Welcome to my trip report on Jetstar Japan!
My photo of Jetstar Japan A320ceo photographed at Fukuoka Airport.
Introduction
To fly home from Osaka, I had a few options. This includes the direct flight with Peach on the airline's A321LR and also the chance to try out Zipair from Tokyo Narita to Singapore but that means I had to either fly or take the train ride from Osaka to Tokyo Narita. Later on I did more research on the flights, I realised Starlux was operating the A330neo on the Taipei-Singapore route, I decided to go ahead with this option. Furthermore this Taiwanese carrier was offering a very attractive fare for this one way journey so all I need to do now is to find my way to Taipei Taoyuan from Osaka. There are a few options for me on this route but I decided on Jetstar Japan for it is considered a new airline for me and also to a good chance to compare Jetstar Japan with Jetstar Asia (Sadly, this Singaporean based airline will ceased operation by the end of July 2025) and also offered an overnight flight to Taipei and I can spend a few hours at Taipei Taoyuan before connecting to my last flight of the trip home.
So without further ado, let's begin this trip report.
History of Jetstar JapanJetstar Japan is a Japanese low-cost carrier based in Narita, a joint venture of Qantas, Japan Airlines and Tokyo Century Corporation. This airline was set up in 2011 and started operation a year later. The main hubs of this airline are Nagoya - Centrair, Osaka - Kansai and Tokyo Narita Airports. With ANA launching Peach and Vanilla back then (Now left with Peach), this low-cost carrier was set up to compete with Peach and other Japanese low cost carriers in the domestic market and it also operated selected routes outside of Japan.
Currently, the airline is operating a fleet of A320-200 and A321LR and will continue to operate despite the current situation of Jetstar Asia which is run separately from this airline just in case anyone is wondering.
Map of Jetstar Japan (Jetstar.com)
The routes in blue are operated by Jetstar Japan.
My booking
The airline's mobile app and website's interface are easy to navigate.
Joining the club Jetstar gives you an opportunity to get discount on selected flights, subject to availability.
With the layout like this, describing the difference among these tiers, it was easy to decide which one I need.
I settled for the Starter Plus as I needed the check-in luggage allowance and the seat selection. In addition, I was able to enjoy a snack meal too.
This is what I select for the checked and carry-on baggage menu and yes they are very strict about the weight of both types of baggages. Any excess of baggage allowance will result you to pay more at the check-in desk and that will cost more.
There are different tier of seats.
I picked seat 8A for this flight.
As this was a late night flight, I decided on something light. I went for the Vegetarian fried noodles option.
With that all set, I confirmed my booking. The whole booking process was a pleasant experience.
This is the mobile app version and it works just fine.
However, I was not able to do the online check-in probably due to the one-way ticket and Taipei is not my home country so probably the staff needs to check my onward flight itinerary to my next destination before they can confirm my seat on this flight.
After checking out from my comfortable stay at a hotel near the airport, I took the complimentary shuttle at 1800 hours and the ride to the airport took about 10 minutes.
My seat: 8A (Photo: Aerolopa.com)
More photos of the seat
Inflight payment: Japanese Yen and Credit cards (Mastercard and Visa) are accepted
My flight summary
Back in Taipei Taoyuan Airport!
We were crossing the bridge heading towards the man made island which Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX) is located.
No pedestrians are allowed on this bridge.
The first aircraft I saw the airport was this Air Seoul aircraft bound for Seoul Incheon Airport.
The bus dropped us at the departure hall.
Once inside, I had sometime to kill before being allowed to check in.
I decided to take a little tour around the terminal and this is terminal 1.
Do note level 2 is for domestic flights and level 4 is for international flights.
This terminal connects you to the Kansai Airport Station.
From here, you can take a shuttle bus over to Terminal 2.
The train station is located in between the Terminal 1 and Aeroplaza.
This is the Aeroplaza and I stayed at Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport once on the day I flew Air India's Boeing 787-8 from this airport to Hong Kong. You can check out the trip report over here.
The hotel lobby
There are paid resting areas to relax suitable if you have a long transit.
Checking my flight, row E was where I need to go.
The check-in counters at KIX Terminal 1.
I had to queue up to wait for the check-in desk to open. I tried using the self check-in kiosk but was instructed to see the gate agent.
This self check-in kiosk is available to the following airlines as shown below.
The departure hall interior (landside)
The check-in process was quite straight forward. I was asked about my onward flight from Taipei and after informing the staff the necessary information, I was given the approval to board this flight and both my cabin bag and luggage were checked for the weight before finally given the boarding pass and I was free to go.
