14/08/2017
FROM August 15, discount carrier Jetstar is jacking up its checked baggage fees for domestic passengers.
If you show up at the airport for a domestic flight and want to check in luggage that hasn’t been pre-booked, you’ll be charged $60 for the privilege, up from $50 currently. If your checked bag weighs more than 15kg, you’ll also have to pay $15 for each extra kilo.
That means for a 32kg suitcase, the biggest single item allowed, you’d potentially end up paying a massive $315 simply to check it in.
Jetstar’s move, while annoying, is typical of a budget carrier sector, where much of the profit comes from extra charges for services like baggage, seat selection and in-flight meals.
Tigerair has an even more aggressive fee scale, and lifted its prices in December last year. Checked baggage that isn’t pre-booked costs $75 for short domestic flights (under 2 hours) and $90 for longer flights. Its excess weight charges are also higher, at $20 per kilo for short flights and $25 per kilo for longer flights.
