Tight PER connection on Qantas Classic Reward booking?

[Iscah]

Hello everyone,

Long time reader, first time poster here.

I have a Classic Reward Flight booked for August from MEL-PER-FCO. My key concern is that I only have a 2h 30m stopover in Perth. This is the longest stopover currently avaliable for all flights booked from MEL to FCO in the Qantas website, however Qantas appears to be recommending arriving at the airport 4h early for international flights. My question is that, if I missed the connection due to the tight transfer timeframe, would it be Qantas’ responsibility to rebook me on the next flight at their cost? I’ve emailed Qantas but still waiting on a response. Also, does anyone know if I can check my bags in all the way from MEL to FCO or do I need to recheck them in in PER as it’s a domestic-to-international connection?

Thanks!

 

[Mwenenzi]

Iscah Welcome to AFF

On 1 ticket / award your bags will checked MEL to FCO. What the full route? EK or QF? What flight MEL-PER? Any documentation checks and CV19 checks, if any, would expect to be done at MEL.
But August is along time away. So would check flights closer to the time. Schedules can change.

 

[serfty]

@Iscah , welcome to AFF.

Lets take these questions in reverse order:

• As on the one booking, you should be able to check them all the way though - you won't see them until Rome. Use the "Domestic Connection to International" counters at MEL Qantas Domestic.
• Qantas would protect you should you miss the connection due to delays on their part, but even then it may be problematic getting to Rome. So don;t delay upon arrival inter PER.
• That 4 hours is for checking in at PER. You need to check in 90 minutes before your MEL flight departs.
• I often use Multi-City bookings to get longer connection times. For international flights, if not more than 24 hours, the cost should be the same. i.e. MEL-PER and then PER-FCO.

 

[Iscah]

Thanks @Mwenenzi and @serfty for the prompt responses! That’s helpful to know. Sounds like there is nothing to worry about re checking in bags.

Specifically, I’m flying QF 779 MEL to PER (departing 1745h, arriving 1950h) and QF 5 PER to FCO (departing 2220h, arriving 0845h). I should have booked an earlier MEL to PER using Multi-City in hindsight. I’m reluctant to cancel my existing booking and rebook online as I’ve managed to secure a premium economy seat from PER to FCO and there are no further seats left. I’m still waiting to hear back from Qantas. Perhaps they can change the MEL to PER leg and allow me to keep the PER to FCO premium economy seat.

Thanks again!

 

[Mwenenzi]

As all in 1 ticket would not be concerned. Just watch for schedule changes. At times schedule changes can work to your advantage.

 

[TheInsider]

2.5hrs is plenty of time, no need to stress.

 

[ChrisMars]

Thanks @Mwenenzi and @serfty for the prompt responses! That’s helpful to know. Sounds like there is nothing to worry about re checking in bags.

Specifically, I’m flying QF 779 MEL to PER (departing 1745h, arriving 1950h) and QF 5 PER to FCO (departing 2220h, arriving 0845h). I should have booked an earlier MEL to PER using Multi-City in hindsight. I’m reluctant to cancel my existing booking and rebook online as I’ve managed to secure a premium economy seat from PER to FCO and there are no further seats left. I’m still waiting to hear back from Qantas. Perhaps they can change the MEL to PER leg and allow me to keep the PER to FCO premium economy seat.

Thanks again!

As other say, plenty of time, no reason to be anxious, plus its all on Qantas, on the same ticket, so really the best situation to be in, in the unlikely event of a connection issue. Now, if you really wanted to rebook for an earlier flight (I wouldn't), don't cancel and rebook, but call to change your MEL-PER flight to an earlier one (assuming there are still Y award available) that way you keep your PE seat for PER-FCO.

Final point, be prepare to never hear back from Qantas about your email request, they are unreliable here.

 

[aikman]

Don't worry about the 2.5 hr transit. Worry about the likely possibility that Qantas will reschedule any of your flights, stuffs up your booking and you are then forced to call the call centre and suffer the long wait times.

 

[aidan059]

Sorry to divert but I'm in a similar situation for June flight. SYD-PER-DOH-DUB as part of OTW ticket.

