Emirates denies QFF Gold baggage allowance

[thebmw]

But as Qantas gold, there’d be extra pieces to the USA anyway?

The reading of the gold benefit seems clear… allowed the extra weight on EK services. There’s no carve out for a return ticket coming from the USA.

If I was a QF gold I’d think I could take 16kg extra on EK, and an extra bag or two on my return from LAX.

As the QF-EK agreement specifically does not include the Americas, there likely isn't any consideration for additional baggage allowance when the itinerary is ticketed as number of pieces, only by total weight. Having just done a test, as soon as the return leg includes LAX (just because that's what the original journey used), the *entire* ticket becomes included baggage as number of pieces. Which seems fair enough, if all travel is on a single ticket then the baggage allowance should remain the same for all legs (obviously there can be variations in status getting different additional allowances between airlines, but that's not on the ticket).

 

[arbuth]

As the QF-EK agreement specifically does not include the Americas, there likely isn't any consideration for additional baggage allowance when the itinerary is ticketed as number of pieces, only by total weight. Having just done a test, as soon as the return leg includes LAX (just because that's what the original journey used), the *entire* ticket becomes included baggage as number of pieces. Which seems fair enough, if all travel is on a single ticket then the baggage allowance should remain the same for all legs (obviously there can be variations in status getting different additional allowances between airlines, but that's not on the ticket).

OK, thank you.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

OK, thank you.

Which raises the question, hiw many bags did you want to check in at BNE?

To me it’s still unclear. The website, for an ordinary person, says you’ll get the extra 16kg on EK services, and and extra two bags as QF gold ex USA… three bags in total.

Either way you slice it, it seems if you only had two bags ex AU, or a total additional 16kg ex AU, you should have been ok.

Maybe this is a QF issue as well as EK.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

As the QF-EK agreement specifically does not include the Americas, there likely isn't any consideration for additional baggage allowance when the itinerary is ticketed as number of pieces, only by total weight. Having just done a test, as soon as the return leg includes LAX (just because that's what the original journey used), the *entire* ticket becomes included baggage as number of pieces. Which seems fair enough, if all travel is on a single ticket then the baggage allowance should remain the same for all legs (obviously there can be variations in status getting different additional allowances between airlines, but that's not on the ticket).

I think it's this. You can't add the benefits of a 'weight allowance' boost to a 'piece allowance' ticket. It's one or the other. Benefits of Qantas status are only offered on Emirates towards weight allowance itineraries, which excludes the piece system used for North and South America. If the latter has taken over as the ticketed allowance for every sector, being entitled to extra weight doesn't help. Granted, this isn't particularly clear online.

I think your stronger argument would be that you were a QF ticketed passenger on a QF coded flight using QF status benefits, as for all intents and purposes, being on a QF code makes you a 'Qantas passenger' rather than an 'Emirates passenger', in some respects. Still, it's tricky.

 

[arbuth]

Which raises the question, hiw many bags did you want to check in at BNE?

To me it’s still unclear. The website, for an ordinary person, says you’ll get the extra 16kg on EK services, and and extra two bags as QF gold ex USA… three bags in total.

Either way you slice it, it seems if you only had two bags ex AU, or a total additional 16kg ex AU, you should have been ok.

Maybe this is a QF issue as well as EK.

Two bags only. I raised the issue with QF, but they fobbed me off (somewhat rudely, I'd have to say).

 

[trooper]

Typically US flights have a more generous baggage allowance - generally 1 piece/ 32kg in economy, vs 1 piece 23kg/ 23kg for other destinations.

Afaik this 'policy' ensures your typical traveller isn't charged more for non-US flights on more complex itineraries.

Which airlines give 32kg to Y pax flying to/from USA???

 

[Aeryn]

Which airlines give 32kg to Y pax flying to/from USA???

Pretty much all of them flying between Aus and USA. Qantas for example gives one piece, weighing a maximum of 32kg (70lbs); they match the US based airlines like AA and UA.

I remember being able to take up to 32Kgs back in 1999 flying United SYD-LAX and SFO-SYD plus that international allowance was honoured on all the US domestic flights brought in conjunction with that international fare.

 

[Quickstatus]

Boarded an Emirates flight in Brisbane (QF ticket, codeshare). The checkin staff refused to recognize my QFF Gold baggage allowance and charged me for an extra bag. QF fobbed me off to EK, but they are not responding. Any suggestions? Looks as though the QF-EK cooperative arrangement is being dismantled.

QF says:

QF ticket, codeshare with EK = Gold allowance should have been allowed as you were terminating in DXB then FCO.
The open jaw return is a separate flight and should be irrelevant for the outbound discussion but unfortuantely that open jaw has tfor some reason turned the entire ticket into a piece based allowance

 

[Quickstatus]

There have been discussion in other parts where conditions of all flights in a ticket revert to the most restrictive flight in that ticket. I wonder if this is one of those cases.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There have been discussion in other parts where conditions of all flights in a ticket revert to the most restrictive flight in that ticket. I wonder if this is one of those cases.

