Hi,
I just have a few quick questions about checking in for a JQ flight at the Qantas Club so here goes:
(I moved questions below to address individually - Oz)
Thanks in advance
Josh
There are two scenarios when travelling on JQ when making the booking:
Scenario One
Booking thru the QF website & receiving a QF itinerary with QF booking reference number when flights are either QF codeshare flights eg QF5082 DRW/BNE or an outright JQ number eg JQ82 DRW/BNE. The Amadeus booking reference
cannot be used to OLCI on the JQ website.*
Scenario Two
Booking through the JQ website & receiving a JQ itinerary with JQ booking reference number when flights are outright JQ number eg JQ82 DRW/BNE (not sure if you can book JQ codeshares on QF metal?). The booking ref you receive here is what you use to OLCI on JQ website.
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I think a major issue with QF/JQ is even though they are separate airlines everybody knows that they are both in the Qantas Group so assume that it's "all the same thing" and that you can check in at QF for a JQ flight.
It doesn't help matters when at
some Australian airports QF have the contract to do JQ check in and therefore the ability to access to the JQ system (Navitaire). If QF don't have the contract their staff will not have JQ sign ons for the JQ system nor legally would they have the right to access a JQ booking. QF use an entirely different checkin system (Altea) which cannot access JQ bookings irrespective of whether the booking is made via JQ or QF website. Bottom line JQ metal = JQ checkin.
This is understandably confusing for pax when they go to another city where a different ground handler does JQ checkin (eg DRW it's Skystar Ground Handling) & pax go to either QF checkin or the QP & rightly assume that they should be able to be checked in by QF.
1) Do you get to choose the seat you want to sit in or do you just get what you are given?
I would go online or call up JQ res quoting your JQ booking ref asap after making the booking & choose your seat so when you OLCI or use a kiosk at the airport that's the seat you will be given. AFAIK if using kiosks at the airport it just spits out a boarding pass ie there is no ability to view a seat map & make your selection from there. If you have not preallocated a seat already expect a middle seat.
2) When you get your BP, do you get a shopping receipt BP or a cardboard QF one (Thats just personal choice, I hate the receipt style ones
)
That would depend on what airport you checked in at - different airports seem to have different boarding pass stock. Obviously if you OLCI you'll have an A4 sheet of paper which is your boarding pass. The kiosks have a thin oblong piece of paper then JQ checkin have the traditional cardboard boarding passes. I haven't seen the shopper docket style boarding passes like DJ have but it's not to say they are not used elsewhere in Australia.
3) I have to present at the Qantas Club for check in at least 40 minutes before departure, corrrect?
Honestly I would ditch the idea altogether of trying to get a JQ boarding pass from the QP! I think it's easier to do OLCI on the JQ website & print out your boarding pass so all you need to do is drop your bag off at the JQ bag drop counter then proceed to the QP. If you only have carry on then do OLCI & proceed directly to QP after arriving at airport.
* To obtain your JQ booking reference (if booked via QF website) ring QF reservations & quote your Amadeus booking reference and ask QF to give you JQ booking reference. It should appear in your QF booking somewhere & will say "JQ confo number". This is the booking ref you need to use on JQ website for OLCI.