Not so lucky for an American staff who was stuck at the check-in counter for a while as it seems she was not able to produce documentary for her next flight. I hope she made it on the flight!
The queue at the Jetstar check-in counter was even more crowded after I was done with the check-in process.
I received my boarding pass after a bit of conversation with the staff regarding my one way flight.
The security process took less than 10 minutes and after which I was at the airside.
The escalator heading for the gate area.
As usual we have to pass through the duty free shopping area.
Even though it was late at night, the terminal was still buzzing with passengers as there were a good number of midnight departures.
Airport wifi is available and there are limited seats throughout the airside area.
Nothing spectacular about the airside at Osaka Kansai (International) area to be honest.
The gate area
There are eateries and duty-free shops to check out.
There is even a self currency exchange kiosk.
There are charging ports available at tables like this.
Vending machines consisting of beverages and snacks are available.
The interior of the departure gate area
Washrooms are available every 100m or so.
This way to Gate 1 and 2A. It also connects to the bus gates.
Massage chairs are available for a fee. (300 yen for 12 mins)
Charging ports are available which includes USB-A charging ports.
I did a check on what aircraft I was flying on and the honour goes to JA14JJ which was on the way back to Osaka from Taipei.
My aircraft landed ahead of schedule and taxied to my gate.
My ride: JA14JJ
On my way
Welcome on board GK51!
As this livery is similar to Jetstar Asia, it brings me back memories of my flight experience with the Singapore based airline.
My ride: JA14JJ (Photo: Berunbow)
Route: KIX-TPE
Miles: 1,058
My seat: 8A (Photo: Aerolopa.com)
Date of departure: 3rd June 2025
Airline: Jetstar Japan
Flight: GK51
Aircraft: Airbus A320ceo
Registration: JA14JJ
Seat: 8A
Terminal: 1
Gate: 18
Load: 100%
Schedule Departure: 2335
Boarding: 2307
Pushed Back: 2332
Take off: 2347
Flight Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Actual Flight Time: 2 hours 33 minutes
Schedule Arrival: 0130
Actual Arrival: 0118
Departure Runway: 24L
Departure Weather: Cloudy
Arrival Runway: 05R
Arrival Weather: Cloudy
My inflight experience
Boarding took place on time with the ground staff emphasising the need to have Jetstar tag on the carryon before being allowed to board the aircraft. After the usual high valued passengers, passengers requiring assistance and familes with children boarding first, the next to board are the passengers sitting by the window seat. I like this arrangement as I can settle down first without the need of disturbing the neighbours just in case they reach their seats first. Once again, everyone boarded on time and we were able to leave the gate a few minutes ahead of schedule.
For the seat, it is what you expect from flying on a low cost carrier. While the seat is comfortable, the legroom space is usually an issue for me but it was bearable for this 2 hours flight. Besides my aircraft was a Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner (9V-SCB) and both our aircraft pushed back at the same time but the 787 got to taxi first.
After a smooth take-off, it didn't take long for our aircraft to reach 10,000 feet and immediately the cabin crew were released to start the service. The plan for this flight is to do the service as soon as possible in order to allow us to get some rest before arrival. This set of Japanese crew were nice and I was able to communicate with them without issueas. I ordered the Vegetarian noodles meal and I picked the onion soup for my beverage. Unlike my previous flights with Skymark and Solaseed, the crew had to pour the premix into my cup before adding hot water to it and served me, I thought that was troublesome. For the meal, it was quite tasty and the onion soup was an added bonus to my enjoyment.
Since this was a flight to Taiwan, it was not a surprise to have a mandarin speaking crew on board. After the meal service ended, the cabin light was dimmed and I managed to catch a short nap and woke up while our aircraft started the descent. As we flew through some clouds during the descent, we encountered a few bumps. It took quite a while before we were finally out of the clouds and by then we were on final approach into Taipei Taoyuan Airport. We touched down smoothly but had to endure an unusually loud thrust reversal as our aircraft slowed down to taxi speed.
Overall it was a nice and pleasant flight. I certainly do hope Jetstar Japan can pick up some of the Jetstar Asia's Japanese routes to Singapore such as Okinawa to Singapore.
About Jetstar Japan A320 configuration
There are 180 seats in this aircraft type and is configured in a 3-3 arrangement. With the exception of row 1, emergency rows (row 12 and 13 - non reclinable), the standard seat pitch is around 28 inches and for all the seats, they come with a seat width of 18 inches and they can recline up to 3 inches.
