A Jetstar A320. Photo / Supplied
Eli Orzessek flies with Jetstar from Dunedin to Auckland on JQ284.
The plane: An older Airbus A320.
Class: Economy — that's all there is.
Price: My return ticket was around $250 for a Starter Plus fare.
On time? We left on time and arrived on time at 5.50pm.
Flight time: One hour 45 minutes.
My seat: 2F, a window seat very close to the front of the plane.
Fellow passengers: Mostly young New Zealanders — perhaps Scarfies on a weekend excursion to the Big Smoke? Also a smattering of tourists, as you'd expect.
The airport: Security at Dunedin Airport seemed slightly more intense than in Auckland — I had to dig right to the bottom of my overpacked backpack to retrieve a cigarette lighter, which apparently had to be carried in my pocket. I also overheard a young woman say she'd been checked for having "too many cords" in her bag.
Service: Staff were friendly, although I didn't require any help during the flight.
Food and drink: A sandwich was included in my fare, but I didn't feel like it. There was a selection of food and drink items to order for an additional cost.
Toilets: Stuck in the window seat, it seemed like too much hassle to climb over my neighbours and use it — especially on a short flight.
Entertainment: Nada, aside from the Jetstar magazine I leafed through at the start of the flight. I took the opportunity to nap and managed to get a good sleep after a busy couple of days at the TRENZ conference.
Luggage: A Starter Plus fare includes cabin baggage up to 7kg and a checked bag up to 20kg.
Would I fly again? Sure, I had no issues with the service.
When there's nothing as far as the eye can see, you may appreciate the company.