Minimum Connection Times - Sin QF/AY Points tickets

[gwynne]

Hi,

In final stages of building a 4-Pax itinerary to Helsinki.

Looking at connecting QF1 Classic Plus reward (21:05 arrival) with 2xAY132 Classic reward (22:05 departure) and 2xAY132 paid fares. System won't put them on same ticket because it's a mix and match. Getting QF1 for 44,000 points, 67,000 points for QF291 with a 6-hour layover. Return availability looks good (early Jan classic plus seats being released daily).

Alternative may be available via Tokyo with 4xAY classic rewards but early Jan availability on the return HND-SYD leg is looking less likely (will know for sure in a couple of days but looking to lock in something before earlier flight availability dries up) and classic plus reward cost increases by about double. Available points may be exceeded on the Tokyo itinerary depending on the Jan pricing, but the AY prices out of Tokyo are decently cheap if we switch to paid fare for the 2nd leg as well.

Is 60 minutes enough to tag bags through to Helsinki, and will QF deal with the missed connection if we get unlucky?

Thanks

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi,

In final stages of building a 4-Pax itinerary to Helsinki.

Looking at connecting QF1 Classic Plus reward (21:05 arrival) with 2xAY132 Classic reward (22:05 departure) and 2xAY132 paid fares. System won't put them on same ticket because it's a mix and match. Getting QF1 for 44,000 points, 67,000 points for QF291 with a 6-hour layover. Return availability looks good (early Jan classic plus seats being released daily).

Alternative may be available via Tokyo with 4xAY classic rewards but early Jan availability on the return HND-SYD leg is looking less likely (will know for sure in a couple of days but looking to lock in something before earlier flight availability dries up) and classic plus reward cost increases by about double. Available points may be exceeded on the Tokyo itinerary depending on the Jan pricing, but the AY prices out of Tokyo are decently cheap if we switch to paid fare for the 2nd leg as well.

Is 60 minutes enough to tag bags through to Helsinki, and will QF deal with the missed connection if we get unlucky?

Thanks

Separate tickets, no protection. Could equate to loss of onwards ticket.

Same ticket, you will be re-accommodated on a later flight, free of charge.

If all on one ticket, you won’t be permitted to buy a combination that falls under minimum connecting time.

Separate tickets I’d allow at least 4 hours, but overnight to be safe.

 

[gwynne]

Bugger.

Next question then, can I mix Classic Plus and Classic tickets with call centre?

 

[offshore171]

We do something similar to what you describe fairly regularly. Ie: A paid "staging" flight from SYD to either SIN or HND, followed by a classic awards flight for the longer sector from Asia to Europe. The sectors from asia to europe usually have much better awards availability.

On separate tickets, always allow an overnight contingency at Singapore or Tokyo. The Hotel Villa Fontaine at Haneda is pretty decent for this.

On our last trip we would have misconnected (QF was 5 hours late on the SYD to HND leg) but fortunately we had allowed for an overnight at Tokyo, so it was a non issue.