JetStar is trying to ruin my holiday! Is there anything I can do?

[onlycopunk]

I'm contacting Qantas to ask about the flight they have listed and see if they claim that there is or isn't enough time.

If I could leave the night before I would, but I simply cannot. My graduation ceremony for my MBA is the day before along with a party and family members from overseas who are coming specifically for my graduation so I cannot just pick up and leave my own party!

 

[oz_mark]

Jetstars MCT for the Gold Coast is 1:45, so might be a struggle to convince them otherwise. Can't see much other than trying to get to the Gold Coast the night before (which seems impossible),

 

[onlycopunk]

Maybe I'm old fashioned, or it's been a while since I've been to OOL, but when you check in, your bags get checked all the way through, do they not? And OOL isn't some giant multinational airport, it's a shack with a vending machine! Aside from International flights to NZ, I wouldn't imagine them doing many more, nor can I imagine clearing outbound customs to be a very time consuming ordeal.

I would have already checked in at Sydney and bags would have been checked through, hence all I would need to do is wave goodbye to the customs officer and go through security again. Can't imagine that would take that long considering it's never taken me more then 20 minutes to check in and clear customs at Sydney.

 

[dajop]

SThe fishy thing is on the Qantas site if I select SYD-KIX they list a later 7:05am flight to OOL with the original flight to KIX. According to woman with terrible English at Jetstar, they cannot put me on that flight because the layover at OOL is not "long enough." Which makes me curious as to why Qantas would list this route, yet Jetstar wont let me fly on it.

Ignore the Qantas site, it's just a redirect to the Jetstar site, click through and try and book the listed 7:05 option and it DOESN'T bring up the 7:05am flight at all, as it takes you straight to the Jetstar booking engine ... and only allows you to book the options via CNS. QF booking engine probably has different minimum connection time rules to Jetstar's.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I'm contacting Qantas to ask about the flight they have listed and see if they claim that there is or isn't enough time.

If I could leave the night before I would, but I simply cannot. My graduation ceremony for my MBA is the day before along with a party and family members from overseas who are coming specifically for my graduation so I cannot just pick up and leave my own party!

The MBA may come in handy.....sorting this mess out.

 

[serfty]

Maybe I'm old fashioned, or it's been a while since I've been to OOL, but when you check in, your bags get checked all the way through, do they not? And OOL isn't some giant multinational airport, it's a shack with a vending machine! Aside from International flights to NZ, I wouldn't imagine them doing many more, nor can I imagine clearing outbound customs to be a very time consuming ordeal.

I would have already checked in at Sydney and bags would have been checked through, hence all I would need to do is wave goodbye to the customs officer and go through security again. Can't imagine that would take that long considering it's never taken me more then 20 minutes to check in and clear customs at Sydney.

This is not the case.

Jetstar do not provide for baggage connections from JQ domestic to JQ International. http://www.jetstar.com/au/en/popup/flight-connections.aspx

You would have to arrive at OOL on the domestic flight, collect your bags and recheck them for the international segment. (This would still have been the situation with your original booking)

You need to be checked in no later than 1 hour before your KIX flight at 9:05pm.

There is an extremely risky option:

• contact Jetstar and tell them to rebook simply from OOL. They should to do this since they have cancelled the JQ400 6:05am flight.
  
• Then make a new separate one-way booking on either Virgin Blue (7:10am-8:30am) or Jetstar (7:05am-8:25am) and PRAY that the flight is on time enough that you can collect your luggage, high tail it to JQi and check-in before it closes.

The risk here of course is worse than your current one. If you miss JQ19 out of OOL then you can kiss your whole trip goodbye.


The JQ15 flight from CNS is due into KIX at 7:10pm, some 50 minutes after your original JQ19 at 18:20. Note the CNS-KIX flight is sold out except for StarClass (which has NO seats currently pre-allocated). From my experiences at KIX, immigration is fairly rapid at that time of the evening ... what time is your flight from KIX?

 

[SimonM]

And OOL isn't some giant multinational airport, it's a shack with a vending machine! Aside from International flights to NZ, I wouldn't imagine them doing many more, nor can I imagine clearing outbound customs to be a very time consuming ordeal.

Ouch!

When I departed OOL for NZ a couple of weeks ago, the first bag check was done between the public check-in area and the general departure area. Fairly short lines, but still about 5 minutes and the usual chance of being selected for swabbing. The queue for international security (2 machines only) was perhaps a 15-20 minute line that wound its way back into the departure area and then another 5 or 10 minutes waiting for customs (3 officers).

So, if I was leaving in the morning, when a non-NZ bound international craft was being processed, I'd think about allowing 30 minutes at least, just for queuing.

 

[anat0l]

Ouch!

He's not exactly far from correct, you know.

Although a lot might have changed since I last flew through OOL in Feb 2009. But back then it was a mess of an airport.

 

[SimonM]

He's not exactly far from correct, you know.

Although a lot might have changed since I last flew through OOL in Feb 2009. But back then it was a mess of an airport.

I know, but it is certainly improved from the Freedom Air days when the International Terminal very basic facility indeed. As I recall, you used to have to walk up the road to the aero club to get anything to eat or drink while waiting.

 

[harvyk]

The only realistic option is catching DJ from SYD-OOL on DJ505, and even then your cutting it fine in OOL, as others have said you'd risk missing the OOL-KIX flight altogether...

