QF1 Connecting to BA Domestic Flight

[madrooster]

I dont want to get too tricky with routing and also want to be mindful of arrival times etc for checking into accomodation, having time for covid tests etc.

Separate tickets means you actually have to be prepared for 2 lots of rules. In the current climate it's absolutely in your interests to be on a single ticket. One ticket? Easy.

Im just dreading how long it will take to get through to someone competent at QF and then how long it will take for them to do changes, Im pretty much in back to back meetings all week at work, and starting a new project so not easy to just deal with them when they finally answer or call back. The first change to this itinerary took them almost an hour to change 1 flight on QF metal.

Call right on 7am Sydney time. That's usually the quietest period all day.

 

[Lynda2475]

Huge thank you to @madrooster, I woke up early today and called at exactly 7am as you suggested.

First attempt answered by new Fiji call centre was a bust, was incorrectly told there was no reward availablity for LHR-EDI on any flight in any class on 3rd August, was clearly not going to get anywhere there. HUCA to premium line and all sorted in under 15 mins.

Am booked in J on the 9:05am flight, and had a choice of all the GLA-LCY/LHR flights on the way back so chose 2:15pm.

Taxes were on the high side at $200, however to buy those flights would have cost $500 so still a win.

Now I can start locking in my accomodation

 

[geoffro_22]

Huge thank you to @madrooster, I woke up early today and called at exactly 7am as you suggested.

First attempt answered by new Fiji call centre was a bust, was incorrectly told there was no reward availablity for LHR-EDI on any flight in any class on 3rd August, was clearly not going to get anywhere there. HUCA to premium line and all sorted in under 15 mins.

Am booked in J on the 9:05am flight, and had a choice of all the GLA-LCY/LHR flights on the way back so chose 2:15pm.

Taxes were on the high side at $200, however to buy those flights would have cost $500 so still a win.

Now I can start locking in my accomodation

Hi Lynda,

I am doing something similarish. I have a QF award booking on QF1 and a separate revenue BA flight from LHR to INV for my Wife and Infant. Did they indicate to you if they would be able to book the baggage all the way through to Scotland or would you still have to collect in LHR?

Thanks,
Geoff

 

[madrooster]

Taxes were on the high side at $200, however to buy those flights would have cost $500 so still a win.

I assume you had already capped out at 318k points so therefore no further points were collected?

 

[Lynda2475]

Yes the agent specifically mentioned that luggage would be checked through

 

[geoffro_22]

Yes the agent specifically mentioned that luggage would be checked through

Thanks!

 

[Lynda2475]

I assume you had already capped out at 318k points so therefore no further points were collected?

Correct, no extra points just $200ish in extra taxes for the 2 new J fights, so all good

Thanks goodness for AFF, as if Id listened to Fiji call centre I would have had to spend 40k more points plus taxes.

 

[jpp42]

ORD-DFW AA J on 787-9 (didnt realise AA used dreamliners on domestic)

AA has long used widebodies domestic between their hubs - both ORD and DFW are large AA hubs. The 787 replaced the 767 in this role, and when I was growing up they even used DC-10's/MD-11's. If you're going from a small town in the midwest to a small town in the south/central, an itinerary like xx_-ORD-DFW-YYY would not be uncommon, for dozens of different X's and Y's, hence the demand is there. Widebodies are also common on the flagship transcons, that is SFO and LAX to JFK (these typically have international-grade J seats if a widebody).

 

[RichardMEL]

AA has long used widebodies domestic between their hubs - both ORD and DFW are large AA hubs. The 787 replaced the 767 in this role, and when I was growing up they even used DC-10's/MD-11's. If you're going from a small town in the midwest to a small town in the south/central, an itinerary like xx_-ORD-DFW-YYY would not be uncommon, for dozens of different X's and Y's, hence the demand is there. Widebodies are also common on the flagship transcons, that is SFO and LAX to JFK (these typically have international-grade J seats if a widebody).

MIA-LAX often gets 3 (4?) class 77W's too.

UA (and I suspect DL also) do this as well. Can often find 777(config super important), 787 on domestic routes, also international/"premium" 757-200's doing transcons.

used to be the day you could hop a D10 or 747 on a short hop like DEN-LAX or ORD-SFO.

A good way to shuffle crews and aircraft between hubs and offer capacity.

 

[Lynda2475]

Its been a few years since I was last in ORD, I've flown PHL-ORD, LGA-ORD, ORD-MSY and ORD-SFO before but was on 737s.

