Flying With A Baby Jetstar

Sharing is caring!

A review by Nappy Nomad Val A full-time family travel mum of two .

We were flying from Indonesia (Bali) to New Zealand (Auckland) via Australia (Melbourne) with our 9 months old baby on Jetstar.

On the first long flight our baby was quite active, so we had to carry it around more often. The baby belt needed to be used during takeoff and landing. The second flight was in the late evening, so that our baby was sleeping on our lap. Although we had no baby bassinets on those flights, it was less stressful than I thought. As soon as baby starts to get stressed, I find it very helpful to sing songs or to give the baby things it didn’t play with before. Some brilliant ideas to keep a baby or toddler busy on a flight are here!

Flying With A Baby – Jetstar

Baby bassinets

Bassinets are only available on Boeing 787 aircraft flights. Unfortunately, bassinet booking with Jetstar comes close to winning the lottery. In order to book them you need to call their hotline. We did that twice and got the exact same answer: “Book your flight with any seats and then call again to make the bassinet reservation.” So we booked the flight and called again 5 minutes later. Surprisingly, the previously available bassinets were not available any more.

So my advice is: if possible, try to book the flight tickets on the phone and make the bassinet reservation with the same person. Otherwise you might end up on a long flight without a bassinet, like we did.

If bassinets are sold out, you have the possibility to book an extra seat for your baby at an additional cost. You then can use a car seat on that seat which might be more convenient than having the baby on your lap all the time.

Check-in

Online check-in is not possible but we were pulled out of the queue for check-in and directed to the express line. This is where flying with baby is definitely an advantage!

Food

When you book the flight you may also book your meal in advance. I personally find it more convenient to decide on the flight. Especially, as prices don’t vary much. Kids friendly menus are also provided.

Entertainment

On our flight from Bali to Melbourne (Boeing 787 aircraft) we had video screens. Free access to all movies, games etc. was available for 10 AUD incl. the headset. As we were rotating the “baby duty” one person could watch movies at a time.

Conclusion

Both flights were ok, the value for money was good, but very bad service regarding bassinet booking.

Jetstar facilities

Baggage allowance when flying with a baby.

Infants not occupying a seat don’t have a carry-on baggage allowance.

You’ll have to carry any baby items such as food, drink, nappies and clothing needed during your flight as part of your own carry-on baggage allowance.

When travelling with an infant or small child, you can bring any combination or all of the following items as checked baggage for free: a pram, a stroller, a portable cot and/or a highchair. You won’t have to pay the oversized item fee for any of these items.

Jetstar bassinets

Airplane bassinets are provided by Jetstar on international flights only.

Baby Food and drink

Jetstar do not carry infant food or drinks on board, so be sure to bring enough for your journey. It will count towards your carry-on baggage allowance.

Sharing is caring!