Photos of the cabin
This A320 is configured with the old overhead bin compartment
These seats are the older version but they are not too bad in terms of comfort.
The Jetstar Japan crew looking to assist if anyone requires help.
This is my seat, 8A.
The overhead panel includes individual aircon vent for each passenger.
The view from my seat
Legoom space is a bit tight for me.
The front view from my seat
The front rows of the cabin
Overall I find the seats to be bearable for the relatively short flights out of its hubs.
More photos of the seat
The literature holder consists of the inflight magazine, inflight menu and safety card.
Legroom space
Recline button
View from my seat
I am glad I am not seated in the middle.
The black leather seats are a popular choice among the low cost carriers.
What's provided for each passenger?
Safety Card
Inflight magazine
Menu
What's available on board?
Disposal Bag
For those who booked the Jetstar Starter Plus or Flex Plus option will receive a complimentary beverage and meal and you can select your choice on the website. Please do so before 24 hours prior to your flight. For those booked the Starter or Flex option you can choose to purchase the meal inflight (subject to availability) and its recommended to pre-order them online.
The airline allows you to bring your own food and beverages on board but hot drinks and alcoholic beverages are not allowed.
The crew went around from row to row starting from the front. Once they came to my row, I was given my meal after the staff confirmed my order. After that, I was given my choice of beverage. Service was efficient and quick.
The vegetarian noodle option
Onion soup
Inflight payment: Japanese Yen and Credit cards (Mastercard and Visa) are accepted
Window view photos
We parked besides Singapore Airlines Boeing 787-10 (9V-SCB) bound for Singapore.
Goodbye Japan, see you in August!
Usually the landing light is turned on during take off and on final approach into the arrival airport during night time.
At this point, we were on final approach into Taipei Taoyuan Airport.
We touched down smoothly and taxied to our assigned gate.
T'Way, Starlux and China Airlines aircraft in sight, can you spot them?
With that, our aircraft reached its parking position where it would be prepared for the flight back to Osaka Kansai Airport after we disembarked and our luggages and possibly some cargoes offloaded.
My flight summary
The walk to the immigration took around 10 minutes.
This is the boarding area for departure.
The immigration officer didn't quite understand why I wasn't staying in a hotel when I did the online arrival form but after a few minutes of conversation, I was cleared.
I took the airport train to terminal 2 where I rested for a while before my next flight with Starlux.
At around one in the morning, the airport terminal was very quiet.
To be continued
That's all folks! Stay tuned for my last part of my July flying Adventure! (Starlux A330neo flight from Taipei to Singapore)
My ratings
Airline Website/Mobile App: 4/5 (Jetstar App)
Airport Experience (KIX): 4/5
Inflight Service: 4/5
Seat Comfort: 3/5
Inflight Entertainment: 0/5
Cabin Ambiance: 4/5
Seat Condition: 5/5
Cleanliness: 5/5
InFlight Meal/Beverage: 4/5
Punctuality: 5/5
Overall Rating: 38/50
Percentage: 76%
Conclusion
Finally I can tick off this airline of my list of airlines to fly on. While this is not a new airline, I am glad to have finally flown on it and able to compare this with Jetstar Asia and Jetstar (Australia). While they are similar in terms of hardware, what is noticable is the impressive Japanese service which in my opinion is the best in the world. For the inflight meal selection, it may not be as good as Air Asia's in both the selection and food quality, however, I find it adequate and I would certainly recommand choosing the 'Starter Plus' for your flight to avoid headache especially with the check-in luggage and carry-on luggage. For the meal selection, it is certainly nice to be able to pre-order before the flight and that helps to avoid any disappointment just in case if your desired option is not available. Although the selection of meals is limited, from what I heard, the other food options are not bad at all. Now the question is which Japanese low cost carrier airline do I prefer? Jetstar Japan or Peach Aviation. That's a tough question! Both have their own merits and since they offer a no-frill service, you pay what you need. I find the airfare with Peach slightly cheaper and for the seats, perhaps Jetstar Japan is slightly more comfortable. However, I prefer the cabin interior of Peach. So overall? I go for a draw.
Now that with Jetstar Japan done, I have the following Japanese airlines that I hope to try in the near future. They are Fuji Dream Airlines, Hokkaido Air System, Japan Air Commuter, Japan Transocean Air, Amakusa Airlines, Ryukyu Air Commuter, ANA Wings, Spring Japan, ZipAir Japan and Ibex Airlines. If I missed out on any airlines, please let me know.
Hope you find this flight review of Jetstar Japan useful.
Thanks for reading!
Charles
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