On another but similar thread I mentioned an upcoming trip on Jet*, well safely back I have a couple of points.
Arrived at my departure airport with oodles of time to check in IAW Jet*s advice, 0330 wake up call yuk. Got sequence 1 and thought this will be the closest I will ever get to the front. Departure time was 0600 at 0555 still not boarding mmmmm. PA announced those with 1 thru 50 line up good grief, might as well wipe my butt with my sequence no 1 boarding pass, you would have thought it was recess at a school tuck shop the way the gate was stampeeded, not for me sorry too Joe cool for that.
Airborne 22mins 30 secs late after a very rushed and unproffesional safety brief. It gets better the Capt comes on the PA and starts making excuses. The usual host of technical snags etc were rolled out but the best was an explanation of how poor weather (rain I guess) can effect their very tight 25mins turnaround procedure. I found this statement somewhat amusing given that the acft had been prepositioned the night before and was on the tarmac. No turnaround was required and all pax were ready and raring to go.
The way I see it if we have to be on time so does the airline if it is not good enough for pax to be late for any reason then the same must surely apply to the airline.
Check in on return was problematic as the desk doesn't open till 2 hrs before departure so if you are early to bad. Connecting from regional areas makes this a pain as bus/train timetables suit a 30 min check in rather than 1 hr plus so you find yourself arriving much earlier than required and sitting around with baggage and kids and no ammenities. Too bad I hear you say well figure this if it is the leisure market they are catering to I see no leisure in the above.
All in all the few dollars I saved flying jet* and not
VB was not worth it. Both however are substantially cheaper than QF on the same route so when next I fly it will be in the big red plane.