Travelling with JQ - need help with some info

[chooms]

Hi all,

Ms Chooms and I are about to book a long-deserved holiday to Hawaii in April.

We have done a lot of research and even managed to get a travel agent relative to help out and beat the online deals .

Also, I will be QFWP by the end of the month so looking for some time to spend at the SYD Flounge.

Our routing is BNE-SYD-HNL-SYD-BNE.

SYD-HNL-SYD will be with JQ.

My questions are:

1. If we travel JQ from BNE-SYD, can we check in at QF F check in at SYD Intl before JQ check in opens? There is a good five hours between when the JQ flight arrives at SYD and JQ check in opens for the HNL flight.
2. If not for the above, can we go to the JLounge in T3 to wait and then use the international transfer bus or would we still have to get the train over?
3. For no.2, do we check in at the JQ area or QF F area?
4. Do we get lounge access in HNL on our return flight?
5. If we travel QF SYD-BNE on return, can we catch the transfer bus or do we have to use the train?

Note: the QF flights are much more expensive than the JQ ones between BNE-SYD and SYD-BNE but willing to spend the extra to have the ease of transfer between the two terminals and early access to Flounge.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Boris spatsky]

If it is booked as one PNR, you get the bus included. You can't use QF F check in in Sydney, only JQ. It is a PITA, and yes, only opens 3 hours before. You could try T3 dom QP on arrival from BNE but i don't like your chances (could just flash the WP card and try to walk through?). You should get lounge access in the QP in HNL, yes.

 

[chooms]

Thanks for that.

Looks like we can do the domestic flights with QF now as they have come down in price apparently.

Will our bags be tagged all the way to HNL or will we still need to pick up and drop off at JQ check in?

 

[Boris spatsky]

Pick up and drop off from memory.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Hi all,

Ms Chooms and I are about to book a long-deserved holiday to Hawaii in April.

We have done a lot of research and even managed to get a travel agent relative to help out and beat the online deals .

Also, I will be QFWP by the end of the month so looking for some time to spend at the SYD Flounge.

Our routing is BNE-SYD-HNL-SYD-BNE.

SYD-HNL-SYD will be with JQ.

My questions are:

1. If we travel JQ from BNE-SYD, can we check in at QF F check in at SYD Intl before JQ check in opens? There is a good five hours between when the JQ flight arrives at SYD and JQ check in opens for the HNL flight.

2. If not for the above, can we go to the JLounge in T3 to wait and then use the international transfer bus or would we still have to get the train over?

3. For no.2, do we check in at the JQ area or QF F area?

4. Do we get lounge access in HNL on our return flight?

5. If we travel QF SYD-BNE on return, can we catch the transfer bus or do we have to use the train?

1. If you fly JQ BNE/SYD they will only tag your bags through to SYD & you will have to pick them up at T2 & take the Tbus or the train around to the international terminal with your bags.

2. You cannot take checked luggage on the QF shuttle bus from T3 to the international terminal. If you were waiting in the J Lounge at T3 you would first have to put your luggage in storage as you wouldn't be able to take your suitcases through airport security.

3. Haven't done this first hand but I think if you have luggage you must checkin with JQ no earlier than 3 hours prior to departure. There have been reports people have been able to checkin and get boarding passes earlier than 3 hours provided JQ checkin is open as long as pax are travelling with hand luggage only.

4. I believe so as what Boris said above but have only flown QF HNL/SYD & used the lounge.

Looks like we can do the domestic flights with QF now as they have come down in price apparently.

Will our bags be tagged all the way to HNL or will we still need to pick up and drop off at JQ check in?

If you are travelling on QF BNE/SYD they will through check your bags onto the JQ flight. As you have separate bookings make sure you tell the checkin agent you want your bags through checked to HNL. Lots of AFFers have been able to do this ex MEL or BNE with separate bookings. There have been reports of checkin agents saying it can't be done so if there's any issues ask them to check with the supervisor who is at counter 21.

Sometimes you will receive your JQ boarding passes in BNE but it is a bit hit and miss if the link between QF & JQ is down. Whether or not you get your JQ boarding pass won't affect your bags being through checked to HNL so if you don't get them I would walk down to JQ checkin which is just past the 3 QF baggage carousels & the Go Cafe in the same domestic terminal as QF.

