QF10 PER-MEL Some notes and thoughts...

[jukebox333]

(admins - this isn't really a TR, but if you think it belongs there, of course feel free to move it over)

I have had to fly PER-MEL for business two weeks running, and as I was booking my own travel, was able to nominate the early PM QF10 flight on both occasions.

My employer only flys me Y, but both flights I was succesful with a Classic Award upgrade to J for 27,200 points, which as far as I'm concerned is a ridiculous bargain.

I've previously done the same with QF5/6 PER-SYD-PER (you can read my TR here), but my QF10 experience was rather different, so I thought for anyone doing the MEL trip, it's be worth recording the issues as they stand in Sep 2022.

Check in: Being the domestic leg of an International flight (LHR-PER-MEL), you can't complete check in online; you need to be issued with an orange-stickered Domestic pass to get through immigration. Week one, the J check in had its own agent, and arriving 3 hrs early as requested, I was welcomed by a wonderfully friendly desk agent who went through the protocol, tagged my bag priority, and dircted me to the international transit lounge.

Week 2, there was no seperate J check in, and I started by joining the end of a *long* International J queue. After 10 mins, I overheard another QF10 pax being directed to the Domestic agents booths near the Dom check in kiosks. There, my ID was checked, and I was given my D Pass, and told to scan that at a kiosk to generate a bag tag. Except that didn't work - it wanted my passport because I was on QF10. Back to a different agent, who clucked that "no, who told you that?" before generating a bag tag for me. Because I was slightly flustered by the tag mix up, I failed to notice she didn't tag my bag as Business/Priority, which would of course bite me in the bum at the Tullamarine carousel...

Week 1, I went straight to the International Transit lounge. I was about 3 hrs before take off, and the Lounge Matron clucked loudly at me, telling me that "the Singapore flight hadn't boarded, but I suppose it doesn't matter" as if she was doing me a favour. This was where it was a bit different to the Sydney flights - the MEL departure time is just an hour after the PER-SIN one, so the IT lounge is quite busy. Not unreasonably so, but not the have-the-place to yourself feel you get before the FCO-PER-SYD crowd arrive. Week 2 (this morning) I decided to try the Domestic J lounge first, to avoid the wrath of the Matron. The PER J lounge had pax for Syd and Mel (and earlier flight) but still felt more spacious and less crowded. The food choices were not quite as good as the IT lounge.

Now here's where it gets interesting. Around 1045, I decided to wander across from DOM J to IT. When I got to the International Departure area, where you undergo immigration and a secondary security scan, no one but SIN pax were allowed though. "It will just be a few minutes, they are still boarding the SIN flight". So I sat and waited. Time passed, and about twenty others came along, and were all told "You are too early". Around 1115, the *pilot* for QF10 arrived. He was refused entry! He was really good about it, and stood and made small talk with us while he too waited it out. Eventually, around 1130 we were allowed to be processed.

The problem with this is, it leaves you almost no time in the IT lounge. Boarding is around 12:25. You'd almost be better camping in the J lounge, if this is going to be the norm TBH.

I won't comment on the flight experiences, other than to say they were very different, but that came down to the make up and mood of the crew. Some days you are going to get the A team, other times, you will get an FA who is either green, or not having a great day. But with 42 J seats in the 787 cabin, it is a lot harder to make the service feel personal. I did see WP's discreetly greeted, and having their meal choices locked in first. Oh, and remember, no inflight Wi-Fi on 787s.

Arriving in MEL as a D pax is a dog's breakfast. There's no other way to describe it. You have to navigate a corridor blocked by people quing 10 deep to use Epassport machines (that as a Dom pax, you don't use) and then, as you approach the Immigration area, you don't veer to the left to the Australian Passport Holders area, instead, you line up with International passport holders to the right. (of course!) Dozens of people were getting caught out by this. There is no signage telling you what to do, and it's only at the front of the queue there is an attendent to steer you to the right, if you get there early enough, or to the back of the queue if you have followed your intuition from the back of the plane and headed left. I learned the hard way on week one, and so was able to get through up front by week two.

Actually passing through immigration and quarantine is fast - the staff on the gates see the orange D sticker, check your photo ID, and wave you through.

It's a shame the system with checking in, international immigration, and lounge entry is still in flux in PER; I love a 1pm departure that gets me to my hotel room in MEL CBD by 7:30pm. The 787 J product is very comfortable, which is probably why it's priced slightly higher than A330 fares that have the same lie flat beds. I have a few more of these trips to make before the year is out, so I'll keep an eye on some of these quirks and try and find out if a pattern emerges, or if it just comes down to staff levels on the day. As for Tullamarine... I'm not holding my breath for that to change, but you'll only get bitten by the immigration queue once. ;-)

 

[exceladdict]

This is really informative, thanks for sharing.

