Domestic and international flights on different bookings/itineraries

[OccasionalFlyer]

Hi All,

I am guessing this has been asked before, but searching the forum I couldn't find any threads so please excuse me (likely) asking again.

I am travelling CBR > SYD > LAX > LAS. I was able to get a Business reward flight return on American Airlines from SYD > LAX > LAS but it would not show up when I added CBR to the mix, so I just booked the SYD > LAX > LAS (return) on one booking/itinerary. I then booked the CBR > SYD (return) flights separately, leaving sufficient time for the connections in SYD.

As the Australian domestic leg is on a different booking/itinerary to the international leg, will I need to collect my luggage in Sydney T3, make my own way to T1, and then check-in and drop my bags with American Airlines? Or when I arrive in Canberra on departure morning will they be able to link the bookings / check me in across both bookings and check through my luggage through as well?

I am not so concerned about the return leg, as we need to go through bag drop anyway at the Qantas domestic transfer (and they have check-in counters there for the domestic leg, for those not checked-in), I just want to avoid having to go through any rigmarole on the outbound leg.

Cheers!

 

[offshore171]

Given that your flight out of sydney is international J reward, I would be inclined to do the positioning flight from Canberra to Sydney a day early.

How long is the layover at Sydney of your current bookings?

 

[RichardMEL]

AA SYD-LAX leaves rather early iirc, so I tend to agree to aim for CBR-SYD the night before.

Did you book the AA reward tickets through AA or QF? What about the CBR-SYD?

QF will interline between QF (ticketed) rewards (eg: CBR-SYD/SYD-LAX-LAS) - or should do anyway - meaning you would not have to touch bags till LAX, but if booked via AA, then they won't - they specifically state that separate bookings on oneworld will not be through checked and thus yes, you'd need to transfer yourself.

(also note that AA will not do this in return, but this is less of an issue since one needs to collect and re-check at SYD anyway regardless of where the bags are checked to.

Happy to be corrected on this, but that's my understanding of the current policy

 

[OccasionalFlyer]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I haven't booked the CBR > SYD yet, but I was looking for at least 3 hours as AA72 departs at 11:15am.

I booked the rewards flight through the Qantas website, and have a Qantas PNR (which is totally different to the AA PNR, thankfully I found the method of using the BA website to easily get the AA PNR so I could login do seat selection through the AA website). However, all flights are AA flight numbers and not QF flight numbers (I did select the QF codeshare flight numbers on the booking page, but it changed them automatically to AA flight numbers).

Given I made the booking through Qantas will they be able to interline the bags, even though the flight numbers are AA?

 

[aikman]

You'll have to allow for the (I think likely) possibility that the CBR agents can't or won't check your bags through on the day, so allow extra time for this and the possibility that your flight from CBR is delayed or cancelled.

 

[offshore171]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I haven't booked the CBR > SYD yet, but I was looking for at least 3 hours as AA72 departs at 11:15am.

I guess the big question is "What's your plan B if you miss the SYD to LAX flight?"

I'd be laying up at the Rydges the night before.

 

[levelnine]

Interline rules are here. QF to AA is no unless one of the tickets is revenue and the other is an award.

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/us/en/policy-and-guidelines/baggage-information/interline-and-through-checked-baggage.html

 

[eric2011]

I have to agree, go to SYD the day before

 

[OccasionalFlyer]

I guess the big question is "What's your plan B if you miss the SYD to LAX flight?"

I'd be laying up at the Rydges the night before.

Heh, there isn't one - so I hope I don't miss that flight. Perhaps getting the first flight out of Canberra on the morning would reduce risk...

Interline rules are here. QF to AA is no unless one of the tickets is revenue and the other is an award.

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/us/en/policy-and-guidelines/baggage-information/interline-and-through-checked-baggage.html

Following those rules it seems that I can interline bags and boarding passes on separate PNRs, as the CBR > SYD is revenue and the SYD > LAX > LAS is award. I guess the risk is whether the agent is aware they can do that...

