Does the Jetstar Price Beat Guarantee actually work?

You’ve seen the ads on television, but will you always get the best price with Jetstar? We put the famous Price Beat Guarantee to the ultimate test… three times.

Determined to hold onto the unofficial title of ‘Australia’s cheapest airline’, you may have noticed that Jetstar regularly advertises a Price Beat Guarantee in which it promises to beat all (comparable) competitor and third party website flights by 10 per cent.

This means that a couple of extra minutes of shopping around can save you some serious cash.

The conditions:

1. The flight you would like to match must be a direct flight using the exact same airports.

2. The two flights must leave within an hour of each other for domestic flights, and the same condition is applied to flights between Australia and New Zealand or within Asia.

3. If you’re flying internationally, the flights only need to be within the same calendar day.

4. Unfortunately, all flights must leave more than seven days from applying for a price beat, so no last minute trip.

I had one big realisation as a result of taking part in this process: unlike a similar promotion with Bunnings (or the like) you don’t actually need to find the cheaper product, using this search will bring up anything comparatively cheaper. How much more attractive is that as a tool?

Follow these steps to apply for a Jetstar price beat:

1. Visit the Price Beat Guarantee page on the Jetstar website.

2. Click on the ‘apply now’ button.

3. Fill out the form and provide the airports, date and time of the Jetstar flight you would like to beat.

4. Check your email for a response regarding the outcome of your application. This should only take a few minutes.

5. If successful, follow the link provided to complete the booking and payment. The new price will only be held for 60 minutes so make sure you are ready to pay immediately. Baggage can be added after this point in ‘manage your booking’.

6. If unsuccessful, this might be because either flight was ineligible or no cheaper flights could be found at that time.

I tested out the guarantee for you and had varying results.

Test one: SYD > BRIS one-way

I applied for a Sydney to Brisbane flight in May this year at 2pm that would normally cost $71 with Jetstar. I found that Tigerair also had the same flight leaving at 2.55pm for $64.95. My application was successful as all airports were the same, the flight was direct and leaving only 55 minutes later, making the cost of my Jetstar flight just $58.46.

I saved: $12.54

Test two: SYD > MELB (return)

I also applied for return flights from Sydney to Melbourne (Tullamarine) in June 2018. The first flight with Jetstar would leave Sydney at 10.20am and cost $99. The return flight was to leave Melbourne at 3.20pm and was $149. Tigerair had a SYD–MEL flight at 10.15am for $73.95 and a MEL–SYD flight at 3.30pm for $129.95. My application was successful and the Jetstar price came down from $248 to $183.52. This success came as a bit of a surprise for me because the terms and conditions require a ‘direct and one-way’ flight but the application form gives the option between return and one-way flights and gave me the correct discount – so who are we to complain?

I saved: $64.48

SYD > BALI (one-way)

I submitted an unsuccessful application for an international Jetstar Sydney to Bali (Denpasar) flight on 4 September 2018 at 10.20am for $326. There were a number of AirAsia flights from Sydney to Bali for $239 leaving on the same calendar day (as per the terms and conditions). However, each of these Jetstar and AirAsia flights included two flights and a stopover and thus were ineligible as they were not direct, non-stop flights.

I saved: nothing.

I found the Price Beat Guarantee deal to be most effective for the more common domestic routes such as Sydney to Melbourne, Sydney to the Gold Coast, Brisbane to Sydney and Brisbane to Melbourne.

While international flights are eligible for the Price Beat Guarantee, I generally found that Jetstar is already the cheapest flight available or either Jetstar or the competing airline have connections and stopovers and are therefore ineligible for the promotion.

Discover the perfect road trip stopover between Perth and wine country.

Western Australia punches above its weight when it comes to coastal hot spots, but no other town or city has seen a tourism boom quite like Mandurah. Named Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2023 , it’s the relaxed, beachside break you’ve been searching for. And it’s perfectly placed, sitting between Margaret River and Perth, as it’s just a 55-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Which is why we’ve put together your ultimate Mandurah guide.

Aerial view of Mandurah. — Plan your perfect coastal escape to Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2023.

The best things to do in Mandurah

Wetlands and rivers, ocean and inlet; Mandurah’s laid-back lifestyle centres around the aquatic. Its waterways cover twice the ground of Sydney Harbour – measuring some 134 square kilometres in total – and form a unique environment for oceanic and estuarine flora and fauna to thrive.

