QF corporate booking issues and lounge access

[Sdtravel]

So in a few weeks im travelling from SYD to SFO (via LAX) for business trip. Corp policy is Y but we can pay our own upgrade is we want (points, cash). Im a QC PS.

So i have booked my QF flights in Y. I called corp agent who advised they have issues rebooking my ticket in Y+. THey cant get access to the Y+ ticket for the exact same flights even though they all have availability.
The only way they can do it is to split the bookings as a return trip Syd to LAX and a return LAX to SFO. But i would loose my QF flight number for an AA one.
Agent tells me i would also have to recheck in on changing rather than not having to at all. Its going to cost me about $2.7K to change. There is no option to rebook or buy the ticket i want to start with as it would need to go through corporate approval.

So few questions
1 - That really does sound bad that an agent even when tickets are available piece things together. Flights are available in Y but the exact same flights arent available in Y+. Anyone got experience or suggestions. Spoke to QF who said i have to use the agent it was purchased with
2 - I really dont have to recheck in do i if i change from QF to AA? Dont interline agreements cover this?
3 - I assume i loose lounge access if my next flight is AA and im a QC member?
4 - Even if i have a QF flight number do i get access to the AA lounge in SFO? QF website wasnt clear on the AA lounge access for QC members or i wasnt confident in their wording. Eligibility and Access to The Qantas Club Lounges | Qantas Does it need to be QF flight or can it be AA?

I know i should be grateful for the free trip but i want to avoid Y if i can.

 

[jimmylikesitwet]

2 - I really dont have to recheck in do i if i change from QF to AA? Dont interline agreements cover this?
3 - I assume i loose lounge access if my next flight is AA and im a QC member?
4 - Even if i have a QF flight number do i get access to the AA lounge in SFO? QF website wasnt clear on the AA lounge access for QC members or i wasnt confident in their wording. Eligibility and Access to The Qantas Club Lounges | Qantas Does it need to be QF flight or can it be AA?

Not sure about 1. but here are some answers for you:

2. Interline will only work if the two flights are on the same ticket I believe.
3. You'll have Admirals club access whether your are on a QF or AA flight number.
4. See 3.

 

[Sdtravel]

Thanks
Would be 2 separate tickets which sucks. I thought interline was per alliance? ie OW? Guess not.

 

[daturtle]

Thanks
Would be 2 separate tickets which sucks. I thought interline was per alliance? ie OW? Guess not.

Pretty sure you need to collect your baggage and clear customs before heading to the domestic terminal. This is just from what I've read on here and a quick Google seems to agree, others with experience may be able to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[medhead]

Pretty sure you need to collect your baggage and clear customs before heading to the domestic terminal. This is just from what I've read on here and a quick Google seems to agree, others with experience may be able to correct me if I'm wrong.

A separate issue. Everyone has to collect bags and clear customs. The question is about whether they then have to be check in for the new flight or bag dropped to transit to the next flight. In the second case the bags are already tagged to the final destination.

 

[jimmylikesitwet]

Pretty sure you need to collect your baggage and clear customs before heading to the domestic terminal. This is just from what I've read on here and a quick Google seems to agree, others with experience may be able to correct me if I'm wrong.

When on a single ticket you can tag your bags through to the final destination. When arriving in LAX Australia at TBIT you clear immigration, collect your bag, clear customs and then drop your bags off before walking to whichever domestic terminal your next flight is from.

 

[Sdtravel]

Oh i fully expect that bit when arriving.
But i thought the interline would allow for me to have a boarding pass in SYD for the LAX to SFO leg. And that it would be just a redeposit bag rather than new checkin, remove old tags get new ones.
And on the return leg checkin in SFO and see bags again in SYD. No actions needed in LAX apart from change terminals

 

[yohy?!]

oneworld rules will apply to interline on 2 tickets, you will need both tickets on hand at the first checkin and they should be checked through to final destination

During your trip - oneworld

 

[Sdtravel]

Awesome. thats what i thought.

So the only issue now is why Corp TA cant piece my booking together.
Could it be a fare bucket issue? My outbound fligt is low on Y+ saver tickets. Could that be limiting my options to travel on the next leg?

 

[yohy?!]

Awesome. thats what i thought.

So the only issue now is why Corp TA cant piece my booking together.
Could it be a fare bucket issue? My outbound fligt is low on Y+ saver tickets. Could that be limiting my options to travel on the next leg?

it could well be - though my reference point is an itinerary to the US last year with CX which may not be fully accurate - I was doing the same thing HKG-SFO on CX then AA to DFW, I was able to upgrade the HKG return to PE - the entire itinerary had to be in an upgradeable fare class (M in this case) for it to work.

 

[Sdtravel]

So i would somehow need to make the AA flights that are currently under the QF codeshare also be upgraded to the Y+ ticket type class is what you are saying.
Ie i cant have a T and L tickets on the same booking. I would need to get them to be all T including the domestic Y flights

 

[ozbeachbabe]

So in a few weeks im travelling from SYD to SFO (via LAX) for business trip. Corp policy is Y but we can pay our own upgrade is we want (points, cash). Im a QC PS.

So i have booked my QF flights in Y. I called corp agent who advised they have issues rebooking my ticket in Y+. THey cant get access to the Y+ ticket for the exact same flights even though they all have availability.

Did you initially have a ticket issued in Y by the same agent prior to your agent doing a new booking in Y+? If so, what were the change fees in addition to the fare adcoll from Y to Y+?

It's better to just get the ticket booked and ticketed in Y+ from the get go as long as the TA is able to charge your employer for the Y value & you for the difference. That will avoid paying unnecessary change fees.

