Brisbane terminal transfer - no BP as taken by immigration

[Platy]

Recently I travelled QF on SYD-BNE on QF019 and then transferred terminals for their evening BNE-CNS flight booked online via the multi destination booking facility.

My boarding pass for QF019 had been taken by customs. The boarding pass for the BNE-CNS flight had not been issued at SYD check in and for some reason I couldn't see the OLCI facility to equip myself ready for the BNE-CNS flight.

Thus no boarding pass in my hand at International Skytrain, but ample evidence of connecting flight with booking print outs, baggage labels, etc.

The staff at the station were completely unhelpful, disinterested and basically refused to carry me without paying, even telling me to go get a taxi when I enquired as to why they would not honour the ride gratis as advised by QF. During this altercation they claimed that they can only accept transfer folk (without paying) with a boarding pass which they are able to scan in some machine so they have the numbers of pax to bill back QF.

My questions are thus:

- is this reasonable given there will be occasions when you do not have the boarding pass for the onward flight, but can present other supporting documentation to prove your onward journey?

- what happens if you have a print out from the OLCI facility, is their machine able to scan it?

- have people actually seen the Skytatrin staff scan their boarding passes or do they just take a quick look to see you have one and wave you through the barrier at Domestic (or International) during a transfer journey?

Look, I know this is basically trivial in terms of cost (it turned out to be a $4 fare), but it seems that QF has yet again failed to deliver a promised benefit (free terminal transfers). That said, I was more rattled by the bad attitude of the Skytrain staff than the cost of the solution.

 

[munitalP]

Platy, I feel for you....

I have had a number of occasions where the sky train inspector has caused me grief for that very same reason, a DOM-int flight into BNE with a connection out again from the DOM terminal.

The staff at the station "do my head in" for all the reasons you say...

I have learned to ensure you keep at least the BP stub on exit from BNE - if you tell the security guard you want the stub, they will take the portion of the BP with the orange D tag on it and give you back the rest.

Of all the times I have had the BP in hand, the ticket collector just looks at it and waves me through... I have never seen them scanned or any formal count happening of PAX exiting

Mr!

 

[Platy]

Platy, I feel for you....

I have had a number of occasions where the sky train inspector has caused me grief for that very same reason, a DOM-int flight into BNE with a connection out again from the DOM terminal.

The staff at the station "do my head in" for all the reasons you say...

I have learned to ensure you keep at least the BP stub on exit from BNE - if you tell the security guard you want the stub, they will take the portion of the BP with the orange D tag on it and give you back the rest.

Of all the times I have had the BP in hand, the ticket collector just looks at it and waves me through... I have never seen them scanned or any formal count happening of PAX exiting

Mr!

Thanks for ther info, munitalP!

In fact the boarding pass stub was torn off and retained by QF staff when I embarked QF019. The remainder of the bp of course was kept by customs, so no chance of keeping anything from that flight for the AirTrain folk.

I don't like being told porky pies by staff who are refusing to deliver a promsied service.

I may write to Qf and whoever is responsible for SkyTrain (I have a mate who has high level contacts in Brisbane transport industry/depts).

IF this is symptomatic the standard of Aussie welcome foreign tourists receive no wonder we have problems with a declining industry!

 

[serfty]

With D sticker travel, I always try to remember to copy my BP in the QP before boarding. As noted:

• Many International QF BP readers crop the small tag
• You need to surrender the BP upon arrival

Once when changing seats, I received a new BP and kept the old one with the orange sticker as it was stamped etc at emigration and I needed it on arrival.

Other than that; a quick photocopy, or failing that, a snap with one's digital camera/phone (after boarding as you forgot in the QP ) should suffice.

 

[Platy]

With D sticker travel, I always try to remember to copy my BP in the QP before boarding. As noted:

• Many International QF BP readers crop the small tag
• You need to surrender the BP upon arrival

Once when changing seats, I received a new BP and kept the old one with the orange sticker as it was stamped etc at emigration and I needed it on arrival.

Other than that; a quick photocopy, or failing that, a snap with one's digital camera/phone (after boarding as you forgot in the QP ) should suffice.

An excellent idea, Serfty! Many thanks!