The earlist QF \ JQ flight from SYD-BNE is JQ810, which gets in a 7:45... Not really enough time to get from BNE-OOL and check in... (it's an 80KM drive, which would be expensive with a taxi, and all sorts of variables could happen on the drive, eg a traffic jam, which is not unheard of along the pacific motorway...)

The other choice (and probably the safer option), spend the night at KIX, and fly out on JAL the next morning.

 

[medhead]

I'm contacting Qantas to ask about the flight they have listed and see if they claim that there is or isn't enough time.

If I could leave the night before I would, but I simply cannot. My graduation ceremony for my MBA is the day before along with a party and family members from overseas who are coming specifically for my graduation so I cannot just pick up and leave my own party!

You know best
I wouldn't view it as up and leaving the party more that the party finishes early. Given that you're leaving to Japan the next day, I assume that you've done your catching up with the overseas visitors. But then the last flight to brisbane on qantasis a 9 pm so probably a bit early. (I would also explain my lack of occassion by saying that having graduated 4 tmes my sense of celebration is reduced )

The earlist QF \ JQ flight from SYD-BNE is JQ810, which gets in a 7:45... Not really enough time to get from BNE-OOL and check in... (it's an 80KM drive, which would be expensive with a taxi, and all sorts of variables could happen on the drive, eg a traffic jam, which is not unheard of along the pacific motorway...)

The other choice (and probably the safer option), spend the night at KIX, and fly out on JAL the next morning.

At 7:45 on a sunday morning you should easily be able to do those 80 km in about 45 minutes. Still no real advantage. The cost would be about the same as an extra nights accomodation.

 

[dajop]

At 7:45 on a sunday morning you should easily be able to do those 80 km in about 45 minutes. Still no real advantage. The cost would be about the same as an extra nights accomodation.

The going into BNE (on the same morning) just seems plain daft to me. Faced with the choice of arriving into BNE at 7:45 and then catching a taxi or arriving in OOL at 8:25 - the OOL option seems far safer.

I think the best hope is perhaps to try and move the JAL flight.

 

[harvyk]

At 7:45 on a sunday morning you should easily be able to do those 80 km in about 45 minutes. Still no real advantage. The cost would be about the same as an extra nights accomodation.

and there is that lovely word... You should be able to do it easily in about 45 minutes... But that assumes no delay in finding a taxi, and no delay in getting bags at BNE, and no delay along the motorway, and even then it's no real time advantage over DJ505.

 

[onlycopunk]

Well, I think i'm just going to try and live with it, and not change anything.

In my experience airlines (full service) have been somewhat accommodating as far as missing flights though. Jetstar might not be very sympathetic, but if worst comes to worst JAL (which is a full service airline) might be sympathetic if we were to miss our connection. They only require check-in 15 minutes before departure, and hopefully with no hangups and the fabled efficiency of Japan we wont run into trouble. *touch wood*

Although I'm still contemplating raising a stink, the least they could do is give me the miles, or a free can of pringles or something.

 

[harvyk]

Well, I think i'm just going to try and live with it, and not change anything.

In my experience airlines (full service) have been somewhat accommodating as far as missing flights though. Jetstar might not be very sympathetic, but if worst comes to worst JAL (which is a full service airline) might be sympathetic if we were to miss our connection. They only require check-in 15 minutes before departure, and hopefully with no hangups and the fabled efficiency of Japan we wont run into trouble. *touch wood*

Although I'm still contemplating raising a stink, the least they could do is give me the miles, or a free can of pringles or something.

Good luck with the connections... Hopefully JQ will depart for KIX on time and you'll make it through without having to spend an unscheduled night somewhere...

Let us know how you go...

 

[mannej]

It could be a very costly situation if JL does not take your side if you do miss the new flight. They are not obliged to accommodate you nor are JQ. If you do miss that first JL flight, they may go ahead and cancel the whole booking.

It would be much better piece of mind getting it sorted before you left, even if it did cost you.

 

[medhead]

At 7:45 on a sunday morning you should easily be able to do those 80 km in about 45 minutes. Still no real advantage. The cost would be about the same as an extra nights accomodation.

The going into BNE (on the same morning) just seems plain daft to me. Faced with the choice of arriving into BNE at 7:45 and then catching a taxi or arriving in OOL at 8:25 - the OOL option seems far safer.

As I said no real advantage. I can add that there is also the potential for more complication - just to double emphasis the lack of advantage. I orginally made the suggestion expecting an earlier departing flight from Sydney.

and there is that lovely word... You should be able to do it easily in about 45 minutes... But that assumes no delay in finding a taxi, and no delay in getting bags at BNE, and no delay along the motorway, and even then it's no real time advantage over DJ505.

The taxis are lined up at BNE at 7:45 on a Sunday morning as the airport is about the only work going. (yes I drove taxi on many a Sunday)
If you don't like should then I'll say that you can make BNE to OOL by taxi in 45 minutes on a sunday morning.

Again I did say there was no advantage.

 

[blu]

Don't think that this will be the last change. We went through this in Feb.
SYD-CNS-NRT was cancelled, changed to SYD-OOL-NRT on a different day. Downgraded from *class to Y (as ex T3 SYD). Had to ask to get moved back to T1 for *class dom to OOL.
It takes a lot of phone calls to get a knowledgeable CSO.
Other than that, the actual flights have been great, including another 2 sectors more recent. Get an exit row if available. The transit in OOL is the pits but the JQ lounge is good value.
We are on JL Y+ next year, hoping they don't discontinue the SYD-NRT route (like BNE-NRT).