QF J booking to HND changed to 16 hour layover in BNE

[goldenhorn]

Luckily I booked my flights through Alaska Airlines, so while QF put me on the LAX flight as an alternative it was a fairly easy fix for AS to put me on one of their connectors to SFO.

I suspect adding an AS sector is going to increase the points as it will be on a separate table. Might be simpler to either do it yourself as a new booking, or buy a fare on AS or AA. Booking on AS or AA should give you lounge access even if you purchase in economy as Oneworld connecting rules will apply (long haul to short haul gives lounge access based in the international flight)

I can't find any award flights - the few that are available are in the morning and my LAX-SYD flight is 11:35pm. So that's a great idea to buy an Oneworld flight - I can get an AS flight about 5pm for under $300.

Good news about the lounge access if I buy economy - thank you for reminding me about that.

 

[goldenhorn]

@MEL_Traveller If I book SFO-LAX with AS, will QF be able to connect the tickets so our luggage can go all the way through to SYD? Or maybe AS can do it at check in?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

@MEL_Traveller If I book SFO-LAX with AS, will QF be able to connect the tickets so our luggage can go all the way through to SYD? Or maybe AS can do it at check in?

You have to collect your bags anyways to complete immigration and customs at LAX. If QF tags the bag all the way through you can easily drop the bag at the connections centre before you leave the international terminal. Otherwise i think you approach the AS rep and ask them for a new tag. (Worst case you have to walk with your bag for a bit to recheck it at AS.)

The only complication with separate tickets will be your baggage allowance on AS. If you are QF silver or above on any oneworld airline you’ll get a free bag, otherwise you may have to take a higher fare that includes bags, or pay individually… which is usually around USD30 per bag.

 

[goldenhorn]

You have to collect your bags anyways to complete immigration and customs at LAX. If QF tags the bag all the way through you can easily drop the bag at the connections centre before you leave the international terminal. Otherwise i think you approach the AS rep and ask them for a new tag. (Worst case you have to walk with your bag for a bit to recheck it at AS.)

The only complication with separate tickets will be your baggage allowance on AS. If you are QF silver or above on any oneworld airline you’ll get a free bag, otherwise you may have to take a higher fare that includes bags, or pay individually… which is usually around USD30 per bag.

I'm going to the other way - SFO-LAX-SYD so will be buying a flight SFO-LAX. Hopefully AS can tag our bags through to SYD?

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

I'm going to the other way - SFO-LAX-SYD so will be buying a flight SFO-LAX. Hopefully AS can tag our bags through to SYD?

You should be right then. I went PDX-LAX-SYD in Feb and had bags checked all the way through, arrived in LAX at AS terminal, walked the horrifying connector passageways of LAX and wandered straight into the lounge at the international terminal... No immigration/security or re-checking bags required.

 

[goldenhorn]

You should be right then. I went PDX-LAX-SYD in Feb and had bags checked all the way through, arrived in LAX at AS terminal, walked the horrifying connector passageways of LAX and wandered straight into the lounge at the international terminal... No immigration/security or re-checking bags required.

That's good to hear. Thank you!

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

See, I see it as no one wanting to take responsibility seriously at QF.
I think outsourcing of the call centre was prior to AJ's time at QF, but he does not care.
Neither does the call centre.
Talk is cheap.
Not sure when will we see a change, or will we ever.
Call being dropped should not happen.
Or being hung up on, after waiting in the queue, with the hold music driving us nutso.

 

[goldenhorn]

You should be right then. I went PDX-LAX-SYD in Feb and had bags checked all the way through, arrived in LAX at AS terminal, walked the horrifying connector passageways of LAX and wandered straight into the lounge at the international terminal... No immigration/security or re-checking bags required.

Does this mean I can check in at AS as a business passenger bc I’m connecting to a J QF flight (even though my flight SFO-LAX is in economy)?

I think I can access the business lounge in SFO if I’m connecting to J in LAX.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Does this mean I can check in at AS as a business passenger bc I’m connecting to a J QF flight (even though my flight SFO-LAX is in economy)?

I think I can access the business lounge in SFO if I’m connecting to J in LAX.

Good question!

Lounge absolutely 'yes'.

Check-in, I doubt they're going to send you away. I think the rules are silent on that point! I would have thought 'economy' as default.

 

[goldenhorn]

An update on

You should be right then. I went PDX-LAX-SYD in Feb and had bags checked all the way through, arrived in LAX at AS terminal, walked the horrifying connector passageways of LAX and wandered straight into the lounge at the international terminal... No immigration/security or re-checking bags required.

An update on this: I checked into my AS SFO-LAX economy flight at SFO today and they wouldn’t check my bags through to SYD.

I couldn’t get a clear answer as to why she couldn’t do it. Not a major issue as I have a 4 hour layover before travelling J on QF 12 but it didn’t make sense to me considering other AFF members said it has worked for them. Perhaps I got someone who lacked the knowledge on how to do it.

 

[Quickstatus]

I couldn’t get a clear answer as to why she couldn’t do it

That would assume the check agent actually knows why. For all we know they are just doing what the computer tells them, or don't know how to interline bags even if it is possible.

