Alaska to Qantas Separate Bookings

[Andy72]

Just Checked in to with Alaskan in Portland. Have an 11 hour layover in LA before reward J on QF 12 to Sydney. Checkin desk was super helpful, booked bags to final destination and issued bording passes to Sydney too. F ticket was 200 US and 60 sc, good product and nice to fly too. The rules are less than 12 hour layover is no problem. Have had issues with aa on seperate bookings, especially transferring from Bne to Syd - LA aa flight so another option, especially for the west coast

 

[LadyC]

I flew a few times with Alaskan earlier this year, the domestic first class product, and really enjoyed it - especially the chocolate chip cookie! Easy SCs didn't hurt either. Only downer now is the change in lounge access based on flight length.

 

[Andy72]

I flew a few times with Alaskan earlier this year, the domestic first class product, and really enjoyed it - especially the chocolate chip cookie! Easy SCs didn't hurt either. Only downer now is the change in lounge access based on flight length.

Agree, but if you have Qantas gold or above no problem

 

[exceladdict]

Love Alaskan, look forward to flying them again

 

[justinbrett]

Just Checked in to with Alaskan in Portland. Have an 11 hour layover in LA before reward J on QF 12 to Sydney. Checkin desk was super helpful, booked bags to final destination and issued bording passes to Sydney too. F ticket was 200 US and 60 sc, good product and nice to fly too. The rules are less than 12 hour layover is no problem. Have had issues with aa on seperate bookings, especially transferring from Bne to Syd - LA aa flight so another option, especially for the west coast

I'm not sure that's official policy, from what I read they don't interline on separate tickets, so you might have lucked out.

If we can confirm that this is their official policy, that's a game changer - I'll be booking AS for all my connections in the future if this is the case.

 

[madrooster]

If we can confirm that this is their official policy, that's a game changer - I'll be booking AS for all my connections in the future if this is the case.

It is AS policy but they have changed the rules a few times over the years so people have been caught out when the rules do change eg. the number of hours in transit allowed.

On the same PNR, regardless of commercial or award mix, or whether it is separate tickets or same ticket, they seem to care less about the number of hours in transit.

Not all agents know how to do separate PNR through checks either so your experience may vary.

AS is only strong on the west coast so if you're flying to mostly west coast then they're a great option but elsewhere, you won't really escape AA.

 

[SYD]

Not all agents know how to do separate PNR through checks either so your experience may vary.

This is true heading the other way. Recent trip QF J reward (SYD-LAX) and seperate paid AS F (LAX-SFO). Note: QF paid and issued the AS sector after cancelling SYD-SFO… But checking in at SYD F, I had the QF checked bag rules (reward to paid OW) in my hand but no question that it was ok but checkin agent didn’t know how to. They asked the supervisor and all good. Bags tagged through (avoiding schlepping them a long way to T6) and all BPs issued.

AS is only strong on the west coast so if you're flying to mostly west coast then they're a great option but elsewhere, you won't really escape AA.

If you’re starting on the West Coast, as most in bound Oz flyers are, there are a lot of short, medium and transcon routes out of SEA, PDX, SFO, LAX and SAN. We just just flew also SEA-JFK and JFK-SAN (the later ended up being JFK-SFO-SAN) but both were half the price of AA F.

 

[RichardMEL]

Just to be annoying and pedantic. AS is Alaska Airlines (no n).

Happy flying, eskimos!

 

[levelnine]

I've enjoyed my flights on AS too. And loved the AS lounge in SEA. One of the better ones in North America in my opinion.

Would happily take them over AA if I could.

 

[SYD]

I've enjoyed my flights on AS too. And loved the AS lounge in SEA. One of the better ones in North America in my opinion.

Would happily take them over AA if I could.

Yep. It was unfortunate we didn’t get an AA sector this trip to compare the current F&B. In general, it wasn’t wildly different to AA of past (maybe slightly friendlier). It’s been a while, but some of the better flights I’ve had transcon were F on UA and US (pre-merger).

The AS lounges were decent. It’s a pity they fly from T7 at JFK - the lounge if fine but you can’t easily hop to the AA/BA lounges at T8…

 

[Princess Fiona]

Yep. It was unfortunate we didn’t get an AA sector this trip to compare the current F&B. In general, it wasn’t wildly different to AA of past (maybe slightly friendlier). It’s been a while, but some of the better flights I’ve had transcon were F on UA and US (pre-merger).

