The Jetstar flight upon arrival at Hamilton Airport. Photo / Stephen Barker, Barker Photography
The Jetstar flight upon arrival at Hamilton Airport. Photo / Stephen Barker, Barker Photography
Jetstar’s first flight from Hamilton to Sydney lifted off on Monday. Danielle Zollickhofer checked it out.
Visas and requirements: New Zealanders only need their passport to board the plane, no visa is required. However, I was travelling on a German passport, so I had to apply for a visitor visathrough the Australian Department of Home Affairs. The eVisitor visa (subclass 651) was free and granted the same day I applied for it (I’ve never had a visa approved this fast). It’s valid for a year and allows multiple entries with the length of stay up to three months from the date of arrival.
Departure airport experience: The flight to Sydney marked the return of international flights to Hamilton Airport. To make this happen, Hamilton Airport recently established a border there, with a security check, customs area and a small duty-free area. The airport was buzzing, and I could feel the anticipation and excitement that came with welcoming the first international flight since 2012.
There was a small queue in front of the check-in desk, but there was no significant wait. Surprisingly, there were no queues at all in front of the security check and staff were very warm and friendly. After the security check and the duty-free is a small licensed cafe. All staff seemed excited about seeing travellers around. I can’t say I’ve had such a quick and pleasant security check before.
The new security check and customs area at Hamilton Airport. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
Seat: I chose to be seated by the aisle, seat 4D, near the front of the aircraft. It was a small-ish aircraft; an Airbus A320 with 180 seats in total, three seats to the side of each aisle. All seats were Economy class.
Crew: Much like the airport staff, the crew was very warm and cheery.
Passengers: The flight was busy but not fully booked, and there were several empty seats sprinkled around the plane. The passenger demographic was quite diverse, with a few toddlers and children being on board as well.
Food and drink: Food isn’t included with Jetstar Starter fares; however, it can be purchased as an add-on. Food can be pre-ordered, so travellers have the option to choose their food before the flight. Snacks and drinks are available for purchase throughout the flight. For the flight to Sydney, the menu consisted mainly of toasties, pies and pastries. For other flights, there are also other options, including lasagna and a variety of noodles.
The crew on the flight from Hamilton to Sydney. Photo / Supplied
Entertainment: Travellers had the option to use their own devices and purchase access to Jetstar’s in-flight entertainment for $7 via a QR code. I’d recommend taking a book or downloading your favourite shows and movies from your streaming service of choice, to watch during the journey while the device is in flight mode.
Arrival airport experience: There was hardly any wait between landing and disembarking the aircraft. The airport itself was modern and tidy, with a reasonably sized duty-free area before the luggage claim. The signs and directions were clear and the bags came promptly. Immigration was automated for those with e-passports; all that was required was to scan the passport at a gate yourself. Since travellers were asked to fill out a paper customs declaration prior to landing, going through customs was also pretty straightforward. Neither immigration nor customs had any queues.
The best bit: The overall good vibes from the crew on board as well as from the staff on the ground at Hamilton Airport. Also, the walk from the car park to the terminal was short and hassle-free – definitely a bonus for those travelling with children or elderly people.
The worst bit: The food options and their distribution. While it made sense that those who had pre-ordered their food received it first, it seemed like it took a long time to serve all passengers. I do believe this could be due to the small size of the aircraft and therefore its amenities. So I’d recommend eating prior to the flight or grabbing a snack to take on to the plane.
Final verdict: An overall very pleasant and reasonably priced way to make the way across the ditch for a holiday or weekend getaway. As we say in northern Germany (it’s a compliment!): Can’t complain.
