The Qantas Newbie Questions Thread

[AustraliaPoochie]

July is school hols in most parts of Aust.
For us here, its cold, but a lot of parents will be taking their kids to warmer climates.
Granted a lot of people go for upgrades to J, never say never, but for Y, maybe chances would be better if you can do the getaway about Aug, after school holidays finish.
Also depends on your QFF status, and if QF releases seats. or if OW/EK partners offer seats to QFF.

 

[Princess Fiona]

One thing I forgot to mention about this trip is that since it is all FinnAir marketed flights, the entire itinerary is protected by EU261. It does not matter if Qantas operated the flights between Sydney and Singapore, they are still on the hook should I arrive at my destinations more than 4 hours after scheduled arrival. This is arguably one of the few benefits of booking with an AY code (I'm giving up more status credits and points upgrades for that, so will be interesting to see if I "make" this inconvenience back).


Layover on outbound is 2 1/2 hour and on inbound is 1 hour at SIN. So lounge hopping may be possible on outbound, but inbound seems less likely. It seems like FinnAir and Qantas both operate from Terminal 1 so best to stay there I suppose. IIRC you have to clear security at the gate, right? If so, when should I be leaving the lounge for the gate?

Noted. We'll see what offers there are. For me the key sector is that long haul one to/from HEL. No doubt it'll cost an arm and a leg. Then again, the upgrade offer on the inbound from a Flex H fare could very well be competitive.

-RooFlyer88

You would need to go to court to get QF to pay you compensation under EU261 for a delayed SYD-SIN
The operating carrier must be an EU based airline. Yes I’m aware of court decisions that went otherwise with UA/LH on an ex-EU flight.

If this is the reason you booked an AY codeshare on QF metal I think you will be SOOL if looking for compensation

 

[tdimdad]

Connecting QFi to QFd they will simply put you in the next available flight. Otherwise once you are platinum you can get hobart to do it for you.

But it is an involuntary change, and you should be able to be moved to an earlier flight straight away. The problem sounds like the call centre you’re currently getting through to isn’t applying the correct waiver to get you moved. Blocking domestic connections is a known issue with the booking engine. That’s what you’ve run in to here. To override needs someone with the right authority.

Not worth it for now. Wait till you get platinum, or, worst case, on day of arrival they’ll move you forward.

This sounds like two most effective options would be trying Hobart when that time comes, or I'll ask for the switch when departing for the outbound flight (I'd rather sort it before the day of the actual flight).

 

[Mwenenzi]

One thing I forgot to mention about this trip is that since it is all FinnAir marketed flights, the entire itinerary is protected by EU261. It does not matter if Qantas operated the flights between Sydney and Singapore, they are still on the hook should I arrive at my destinations more than 4 hours after scheduled arrival. This is arguably one of the few benefits of booking with an AY code (I'm giving up more status credits and points upgrades for that, so will be interesting to see if I "make" this inconvenience back).

As post 962 EU261 is all about the operating airline. Flight number or who sold the ticket is irrelevant. Any EU261 claims are made against the operating airline based in time delay to final destination.

Air Passengers Rights Regulation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[FishFood]

Another basic question, but I've had a quick look online. What would the cancellation fee be for a reward flight - more specifically a JQ flight?

Thanks

 

[MELso]

Another basic question, but I've had a quick look online. What would the cancellation fee be for a reward flight - more specifically a JQ flight?

Thanks

6000 points.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

As post 962 EU261 is all about the operating airline. Flight number or who sold the ticket is irrelevant. Any EU261 claims are made against the operating airline based in time delay to final destination.

Air Passengers Rights Regulation - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That was always the case. But the scope of EU261 has expanded considerably from the text as written. So much case law over the last 5 years.

KF88 may be right in that an AY codeshare operated by QF, leaving from Australia would now be ‘in scope’. But, the difficulty might be in getting it honoured.

At the end of the day, QF *chooses* to codeshare with AY. It’s not an involuntary arrangement. By choosing to codeshare they may have accepted the expanded scope, even if they haven’t appreciated that yet.

