UPDATE back in Oz
- missed out on QFPlatinum due to cancellations. but in the big scheme of things all can be done next time.
-US customs & immigration need more staff! just to let you know,
i bought 2 litres of alcohol (~$20 Canadian club 100%) & a makeup liquid in YVR duty free & shoplady said i'd have to check it in at LAX
- & i agreed to look into it
when i got to LAX iexited AS flight at gate 65b and turned left going past ruby?s coffe shop andthere at gate 64a is sign saying international transfer shuttles &attendant asks for boarding pass and you wait for shuttle & it takes youacross tarmac to AA departure gates 44 where you recheck in with Qantas deskjust on your right as you walk in. I asked about my duty free and they said as I was airside it wasn't a problem . you can ask for different seats etc. just double check that the FF membership is the one you want to earn points on. then you wait for next Qantas shuttlebus which will take you acrosstarmac to different terminal (TB) where you get dropped off at gate 144. Thenyou (long) walk to lounges- you are always inside secure area so you never need to gothrough security again. and i didn’t have to recheck my alcohol and OW lounge had no problem with my AA 30 day membership (that's on the AA forum).
Hope that is helpful to anyone else transiting. also CREDITED QF points for AS flight in economy with QF flight number