The AS lounges were decent. It’s a pity they fly from T7 at JFK - the lounge if fine but you can’t easily hop to the AA/BA lounges at T8…

The AS lounge in T6 LAX is terrible.
It’s in on a par with the poorest AAdmirals Clubs I have been in.

I can’t say I saw a lot of difference onboard between AA and AS. I did get a free drink and a chocolate in Y due to OWE on AS.
In an airport with a Flagship lounge I’d choose AA every time unless AS departed from the same terminal and had better timings.

 

[SYD]

The AS lounge in T6 LAX is terrible.
It’s in on a par with the poorest AAdmirals Clubs I have been in.

Yes, I wouldn’t rush there if you’re OWS and up. We went there from the QF F out of curiosity and to break the long walk to gate.

The JFK lounge is decent (free no tip bar) but not in the league of T8). SFO was ok and probably no better/worse than AA.

At SEA, we didn’t get to the Nth Satellite lounge - which is supposed to be the flagship. Alas, our flight to JFK left from the Sth Sat terminal so we right or wrongly went to the Concourse C lounge - nothing special and a complete PITA to get or our gate via the people mover. Probably easier and quicker to walk.

I can’t say I saw a lot of difference onboard between AA and AS. I did get a free drink and a chocolate in Y due to OWE on AS.

Yep. We were in F for four sectors. Two transcon, 2x short hops and I’d say it was similar to AA.

In an airport with a Flagship lounge I’d choose AA every time unless AS departed from the same terminal and had better timings.

We flew AS JFK-(SFO)-SAN F because it was half the price of anything AA had back to the west coast but yep, we missed out on the pre departure lounge experience but the AS lounge was ok.

 

[justinbrett]

The AS lounge in T6 LAX is terrible.
It’s in on a par with the poorest AAdmirals Clubs I have been in.

I can’t say I saw a lot of difference onboard between AA and AS. I did get a free drink and a chocolate in Y due to OWE on AS.
In an airport with a Flagship lounge I’d choose AA every time unless AS departed from the same terminal and had better timings.

In some ways they are less value than AA. I wouldn't say one is better than the other. The airport experience at the outstations (eg LAS) is usually worse due to the smaller market share.

If you order a G&T, instead of getting fresh citrus like you do on AA, you get this powdered lime sachet to put in your drink. It's a bit Jetstar-y in that regard.

SFO lounge is really nice (had a gas fireplace from memory), never used the LAX lounge as I always use the AA Flagship lounge.

 

[RichardMEL]

oh they still using that closet in T6 at LAX? it's truly bad. Seattle is lovely though (and iirc it's recently been redone?).

I'd rate AS a lil above AA tbh - specially with meal service. bevs probably roughly on par imo.

 

[kreuky]

AS has always interlined for me from SFO to LAX to QF on separate tickets, though a lot of them are untrained and will say they cannot do it. If you push a little they will, and will not charge the baggage fee (i mean they will try but you can push back). One time they wouldn't budge but i got Alaska CS to refund me the fee later on.

 

[serfty]

oh they still using that closet in T6 at LAX? it's truly bad. Seattle is lovely though (and iirc it's recently been redone?).

I'd rate AS a lil above AA tbh - specially with meal service. bevs probably roughly on par imo.

It has recently been expanded, but still looks similar. They have some good IPA's if that is your thing.

I used it in November last year as a last stop before my AS flight to PDX. My movements were QF F, Flagship, T5 A/C (old DL) and T6.

 

[Capricornus]

Has anyone had any experience with an AS separate booking: does OWE / WP status mean anything for baggage allowance on a domestic Y (Main) fare?

 

[MELso]

Has anyone had any experience with an AS separate booking: does OWE / WP status mean anything for baggage allowance on a domestic Y (Main) fare?

Checked baggage fees and policies - Alaska Airlines

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You'll get at least two bags provided you're OW ruby. (Alas I won't be when I fly AS in January, so am hoping for a cheap upgrade to F.)

 

[kreuky]

Has anyone had any experience with an AS separate booking: does OWE / WP status mean anything for baggage allowance on a domestic Y (Main) fare?

yes u should get free baggage...whether the agent/system knows it is usually the problem.

 

[Andy72]

They are relatively new to ow and the agents were almost excited to welcome you. The have always given me the perks of owe. Have a multi leg trip in F to Canada in a clump Le of weeks from Lax, only about 150 more than y, lots of sc, and much better schedule on the west coast than aa. I don’t actually mind aa but can use the ff lounges which are very good, way better than domestic Qantas J lounges