QF flies to Europe with their services to Rome. So it’s not like they don’t have skin in the game.

 

[ADFlyMore]

My brain isn’t working and I’m second guessing my reading
We are flying out of Adelaide via Sydney onto Honolulu tomorrow. What’s the latest I need to be at the airport (ADL)? 1 or 2 hours?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My brain isn’t working and I’m second guessing my reading
We are flying out of Adelaide via Sydney onto Honolulu tomorrow. What’s the latest I need to be at the airport (ADL)? 1 or 2 hours?

checkin closes 45 mins for domestic connection to international. So yeah, an hour.

Check-in | Qantas AU

Ways to check-in for your Qantas flight including online check-in, on your mobile and at the airport check-in.

www.qantas.com

 

[wxxnxs]

Hi everyone,

Can I please check if Qantas complimentary lounge pass can be used in Gold Coast QF club with JQ flight? I'm trying to link pass to my JQ flight, but the website asks me to choose the lounge location, and there are only very limited locations in the list and Gold Coast is not in. Thanks

 

[RichardMEL]

Hi everyone,

Can I please check if Qantas complimentary lounge pass can be used in Gold Coast QF club with JQ flight? I'm trying to link pass to my JQ flight, but the website asks me to choose the lounge location, and there are only very limited locations in the list and Gold Coast is not in. Thanks

in theory yes, but it depends on when the JQ flight out of OOL is as the QF lounge is only open for QF flights, and closes with the last SYD flight out of there, which is usually before 4pm iirc, so if you're on a much later JQ flight then the lounge wouldn't be open for it. It also is relatively small so could be a capacity thing too potentially.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

One of the benefits of earning Platinum status, I am told, is that you can access Qantas lounges on arrival. I'm wondering if that privilege extends to international flights. To give you a concrete example: suppose I am flying from LAX to SYD on American (operated by Qantas). Now obviously I cannot access the international Flounge since I don't posses a boarding pass to let me into the transit area. However, in theory I could take the QF bus to the domestic terminal and show that boarding pass to get into the lounge (since access to domestic terminals is not contingent on you holding a valid boarding pass). Is that correct or am I missing something here?

-RooFlyer88

 

[AIRwin]

in theory I could take the QF bus to the domestic terminal

You won't be allowed through to the QF bus without a QF domestic connecting flight so you'll need to make your own way to T3

 

[kangarooflyer88]

You would need to go to court to get QF to pay you compensation under EU261 for a delayed SYD-SIN
The operating carrier must be an EU based airline. Yes I’m aware of court decisions that went otherwise with UA/LH on an ex-EU flight.

Well that's pure speculation. Hopefully I don't need to use EU261, but it's nice to have that in the back pocket. Also I doubt I would need to take it to court since simply filing a complaint with the German civil aviation authorities would cause Qantas to reconsider, especially given the penalties associated with denying EU261 when court cases have shown compensation is owed.

If this is the reason you booked an AY codeshare on QF metal I think you will be SOOL if looking for compensation

No this isn't the reason I booked AY codeshare. This was the cheapest available itinerary I could book (there were flights via China that were cheaper but I can't take those given my Canadian citizenship, there was also a Vietnam Air flight but transit visas and 13 hour layovers in Saigon made it unworkable). There were options with a QF flight number but they cost several hundred more and quite frankly I don't see the point in booking them. Yes someone on the forum will point out extra status credits, and perhaps an opportunity to upgrade but at this point I neither need status credits nor have the heart to play upgrade lottery on Qantas especially after the last gong show with them in NZ.

6000 points.

To be more accurate the cancellation fee on a classic award is 6000 points/passenger and a change is 5000 points/passenger. This fee applies per itinerary. So if you booked two one ways instead of a return, you'll be paying that fee twice!

At the end of the day, QF *chooses* to codeshare with AY. It’s not an involuntary arrangement. By choosing to codeshare they may have accepted the expanded scope, even if they haven’t appreciated that yet.

And this is what codeshare means. It means yes I'm flying on a Qantas bird, but it is marketed to me as a FinnAir flight so it would be reasonable as a consumer to expect to receive similar benefits flying Qantas on a FinnAir codeshare as a FinnAir flight including protections under EU261 since FinnAir is an EU based airline.