 

[henrus]

I failed to notice she didn't tag my bag as Business/Priority, which would of course bite me in the bum at the Tullamarine carousel...

I was under the impression that the computer prints the status onto the bag tag so doesn't need a separate tag?

The problem with this is, it leaves you almost no time in the IT lounge. Boarding is around 12:25. You'd almost be better camping in the J lounge, if this is going to be the norm TBH.

This is an interesting one... When the Perth IT lounge opened access was only granted to those on QF9/10 who were connecting to/from London. Those travelling only on the domestic portion of QF9/10 had to use the domestic lounges (additionally those travelling to Singapore also had to use the domestic lounges). These details were published on the Qantas website but have since vanished.

According to articles on ET/PointsHacks, from May this year they've allowed the Singapore flights to use the lounge on a temporary basis but once again domestic passengers are still not eligible so I'd say you were just lucky the first time around.

 

[aus_flyer]

Any special secret benefits in IT for Platinum or P1s?

 

[jukebox333]

I was under the impression that the computer prints the status onto the bag tag so doesn't need a separate tag?


This is an interesting one... When the Perth IT lounge opened access was only granted to those on QF9/10 who were connecting to/from London. Those travelling only on the domestic portion of QF9/10 had to use the domestic lounges (additionally those travelling to Singapore also had to use the domestic lounges). These details were published on the Qantas website but have since vanished.

According to articles on ET/PointsHacks, from May this year they've allowed the Singapore flights to use the lounge on a temporary basis but once again domestic passengers are still not eligible so I'd say you were just lucky the first time around.

Unsure about the tag thing - just know I've had a bright orange chevron added to my transcontinental flights 2 of 3 times.

The gold plaque on the door does advertise the ITL as for status levels Gold and above, and it is the only lounge in QF's PER international segregated area. The check in attendent on two of three occasions has specifically offered it to me - and I discount the third, as she got the bag tag wrong, too. I'm confident that at the moment, if you're flying J, even if you are domestic, you're welcome - it's just a question of timing....

 

[jukebox333]

Any special secret benefits in IT for Platinum or P1s?

Sadly, as a lowly Silver, I can't say.

It seemed to be egalitarian - the bar was open at 11am, and there were spirits and liquers, as well as wines, to be had.

I was happily served a Kahlua coffee by the barista/bar attendent on Week 1, when I had my prolonged visit

 

[Cognac]

Any special secret benefits in IT for Platinum or P1s?

Having used it several times I can't say that I've noticed anything.

Arriving in MEL as a D pax is a dog's breakfast. There's no other way to describe it. You have to navigate a corridor blocked by people quing 10 deep to use Epassport machines (that as a Dom pax, you don't use) and then, as you approach the Immigration area, you don't veer to the left to the Australian Passport Holders area, instead, you line up with International passport holders to the right. (of course!) Dozens of people were getting caught out by this. There is no signage telling you what to do, and it's only at the front of the queue there is an attendent to steer you to the right, if you get there early enough, or to the back of the queue if you have followed your intuition from the back of the plane and headed left. I learned the hard way on week one, and so was able to get through up front by week two.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. It doesn't make any sense to do it this way. There either needs to be better signage, or a dedicated lane. Ideally they'd have a roped off lane adjacent to the international passports lane (basically between the e-machines for Aus/NZ and Internantional queues) that the attendants there at the entrance control, and anyone with a domestic sticker gets let through that lane. The attendant who is directing flow at the front of the international queue can then still check IDs and grab the boarding passes as they currently do.

 

[jpp42]

I seem to remember that in days gone by, well before Covid, when "D" legs of international flights were more common (i.e. MEL-CNS-NRT), it was common to use the same lane for "D" passengers as used by aircrew and diplomatic passports - since the ID check is fast, this doesn't delay the aircrew by much. It was also very clearly marked with the same "D" logo as shown on the passport. I wonder why they haven't returned to this system? (Sorry, been a while since I've been through MEL immigration so can't quite recall if there is even a separate line for aircrew, but you'd think there should be.)

 

[kpro]

Unsure about the tag thing - just know I've had a bright orange chevron added to my transcontinental flights 2 of 3 times.

Domestic flights normally just get a "Business" square printed on the tag rather then a coloured insert. Not sure what the norm is for a domestic leg of an international flight.

Priority bags are very hit and miss anyway, so it wouldn't suprise me if you were actually correctly tagged. Once I checked in two bags, both tagged priority. One was the fifth bag out, the other was dead last.