Out of curiosity, what is the TA charging for the separate ticket on AA LAX/SFO/LAX? Might be worth comparing what they charge to what the US AA website charges. Your computer will probably default to the AU AA site so you need to click on the USA flag up in the top right hand corner.

Only way they can do it is to split the bookings as a return trip Syd to LAX and a return LAX to SFO. But i would loose my QF flight number for an AA one.

A QF codeshare flight LAX/SFO cannot be booked and ticketed in isolation ie separate pnr and ticket as it must issued on the same ticket as the SYD/LAX flight, however is there not a Y+ fare SYD/xLAX/SFO (LAX/SFO would be in Y) or is it a lot more than the Y+ fare SYD/LAX only fare hence having to book separately?

Agent tells me i would also have to recheck in on changing rather than not having to at all.

Your travel agent is legally blonde.

In your case with a QF ticket SYD/LAX then an AA ticket LAX/SFO both booked separately it is possible for QF to tag bags & issue boarding passes SYD/LAX/SFO as both airlines are members of the One World Alliance. You will have the exact same experience in LAX as you would if you were booked on the one ticket.

Even though bags are tagged to SFO you must clear customs in LAX first before dropping off your bag afterwards at the bag drop at TBIT then proceed next door to T4 then head directly through the TSA screening point to the Admirals Club.

Interline will only work if the two flights are on the same ticket I believe.

JLIW - only if the airline LAX/SFO was not One World eg SYD QF LAX UA SFO on separate tickets bags only tagged to LAX but on same ticket bags tagged to SFO.

 

[Sdtravel]

Did you initially have a ticket issued in Y by the same agent prior to your agent doing a new booking in Y+? If so, what were the change fees in addition to the fare adcoll from Y to Y+?

The ticket is issued in Y. Havent confirmed the change to Y+ yet do to wanting answers to all these questions.
Change fees are the normal QF $100. Although they did mention at one point $77 but they could have been talking USD.

It's better to just get the ticket booked and ticketed in Y+ from the get go as long as the TA is able to charge your employer for the Y value & you for the difference. That will avoid paying unnecessary change fees.

I wanted this as well and asked for this. Employer prefers to do it this way.
I asked the TA who advised they cant split it and the only way to do it was to do it as a change.

Out of curiosity, what is the TA charging for the separate ticket on AA LAX/SFO/LAX? Might be worth comparing what they charge to what the US AA website charges. Your computer will probably default to the AU AA site so you need to click on the USA flag up in the top right hand corner.

I dont recall. I know its going to be more than the standard prices. But since im not paying the full thing i dont really mind. As long as i can get Y+ on the segments i want. I just dont want to have to pay much more for the AA codeshare flights if i can avoid it.

A QF codeshare flight LAX/SFO cannot be booked and ticketed in isolation ie separate pnr and ticket as it must issued on the same ticket as the SYD/LAX flight, however is there not a Y+ fare SYD/xLAX/SFO (LAX/SFO would be in Y) or is it a lot more than the Y+ fare SYD/LAX only fare hence having to book separately?

there might be but the issue comes back to corporate. The other flights were out of policy and would require approval. I also wasnt keen on paying more for the AA flights as its really only the QF flights i want upgraded. I do not if i go onto the QF website and select the Y+ type with the Y AA flights they are ticketed as Y+ fare rules so earn Y+ SC's so they must be booked on the same fare class i assume. I havent proceeded with the booking so cant say for sure

Your travel agent is legally blonde.

In your case with a QF ticket SYD/LAX then an AA ticket LAX/SFO both booked separately it is possible for QF to tag bags & issue boarding passes SYD/LAX/SFO as both airlines are members of the One World Alliance. You will have the exact same experience in LAX as you would if you were booked on the one ticket.

Even though bags are tagged to SFO you must clear customs in LAX first before dropping off your bag afterwards at the bag drop at TBIT then proceed next door to T4 then head directly through the TSA screening point to the Admirals Club.



JLIW - only if the airline LAX/SFO was not One World eg SYD QF LAX UA SFO on separate tickets bags only tagged to LAX but on same ticket bags tagged to SFO.

Thats what i thought too. Do you think that if i call QF and ask them what needs to be done to get this all to work it will help and then i can just relay the info on? Or do you think they will have a hard time wokring out and getting what i want to achieve.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Change fees are the normal QF $100. Although they did mention at one point $77 but they could have been talking USD.

It's quite likely that if there is a TA involved they will add their own fees over and above what the airline charges. One large well known chain has change fees that can be 5 times that of the airline yet will tell the pax that the fees are "airline change or cancellation fees" so they look like the good guy and use the airline as a scapgoat.

Do you think that if i call QF and ask them what needs to be done to get this all to work it will help and then i can just relay the info on? Or do you think they will have a hard time wokring out and getting what i want to achieve.

There's no point calling reservations because even if they did add the AA flights in as GK or passive segments into your QF pnr those segments won't generate across to the checkin system so when you get to the airport you'll still need to give the CSA the AA flight details so they can be added in as oncarriage.

You might even get told something different which will only complicate matters and make things seem harder than they really are.

All that needs to be done is to is take the AA itinerary with you when you checkin & note the fare bucket it's booked in eg Q,K,V etc otherwise the CSA can just enter Y as a generic class which shouldn't prevent the AA boarding pass printing out.

 

[Sdtravel]

Sorted
syohy?! Was right. The flight needs to be completely ticketed Y+ including domestic legs in Y.
Called qf who explained how to do it. Called agents again and explained and said they can call qf to get details.
So now sorted out on the right flights and cabins