Add connecting Europe flight to same PNR as LHR-SYD award flight?

[Ken1]

We have Classic Award J seats booked in October for LHR-SYD. We have to book a flight from VCE to LHR for the same day and it's scheduled to arrive at LHR at 14:15 while the LHR-SIN-SYD flight is scheduled to depart at 22:30 so there is plenty of connecting time.

I can buy BA Y seats for 99 Euro or I can book award seats for 14,000 points + 40 Euro taxes in Y or 26,000 points + 44 Euro each in J. It seems to make sense to just pay 99 Euro each for the Y seats and save the points but the lady I spoke to at Qantas this morning thought it would be better to book it with points and pay the 3,500 point penalty and have this flight on the same PNR as the LHR-SYD flight. If we book the award J flight we'd get lounge access in Venice and she said we could check our bags straight through to SYD whereas if they're on separate PNRs she thought it would be risky to have the bags checked through and that it would be safer to check them to LHR and then re-check them for the flight to SYD although I thought I've read here that you can have bags checked through when on different PNRs.

My main concern is what would happen with the flight to Sydney if there was a long delay on the flight from Venice, unlikely I know with over 10 hours connecting time. If the two flights are on the one PNR I know QF would have to book us on another flight the next day but if I book the other flight separately and there was a long delay causing us to miss the LHR-SYD flight is QF likely to book us on another flight?

I'd appreciate some thoughts from others on what you'd do in this situation.

Thanks.
Ken1

 

[tuapekastar]

Always good to look at 'what if' scenarios in these situations.

If you chose to pay for a separate ticket, and whatever was causing the delay affected all flights from VCE (e.g. weather, strike etc.) you could be in the poo. If it just affected your flight only then you may be able to purchase an alternate...would be up for some extra money (exactly how much I don't know obviously) but would still make LHR-SYD flight.

Having said that, and thinking that you're very unlikely to have issues, if you have the points, I'd be inclined to use them (J if you can do it)...3500 points 'penalty' is not much for the resultant peace of mind. QF may or may not 'help' you in case of a misconnect, but they don't have to, and if they don't you're up for a helluva lot more than 3500 points.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

BA & QF are One World so it's quite okay to have separate bookings then link them when you checkin so that your bags can be checked through VCE BA x/LHR QF SYD. You should also receive both boarding passes at VCE.

It doesn't matter that the QF flight is an award flight & the BA one is a normal commercial fare. There are both confirmed tickets and as such can be linked.

It's no different to having a Classic Award on QF SYD/LAX then buying a separate ticket on AA & having the bookings link at checkin in SYD.

What would be the point of QF & BA being in the One World Alliance if they weren't going to help out each others' customers in disrupt situations?

 

[tyrolean]

Pro separate Ticket
You are very save with that connection time. There are quite a few fallback solutions with other carriers.
Luggage can be checked though (because with in Oneworld Alliance).

After booking you may be offered an upgrade to Club Europe (usually around 80 Euro). Then you get 40 SCs, Lounge Access, Priority Lane...

It is cheaper and you get Miles and SCs (quite a few if you buy an upgrade!).

You may think about an insurance for the misconnect.

There is a German insurance for 5 Euro per Passenger that offers protection in case of a missconnect:
ticketsafe-Versicherung günstig online buchen - ERV (Info in German only, sorry).


Contra Separate Ticket:
Booking in one ticket is absoultely save, but if you misconnect you will be into trouble anyway.
Luggage Allowance (if you do not upgrade).

I would book a separate ticket! With that timeframe you are quite save!

 

[Ken1]

Thanks everyone for your replies. We thought about both options and it was a hard decision but we decided to use the points to book a J award VCE-LHR flight and enjoy the lounge etc. I called Qantas this afternoon and added this flight to the booking and I received a very pleasant surprise when they worked out the taxes. Rather than having to pay 44 Euro taxes for each ticket we received a refund! We were originally charged 441.96GBP for the taxes on my LHR-SYD ticket and $A702.97 on my wife's ticket. I'm receiving a 128GBP refund and my wife is receiving a $A228.89 refund so it was certainly worth using the points. The taxes for departures from Heathrow are very expensive but apparently we're getting the refunds since we're now transiting through LHR rather than originating there.

 

[serfty]

That's the UK APD - it's £170 for a departure to SYD not in Y from any UK port.

By connecting from VCE, it is no longer payable.