Except that the QF leg out of LAX wouod habe entitled the OP to three bags at 32kg each as a QFFF gold.

So still can’t work out why how one additional bag/16kg would not have been allowed by EK.

 

[Quickstatus]

QF leg out of LAX wouod habe entitled the OP to three bags at 32kg each as a QFFF gold.

Ah ok , so confirming the outbound LAX flight was not via the ME?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Ah ok , so confirming the outbound LAX flight was not via the ME?

The OP mentions they were flying BNE-DXB-FCO (EK) with an open jaw to return LAX-CBR (QF)

3 bags would have been allowed LAX-CBR.

 

[Ade]

My take on this is below ;



The above screenshot from QF website says that "if your final ticketed origin/destination is within the USA/Canada, the airline whose flight number appears for the first flight on your ticket will determine whether it's baggage rules or another airline's baggage rules will apply to all flights in your itinerary" - My understanding so far is that the OPs final origin is in the USA (LAX) and the first flight in the whole itinerary is a QF number (codeshare EK). So QF's baggage allowance should apply for the whole itinerary. Additionally, given that the final origin is LAX (which is in the USA), baggage allowance is calculated as piece based rather than weight based.

Now, take the above information and look at the table below - OP is QFF-SG, flying Y (I assume), gets 3 bags with 32kg max per bag.


Happy to be corrected.

 

[arbuth]

My take on this is below ;

View attachment 438494

The above screenshot from QF website says that "if your final ticketed origin/destination is within the USA/Canada, the airline whose flight number appears for the first flight on your ticket will determine whether it's baggage rules or another airline's baggage rules will apply to all flights in your itinerary" - My understanding so far is that the OPs final origin is in the USA (LAX) and the first flight in the whole itinerary is a QF number (codeshare EK). So QF's baggage allowance should apply for the whole itinerary. Additionally, given that the final origin is LAX (which is in the USA), baggage allowance is calculated as piece based rather than weight based.

Now, take the above information and look at the table below - OP is QFF-SG, flying Y (I assume), gets 3 bags with 32kg max per bag.
View attachment 438495

Happy to be corrected.

Final destination was CBR, not LAX. The flights were BNE-DXB-FCO, then LAX-SYD-CBR, all ticketed by Qantas with QF flight numbers

 

[Ade]

Final destination was CBR, not LAX. The flights were BNE-DXB-FCO, then LAX-SYD-CBR, all ticketed by Qantas with QF flight numbers

ACK. I was referring to the final origin being LAX (port of departure for the return leg, which is in the USA, which then triggers the piece concept). The T&C on QF website states final origin/destination. Your final destination is CBR, however your final origin was LAX. Although technically once could argue that your final origin would be SYD (given no direct LAX-CBR). Regardless, I believe that you are entitled to 3 check in bags with no bag exceeding 32kg.

 

[thebmw]

Final destination was CBR, not LAX. The flights were BNE-DXB-FCO, then LAX-SYD-CBR, all ticketed by Qantas with QF flight numbers

But the final origin was LAX, as they indicated.

ACK. I was referring to the final origin being LAX (port of departure for the return leg, which is in the USA, which then triggers the piece concept). The T&C on QF website states final origin/destination. Your final destination is CBR, however your final origin was LAX. Although technically once could argue that your final origin would be SYD (given no direct LAX-CBR). Regardless, I believe that you are entitled to 3 check in bags with no bag exceeding 32kg.

SYD is a transit, not an origin.

The 3 checked bags is not ticketed, just an additional status benefit. If the QF-EK agreement (which does not include Americas) doesn't have a line item for this (which why would it, since it doesn't cover the region where that allowance applies) then the staff had nothing to apply.

 

[Ade]

QF-EK agreement (which does not include Americas)

Any idea where I can read more about this please? Keen to know more.

 

[Ade]

I found something on QF website - may be this helps? QF-EK partner airline webpage on QF website shows Extra checked baggage allowance for QFF-SG flying Y. ACK this doesn't talk about piece/weight, but I think the concept of QFF-SG getting Extra checked baggage is established with this.

Edit: I also ACK that the page does not list USA/CAN in the Network of locations. So this could mean that, as @thebmw mentioned USA/CAN is not included in this agreement. However, my earlier post about final origin/destination within USA/CAN and the first flight in the itinerary sold as QF# makes the case for OP to receive extra checked baggage allowance.

Link to QF-EK page on QF website: https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/network-and-partner-airlines/emirates.html

 

[justinbrett]

I think that's not written for open jaw tickets.

EK is the most significant carrier so the EK allowance should apply.

I'm surprised QF would even sell an open jaw ticket between DXB & USA - was it definitely a single ticket or just two one way tickets on a single PNR?

 

[arbuth]

I think that's not written for open jaw tickets.

EK is the most significant carrier so the EK allowance should apply.

I'm surprised QF would even sell an open jaw ticket between DXB & USA - was it definitely a single ticket or just two one way tickets on a single PNR?

It was sold as a single ticket. And the QF-EK agreement is unusual -- it appears to give full QF privileges, even on code share flights (unlike most code-share arrangements). The QFF website is unambiguous.