There should be a JQ PSM on duty at the far right Service Desk counter closest to the escalator so I would ask them if they can do a reprint of your SYD/HNL boarding pass. I believe will already show as being checked in, it's just that the message doesn't generate back to QF to issue the boarding pass. They have been helpful with reprinting JQi boarding passes SYD/MEL for Flounge runs on the old JQ35 where pax were flying BNE/SYD first on QF but unable to obtain the JQi boarding pass.

The QP or JL at SYD T3 won't be able to issue JQi boarding passes.

 

[madrooster]

They have been helpful with reprinting JQi boarding passes SYD/MEL for Flounge runs on the old JQ35 where pax were flying BNE/SYD first on QF but unable to obtain the JQi boarding pass.

BNE JQd check in has the ability to print JQi BPs with 3D barcode? Are SYD JQd or JQd MEL able to do this too?

 

[ozbeachbabe]

BNE JQd check in has the ability to print JQi BPs with 3D barcode? Are SYD JQd or JQd MEL able to do this too?

Not sure whether the ones that BNE Dom issue are 3D, however if it's good enough to get you through customs to the FLounge 5 hours prior instead of waiting for JQ checkin to open then who cares?

You can always ask JQi to do a reprint another one prior to boarding so that it scans correctly.

I would think JQd at SYD & MEL could do it if they want but they would have to want to do it & be in the land of the willing.

 

[chooms]

Thank you all for your help. In the end we booked QF flights for BNE-SYD and SYD-BNE.

The BNE-SYD leg get us in 4.5 hours before departure for SYD-HNL so hopefully BNE Dom QF will be able to check bags all the way through, print BPs and we glide on to the bus to T1 in SYD and have a good four hours Flounging.

I will be sure to let you all know how we go.

P.S. I am dreading the 9 hours on JQ but the sale fare for the Easter school holiday period (Ms Chooms may or may not work in the education sector) was too good to turn down!!

 

[drewbles]

If it is booked as one PNR, you get the bus included. You can't use QF F check in in Sydney, only JQ. It is a PITA, and yes, only opens 3 hours before. You could try T3 dom QP on arrival from BNE but i don't like your chances (could just flash the WP card and try to walk through?). You should get lounge access in the QP in HNL, yes.

Doesn't matter about the one PNR, as long as you arrived on a QF flight (storyteller and I had an animated discussion about this with the gate agent for the bus).

If it is on the same PNR, BNE can issue JQ boarding passes, if it's booked through QF. Not sure about through a TA (I have had QF issue a JQ Domestic BP for SYD-MEL when I was travelling out of MEL on a QF flight). So there are some exceptions.

*edit*
Forgot as mentioned that luggage will be the issue. You'll be better off with a taxi for the two of you (around $10).

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Thank you all for your help. In the end we booked QF flights for BNE-SYD and SYD-BNE.

The BNE-SYD leg get us in 4.5 hours before departure for SYD-HNL so hopefully BNE Dom QF will be able to check bags all the way through, print BPs and we glide on to the bus to T1 in SYD and have a good four hours Flounging.

I will be sure to let you all know how we go.

P.S. I am dreading the 9 hours on JQ but the sale fare for the Easter school holiday period (Ms Chooms may or may not work in the education sector) was too good to turn down!!

Crikey I hope for your sake Mrs Chooms has a good flight because if she doesn't you may or may not find yourself on detention!

If it is on the same PNR, BNE can issue JQ boarding passes, if it's booked through QF. Not sure about through a TA (I have had QF issue a JQ Domestic BP for SYD-MEL when I was travelling out of MEL on a QF flight). So there are some exceptions.

*edit*
Forgot as mentioned that luggage will be the issue. You'll be better off with a taxi for the two of you (around $10).

Even if they don't get boarding passes on JQ for SYD/HNL, the baggage should be checked through so as they have arrived on a QF flight it doesn't matter who they've flying with ex SYD, they can use the QF bus from the transfer desk opposite gate 1 in T3 around to T1.

With regard to QF SYD (?) issue a boarding pass for a JQ flight SYD/MEL, was this a JQi flight SYD/MEL? The only way QF can issue a boarding pass on JQ is:

a) if the first flight is a QF metal one followed by a JQi flight whether JQ3 SYD/HNL or JQ1 SYD/MEL ie an intl A330 flight not a domestic A320 flight as it's then based on whether QF have an IATCI (inter airline through checkin) agreement.

b) if QF happen to have the ground handling contract in that port to do JQ checkin. If that is the case then QF CSA's would be able to access JQ's Navitaire checkin system so would technically be able to reprint a boarding pass. QF can not access a JQ flight via their own Altea checkin system in isolation ie without a QF (metal) flight preceeding it.