 

[eric2011]

Heh, there isn't one - so I hope I don't miss that flight. Perhaps getting the first flight out of Canberra on the morning would reduce risk...

What time is the first flight and what is its reliability rating.
If its QF1502 @ 06.30 then its reliability shows as 51% and an average of 41 mins
QF 1422 @ 7.30 is a little better at 67% and 22 mins

 

[Gremlin]

What time of the year is your booking? As I'm sure you know, CBR can be notorious for fog at certain times of the year. I wouldn't risk at all it if it's May/June.

Assuming you're looking at QF1502 (0630 out of CBR), it's On Time Performance is abysmal according to FlightStats. QF1502 OTP There's no way in the world I'd personally risk an unprotected International J connection with that kind of window.

Virgin has VA625 (0605 out of CBR) which is substantially better VA625 OTP but if you're fixated on QF, I'd definitely travel the night before.

 

[AIRwin]

Bus?

 

[snabbu]

Another vote for heading up the day before. One nights accomodation near the airport is a small price to pay compared with missing the SYD-LAX completely.

 

[Blackadder]

Bus?

Not as crazy as it seems, given Murrays have multiple services a day direct to the International airport.

 

[elanshin]

Bus?

Actually this is the sort of distance where a bus isn't going to be any slower than a plane (after factoring time faffing around at the airport). While there is traffic in Sydney, unless there's a complete meltdown (which lets be honest seems more common at the airports than on the roads) it wouldn't be too bad. ~3h bus ride. 6am dep would get in around 9:15 at t1.

 

[eric2011]

Actually this is the sort of distance where a bus isn't going to be any slower than a plane (after factoring time faffing around at the airport). While there is traffic in Sydney, unless there's a complete meltdown (which lets be honest seems more common at the airports than on the roads) it wouldn't be too bad. ~3h bus ride.

3 hrs in a tight squeeze bus then a 10 or so hours on a plane. The OP is getting his SYD-LAX return as a reward flight so saving a considerable amount of money. Splash out and stay the night before. If you don't want the expense of the Rydges then choose the Ibis.

 

[offshore171]

Actually this is the sort of distance where a bus isn't going to be any slower than a plane (after factoring time faffing around at the airport). While there is traffic in Sydney, unless there's a complete meltdown (which lets be honest seems more common at the airports than on the roads) it wouldn't be too bad. ~3h bus ride. 6am dep would get in around 9:15 at t1.

A crash or breakdown on the M5 city bound at that time of day would be all it takes to put the plan at risk.

 

[kookaburra75]

Heh, there isn't one - so I hope I don't miss that flight. Perhaps getting the first flight out of Canberra on the morning would reduce risk...

Following those rules it seems that I can interline bags and boarding passes on separate PNRs, as the CBR > SYD is revenue and the SYD > LAX > LAS is award. I guess the risk is whether the agent is aware they can do that...

As a Canberra resident, and having done the swap at Sydney to International many a time, for your flight I would head up the night before. Much less stress and worry. I would risk first flight of the day, if I were flying out mid to late afternoon, but in the morning would be just too much hassle.

The staff at Canberra are generally pretty good when booking in international, but again, I wouldn't risk it on a tight connection.

 

[OccasionalFlyer]

First off, thanks so much for everyone's contributions. One of the (many) things that's great about this forum is the no-nonsense advice and attention to detail.

Given the consensus I am going to head up to Sydney the evening before and stay at the Rydges. This also avoids the need to get up at the crack of dawn on the morning of departure to get a connection to Sydney which may or may not be on time (if not cancelled) - instead, I can have a nice relaxed morning and then wander across to T1.

Quick question - what is the best way to get from T3 to the Rydges, which seems to be the preferred location to stay since it's opposite T1? I was thinking catching the train to T1 then walk across. Is there a better way?

 

[AIRwin]

Quick question - what is the best way to get from T3 to the Rydges, which seems to be the preferred location to stay since it's opposite T1? I was thinking catching the train to T1 then walk across. Is there a better way?

Bus?
(Same response as my previous post - I should change my handle to AIRbus)