 

[Cognac]

I seem to remember that in days gone by, well before Covid, when "D" legs of international flights were more common (i.e. MEL-CNS-NRT), it was common to use the same lane for "D" passengers as used by aircrew and diplomatic passports - since the ID check is fast, this doesn't delay the aircrew by much. It was also very clearly marked with the same "D" logo as shown on the passport. I wonder why they haven't returned to this system? (Sorry, been a while since I've been through MEL immigration so can't quite recall if there is even a separate line for aircrew, but you'd think there should be.)

Crew have an aisle down the far right-hand side of the immigration hall.

 

[jukebox333]

Domestic flights normally just get a "Business" square printed on the tag rather then a coloured insert. Not sure what the norm is for a domestic leg of an international flight.

Priority bags are very hit and miss anyway, so it wouldn't suprise me if you were actually correctly tagged. Once I checked in two bags, both tagged priority. One was the fifth bag out, the other was dead last.

View attachment 294726

Week #3.

Check in still sub-optimal; just one domestic "booth" manned, so I took a chance on the Business Class "International Connections" line with just 4 pax waiting. Nope. That was worth a dozen people at the Dom booth. I know what I will do next week.

Still, the bag tag question was resolved: we were both right!



That orange tag didn't help at the other end. 30 mins after landing, half the bags came out. 15 mins later the rest started... mine, along with many others tagged Business arrived amongst the last 20 passengers worth, an hour after touchdown. On a flight that left PER 3 hrs late.

Updated strategy on the lounges: After clearing security, I headed straight for the QF Dom J lounge, and at 11:15am QF10 pax were called and invited to shift to the ITL. There were just four of us there until the LHR flight touched down 30 mins later.

MEL QF10 arrivals continues to lower the bar. 1st off the flight last night, I held my orange stickered boarding pass up and was waved through to join a queue of approx 15 international passport holders... only to see the rest of the passengers on my flight ushered to a separate section near the crew and diplomats entry. The *hour* wait at the carousel evened that disadvantage out...

It was after midnight before I got to bed in my hotel - it felt like the long day it was.

 

[jukebox333]

Week #4.

Well the good news is the Perth end has now stabilised into something definitive.

Travelling Y or J my take is that you are best served avoiding any of the the dedicated lanes and head to one of the domestic customer service "mushrooms" at the north end of the terminal. I had my bag tagged and my D stickered boarding pass issued in a couple of minutes this morning. Great job from a helpful and educated (!) QF staff member.

From there, if you're J, my advice is head to the Domestic J lounge, and eat drink and be merry until 11:15am. By that time, passengers for QF10 will either be called to pass through International Customs, or if not, by the time you walk there, the passport control will have cleared SIN passengers, and your passage to the ITL will be ready.

MEL arrivals produced yet another variation tonight! Nature was calling me as I walked up the aerobridge (too many lime waters in the ITL!), so I slipped off to the mens room, and by the time I was washed up, the bulk of the plane had walked aheead of me. When I got to passport control, there was not a soul to guide me. Tonight, the plane load of passengers was all herded *left* to the Australian Passport Holders section. This is the exact opposite of what has gone on the last four weeks! Seeing three immigration booths with no one waiting on the Foreign Passport Holders side (right), I took a punt that the passage I'd used the last four weeks was still valid. It was. I avoided the queue on the left, headed right, and was very quickly waved through by an immigration officer. As I said in my first post, the lack of anyone providing information to incoming D Card passengers here is a disgrace.

MEL baggage was its usual debacle, with my (and many other) orange bag tags seemingly singled out to be left until the last two dozen bags were delivered. I'm getting numb to that now, but the whole theatre of tagging business bags "priority" needs to be scrapped until QF baggage handlers can deliver on its alleged 'benefit'.

One more week of this malarky, so I'll update this thread next weekend.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

So as a D pax, you have always (so far) been waved through?
Do they still take your BP off you, or you just hold it up, and they see it and wave you through, I mean at the final stage, where (if I remember correctly, its those black boxes you have to walk through), before you get out into the open (public) area?
OffT, I have a dream of doing this one day, probably next year, ie, to use QF10 from PER - MEL, to see the sunset from the window of that 787!OnT

 

[jukebox333]

So as a D pax, you have always (so far) been waved through?
Do they still take your BP off you, or you just hold it up, and they see it and wave you through, I mean at the final stage, where (if I remember correctly, its those black boxes you have to walk through), before you get out into the open (public) area?
OffT, I have a dream of doing this one day, probably next year, ie, to use QF10 from PER - MEL, to see the sunset from the window of that 787!OnT

Apologies for the loose turn of phrase; yes, the match-the-driver's licence-to-the-number-written-on-the-D-sticker-to-the-face process happens every time (cough to the point where one week I was directed to stand directly in front of the booth, not at the side where I'd handed over my docs)

But the point I was trying to make was that with the Immigration officer waiting for a "customer", he was quick off the mark, and the ID check took no more than 15 seconds. It was the fastest I have been processed in 7 D-card inspections.