 

[jpp42]

Its been a few years since I was last in ORD, I've flown PHL-ORD, LGA-ORD, ORD-MSY and ORD-SFO before but was on 737s.

Yep, I would expect that - PHL and MSY would not have the demand for higher capacity, LGA is narrowbody only (you might get an international configured 757 at times, but that's still a narrowbody), and ORD-SFO is a fairly large population city pair, but since SFO is not a big AA destination, few onward connections there compared to say, LAX.

 

[Lynda2475]

Yeah AA try to channel you via LAX rather than SFO but I loathe LAX and have friends I can stay with for free in SFO. Timing (and pricing) on AA flights SFO-NYC is horrid, so last time I flew that route I ended up on Delta sale fare. I know the hub system is popular in USA, but I'm often time poor so need direct where possible.

This will be second time I've flown on classic rewards LHR-JFK, I find it interesting can only seem to be offered BA and not AA flights.

 

[Lynda2475]

I just logged onto Qantas to check soem activity and I am seeing a transaction today cancelling my OW reward flights and all the points back in my account. Im stressing out, as I did not cancel the booking, the flighst still show in MMB/

I have not received any email or any missed calls, but I just checked my credit card and the charge for the extra taxes are not there, Im worried the agent didnt process th epayment properly and now I will lose my whole itinerary.

Wait time for custoemr care at this time of night is 2 hours and Im unlikely to get Hobart/NZ.

 

[Lynda2475]

Still not ticketed, will have to chase again, so stressful

 

[RichardMEL]

not to provide excuses, but I have a feeling the booking engine breakdown this morning probably has pushed the manual queue truly out to the far queue.

I'm sorry for your stress

 

[clifford]

Hi Lynda,

I am doing something similarish. I have a QF award booking on QF1 and a separate revenue BA flight from LHR to INV for my Wife and Infant. Did they indicate to you if they would be able to book the baggage all the way through to Scotland or would you still have to collect in LHR?

Thanks,
Geoff

Your bags may be tagged all the way to INV, but you will have to collect them at LHR and then drop them off again for your flight to INV. Not very different from what happens with international arrivals into Australia.

As far as I'm aware, there are no facilities at INV to do customs, as it's a domestic airport.

Of course, I could be wrong, but as a BA Gold FF and someone who has lived in the UK off and on for over 30 years, I might be right.

Best to double check with BA before you go.

 

[geoffro_22]

Your bags may be tagged all the way to INV, but you will have to collect them at LHR and then drop them off again for your flight to INV. Not very different from what happens with international arrivals into Australia.

As far as I'm aware, there are no facilities at INV to do customs, as it's a domestic airport.

Of course, I could be wrong, but as a BA Gold FF and someone who has lived in the UK off and on for over 30 years, I might be right.

Best to double check with BA before you go.

Thanks a lot Clifford. This was my expectation, but one could always hope. I'll check with the gate prior. I am assuming there is no bag check in T3 or would my wife have to collect and take them to T5?

 

[clifford]

I am assuming there is no bag check in T3 or would my wife have to collect and take them to T5?

That I'm not sure about.

BA may have bag check at T3, so they might be able to do the transfer to T5. Again, best to check.

 

[Lynda2475]

Upon waking up this morning (36hrs or so after being told it was resolved) there was still no e-ticket in my email and the returned 318k points will still sititng back in my QFF account. Checked Amex and the taxes had now been processed.

Called up again, pretty sure I was speaking with Fiji as the agent kept pronouncing Edinburgh as EDEN-BERG not ED-IN-BURRAH, but she assured me ticket had been issued, I asked for it to be forwarded, what I received was a text screen dump with ticket # and itinerary not the usual PDF e-ticket.

I expressed concern that points had not been taken back out, was put on hold and someone forced that through, so the last transaction on my activity statement now



With any luck the proper PDF ticket will miraculously arrive (or there will be a flight time change) causing another to be sent.

Fell like I can breathe a little easier now.

 

[kookaburra75]

Thanks a lot Clifford. This was my expectation, but one could always hope. I'll check with the gate prior. I am assuming there is no bag check in T3 or would my wife have to collect and take them to T5?

That I'm not sure about.

BA may have bag check at T3, so they might be able to do the transfer to T5. Again, best to check.

When travelling through T3 over the year, I can't remember seeing a Bag Drop Off desk for connecting BA flights. The advice (below) covers Transiting from T3 to T5, but doesn't mention luggage. Again, as others have said, it would be best to check with BA.

https://www.britishairways.com/assets/pdfs/information/airport-information/lhr-connections/LHR-flight-connections-Terminal-3-toTerminal-5.pdf.pdf