In the city’s estuary lives perhaps the region’s most famed inhabitants – a resident pod of 100 bottlenose dolphins – and the inlet’s silty bottom is home to the prized blue manna crab. Spot the former breaching and playing on an hour-long dolphin cruise through the channels, or try your hand at catching the latter by wading through the estuary’s shallows with a scoop net in hand.

While swimming at the circular Kwillena Gabi Pool, chance encounters with the local wildlife aren’t uncommon. The sheltered estuarine pool takes its name from the traditional custodians of the land, the Bindjareb people, and directly translates to ‘dolphin waters’. Jutting out of the eastern foreshore, it’s enclosed by a ring of net-free floating pontoons, which allow the dolphins to swim freely through the attraction.

If that’s a little too close for comfort, book a kayak tour with Down Under Discoveries . The dolphins have been known to cruise beside the paddle-powered crafts, which are a fun, family-friendly way to explore the city’s inner waterways.

Dolphins swimming in Mandurah. — Watch dolphins glide by as you explore Mandurah.

You don’t have to be on the water to appreciate the coastal city’s aquatic beauty, with 600 kilometres of cycleways and scenic walking trails traversing Mandurah’s estuary, inlet and coast.

Follow the 30-kilometre coastal trail and you’ll come face to face with one of Thomas Dambo’s headline-making ‘Giants of Mandurah sculptures, Santi Ikto, along the way. There are five sculptures around Mandurah in total, hidden among gum-filled reserves or sitting sentry over the water.

Head to the Mandurah Visitor Centre to pick up a map to pinpoint their exact location and download the traveller’s companion to learn more about the sights along the way. Or join a three-hour e-bike tour from The Bike Kiosk and you’ll stop by two of the giants – Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone – as you sightsee central Mandurah.

The towering Santi Ikto, one of Thomas Dambo’s iconic Giants of Mandurah. — Meet Santi Ikto, one of the legendary Giants of Mandurah.

Where to eat in Mandurah

Mandurah’s culinary scene reflects its laid-back lifestyle, with large, honest meals and locally brewed beer. After visiting Lake Clifton’s 2000-year-old thrombolites, head to the peppermint and gum-shaded beer garden at Thorny Devil Brewery . Tuck into a platter of house-smoked meats and an ale pulled fresh from the tanks. Closer to town and right on the waterfront is Boundary Island Brewery ; here, woodfired pizza, pub-style seafood dishes and easy-drinking brews are centre stage.

On a Murray River Lunch Cruise , the focus is as much on the environment around you as the food you’re filling up on. Help yourself to the colourful salads and freshly cooked meats on the buffet as you meander up the winding, jarrah tree-lined waterway, stopping at the heritage Cooper’s Mill for a quick walking tour along the way.

Keep your eyes trained on the Creery Wetlands as you pass – you’ll spot much of the region’s migratory birdlife, and, as always, might see the playful bottlenose dolphins in the inlet.

The most memorable meals aren’t necessarily always the fanciest, and lunch aboard a self-skippered Mandurah BBQ Boat is a testament to that. All food and beverage prep is left up to you as you cruise through the canals, sausages and steaks sizzling away on the central hot plate.

If seafood is more your kind of fare, board the Wild Seafood Experience , where dolphin cruise meets long table lunch. Eight courses of crab, crayfish and scallops await.

A table filled with plates of crab, crayfish, and scallops. — Dine on the water with eight courses of ocean-fresh fare.

Where to stay in Mandurah

With so many waterways comes abundant waterside stays. Like the self-contained Seashells Mandurah on the shores of Comet Bay. The calm, oceanic outlook from the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas is as close to Maldivian as Mandurah gets. Families especially enjoy the property, bouncing between the protected cove and the beachfront pool for endless hours of fun.

The Sebel Mandurah , just a hop, skip and jump from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, has a different outlook entirely, overlooking the estuary and lively foreshore on the other side. It’s also within walking distance of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre , cinema and a swathe of waterfront bars and eateries.

But you can’t get any closer to the water than on a vessel from Mandurah Houseboats . You don’t need a skipper’s ticket to hire one, nor do you need comprehensive boating experience; just a full driver’s license and your undivided attention during the pre-departure tuition will do. Then you’re free to take to the estuaries and tributaries for a few nights of peaceful rest, surrounded by the very element that makes Mandurah so special.

A houseboat cruising in Mandurah along the river — Captain a houseboat to explore Mandurah at your own pace.

Plan your next WA getaway in Mandurah.