Just how inadvisable is it to connect on different ticket numbers?

[straitman]

Having read what some of you have said, I too am a little concerned, as I am booked on an award AA flight from JFK-LAX in May 2011 (yeah, i planned ahead) arriving at 20:10 to connect with QF12 LAX-SYD which departs at 22:30. Maybe 2 hours is cutting it a little fine?? I have an award F seat on QF12 and if i miss that, I'll be devo. If i have to pay for a replacement ticket, i'll have a breakdown. It says AA arrives at Terminal 4 and QF departs from Terminal B - are they close?

Egg,

From T4 turn left and walk 2-300M and you are there. Outside the TBIT you catch the escalator up to the departures level.

Make sure you check your bags through to SYD from JFK. You will need to get your LAX-SYD boarding passes at LAX and show them the baggage tags to enter into the QF system.

I would not make the connection any less than the 2:20min you have done as you need to cover for your AA flight being late, plus the TBIT is a zoo for check-in and then to get through security.

 

[docjames]

Egg,

From T4 turn left and walk 2-300M and you are there. Outside the TBIT you catch the escalator up to the departures level.

Make sure you check your bags through to SYD from JFK. You will need to get your LAX-SYD boarding passes at LAX and show them the baggage tags to enter into the QF system.

.

At that time of day the "short cut" is also open. Mid-Terminal of T4 there are stairs that go down to a walkway to TBIT. If bags etc checked through and have boarding pass there's no need to exit the main entrance of T4 and go through all the TBIT entry drama. There are signs showing connections for QF flights.

 

[Egg]

Thanks guys. Very helpful!

 

[TimB]

As this seems to be the thread to ask for connection time advice (and apologies if you think it shouldn't be), please allow me to add my own question.

I'm looking at taking QF107 SYD-LAX which arrives 06:45, and then AA1196 LAX-ORD departing at 09:45. (That'll be followed by ORD-LHR, but on the same ticket as LAX-ORD, so not a problem provided I make the first leg.) I already have a MEL-LAX leg booked, which I'll change to SYD-LAX in order to get the earlier arrival time. But since it's already booked, I can't see any way to get the onward LAX-ORD leg onto the same PNR. Do you think the 3 hour connection time in LAX (given that I'll need to clear immigration, etc.) will be enough? Immigration took me about an hour the last time I arrived on QF93, with a number of other flights arriving around the same time (and not enough desks open).

I guess my other option is to try to get my MEL-LAX flight changed to SYD-JFK on QF107 (which will no doubt cost a bit more). Unfortunately that'll mean missing out on some AA first SCs, so I'd rather not go with that option if the connection above is okay.

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

 

[docjames]

Personally I'd be ok with a 3hr connection at LAX, call QF if you change to QF107 and ask for both PNR's to have notes made re: onward connections.

If it goes pear shaped and QF107 is delayed ++ QF will try and arrange onward connections.

Others may have their own "transit time requirement at LAX".


If MEL-LAX is already on the one PNR as LAX-ORD etc (this isnt clear from your post), why the change to QF107? I'd leave as-is if on the same PNR and not worry - you'll be sorted out either way.


As i've posted previously, I had a recent misconnect QF16 to AA2. This was sorted by QF and AA (moved to AA4), and although flagged as onward, these were technically seperate tickets/pnrs.

 

[TimB]

If MEL-LAX is already on the one PNR as LAX-ORD etc (this isnt clear from your post), why the change to QF107? I'd leave as-is if on the same PNR and not worry - you'll be sorted out either way.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. The only thing I have currently booked is MEL-LAX (the "return" leg of LAX-MEL I did back in June). The LAX-ORD will be a new booking, once I've convinced myself I'm happy with the connection time, and that's assuming I change MEL-LAX to SYD-LAX for the earlier arrival time.

Apart from the QF107 SYD-LAX continuation LAX-JFK and then (say) AA132 JFK-LHR, how else would you get to LHR overnight, having arrived in LAX from Australia in the morning, without awfully tight connections? (I realise that sane people would head west instead of east, or make sure it's all on the same PNR, but those aren't reasonable options for me in this case.) This is assuming only flying AA for QF points.

 

[dajop]

Apart from the QF107 SYD-LAX continuation LAX-JFK and then (say) AA132 JFK-LHR, how else would you get to LHR overnight, having arrived in LAX from Australia in the morning, without awfully tight connections? (I realise that sane people would head west instead of east, or make sure it's all on the same PNR, but those aren't reasonable options for me in this case.) This is assuming only flying AA for QF points.

Looking at OW timetables lots of options on AA (eg via DFW). LAX-DFW-LHR that gets into LHR at 10:45am, leaving LAX at 13:45 so quite a long connection there. Or 11:45 into LHR at 9:05am etc.

 

[TimB]

Looking at OW timetables lots of options on AA (eg via DFW). LAX-DFW-LHR that gets into LHR at 10:45am, leaving LAX at 13:45 so quite a long connection there. Or 11:45 into LHR at 9:05am etc.

Ah, so there are. Unfortunately they're either full on the days I want to fly, or not available on the cheap fare I'm looking at -- which is business class from the US to Germany and return around Thanksgiving.

The other option for me seems to be AA136 LAX-LHR leaving 7:05pm, which would be okay (although I miss a morning in London).

 

[docjames]

Thanks for clarifying.

If the end aim is to get to LHR then what about flying BA ex-LAX/LAS/DFW?

LAX dep 1600 arr 1005
DFW dep 1650 arr 0735

SFO dep 1615 arr 1025

LAS dep 2010 arr 1405

 

[dajop]

If the end aim is to get to LHR then what about flying BA ex-LAX/LAS/DFW?

For QF pts, BA is not a good option for those travelling in Y other than on the Kangaroo route, but as OP was looking at a discounted J fare, I imagine QF pts might not be the problem, just the "discounted" bit.