SYD-PER on QF and PER-DOH on QR. Connection time is 3hr 10mins at PER however arrive at Terminal 4 and have to transfer to Terminal 1 for QR. Is there possibility I may miss connection as T1 is a bus ride/taxi away from T4? Would QF be responsible for getting me to Doha/Dublin and would it mess up my OTW ticket if I did miss the connecting flight due to QF?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Just checked the Perth airport website, their transfer bus from T4 to T1/vv is one every 40 mins!
Taxi from T4 to T1 is very fast, about $30 I think I paid when I did it in 2013, maybe more now.
Edit: for Iasch, is your PER - FCO (Rome) via LHR with QF?
If you are on the QFi flight PER - LHR, you depart from PER QFi T3, so its an easy doddle.
If your flight is with EK, then you will need to get to T1, taxi/Uber is best.
I had a look for QF flights later in 2022, no direct flights on the QF website PER - FCO (Rome).
Though I think there was mention of this flight, but am too old a pooch to remember for sure.
Don't rely on the transfer bus, esp if you have to get from T4 to T1, not saying that the service is bad, but the earlier you can get to T1, the better, maybe either taxi/Uber is the best.
Coming back, when you have more options of QFd flights, then try the bus.
The taxi/Uber from T4 to T1 should take about 20 mins, it has to go via the public road, as does the transfer bus.
When I did it, I think it was about 11.30am to 1.30pm, that was when QF flew PER - SIN in the afternoon, arriving into SIN after nightfall SIN time.
Nowadays, they leave PER earlier in the day.
As for linked OW partner flights, I can't say about the process.
But QFd to QFi at PER, if you have had the passport swipe down in MEL, and don't have to go to the check in counter at PER QFi, its fast.
Just go through from PER QFd at T4 to QFi at T3 for passport and customs outgoing.
For QR, the transit to T1 is usually quite fast, by taxi/Uber.
When I came back from T1 to T4, at that time QF still flew into T1, the bus was ok.
Of course now that QFi flies out from PER T3, its not that bad to walk across.
Sorry for the waffly.

 

[Franky]

Just checked the Perth airport website, their transfer bus from T4 to T1/vv is one every 40 mins!
Taxi from T4 to T1 is very fast, about $30 I think I paid when I did it in 2013, maybe more now.
Edit: for Iasch, is your PER - FCO (Rome) via LHR with QF?
If you are on the QFi flight PER - LHR, you depart from PER QFi T3, so its an easy doddle.
If your flight is with EK, then you will need to get to T1, taxi/Uber is best.
I had a look for QF flights later in 2022, no direct flights on the QF website PER - FCO (Rome).
Though I think there was mention of this flight, but am too old a pooch to remember for sure.
Don't rely on the transfer bus, esp if you have to get from T4 to T1, not saying that the service is bad, but the earlier you can get to T1, the better, maybe either taxi/Uber is the best.
Coming back, when you have more options of QFd flights, then try the bus.
The taxi/Uber from T4 to T1 should take about 20 mins, it has to go via the public road, as does the transfer bus.
When I did it, I think it was about 11.30am to 1.30pm, that was when QF flew PER - SIN in the afternoon, arriving into SIN after nightfall SIN time.
Nowadays, they leave PER earlier in the day.
As for linked OW partner flights, I can't say about the process.
But QFd to QFi at PER, if you have had the passport swipe down in MEL, and don't have to go to the check in counter at PER QFi, its fast.
Just go through from PER QFd at T4 to QFi at T3 for passport and customs outgoing.
For QR, the transit to T1 is usually quite fast, by taxi/Uber.
When I came back from T1 to T4, at that time QF still flew into T1, the bus was ok.
Of course now that QFi flies out from PER T3, its not that bad to walk across.
Sorry for the waffly.

Direct PER-FCO fights begin 25JUN22...

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Was looking at Oct & Dec on the QF website, and nothing PER to FCO Rome came up, direct.
Ta for the tip.
Edit: ah, yep, found it, not daily, and found Aug's ones mid of the month.
PER QFd T4 to PER QFi T3, no worries, just next door.
And as above have mentioned, linked PNR, a bit easier to handle.

 

[Franky]

Was looking at Oct & Dec on the QF website, and nothing PER to FCO Rome came up, direct.
Ta for the tip.
Edit: ah, yep, found it, not daily, and found Aug's ones mid of the month.
PER QFd T4 to PER QFi T3, no worries, just next door.
And as above have mentioned, linked PNR, a bit easier to handle.

Three days per week. One thing I find odd is that we're booked on the first flight leaving FCO 23JUN, yet the first fight out of PER is not until 25JUN. I doubt they would fly an empty aircraft to FCO to kick it off. Perhaps they are re-routing another aircraft that will be in Europe at that time to start from FCO? Further to that, given the arrival time in PER is around 0730, I guess there is time for the aircraft to do a return run to the East coast before flying back to FCO the following day?

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Its possible that that flight might be one that flew PER - LHR.
Who knows, only QF does, as to where that plane for the FCO - PER flight came from.
Have to wait till after, to do a "track incoming aircraft" on websites like flightaware.