Qantas Chauffeur service - General Questions/Advice

[bmcc]

I just wanted to get a sense-check to confirm my chauffeur drive entitlements on an upcoming Qantas classic award.

I've booked a single through-trip, SIN>BNE>ADL>SYD>MEL>DXB. The Singapore to Brisbane and Melbourne to Dubai legs are first class Emirates, the domestic legs are all business class on Qantas. Each of the stops is considered a transit, as they are all <24 hours.

If I use the Emirates booking ref on the Emirates site, I can book cars to Singpore, from Brisbane, to Melbourne and from Dubai.

If I use the QF booking ref on the QF site, I can book each of those 4 transfers, plus cars to Brisbane airport and to Sydney airport, but not from Adelaide airport or from Sydney airport.

My questions:

1. Which entitlements are correct, the ones on the QF site or on the EK site?
2. Which site should I use to book the transfers, QF or EK?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[pagingjoan]

So starting from Adelaide on QFJ then connecting on QFcode Emirates MEL-SIN in paid J doesn't earn a CD?

Sadly, it seems not.

http://www.emirates.com/au/english/...ort/chauffeur_drive/terms_and_conditions.aspx
<Qantas codeshare flights operated by Emirates (with a QF flight number) between Asia and Australia/New Zealand are not eligible for our Chauffeur-drive service. If a customer would like to request Chauffeur-drive for flights between Asia and Australia/New Zealand, they must be booked on an Emirates operated flight (with an EK flight number).>

 

[pagingjoan]

I just wanted to get a sense-check to confirm my chauffeur drive entitlements on an upcoming Qantas classic award.

I've booked a single through-trip, SIN>BNE>ADL>SYD>MEL>DXB. The Singapore to Brisbane and Melbourne to Dubai legs are first class Emirates, the domestic legs are all business class on Qantas. Each of the stops is considered a transit, as they are all <24 hours.

If I use the Emirates booking ref on the Emirates site, I can book cars to Singpore, from Brisbane, to Melbourne and from Dubai.

If I use the QF booking ref on the QF site, I can book each of those 4 transfers, plus cars to Brisbane airport and to Sydney airport, but not from Adelaide airport or from Sydney airport.

My questions:

1. Which entitlements are correct, the ones on the QF site or on the EK site?
2. Which site should I use to book the transfers, QF or EK?

Many thanks in advance.

This one may be above my pay grade to answer.
But, since nobody else is jumping in, I would refer you back to the two links in the recent posts above.
The CD conditions vary across the airlines, so you do need to check both.

In general terms, though, if the service is showing up through "Manage my booking", for example, then you can book whatever presents.

Best of luck.

 

[marki]

This one may be above my pay grade to answer.
But, since nobody else is jumping in, I would refer you back to the two links in the recent posts above.
The CD conditions vary across the airlines, so you do need to check both.

In general terms, though, if the service is showing up through "Manage my booking", for example, then you can book whatever presents.

Best of luck.

Trip coming up wondering why I could not do it earlier in Early Feb. Trip starts © second half of April. So should be available on the website now. Will check. ( flying J

 

[pagingjoan]

Trip coming up wondering why I could not do it earlier in Early Feb. Trip starts © second half of April. So should be available on the website now. Will check. ( flying J

Not quite sure what you are asking, marki?
Where are you flying from/to? Which carrier? QF or EK?

 

[Kefci2000]

Admittedly my experience is a few years old, but when I rang QF help desk, they said if the website allows you to book, then book it.
I was allowed to book all 5 legs when doing LHR-ex MEL-SYD

 

[pagingjoan]

Admittedly my experience is a few years old, but when I rang QF help desk, they said if the website allows you to book, then book it. .....

That is, essentially, still the case, as noted in posts above.

 

[marki]

Not quite sure what you are asking, marki?
Where are you flying from/to? Which carrier? QF or EK?

Sorry maybe not very clear still blurry eyed. I was wondering how far out are you allowed to do the booking? Last I looked in early March still unable to do the Chauffeur booking. For a flight late April.

