The Qantas Newbie Questions Thread

[encryptededdy]

Figure this is a newbie question: does a lounge pass have to be used by the expiry date, or linked to a flight by the expiry date?

Technically the former (and the system will enforce that for QF flights), but in practice if you link to a Jetstar flight you may be able to use a pass that will expire by the date of the flight.

 

[MooTime]

Flying Emrites First Class CHC - SYD, do you receive access to SYD first lounge? Upon landing.

With zero status on QF and Emrites.

I've gifted this trip to someone via reward seats and want to know if access to QF 1st lounge on arrival.

Thanks in advance.

 

[AIRwin]

Flying Emrites First Class CHC - SYD, do you receive access to SYD first lounge? Upon landing.

No - international departures and arrivals are segregated

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

And no QF lounge at CHC either, its the Manaia.
Not bad, but not flash either, has food and light drinks.
No EK lounge at CHC either.

 

[MooTime]

Thanks, thought so, bummer.

So obviously no chance of entry to Emrites lounge in Sydney either on arrival cos of the segregation.
I read something that the EK lounge is outside immigration gate 56 or something.

 

[dairyfloss]

Thanks, thought so, bummer.

So obviously no chance of entry to Emrites lounge in Sydney either on arrival cos of the segregation.
I read something that the EK lounge is outside immigration gate 56 or something.

Nearer to gate 58, but it’s absolutely airside, and it’s absolutely inaccessible to any arriving pax. You’ll have to gift them an F SYD-CHC trip some other time, to experience these two

 

[RichardMEL]

Thanks, thought so, bummer.

So obviously no chance of entry to Emrites lounge in Sydney either on arrival cos of the segregation.
I read something that the EK lounge is outside immigration gate 56 or something.

No, EK lounge is airside.

 

[MooTime]

Nearer to gate 58, but it’s absolutely airside, and it’s absolutely inaccessible to any arriving pax. You’ll have to gift them an F SYD-CHC trip some other time, to experience these two

Thanks, yeah I only opted to gift them CHC-SYD direction cos it's ~20 mins longer, every minute counts when maybe your only F trip in life, albeit only 3 hours.

No, EK lounge is airside.

Thanks also.

 

[exceladdict]

Technically the former (and the system will enforce that for QF flights), but in practice if you link to a Jetstar flight you may be able to use a pass that will expire by the date of the flight.

Thanks, I have a Dom J pass but my friend is travelling a few days after it expires. And I don't think she can use it on QF10 per-mel on her outbound.

 

[RichardMEL]

Thanks, I have a Dom J pass but my friend is travelling a few days after it expires. And I don't think she can use it on QF10 per-mel on her outbound.

Well the expiry date will nullify that, but I actually think it SHOULD be able to be used. Although QF10 - including this tag flight - are officially international and the Domestic Business Passes probably wouldn't link, given PER is a special case with the 10 leaving from T3 - QF10 customers can actually use the domestic J lounge prior going through international formalities (there were a bunch of customers when I was in there last week and they made a specific call for QF10 - and other int flights) in that lounge. I would say there'd be a reasonable argument to being able to use it, but it would probably have to be somehow linked manually as the system probably wouldn't consider it a valid flight.

but it's moot due to the expiry date unfortunately.

 

[exceladdict]

Well the expiry date will nullify that, but I actually think it SHOULD be able to be used. Although QF10 - including this tag flight - are officially international and the Domestic Business Passes probably wouldn't link, given PER is a special case with the 10 leaving from T3 - QF10 customers can actually use the domestic J lounge prior going through international formalities (there were a bunch of customers when I was in there last week and they made a specific call for QF10 - and other int flights) in that lounge. I would say there'd be a reasonable argument to being able to use it, but it would probably have to be somehow linked manually as the system probably wouldn't consider it a valid flight.

but it's moot due to the expiry date unfortunately.

Oh, I realise the error in my post. Her QF10 is just before it expires, the return after it does. Ok I will transfer it over (if it will expire anyway might as well), alongside a regular pass or two with longer expiries for the return

 

[cambriamarsh]

Has anyone tried going to the lounge and asking if their co travellers can go in instead of themselves?

Seeing If i can't get both my parents into QFi J lounge in Sydney but I can only bring +1. We're all be on the same flight (MU so I can't just add a lounge pass). I don't particularly need to go into QF lounge as I can access skyteam too.

Ask nicely and you might get both in.

 

[RichardMEL]

Oh, I realise the error in my post. Her QF10 is just before it expires, the return after it does. Ok I will transfer it over (if it will expire anyway might as well), alongside a regular pass or two with longer expiries for the return

OK cool. hopefully she can link it.. but if not, it may be worth a call to QF about it imo.

 

[robolb]

Probably a dumb question sorry. But here goes.

I'm looking around April/May 24 to fly the following sectors.

Sydney to Paris or London
Paris or London to Bangkok
Bangkok to Sydney.

