justinbrett
Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2006
- Posts
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- Qantas
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I’ve always clinged to the clause in the QF Conditions of Carriage :
(if we) “cause you to miss a connecting Qantas flight on which you have a confirmed booking“.
Well today I tested that out, flying BNE-MEL-HBA on separate bookings. Scheduled 55 minute connection became 20 and flight closed before we got off the aircraft (other pax on board had a through connection and were advised at the door).
Being on a Y points booking I wasn’t concerned particularly knowing the above clause but was given a rude shock when the service desk said “we can’t do anything for you as you were on two different bookings”. When I quoted the above clause she said “we don’t consider that you have a connection unless you have a single booking, so for a self connection it doesn’t apply”.
She also said I would need 90 minutes and I said straight away “that’s not the MCT for MEL, it’s 40 minutes”, which she then said “well you didn’t even have that!” - so I pointed out I had a scheduled 55 minute connection. I think being WP and realising I was going to be difficult she got approval to move me anyway. I got a QF flight 3 hours later which I was fine with - the single booking pax got moved to JQ so I’d count that as a win!
She wasn’t rude or anything and overall I was happy with it, just not happy with the interpretation of the rules. Perhaps it is just a MEL thing as this is also the port where most separate interline bookings are refused for bag connection despite QF policy.
She did say had I checked in at a desk for both flights they could have linked the bookings, which would have been done if I had checked bags. I’m checking with MadRooster if that’s actually the case, but if so it seems an easy fix. I guess perhaps it’s so they can proactively offload you and sell/use the seat for standby rather than it going empty.
All worked out well in the end but I’m far less confident in self connections after this. I don’t do them often, usually associated with international travel (I to D not D to I) who seem much more OK with it.
I even got my Neighbour Free seat refunded which I regretted booking after seeing all the spare seats when I checked this morning. Seems like I’m the only Queenslander stupid enough to head into the cold for the holidays. Service Desk said that as well, lucky I was going to Hobart as anywhere else would have been difficult.
(if we) “cause you to miss a connecting Qantas flight on which you have a confirmed booking“.
Well today I tested that out, flying BNE-MEL-HBA on separate bookings. Scheduled 55 minute connection became 20 and flight closed before we got off the aircraft (other pax on board had a through connection and were advised at the door).
Being on a Y points booking I wasn’t concerned particularly knowing the above clause but was given a rude shock when the service desk said “we can’t do anything for you as you were on two different bookings”. When I quoted the above clause she said “we don’t consider that you have a connection unless you have a single booking, so for a self connection it doesn’t apply”.
She also said I would need 90 minutes and I said straight away “that’s not the MCT for MEL, it’s 40 minutes”, which she then said “well you didn’t even have that!” - so I pointed out I had a scheduled 55 minute connection. I think being WP and realising I was going to be difficult she got approval to move me anyway. I got a QF flight 3 hours later which I was fine with - the single booking pax got moved to JQ so I’d count that as a win!
She wasn’t rude or anything and overall I was happy with it, just not happy with the interpretation of the rules. Perhaps it is just a MEL thing as this is also the port where most separate interline bookings are refused for bag connection despite QF policy.
She did say had I checked in at a desk for both flights they could have linked the bookings, which would have been done if I had checked bags. I’m checking with MadRooster if that’s actually the case, but if so it seems an easy fix. I guess perhaps it’s so they can proactively offload you and sell/use the seat for standby rather than it going empty.
All worked out well in the end but I’m far less confident in self connections after this. I don’t do them often, usually associated with international travel (I to D not D to I) who seem much more OK with it.
I even got my Neighbour Free seat refunded which I regretted booking after seeing all the spare seats when I checked this morning. Seems like I’m the only Queenslander stupid enough to head into the cold for the holidays. Service Desk said that as well, lucky I was going to Hobart as anywhere else would have been difficult.
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