 

[pagingjoan]

Sorry maybe not very clear still blurry eyed. I was wondering how far out are you allowed to do the booking? Last I looked in early March still unable to do the Chauffeur booking. For a flight late April.

The CD can be done, when applicable, from the time of booking the flight, in my experience.
If the option is not showing on your booking page, then maybe your flight is not eligible.
Hence my question about the route and carrier.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Sorry maybe not very clear still blurry eyed. I was wondering how far out are you allowed to do the booking? Last I looked in early March still unable to do the Chauffeur booking. For a flight late April.

I concord with Pagingjoan. In our experience we've been able to book CD at the time of booking the flights and these have been up to 2 months in advance. Next trip on April 30 was booked late February (QF on EK metal) BNE - Europe and was able to do CDs immediately flight had been ticketed. (One does have to wait until the ticket and booking has been formalised which can take a few hours.)

 

[Pushka]

Yes, if allowed, its bookable straightaway. Bit disappointed in the non Asia route though.

 

[flychrisfly]

Yes, if allowed, its bookable straightaway. Bit disappointed in the non Asia route though.

Hmm, sometimes the website or the booking screws up. Have a F award flight SYD-DXB and CD wasn't appearing. I rang Qantas and they had to reissue the ticket (at no cost to me) and manually entered the CD request. Only then was I able to see and update CD on the website.

 

[blackcat20]

SWMBO tried that in an overseas port and was advised by the driver that it is not allowed in the rules. So her mother had to take a taxi to the airport to see her off...

I've had no trouble hitching a ride with someone else and their CD.

 

[flychrisfly]

I've had no trouble hitching a ride with someone else and their CD.

I brought along a friend in the BA CD in Sydney. Their only condition was that there be no additional stops, which was fine. She took the transfer bus to domestic after my international drop off as she had time, and it was cheaper than the airport train from my place.

 

[marki]

The CD can be done, when applicable, from the time of booking the flight, in my experience.
If the option is not showing on your booking page, then maybe your flight is not eligible.
Hence my question about the route and carrier.

It is not clear from my side why booking one leg of the CD is possible but not the other ? ( being in First) on QF to LAX?
So have put in an email to the QFF Center asking some questions. Also select on Q is not possible.

 

[blackcat20]

I brought along a friend in the BA CD in Sydney. Their only condition was that there be no additional stops, which was fine. She took the transfer bus to domestic after my international drop off as she had time, and it was cheaper than the airport train from my place.

Likewise, I cabbed from their hotel to mine.

 

[JohnPhelan]

It is not clear from my side why booking one leg of the CD is possible but not the other ? ( being in First) on QF to LAX?

The reason is simple - CD doesn't apply to any of QF's American routes. It's only for DXB and LHR.

 

[marki]

The reason is simple - CD doesn't apply to any of QF's American routes. It's only for DXB and LHR.

Ah yes understand that certainly would explain the CD debacle!

 

[katiebell]

The reason is simple - CD doesn't apply to any of QF's American routes. It's only for DXB and LHR.

Perhaps the confusion is due to J initially promising it being rolled out for all long haul and then retracting it to QF 1, 2, 9, & 10.

Having siad this the booking page is atrocious, changes need to be cancelled and then started all over again (not possible to amend, e.g. cannot change the time without restarting and re-entering all the data) and 3 of my last 4 Australian chauffeur drives have been dreadful (in 2 cases the driver seemed to have a death wish, some of the worst driving I have ever experienced, and in 1 he did not wait for me to clear immigration & customs). 1 out of 4 is not good enough.

 

[Melburnian1]

A friend recently travelled in F on an EK flight (booked as a QF codeshare) from a European airport to DXB. There were only two passengers on his EK flight to DXB in F and about 10 in J.

He then stayed overnight prior to the next day travelling on QF2 from DXB to SYD, again in F. This flight was full or close to it.

Neither from the airport at DXB to his hotel or back from the hotel (booked time 0545 hours) to the airport did the chauffeur driver and car turn up, despite him having supposedly 'verified' by telephone to both call centres the day before that both were booked.

Subsequently he spoke with EK and QF staff. Both blamed the other.

Is this deliberate to reduce costs or have others never had any problems?