 

[chooms]

With the trip now complete, I can answer my own questions:

1. If we travel JQ from BNE-SYD, can we check in at QF F check in at SYD Intl before JQ check in opens? There is a good five hours between when the JQ flight arrives at SYD and JQ check in opens for the HNL flight.

No. We asked at the QF F check-in and the answer was no.

2. If not for the above, can we go to the JLounge in T3 to wait and then use the international transfer bus or would we still have to get the train over?

Wasn't any need. After much negotiation (see below) over bags being checked right through to HNL, we used the QF Transfer bus as entitled.

3. For no.2, do we check in at the JQ area or QF F area?

JQ area only.

4. Do we get lounge access in HNL on our return flight?

Yes. As a WP, we got lounge access in the QF operated lounge in HNL.

5. If we travel QF SYD-BNE on return, can we catch the transfer bus or do we have to use the train?

Don't know. A SYD friend offered to come and meet us to catch up before our SYD-BNE flight so didn't use it.

Additional info:

The QF check-in agent in BNE for our first BNE-SYD leg refused to check our bags through to HNL because "QF doesn't receive any revenue to do so and the baggage handlers are picky about transferring JQ tagged bags." He claimed he would have been able to do it if we had booked under the QF codeshare for the JQi flight.

This was complete bullsh*t. QF can interline bags for all OneWorld AND Jetstar International flights - even if they are separate bookings.

The reason I know this - the very nice J lounge guy at BNE who linked our bookings (says the check-in agent should have done it) before recalling our bags so they could have BNE-SYD-HNL tags placed on them.

Whilst we had to go and collect the bags and re-check them with the new tags, it saved the hassle of collecting them in SYD and lugging them to T1 so we could spend more time Flounging.

Also, the nice Jlounge guy tried printing our JQi boarding passes for us but was unsuccessful. Tried at the JQ counter at BNE domestic who couldn't print them either. Got them printed at SYD T1 check-in.

Bag story different for HNL-SYD: only checked through to SYD which was OK because we were meeting a friend at T1 before heading to T3.

 

[Mrmaxwell]

With the trip now complete, I can answer my own questions:

Thanks for the reply with updated info.

How did you go with accessing the F Lounge early in SYD?

 

[chooms]

Thanks for the reply with updated info.

How did you go with accessing the F Lounge early in SYD?

We didn't actually get there early. Our flight from BNE was delayed a bit.

Also, due to our SYD-HNL JQi boarding passes having to be printed in SYD at T1, we wouldn't have had early access due to having to check-in with everyone else.

 

[toowongman]

Out of sheer curiosity, how much were your tickets in total from BNE-HNL and return? The reason I ask is that the whole trip seemed somewhat overcomplicated compared to paying more and just flying BNE-HNL directly with HA.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

5. If we travel QF SYD-BNE on return, can we catch the transfer bus or do we have to use the train

Don't know. A SYD friend offered to come and meet us to catch up before our SYD-BNE flight so didn't use it.

Anyone who is booked on a QF domestic flight with a checked bag can lodge it at the domestic transfer desk at the international terminal prior to taking the QF shuttle bus from T1 to T3. I'm not sure what the cut off time is for lodging your bags.

Additional info:

The QF check-in agent in BNE for our first BNE-SYD leg refused to check our bags through to HNL because "QF doesn't receive any revenue to do so and the baggage handlers are picky about transferring JQ tagged bags." He claimed he would have been able to do it if we had booked under the QF codeshare for the JQi flight.

It's not up to the CSA to decide whether or not to check bags through based on their belief on whether or not QF receive revenue from JQ for baggage handling. What matters is that there is an agreement in place whether or not all flights are in the same booking or separate pnrs.

Similarly it's not up to the baggage handlers to be "picky" about what bags they load onto an aircraft. It's the same amount of effort for a baggage handler to load a bag onto (eg QF537) whether the bag is tagged to SYD or connecting onto HNL - they would just load it into the tranship can for the latter.

As to the claim that it would have been okay to through check the bags if the SYD/HNL was booked as a QF codeshare flight: whether the SYD/HNL flight is sold as JQ3 or under the QF codeshare flight number, the baggage tag would look identical ie it would say QF537/JQ3 as the bag tag will print out with the flight number of what airlines 'metal' you're travelling on SYD/HNL ie a baggage handler would not be able to tell by looking at the tag if the JQ flight SYD/HNL was booked as QFxx_ or JQ3.