Yes, I've remembered to keep the D sticker bp when the kind folk in CNS QP have magically conjured up an unexpected alternate bp for a seat at the front of the aircraft...but not been in the habit rpeviously of copying a bp before travel - nice idea.

 

[Commuter]

IF this is symptomatic the standard of Aussie welcome foreign tourists receive no wonder we have problems with a declining industry!

Combined with the fairly unpleasant treatment many tourists appear to receive from customs/quarantine and immigration in Australia. A bit sad, really.

 

[turtlemichael]

Combined with the fairly unpleasant treatment many tourists appear to receive from customs/quarantine and immigration in Australia. A bit sad, really.

Is it any worse, or better, than anywhere else? I still get a warm fuzzy feeling when the dog sniffs at my bag.

 

[spiggy_topes]

Look, I know this is basically trivial in terms of cost (it turned out to be a $4 fare), but it seems that QF has yet again failed to deliver a promised benefit (free terminal transfers). That said, I was more rattled by the bad attitude of the Skytrain staff than the cost of the solution.

Agree totally, although the problem is as much with Brisbane Airport's policy on transfer facilities, as with the staff. Having to book last-minute business travel often means departing from the International terminal but coming back to the Domestic, having gone through Sydney, and this crazy transfer system means spending another 30 minutes to get back to my car.

- There is a clear need for a free shuttle bus between terminals, like any other self-respecting airport anywhere in the world. If you have heavy bags it's a real pain getting from the terminal to the train service;

- Alternatively, why not just make it free to use the train between the Domestic and International terminals, as when you use the Heathrow Express to change terminals? The revenue QR make from the occasional transfer can't be that much (even if it is the most expensive trip in $/km anywhere on the network) and the boost to goodwill would be enormous.

My 2c.

 

[Commuter]

Is it any worse, or better, than anywhere else? I still get a warm fuzzy feeling when the dog sniffs at my bag.

I find that generally it's a bit worse than most places, especially some officers' attitude (rude and curt - they don't need to have that attitude towards tourists or anyone else for that matter, even though I fully recognise their need to ask questions), although it can be quite bad at UK immigration too.

Put it this way - seven out of 10 immigration/customs/quarantine officers with worst attitude that I've ever come across were at Australian airports (two were in the UK and one was in Japan). I can imagine for a tourist with poor English, their attitude could be quite disconcerting.

I sometimes feel a bit embarrassed seeing how some tourists appear to be getting 'spoken at', especially at quarantine in Australia. It's not the question they're asking or what they are saying to them, it's their attitude I have a problem with. (I sometimes feel like apologising to some tourists who I overheard being 'spoken at' and say that we're not all like that.) It's just not a nice first impression of a country.

Basically, in a similar vain to the 'attitude' issue of some Skytrain staff.

P.S. I have no problem with sniffer dogs, since I haven't seen any rude customs/quarantine dog yet!

 

[turtlemichael]

I find that generally it's a bit worse than most places, especially some officers' attitude (rude and curt - they don't need to have that attitude towards tourists or anyone else for that matter, even though I fully recognise their need to ask questions), although it can be quite bad at UK immigration too.

Obviously our experiences differ. Far and away the worst I've seen have been at LHR when a flight from the subcontinent came in and at DFW when I got off a flight from MEX. As to Platy's comments on Airtrain, I agree fully.

 

[2muchplastic]

I've only had to use the Airtrain once, and that was to go and collect the car that I'd parked at the Int terminal, when I'd flown back via SYD. I do remember feeling rather ripped off at paying the $4, as it was indicated to me that I had no entitlement to travel for free as I was not transiting. Not a great deal of choice though really is there ?

I get caught by the sniffer dog about 2/3 of the time coming back through BNE, just because I use my laptop rucksack for carrying my lunch (which always contains a large amount of fruit) to work. So Fido goes beserk whenever he stands near me, and it always seems to be one of the handlers in particular (who could have given the Spanish Inquisition tips on how to improve their intimidation tactics) who is with him at the time. It just makes you feel very guilty, and without having done anything illegal!

 

[anat0l]

I don't really see QF failing primarily in this regard although not to make the completely blameless obviously they did not see this potential problem. A letter is definitely in order.

A letter plus a bitter pill should be sent on to Airtrain as well. For the sake of not trying to help you out at all, especially with enough evidence to prove that you had a valid onward journey.