The inflight sunsets are glorious!

 

[jukebox333]

Last Sunday was my last scheduled dance on QF10 PER - MEL.

Checking baggage via The Mushrooms worked smoothly.

The Business class security lane was operating for the first time in five weeks. Curiously, despite wearing exactly the same clothing as I had the previous four trips, not only did I set off the body scanner, I activated it so far deeply into the red as to be taken aside and offered a room for a full body pat down, complete with groin grab, followed by "pleave rub your privates" so that my hands could then be scanned for explosives residue. I guess they had the sensors turned up to 11 that morning.

I holed up in Domestic J lounge with my non-travelling partner until 11:15 having a relaxed breakfast, then I bid her goodbye and I could see the inbound 787 touch down as I walked to International Departures. I was held a few minutes outside the security, but not for an unreasonable amount of time, then into an empty ITL, about 30 mins before pax arriving from London found their way in.



Away on time... seat 10K for me this week - sunsets still *chef's kiss*



No changes in Melbourne - other than the FA holding back those of us in the J mini cabin to let the main J cabin off first (there were a lot less seats to chose from when my upgrade came through this week - 3 vs 22 last week) so I assume it was a group booking of some description).

Sticking to the right as you head past Duty Free, and this week was waved across to a free agent on the Australian Passport Holder's side. Amazingly, the bags came quickly too. I was on the Skybus and headed to Southern Cross less than 20 mins after the cabin door was opened. That was a pleasant change.

I'm no expert, but I maintain that Classic Award upgrades on QF9/10 and QF5/6 PER-MEL and PER-SYD remain one of the best hidden bargains Qantas has. Right now, you can book a seat to MEL in Feb-Mar discount Y for $413, and unless that cabin gets rushed by paying pax, request a Classic Upgrade to J for 27,100 points that seems almost assured to be fulfilled. I've managed 7 from 7 flight upgrades on those trips between August and now (and the flights to SYD were for two passengers!). Yes, there's a bit of fussing around with immigration etc, but I am the first to admit, being a J regular was *very* addicitive.

Highly recommended.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

"Fussing around with immigration", yes, but its the only cheapest way at the moment to get our "kicks" if we can't fly "true" international flights, due to work or contrains, ie, prices of fares, in premY/discJ/true J/F.
Also, they can't deny you entry into your own country either, grin, as you didn't actually leave Aust.
They can't hold you up too long either, in immigration/customs for an "in depth" chat, as they can if you have arrived back from South America on AA via US, or via Auckland on Latam.
Win win.
Edit: ta again Jukebox333.
OffT, I also had a look at youtube video by RichardDowson, that you can get from the domestic arrival gates at PER T4, (inside domestic security zone), and go to T3 via the internal walkway), so don't have to go to the public open area.
And that the international departure zone from that walkway, only opens 2 hours before international flights, ...
So, no walking around there aimlessly to have a look see in depth.OnT.

 

[Daver6]

I'm so undecided about this. I'll be heading to MEL in a couple of weeks before connecting to an intentional flight the next day. It's either taking QF10 or a A330 flight a little earlier.

For me, the stuffing about with the customers and immigration is a bit of a waste of time. Also the fact the flight boards 40 minutes prior to departure means one needs to get to the airport earlier.

On the other hand....international J or even Y+ is a good step up.

Going the reverse direction is much more palatable. F lounge in MEL and PER immigration and customs is so small, quick and easy.

 

[Warragul]

They can't hold you up too long either, in immigration/customs for an "in depth" chat, as they can if you have arrived back from South America on AA via US, or via Auckland on Latam.

Immigration wise correct, Customs wise - they have every right to question you and search your bags. You are disembarking an 'overseas' flight into a Customs controlled area.

Highly unlikely to occur, but has been done and the frequently said phrase when it happens "But I'm a domestic passenger" goes down really well.

 

[OZDUCK]

Immigration wise correct, Customs wise - they have every right to question you and search your bags. You are disembarking an 'overseas' flight into a Customs controlled area.

Highly unlikely to occur, but has been done and the frequently said phrase when it happens "But I'm a domestic passenger" goes down really well.

Correct - back in the 1970's I used to question domestic passengers on similar flights to see if they had bought duty free goods onboard. If they had I would collect the duty/sales tax payable as they were not entitled to any duty free allowance. If there was any doubt their bags would/could have been searched for the reasons Warragul said. The airline crew knew that they should not sell duty free to domestic passengers but it was not uncommon for it to happen.

 

[Warragul]

To be 100% accurate, if a passenger is not an Australian Citizen then they can be quizzed regarding their Immigration status when travelling as a domestic passenger through an international terminal. The odd overstayer has been picked up with a casual look at the Visa label in their passport. Of course Visa labels are no longer used.