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.

City buzz, gourmet trails, surf breaks and art scenes are all at your fingertips.

When it comes to planning a trip, picking a holiday destination is the easy part. The real dilemma is where to set yourself up for the night. Do you go coastal, city, or countryside? Somewhere remote and rugged, or right in the action? Luckily, the Sunshine Coast, and huge number of amazing Sunshine Coast day trips, have kindly made the choice for you.

Ditch the hotel-hopping and suitcase-lugging. Instead, base yourself at Novotel Sunshine Coast or Mantra Mooloolaba , where big-city culture, vine-covered valleys, and theme parks are all within a two-hour drive.

1. Sunshine Coast to Brisbane

Drive time: 1 hour 20 minutes (105km)

Shake off the sand from your sandals and swap the beach for the throb of the Queensland capital. Ease in gently with a bougainvillea-filled stroll through South Bank, iced latte in hand, before cooling off at Streets Beach lagoon – Brisbane’s answer to the coast (but without the waves).

Once firmly in big-city mode, hit up the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) , home to Australia’s largest collection of modern and contemporary artworks. Dive into the past at the Queensland Museum, where prehistoric fossils of Australian dinosaurs and megafauna collide with First Nations cultural collections and interactive science exhibits.

All this learning got you hungry? Howard Smith Wharves calls. Here, riverside dining delivers breweries with meat-forward menus, Japanese fine dining and overwater bars. If you’ve got room for more, Fortitude Valley’s shopping boutiques await you and your wallet.

woman walking around Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) — Wander the Gallery of Modern Art. (Image: TEQ)

2. Sunshine Coast to the Scenic Rim

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (170km)

Make your way inland to the Scenic Rim for the state’s best vineyards and age-old volcanic slopes. Start your day early (like, sparrow’s breakfast early) at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park . Here, take a treetop walk through the canopy and hand-feed the wild birds who flock here.

Next, it’s your turn to eat. Here, the food scene operates where locally sourced produce is an expectation, not an exception. Order a picnic basket crammed with regional wine and cheese to devour next to the creek at Canungra Valley Vineyards . Or perhaps a grazing platter of vegan and non-vegan cheeses at Witches Falls Winery .

Feeling bold? Tackle the Twin Falls circuit in Springbrook National Park. Or keep the gourmet life going with a Scenic Rim Brewery tasting paddle, best enjoyed while taking in the rise of the Great Dividing Range.

woman with cheese and wine at Witches Falls Winery — Enjoy a cheese platter at Witches Falls Winery. (Image: TEQ)

3. Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast

Drive time: 2 hours (180km)

Surf, sand and sparkling skylines might be the Gold Coast’s MO, but there’s more to Surfers Paradise and beyond. Kick things off with a beachfront coffee at Burleigh Heads, then hike through Burleigh Head National Park to look over the ocean and whale sightings (dependent on the season, of course).

Cool off in the calm waters of Tallebudgera Creek before chowing down on the famously buttery Moreton Bay bug rolls at Rick Shores . Travelling with the kids? Then you can’t miss Australia’s theme park capital, with Dreamworld ’s big rides and Warner Bros. Movie World ’s Hollywood treatment at hand to keep the family entertained.

aerial view of Tallebudgera Creek — Dive into Tallebudgera Creek. (Image: TEQ)

4. Sunshine Coast to Tweed Heads

Drive time: 2 hours 15 minutes (200km)

Dare to cross enemy lines? Then welcome to New South Wales. Tweed Heads blends the laid-back attitude of the Northern Rivers with high-quality dining, experimental art, and farm-fresh indulgence – a combo worth the drive.

Start strong with a long, lazy brunch at Tweed River House , then swing by Tropical Fruit World for exotic finds like red dragon fruit, handfuls of lychees and black sapote. Next, hit M|Arts Precinct – an art deco hub of micro galleries, artist workshops and one-off boutiques.

Round off the day with sunset drinks at Husk Distillers among the glowing cane fields, and order one with their famous Ink Gin. You’ll thank us later.

exterior of Husk Distillers — Taste the famous Ink Gin at Husk Distillers. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Sunshine Coast Hinterland

Drive time: 1 hour (70km)

Strap on those hiking boots and make tracks inland, where volcanic peaks, misty rainforest and hinterland townships beckon. Ease in with the Glass House Mountains Lookout Walk, or, if you have energy to burn, tackle the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk for a 360-degree sight of the surrounding summits.

Next: Montville. This township delivers European-style architecture and old-world appeal. Nearby, settle in at Flame Hill Vineyard, where a large pour of estate-grown wine comes with encompassing views of the countryside.

Not ready to leave the hinterland villages just yet? Of course not. Meander past art galleries and indie shops at Maleny. Nab some fudge from Sweets on Maple for a sweet fix. Or go salty at Maleny Dairies with a farm tour and a chunky wedge of their deliciously creamy cheese.

End the day among the eucalypts and rainforests of Kondalilla National Park. Here, the Kondalilla Falls Circuit winds down through trees humming with life to a rock pool beneath a waterfall – as if designed for soaking tired feet before heading back to the coast.

view of Mount Ngungun on the scenic rim queensland — Take on the Mount Ngungun Summit Walk (Image: TEQ)

Start planning your Sunshine home base at all.com.