I would have given a parting shot to the attendant to go jump in the lake. Extreme perhaps (shooting the messenger), but considering their gouging QF in the end anyway it should be a fairly easy to make an allowance in lieu of your situation.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Did you pay the charge via credit card, then you could dispute the charge.

A phone call first to airtran is probably in order, then follow it up with a letter, just to make sure the letter doesn't just go into the bin.

 

[Dave Noble]

Did you pay the charge via credit card, then you could dispute the charge.

There would be no grounds to dispute the charge. Not wanting to pay the train fare would not be grounds for a chargeback

Dave

 

[Platy]

I would have given a parting shot to the attendant to go jump in the lake...

Yes, anat0l, I agree with your analysis and I must confess to losing my normally calmly assertive and polite demeanour momentarily when the scarce bearded pup relished his moment of unwarranted power (threats of kicking me out of the station to take a taxi etc) - thence I changed tack to being sarcastically over polite (I don't think he got the barbed humour - the boy needs to watch more english comedy!) ...I wouldn't mind so much if they actually did scan those bps (I'd never seen this done personally on previouslty trips through Brisvegas).

 

[Platy]

Did you pay the charge via credit card, then you could dispute the charge.

A phone call first to airtran is probably in order, then follow it up with a letter, just to make sure the letter doesn't just go into the bin.

Interesting suggestion although I wouldn't trust the youngster with one of my CCs given the prequelling preceedings!

 

[Platy]

Put it this way - seven out of 10 immigration/customs/quarantine officers with worst attitude that I've ever come across were at Australian airports (two were in the UK and one was in Japan). I can imagine for a tourist with poor English, their attitude could be quite disconcerting.

Albeit a unitary sample, my good mate, a 40 something (Australian) GP from Sydney travels to the US many times per year through SYD INTL.

On one re-entry to Aussie a couple of years ago the customs officer was extremely rude - made fun of his name, made fun of his religion (assumed from name) accused him of being a drug runner (he had some of his own pills) because he had been in southern California (on a medical conference!!!) and was generally extremely ascerbic. Totally unnecessary and vindictive behaviour.

He pursued a complaint to a very high level stopping just short of the Fed Gov Minister and received some letter of apology and was assured a investigation of the incident had been performed. He was angry enough to be gunning for the sacking of the officer in question.

The poor bugger dreads every trip back home in case he runs into the same officer or another of similar unprofesional incompetence. To be fair on customs he has not experienced anything like that since.

The deal is that if any customs officer treats you with anything less than professional courtesy you are entitled to demand a supervisor attend the discussion.

There is also an established complaint process.

 

[Commuter]

Luckily I have only been on the receiving end of rudeness a few times myself (about one of which I filed a formal complaint, although I just let others go - I didn't get an apology, although my complaint was upheld).

Those '10 worst rudeness' cases were something I witness others being subjected to rudeness (e.g. those who went before me while I was in a queue). Some of the officers were nice as pie to me (Australian) but rude as hell to tourists. I was tempted to say something to the officers but I decided not to, in case they turned on me as well, and I couldn't be dealing with it after a 36-hour trip. Not a good advert for Australia for sure.

 

[medhead]

I'm confused. I would have thought the OP had very little to do with QF. Queensaldn Rail run Skytrain and Brisbane Airports would have made the inter-terminal transit arrangements with QR. If neither of these parties have bother to consult the airlines on how to properly check passengers, I don't see how QF can do anything about it.

Personally, I think it's pretty good that there is any service. By comparison if you were to catch the train in SYD for a terminal transit it costs documentation or not. Yes QF have a bus for QF pax, but pax with any airline can use the train to transit at BNE

 

[medhead]

I get caught by the sniffer dog about 2/3 of the time coming back through BNE, just because I use my laptop rucksack for carrying my lunch (which always contains a large amount of fruit) to work. So Fido goes beserk whenever he stands near me, and it always seems to be one of the handlers in particular (who could have given the Spanish Inquisition tips on how to improve their intimidation tactics) who is with him at the time. It just makes you feel very guilty, and without having done anything illegal!

I try to save my guilty feelings for when I'm doing something dodgy Certainly, when I'm all legal, is when I'm at my supercillious best. They generally back off pretty quick when I ask the leading question, with a smug tone and smile.