The interline benefit, at least from QF position, is clear. There are no interline benefits between OW flights if the flights are on different PNR.
There are actually no explicit baggage interline benefits in the OW environment. Historically, any available Interline benefit have been due to specific agreements between individual carriers. (See OW statement about QF interline back in 2004). And so any interline experience by other travellers should be accompanied by a YMMV disclaimer.

Additionally AS is silent on any AS-QF interline agreement.
In summary, to get an interline, you needed to purchase the entire itinerary on one PNR or hope that the check in agent is having a nice day.

 

[kpro]

Historically, any available Interline benefit have been due to specific agreements between individual carriers. (See OW statement about QF interline back in 2004). And so any interline experience by other travellers should be accompanied by a YMMV disclaimer.

Interline on separate PNR/e-tickets used to be an alliance wide benefit across all oneworld members, prior to 2016. See (Exec. Traveller) Did Oneworld just make your next trip more of a nightmare? and (AFF) Oneworld separate ticket interline changes.

If I recall correctly, the separate PNR change started with British Airways when they upgraded their Altea system.

Nowadays it's definitely a YMMV. I've certainly had luck with both Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines pre-COVID. American Airlines was a big fat no though.

 

[justinbrett]

Additionally AS is silent on any AS-QF interline agreement.

I suspect you did not mean this literally, as AS & QF do have an interline agreement.

Having an interline agreement is a low bar - most major non-allied carriers have interline agreements with each other (QF interlines with DL & UA) - but this requires a single PNR.

I assume what you meant is "AS is silent as to interlining with partners on separate PNRs".

Nowadays it's definitely a YMMV. I've certainly had luck with both Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines pre-COVID. American Airlines was a big fat no though.

Yep - I think it was based on all risk and no reward for the first carrier (missed connection, bags lost etc). It's opt in for the first carrier which is why some still do it.

AA won't even connect bags with itself over two PNRs.

 

[Quickstatus]

used to be an alliance wide benefit

I understand though my intepretation is slightly different. I think it became ubiquitous because individual OW airlines decided to interline with other OW partners, not because it was a OW requirement of its members. That BA set the ball rolling in removing that benefit underlies that point.
To me without baggage interline, OW is an alliance in name only.

I suspect you did not mean this literally, as AS & QF do have an interline agreement.

If they do i cant find it, or at least it is not published.

 

[goldenhorn]

As it turned out, I had my luggage, walked around to the TBIT, checked in, got through security and into the lounge in less than 45 minutes. No queues at security at all, which was remarkable.

 

[justinbrett]

I understand though my intepretation is slightly different. I think it became ubiquitous because individual OW airlines decided to interline with other OW partners, not because it was a OW requirement of its members. That BA set the ball rolling in removing that benefit underlies that point.
To me without baggage interline, OW is an alliance in name only.


If they do i cant find it, or at least it is not published.

Again I think you need to be more specific with the use of the word interline, as yes - interlining predates the alliance, but all members still have interline agreements with each other.

This is a specific rule relating to separate bookings.

 

[Quickstatus]

This is a specific rule relating to separate bookings.

Yes and this relates to an AS - QF separate booking comment as per above. There is no interline possible for separate bookings - at least officially. And previous OW interlining benefits were available to separate or more than one PNR.
The whole point of interlining is so that a customer can easily travel across the alliance network on separate bookings. That a single booking using alliance codeshares gets interline is a bit moot as most understand a single booking on codeshares should interline.

 

[justinbrett]

Yes and this relates to an AS - QF separate booking comment as per above. There is no interline possible - at least officially
The whole point of interlining is so that a customer can easily travel across the alliance network on separate or single booking. That a single booking using alliance codeshares gets interline is a bit moot.

An interline agreement is just that, and it exists (and as I stated earlier, is not rare)

The whole point of interlining is the ability to fly with multiple airlines without having to check baggage separately. This is still possible.

The ability to interline on separate PNRs is a step above, this is much more rare. I believe all three alliances only require interlining on single PNRs, but airlines can opt in to offer this service, as many do in all three alliances.

There is no such thing as a multiple PNR interline agreement - it doesn't require the second carrier to agree to be interlined with, that's covered in the interline agreement - it just requires the first carrier to accept the risk of providing the service.

I do miss the days of the more generous policy, but it seems it fell out of fashion with the airlines.

 

[Quickstatus]

The ability to interline on separate PNRs is a step above

It used to be available across most if not all of the OW network even when it was not (opinion) a OW requirement of its members. That alone made it very beneficial to fly within a network. To me other benefits are not as compelling apart from SC/FF harvesting.

 

[kpro]

I understand though my intepretation is slightly different. I think it became ubiquitous because individual OW airlines decided to interline with other OW partners, not because it was a OW requirement of its members.

I can see that the information sheet from BA at the time does indicate that it was a policy change.

I did have a quick look at the oneworld site on the Wayback machine with no success. It's hard to find exact wording of the previous policies by this stage, but in any case the ship has well and truly sailed.