Also, the nice Jlounge guy tried printing our JQi boarding passes for us but was unsuccessful. Tried at the JQ counter at BNE domestic who couldn't print them either. Got them printed at SYD T1 check-in.

It's hit and miss as to whether you will get your JQ boading pass SYD/HNL at the same time as your BNE/SYD one. I think the message generates to check you in on JQ as generally they just have to reprint your boarding pass if you're showing as having been checked in. I know some people have managed to successfully get JQ35 boarding passes reprinted for SYD/MEL by JQ at BNE Domestic.

Bag story different for HNL-SYD: only checked through to SYD which was OK because we were meeting a friend at T1 before heading to T3.

The return journey HNL/SYD/BNE is not nearly as crucial to have your bags through checked to BNE because regardless of whether your bags are tagged to BNE or SYD you will still have to collect them off the baggage carousel in SYD to clear customs.

All they would have to do at the transfer desk is remove the old tag to SYD & put a new one on your bag at the same time as they give you your boarding pass for the SYD/BNE flight.

 

[chooms]

Out of sheer curiosity, how much were your tickets in total from BNE-HNL and return? The reason I ask is that the whole trip seemed somewhat overcomplicated compared to paying more and just flying BNE-HNL directly with HA.

We scored sale fares SYD-HNL-SYD for $650 each (including 20kg baggage). We added meals for the return flight only as it is a day flight.

QF BNE-SYD-BNE was around $240 each. Was a little bit cheaper to go JQ but we went with QF.

HA BNE-HNL-BNE was ridiculously priced. It was QLD school holidays at the time. We did consider HNL-BNE for the return flight but from memory it added over $1,500 to the total cost and we didn't get lounge access in HNL.

I didn't mind going via SYD. Add the extras of a massage, 2.5hrs drinking Tattinger and gorging on Salt and Pepper squid and the most delicious beer-braised wagyu beef cheek I have ever tasted (yes, seriously it was unbelievable) at the QF Flounge as opposed to no lounge with HA out of Brisbane, I reckon it was worth it. Ms Chooms certainly didn't mind!

 

[toowongman]

We scored sale fares SYD-HNL-SYD for $650 each (including 20kg baggage). We added meals for the return flight only as it is a day flight.

QF BNE-SYD-BNE was around $240 each. Was a little bit cheaper to go JQ but we went with QF.

HA BNE-HNL-BNE was ridiculously priced. It was QLD school holidays at the time. We did consider HNL-BNE for the return flight but from memory it added over $1,500 to the total cost and we didn't get lounge access in HNL.

I didn't mind going via SYD. Add the extras of a massage, 2.5hrs drinking Tattinger and gorging on Salt and Pepper squid and the most delicious beer-braised wagyu beef cheek I have ever tasted (yes, seriously it was unbelievable) at the QF Flounge as opposed to no lounge with HA out of Brisbane, I reckon it was worth it. Ms Chooms certainly didn't mind!

Nice work. Thanks

 

[chooms]

It's not up to the CSA to decide whether or not to check bags through based on their belief on whether or not QF receive revenue from JQ for baggage handling. What matters is that there is an agreement in place whether or not all flights are in the same booking or separate pnrs.

Similarly it's not up to the baggage handlers to be "picky" about what bags they load onto an aircraft. It's the same amount of effort for a baggage handler to load a bag onto (eg QF537) whether the bag is tagged to SYD or connecting onto HNL - they would just load it into the tranship can for the latter.

As to the claim that it would have been okay to through check the bags if the SYD/HNL was booked as a QF codeshare flight: whether the SYD/HNL flight is sold as JQ3 or under the QF codeshare flight number, the baggage tag would look identical ie it would say QF537/JQ3 as the bag tag will print out with the flight number of what airlines 'metal' you're travelling on SYD/HNL ie a baggage handler would not be able to tell by looking at the tag if the JQ flight SYD/HNL was booked as QFxx_ or JQ3.

Yep - it was ridiculous. I tried pointing this out to the CSA. He was adamant that he wouldn't do it. I asked him to call his supervisor, which he did, and the supervisor said he couldn't to it either. By this point Ms Chooms was pretty over it and we just accepted that we were going to have to take our bags ourselves.

It was only when Ms Chooms enquired at the J service desk that the situation was resolved.

I am sorry I didn't take the details of the CSA to pass on to Qantas... he (and the supervisor) obviously need a bit of refresher training.