JetSMART is a South American ultra-low-cost carrier based in Santiago, Chile. Similar to Hungary’s Wizz Air, Mexico’s Volaris and Frontier Airlines in the US, they specialize in flights in and around Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Colombia, and Argentina.
The airline runs on a pay-as-you-go-style model, so the flights themselves are very inexpensive but you still have to pay for extras, whether that’s more legroom, luggage or priority boarding. Here’s everything you need to know about flying with JetSMART.
Fleet
Currently the airline has a relatively small fleet with just 33 planes but it’s rapidly expanding, with a particular focus on Peru. JetSMART flies to 33 destinations, including a range of popular cities like Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Lima and Bogota. I have used this airline a number of times to get around the southern part of South America, mainly from Santiago to Salvador and Santiago to Montevideo, so I know exactly what flying with them entails.
Codeshares
Recently, JetSMART has partnered with American Airlines in the US to formally code share with them. This also means they allow members of American Airlines' AAdvantage loyalty program to earn miles on their accounts when flying with JetSMART; a great perk if you happen to be a member of this program and are looking to rack up extra points.
Membership
For an annual fee you can join JetSMART’s membership program. They offer a standard option, which is you plus one companion, or a group option, which is you plus five others.
The goal here is to save some money on every transaction, so there are discounts on baggage per leg and flights per passenger, as well as exclusive offers. But unless you’re planning on using this airline very frequently, I don’t personally think it’s worth the cost for membership.
Fares
JetSMART operates its FlySMART fare structure. This means you book a ticket and that entitles you to fly with a small handbag, and that’s it. For everything else, you need to either pay an extra fee when booking, or later at check-in or at the gate. The flight fares themselves are low, but if you plan on adding extras the costs can quickly add up. That’s why, for me, I think this airline is a great option for short, last-minute hops when you’re traveling with no luggage.
Baggage
All tickets allow you to take a small handbag with you on the flight – for anything else, there’s an additional fee. The fee for taking a cabin bag with you is cheapest when you’re booking your ticket online. After that, it increases exponentially, from paying at check-in to at the gate itself. Cabin bags are limited to 22 lbs and one per passenger.
For checked baggage the same fee policy applies, and you have a limit of 50 lbs and five bags per passenger. Lastly, for oversized bags or equipment, such as bicycles, surfboards or golf club bags, you’re limited to 50 lbs and a maximum of three checked items. The price for these will also increase the longer you leave it, with the most expensive fares found at the airport counter.
Excess baggage
As with many low-cost carriers, JetSMART is also very strict about their excess baggage, and charges a set fee for anything over the limit of 50 lbs (and only up to 70 lbs). If you’re wondering how I know this, it’s because I once found myself traveling with a friend who went wild on a shopping trip and ended up having to freight their excess baggage. To avoid the same fate, make sure you’re mindful of how much you’re packing.
Menus on board
As JetSMART is an ultra-low-cost airline, everything that’s offered to eat or drink on board comes at a cost. It’s also worth noting the airline doesn’t accept credit cards, so you need to pay in cash. While on board you can pick up combos, such as a drink with a snack (chips, chocolates or nuts), as well as soft drinks and some hot beverages like tea and coffee.
They also serve beers. I don’t find the offering to be anything special, so my recommendation is to bring your own snacks and drinks, and maybe just buy an extra bottle of water on the flight.
Check-in
I highly recommend printing your boarding pass in advance or downloading a digital version to your smartphone, as there’s a charge if you choose to print your boarding pass at the airport. Most larger airports accept mobile boarding passes, but it’s worth bearing in mind that some smaller airports may not have the latest technology or security, so will require a printed version. I’ve been caught out myself on this when I was catching a flight in Peru, and I had to return to the desk and have it printed out for me for a small fee.
Priority boarding
JetSMART charges for priority boarding, but it is a nominal fee. The fee structure is the same as those for baggage charges, meaning it’s cheapest when you book it online ahead of your flight, more expensive at the check-in desk and most expensive at the gate. Some of these airports can get very busy, especially during peak vacation times or religious holidays, so it may be worth paying for priority boarding if you’ll be traveling during one of these periods.
Seats
The airline keeps its seating arrangements pretty simple. If you’re happy to have a randomly assigned seat, that’s free. For any other seats, there are costs involved. The different seat options are as follows: Front Row, Smart, Quick Exit, Full Comfort, and Standard. As usual, all of these options are cheapest to book during the online process and most expensive when booked at the gate.
Front Row seats are literally those in the first row, Smart seats are found in rows 2 to 4 (with more legroom), Quick Exit seats in rows 5 to 11, and Standard seats in rows 15 to 32. In terms of sizing, all the seats are the same, measuring 17.5 inch x 29 inch.
Changes
All fares on JetSMART allow for changes in flight, route, name, or date. But, as with most ultra-low-cost, airlines, these changes come at a cost. All changes are charged per passenger, per leg, and can be made up to one hour before your departure time. There are no changes allowed at the airport. If the change results in a lower fare, the difference will only be used to pay for additional charges, as there are no refunds.
Changes differ in price in every country, and for international flights the prices go up. The most expensive option is for name changes, so make sure you spell yours perfectly when booking.
Service fees
The airline charges a standard fee per passenger, per itinerary for any tickets made through their call center or at the airport itself. JetSMART guarantees that booking online is always cheaper.
Flexibility
One of the things I like most about this airline is its SMARTICKET program – which, of course, comes at a cost. But those who sign up to the program are allowed to change the time, leg of itinerary, or date of their ticket with no penalty. All you’ll need to pay is the difference in fare, if there is one.
The exact fee is different in every country, and applies per leg and to all passengers. Even though this is one more fee to take into account, I find this one to be worth the cost if you have plans that often change (as a travel writer, I know all about this).
Package deals
To keep things simple, the airline has also introduced a package-type deal to their add-on options, which they call PACK JetSMART. There are three options here: Travel Light, Pack Smart, Pack Full. Travel Light basically includes your flight and a handbag. Pack Smart includes the airfare, a personal item, a large cabin bag, a checked bag, a seat selection, priority boarding, and FlexiSMART.
Finally, Pack Full includes the airfare, a personal item, a large cabin bag, a checked bag, a seat selection, priority boarding and they’ll also print your boarding pass at the airport. Each of these packages costs a set fee, with Pack Full being the most expensive option. This is a great choice if you already know you need all the extras, as you can just bundle them together.
Fixed price tickets
If you have plans that aren’t quite set, the airline offers a service where they’ll hold the price of your ticket for a period of time (24-48 hours). During this period, the price of the ticket won’t go up or down until you complete your purchase.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
