09:30:40-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/28/84354/1758

Qantas low-cost spin-off Jetstar has caught our attention again. Although we were quite distracted by its online rugby game, Jetstar has been busy elsewhere, starting rumors that they're going to gatecrash New Zealand and start up domestic flights across the country.

Locally-based airlines Air New Zealand and Pacific Blue aren't too keen on the idea. They're pretty sure there's only room for the two of them in the Kiwi domestic market and haven't enjoyed sharing a few routes with Qantas already.

When you stop to think about it, most tourists don't even need to fly around New Zealand anyway: Driving or camping are much more in. But since we still love that virtual rugby from Jetstar, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

Related Stories:
· Jetstar Could Enter (NZ) Domestic Market [Stuff.co.nz]
· Sports Travel: Rugby League, Virtual Style [Jaunted]
· Jetstar coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: monkeyc.net]]]> amandak 2008-09-29T09:30:36-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/26/42226/9995

Rugby fans would already know that the 2008 Rugby League World Cup will be held up and down the east coast of Australia between October 25 and November 22. It turns out that Qantas offshoot Jetstar is the official airline for the championships--which apparently aren't important enough to be sponsored by a non-budget airline)

The reason we're excited is nothing to do with the rugby itself, but with Jetstar's competition to win a holiday package to the grand final of the cup. They've put their Jetstar Rugby League Game online for us all to play, and yes, we just wasted some precious minutes getting slightly addicted.

In the game you have to use your arrow keys to help your little guy make a try. Starting in Sydney and (if successful) moving on to Melbourne, Rockhampton, Gold Coast and Brisbane, your job is to navigate past other rugby players, referees, sea gulls, ice cream sales people and in true Aussie style, a few (naked) streakers running across the field. After the game you can fill in a form to win the Jetstar contest, but to be perfectly honest we're more into this virtual rugby than the real life game.

Related Stories:
· Play Jetstar Rugby League [Official Site]
· Bruno the Bear Online Game [Jaunted]]]> amandak 2008-09-26T10:00:34-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/29/65738/2145

Jaunted's Amanda Kendle just got back from Melbourne. This week: Read all about it.

I've always patriotically loved Qantas, so I was expecting more than I got when I decided to fly on their budget offshoot Jetstar. I should've known there was a reason my friends call it Jetstarve.]]> amandak 2008-07-29T11:05:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/23/65623/6464

Low cost carrier Jetstar Asia has always been the little sister of Australia-based Jetstar--itself the child of Qantas. But now Jetstar Asia is preparing to cut the apron strings and step out into the budget airline world a little more independently.

At the same time, Jetstar Asia is ramping up its offerings. First up will be a route between Singapore and the newly vertical Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. There'll be daily flights, some of them also heading to Siem Reap, the stop for sightseeing target Angkor Wat.

Seems right that the slightly rebel child will head off to such a typical backpackers' destination.

Related Stories:
· Jetstar Asia [Official Site]
· Jetstar Asia Edges Away From Australian Parent [The Age]
· Jetstar coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: lecercle]]]> amandak 2008-06-23T10:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/6/16/92856/4978

Aussie LCC Jetstar is talking up its new flights into Indonesia, after a week of complaints about its decision to switch its Japanese route to land in the Gold Coast instead of Brisbane.

Trying to put that controversy behind them, Jetstar is crowing about new routes running from Perth to Bali and Perth to Jakarta. The Western Australia to Indonesia route is a pretty busy one, and getting tickets at the discount fare of A$179 ($168, one way) is a pretty good deal.

But Jetstar does seem to be forgetting one thing. The LCC's parent company Qantas already said it would spin these routes to Jetstar as part of a cost-cutting drive. So flying into Bali is really just a consolation prize, right?

Related Stories:
· Jetstar Launches Sale Fares for New Southeast Asia Flights [Peanuts]
· Qantas Cuts Flights and Sacks Staff [SMH]
· Japan Air Travel: More Flights, Different Flights [Jaunted]

[Photo: SHERWIN!]]]> amandak 2008-06-17T09:15:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/5/20/93234/5661

Big things are happening in the realm of Japanese air travel. Bloomberg reported just this morning that Tokyo's Haneda airport--which dropped most of its international air traffic after Narita opened in 1978--will have twice as many flights as originally planned after a fourth runway opens in 2010.

As many as 30,000 slots per year will serve Asian cities like Seoul and Hong Kong, while another 30,000 will be allotted primarily for red-eye flights to Europe and other world destinations. Even better? The government is planning a high-speed rail link between Narita and Haneda, also to be completed by 2010, making Tokyo a powerhouse international hub.

Meanwhile, Australian LCC Jetstar is switching up its long-haul flight to and from Osaka: Brisbane is out and the Gold Coast (OOL) is in. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Queensland's largest city just isn't doing it for Japanese tourists:

Strong trade industry support in Japan and Australia led to the change, Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said.

"The reason we've done this is very straightforward--it's market driven," he said. "Over 75% of the Japanese customers who fly on this route, their end destination is the Gold Coast."

Related Stories:
· Jetstar Announces Gold Coast-Japan Flights [SMH]
· Japan to Double Haneda Overseas Slots [Bloomberg]
· Japan Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Haneda: kala-pattar]]]> benh 2008-05-20T13:50:01-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/