few QANTAS questions

[Tejas]

hey guys
heres a few questions before i leave on my trip BNE - LAX - JFK.

first: will Qantas check me all the way through to JFK in BNE? i understand i'll have to recheck my bags in LAX however.

second: any way to find out before the flight (QF015 on May 5, and QF16 on May 14) who the pilot may be? my fiancee's uncle is a pilot that regularly does BNE - LAX on Qantas on the 747.

third: i've been looking at the arrivals time of 108 into LAX and am stressing i'm gonna miss qf16's depature as the time frame is small. i am assuming if i do i get put back on 108 to sydney and given a domestic flight to BNE correct?

also the qantas club website says the brisbane international QC is open: 90 minutes before
Qantas departure. is this just my departure? i can see for example there is a flight to NRT at 8:45am. i'll be getting to BNE by about 7:30am for an 11:05 departure. does this mean they will deny me QC access to around 9:30ish?

thanks guys

 

[Evan]

If the QF lounge has an earlier flight you will be allowed in for sure. Only thing to keep in mind is check-in only opens 3hrs before usually so you wont be able to get your boarding pass to get in any earlier than that.

Your assumption about what would happen should your JFK-LAX is correct, they would not hold the plane for you normally and you would for better or worse end up on a SYD flight and to BNE.

E

 

[straitman]

hey guys
heres a few questions before i leave on my trip BNE - LAX - JFK.

second: any way to find out before the flight (QF015 on May 5, and QF16 on May 14) who the pilot may be? my fiancee's uncle is a pilot that regularly does BNE - LAX on Qantas on the 747.

thanks guys

Tejas,

The only satisfactory way to answer this is to contact the uncle before the flights and see if he is flying either of them.

 

[djfuzz]

First:

Yes - you will be checked in directly to JFK, but will have to clear customs in LAX, drop your bags at the recheck point, then head over to TBIT to catch 107. Ground staff may be around to help you if you have any problems, but it actually is much easier than it sounds.

Third:

Tejas (also from MTAU?), you may want to check out this thread.

I wouldn't worry about it though - I have made the QF108/QF94 connection a number times over the past few years and it is generally okay, if not quite smooth (despite the flight's '10-Late' moniker, due to the fact that it is sometimes unable to make the tight JFK turnarounds).

Sometimes they hold the LAX departures to MEL and BNE for an hour or more to accommodate 108 transfers, but that is generally more of an issue in their winter rather than now - in fact, on my last run, 108 arrived an hour early and had to wait for a gate to become available. In the unlikely scenario that 108 is too 10Late, as you said, they will try to put you back on 108 and connect you back to BNE in the morning from SYD.

More interesting is whether or not 108 runs at all these days - it hasn't for me twice this year (for example, when the baggage handlers' strike in SYD caused the 107 arrival into LAX to be delayed by 6 hours, they simply cancelled the JFK-LAX-JFK service for the day). In this case, they will put you on the next AA flight with seats available, though this may make the connection a little tighter (though you would likely arrive at terminal 4 and save yourself the terminal hop at LAX). Accordingly, I would advise checking the flight status of 107/108 after about 1pm NY time to make sure it is running on the day, and getting to JFK by at least 1630 in case you need to be booked onto another flight.

The JFK legs are often pretty empty, and given the GFC I wonder whether QF may be considering ditching it, as I can't see how the yields can be that great - but it would be a real shame if they did, as it's a great route to fly IMHO.

Good luck in any case, and hope you enjoy the flights - it's great to arrive into and depart from JFK on QF, and the views of the entire breadth of the continental US on the transcon flight are absolutely amazing, during both day and night.

 

[Tejas]

Thanks for all your responses guys. I guess I'm just starting to stress cos it's 8 days till take off and it's my first solo (non familly) overseas trip. I'm at the point where the big things are done (tickets, accomidation ect) so now I am stressing over the small stuff.

Oh and by the way djfuzz I am the same Tejas from MTAU

 

[Natt]

I'm at the point where the big things are done (tickets, accomidation ect) so now I am stressing over the small stuff.

Oh and by the way djfuzz I am the same Tejas from MTAU

I hear ya - I am getting stressed about the domestic flight sector for my "big trip".

Its nice to be able to ask these types of questions - I am sure it will all be cool and you will have a great time

 

[Batesy]

I'm pretty sure that if you ring QF and ask them the name of the pilot and the details of all flight and cabin crew they will just give this information......

 

[docjames]

Basically if it's been sold to you as a through ticket to JFK, if it goes pear shaped, QF will put you on an AA flight to get you there, same coming home (but may have to route via SYD or MEL). The bags get ticketed, but you need to pick them up at customs and drop at bag drop (on your way out - as mentioned above, easier than it sounds!)

I'd be staggered if they give out crew/captain names in advance of the flight.

QC will def be open for you. Usually opens 90mins prior to first flight of the day (not your flight), but agree with other post that prob cant check >3hrs prior to departure (so checking opens 08:05 for you so you may be stuck prior to then)

Enjoy!

 

[straitman]

I'm pretty sure that if you ring QF and ask them the name of the pilot and the details of all flight and cabin crew they will just give this information......

No they won't :!:

I'd be staggered if they give out crew/captain names in advance of the flight.

It won't happen just as they won't release passenger names.

 

[serfty]

Maybe you could contact your fiancées' parents to see if the uncle is flying.

Note the since October, QF108 lands at TBIT and the flight to BNE departs T4 - you will have access to the A/C there with complimentary drinks but food is minimal.

Qantas will provide a bus to take you to T4 airside so you won't need to re clear security. If QF108 is early, you can simply walk over if you prefer, re-clearing security there.

 

[Batesy]

I'm pretty sure that if you ring QF and ask them the name of the pilot and the details of all flight and cabin crew they will just give this information......

Ummmm, I was being sarcastic..... of course they wont give out that information. If you know the pilot, ask the pilot, he will know where he is and is'nt going!!

 

[oz_mark]

Ummmm, I was being sarcastic..... of course they wont give out that information. If you know the pilot, ask the pilot, he will know where he is and is'nt going!!

...one hopes!