Jetstar defends divisive on-board change as airline flags new baggage change: 'Customers prefer'

Aussies are divided over the upcoming change set to hit Jetstar planes later this year. The airline’s nearly dozen strong 787 Dreamliners are getting a major overhaul, with the first planes set to come back from the factory next month.

The biggest alteration is the removal of the screens on the back of the seats, as the airline believes passengers prefer to use their own devices these days. The new-look planes will, for the first time, have Wi-Fi access, which will come with a price that’s yet to be determined.

A Jetstar spokesperson told Yahoo Lifestyle this change has been in the works for several years.

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“The refreshed 787s will be more modern, more efficient and able to fly further, opening up new destinations for our customers,” they said.

“We’re seeing that many customers prefer to use their own devices and are increasingly watching content on iPads, tablets or laptops.

“With high-speed charging on board the refreshed 787s, it will be easy to do that, and with Jetstar rolling out Wi-Fi for the first time, they’ll be able to surf the web at 40,000 feet.”

Jetstar is getting rid of the back-of-seat screens on 11 planes. Picture: Getty/Jetstar

Jetstar passengers have always had to pay to access the entertainment on the back of the screen.

But it’s unclear whether it will be cheaper, the same, or more expensive to use your own device to stream movies, TV shoes, music, and podcasts.

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How do Aussies feel about Jetstar’s Dreamliner change?

A poll of hundreds of Yahoo Lifestyle readers found 88 per cent thought Jetstar should keep the screens.

Aussies also told us what they thought of the move and there was a range of reactions.

“I don’t want to be watching my phone on a long flight. One of the best things is for a movie on the TV in front of you,” Sydney man Darryl said.

“Sometimes technology sucks.”

Fellow Aussie, Jamie, even went as far as saying this was the last straw for him.

“How am I supposed to watch the flight map or the GPS location of the plane?” he said. “I guess Jetstar has lost me as a customer! I know they won’t care!”

It’s unclear whether that flight tracker feature will be free to access on passengers’ devices or if it will be behind the paywall.

Melbourne flyer Corey defended the airline and said if you don’t like it, don’t fly with them.

“It is a budget airline after all, everything is an up sell and removing it reduces overall expenditure…you get what you pay for at the end of the day so you can’t really be mad about it,” he said.

Sydney-based man Les called it a “totally sensible move” and a “great boon for passengers”.

Jetstar flags major change to baggage rule

Jetstar passengers are only allowed to bring 7kgs of carry-on baggage when they board.

While some airlines aren’t as strict about carry-on, Jetstar typically has staff standing at gates with scales to make sure they’re definitely under the threshold.

If you’re over, you can cop a fee.

But that might be on the way out.

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“Sometimes you’re walking up to the gate and you get that kind of gate anxiety and you’re not sure whether you weighed your bag correctly or if you forgot to weigh it,” Jetstar’s head of network and fleet, Ted Knight, told news.com.au.

“In our constant work really to just reduce pain points, to deliver a seamless experience, one part of our policy we’re looking at is our carry-on bags.”

How will Jetstar’s new Dreamliners look?

There are 11 wide body Boeing 787 Dreamliners in Jetstar’s fleet and it first revealed they would be getting an overhaul in 2023.

They’re getting retrofitted in Hong Kong and the first completed planes are set to return in late March, and will be taking passengers around the world shortly after.

Removing the screens will reduce aircraft weight and fuel burn, and Jetstar believes that could allow it to fly into other destinations in the future like Africa and India.