Put another way, QF always accepts liability of EU261 by the simple fact that they interline with so many airlines. To give you a simple example, suppose I was flying from Helsinki to Hobart (connecting in Singapore and Sydney). Everything goes well until I get to that last flight: Sydney to Hobart, mechanical issues mean I've got an overnight delay. Guess what? Since the trip originated in the EU, EU261 applies irrespective of airlines involved. It means QF would owe me a duty of care in terms of meals and accommodation. It means I'd get 600 Euros for them for the inconvenience. It does not matter that the last flight is solely outside of the EU, all EU261 cares about is whether you originate in the EU and when you land at your final destination compared to when you were supposed to land. If more than 3 hours, 600 Euros is owed.

-RooFlyer88

 

[kangarooflyer88]

You won't be allowed through to the QF bus without a QF domestic connecting flight so you'll need to make your own way to T3

Fair enough. Would I do it? I'm not so sure. I mean I've got AmEx Platinum meaning I can access the arrivals lounge at International terminal (with shower). But that lounge is a bit cramped. Then again I don't have to deal with the hassle of using the T-bus.

-RooFlyer88

 

[tdimdad]

And this is what codeshare means. It means yes I'm flying on a Qantas bird, but it is marketed to me as a FinnAir flight so it would be reasonable as a consumer to expect to receive similar benefits flying Qantas on a FinnAir codeshare as a FinnAir flight including protections under EU261 since FinnAir is an EU based airline.

KF88, would you be able to point to the clause in EU261 which talks about this, please? Something that would confirm that e.g. AY5018 SYD-SIN (on QF), AY5093 (HKG-SYD on CX), etc, or your example of final destination in HBA are covered?

I would be surprised if those remote codeshares and final destinations are covered because they'd be completely outside of the control of the originating or marketing carrier (e.g. that SYD-HBA).

 

[ReyFenix]

I'm trying to book a return flight from Syd to LAX. I have enough QF points to get a reward fare on the outbound, and with current sale, there's cheap fares on the return. All good. But when I try and select the reward fare, and then a sale fare on the return, I get an error message saying "departing and return flights are not combinable'.

Not particularly experienced with using points etc, but is this correct? And if so, what's the value in getting a classic rewards flight for one leg, if I can't combine it with a return fare?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

KF88, would you be able to point to the clause in EU261 which talks about this, please? Something that would confirm that e.g. AY5018 SYD-SIN (on QF), AY5093 (HKG-SYD on CX), etc, or your example of final destination in HBA are covered?

It does not matter what EU261 says since I am not a lawyer and I suspect neither are you. It is up to the judges to interpret the meaning behind legislation. For instance at the beginning of EU261 it was up for debate whether something like a plane needing unscheduled maintenance or a pilot dying before having to perform a flight were considered extraordinary circumstances. The courts found that they were not upon interpreting the law.

Therefore, to cover the specific examples I presented, I must point you to specific case law which sets precedent on these points. To my first point that a connecting flight entirely outside of the EU is covered by EU261, I point you to Wegener vs Royal Air Maroc.

 

[elanshin]

Hey all,

Trying to figure out what status earnings would be -

I'm looking at SYD > HKG > PVG

When I look at the booking selecting SYD > SHA (SYD > HKG on QF, HKG > PVG on CX) Flex Y comes up as 60 SC on the booking page.

But using the QF calculator, it says that HKG > PVG on CX flex Y should earn 30 SC.
Am I missing something here?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Hey all,

Trying to figure out what status earnings would be -

I'm looking at SYD > HKG > PVG

When I look at the booking selecting SYD > SHA (SYD > HKG on QF, HKG > PVG on CX) Flex Y comes up as 60 SC on the booking page.

But using the QF calculator, it says that HKG > PVG on CX flex Y should earn 30 SC.
Am I missing something here?

What is the flight number of that flight? If it carries a QF flight number you will earn at the Qantas rate, if it carries a CX flight number you'll earn at the partner rate.