Question 1. Buying Economy seats and upgrading to Premium or Business
Am I right in thinking, that if I book tickets via Qantas, and some of the sectors are on partner airlines, such as Emirates, I can only upgrade using points on the sectors with Qantas aircraft?

Kind of makes it hard, as so many International sectors are codeshares, not Qantas Aircraft.

I'm working on the assumption that it's better to buy economy and try to upgrade on points, than do the whole booking using points? I looked at that and still ended up paying $1,700 in changes on top of the 250k points. All a bit confusing for this old fart, sorry.

Question 2. Booking Classic Rewards in Premium or Business

I started off trying to book classic rewards seats, but got zero availability, even trying different dates. Probably because some sectors are not Qantas aircraft.

Looking at the Qantas route maps, I suspect I might be better booking Sydney-Singapore-London-Singapore-Sydney and just adding a side trip Singapore-Bangkok-Singapore?

Re status I'm only Lifetime Gold and my wife is only bronze. So probably being with her little chance of upgrades anyway?

 

[RichardMEL]

Question 1: Yes, that's correct. Only Qantas operated flights with a QF flight number qualify for upgrades.

Question 2: The problem is that you've missed the boat most likely as you're well within the booking window and most reward seats have been gobbled up already. Now, there may yet be more released, but unlikely unfortunately. Also popular routes like SYD-BKK are extra hard (SYD-HNL is another notorious one for example). I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's going to be difficult.

You might, if you have not already tried, to use the multi-city tool and break down what you want. You have an idea with Singapore, and potentially either redeem a jetstar asia Y reward to BKK (or just buy seats on any number of carriers from SIN)

As for europe - 1. London to fly out of will kill you with the APD (tax) on premium tickets, and also is very popular. I would look for reward flights to or through AMS on KLM as an option, and to other cities. If London is really wanted, look at DXB-LGW (Gatwick) on EK, or to MAN, or say somplace like BRU (see if there's any F seats on the "game changer"!) or other nearby locations in europe you could then train (or fly cheap) from to Paris or London.

You may need to be creative, and consider going via CMB (SriLankan), AMM(RJ) or HEL (AY).

another option is to get a paid JQ fare to SIN/BKK and look to rewards from there on say CX/MH/EK/KL etc) to europe.

good luck!

 

[robolb]

Question 1: Yes, that's correct. Only Qantas operated flights with a QF flight number qualify for upgrades.

Question 2: The problem is that you've missed the boat most likely as you're well within the booking window and most reward seats have been gobbled up already. Now, there may yet be more released, but unlikely unfortunately. Also popular routes like SYD-BKK are extra hard (SYD-HNL is another notorious one for example). I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's going to be difficult.

You might, if you have not already tried, to use the multi-city tool and break down what you want. You have an idea with Singapore, and potentially either redeem a jetstar asia Y reward to BKK (or just buy seats on any number of carriers from SIN)

As for europe - 1. London to fly out of will kill you with the APD (tax) on premium tickets, and also is very popular. I would look for reward flights to or through AMS on KLM as an option, and to other cities. If London is really wanted, look at DXB-LGW (Gatwick) on EK, or to MAN, or say somplace like BRU (see if there's any F seats on the "game changer"!) or other nearby locations in europe you could then train (or fly cheap) from to Paris or London.

You may need to be creative, and consider going via CMB (SriLankan), AMM(RJ) or HEL (AY).

another option is to get a paid JQ fare to SIN/BKK and look to rewards from there on say CX/MH/EK/KL etc) to europe.

good luck!

Many thanks Richard, that's most helpful.
I've started looking at more creative routes and am seeing some options.
So reward seats get snapped up that far ahead!
cough, I have trouble planning what I'll do next week let alone next year

Many thanks again

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

As a QFF SG, your chances of upgrades, at least are better than those on the lower QFF status tiers.
BUT, you will still have to contend with the overseas outsourced QFF call "centers", who may, on a too complicated reward booking botch it up.
Not that I have the ideal solution, or answer.
===
Also, Apr is school holidays for a lot of the states in Aust.

 

[KensAFF]

If I want to book a Qantas reward flight for myself and my partner, do the points have to be in both our QFF accounts, or all in mine, or can be done either way?

 

[robolb]

As a QFF SG, your chances of upgrades, at least are better than those on the lower QFF status tiers.
BUT, you will still have to contend with the overseas outsourced QFF call "centers", who may, on a too complicated reward booking botch it up.
Not that I have the ideal solution, or answer.
===
Also, Apr is school holidays for a lot of the states in Aust.

I was going to book it all online.
Is there a benefit to dealing with the call centres?

 

[AIRwin]

If I want to book a Qantas reward flight for myself and my partner, do the points have to be in both our QFF accounts, or all in mine, or can be done either way?

Either way:

• Using points in your account - both can be on the same booking, or can be separately booked
• Using points in individual accounts - it'll be on separate bookings