1.5 hour transfer time QF - AA at LAX

[GCC]

I am traveling to Nashville next August and have found QF classic awards SYD - LAX and DFW - SYD in F / J on my travel dates, which I assume / hope I'll be able to book as MASA's.

QF11 arrives LAX at 9.45 am and the only non stop connecting flight on AA to Nashville leaves at 11.15 am. As I'd be booking this AA flight on a separate itinerary, will QF in SYD check me all the way through to Nashville BNA?

I've had tight (ie circa 2 hours) connection times to AA at LAX before, and with the ground staff waiting at the arrival gate with yellow priority cards for customs, plus the benefit of F luggage tags I'd be confident of making it provided the flight is reasonably on time I'm actually checked through.

 

[mannej]

Is 90 minutes even legal at LAX?

I do believe that should you miss the flight AA will look after you. However are you willing to risk a 90 minute connection at LAX?

 

[serfty]

It does not meet MCT, being 2:00.

I would not even contemplate such a connection.

 

[GCC]

Agree it is dicey, but the 11.15 seems to be the last non stop flight that day. The first flight out of LAX that would meet the MCT (12.00) is via DFW and while it only leaves 45 minutes later it takes 6 hours to get to Nashville instead of 3.5 hours.

 

[RooFlyer]

Personally I'd take this connection, especially with an F or J seat into LAX and given the alternatives. Last couple of times I've been through LAX from Australia (on flights arriving early morning) seated such I've been out on the kerb in well under 30 minutes. But you gotta motor when exiting the plane and be smart about which queue you join at immigration. I hadn't heard of the yellow priority cards before and that would certainly help.

I would hope your bags would get checked through, separate ticket notwithstanding (I wonder if you could join the PNRs?) but even if not, as a QF Plat you can check in at AA First at T4.

Obviously have contingency plans for a missed connection.

 

[madrooster]

As I'd be booking this AA flight on a separate itinerary, will QF in SYD check me all the way through to Nashville BNA?

I don't think the system will let the CSA do it given it doesn't meet MCT.

Also keep in mind QF11 arrives at a busier time of morning at TBIT. QF15/93/107 on the other hand arrives at a very quiet time of morning.

 

[GCC]

My thinking about this is much like Rooflyer's, remember I'd be arriving on QF F or possibly J and connecting to AA F. Worse case scenario should be that I end up on the later AA flight There are also F hosts in the arrivals lunge to help you navigate through.

So I think the operative question is whether the MCT applies to booking a ticket, or to checking in? The other approach would be to OLCI with AA before leaving SYD.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I am traveling to Nashville next August and have found QF classic awards SYD - LAX and DFW - SYD in F / J on my travel dates, which I assume / hope I'll be able to book as MASA's.

QF11 arrives LAX at 9.45 am and the only non stop connecting flight on AA to Nashville leaves at 11.15 am. As I'd be booking this AA flight on a separate itinerary, will QF in SYD check me all the way through to Nashville BNA?

I've had tight (ie circa 2 hours) connection times to AA at LAX before, and with the ground staff waiting at the arrival gate with yellow priority cards for customs, plus the benefit of F luggage tags I'd be confident of making it provided the flight is reasonably on time I'm actually checked through.

You will not be able to have your bags tagged through to BNA if there is less than 2.00 hours between flights as this is the legal minimum connecting time and the system will not add a connecting flight that does not meet this criteria.

Having F tags on your luggage just means your bags will be coming out on the baggage carousel while you're still stuck in the queue wating to get through CBP.

Personally I'd take this connection, especially with an F or J seat into LAX and given the alternatives. Last couple of times I've been through LAX from Australia (on flights arriving early morning) seated such I've been out on the kerb in well under 30 minutes. But you gotta motor when exiting the plane and be smart about which queue you join at immigration. I hadn't heard of the yellow priority cards before and that would certainly help.

I would hope your bags would get checked through, separate ticket notwithstanding (I wonder if you could join the PNRs?) but even if not, as a QF Plat you can check in at AA First at T4.

Obviously have contingency plans for a missed connection.

To qualify for a yellow priority card your AA flight(s) would have to be added in at SYD checkin which won't happen as it's an illegal connection so you're not deemed as a connecting pax but one who is terminating in LAX.

If you're going to run the gauntlet and attempt this your bags will only be able to be tagged to LAX so after clearing customs you will have to take your suitcases with you to Terminal 4 where AA depart from. The cut-off time for baggage acceptance is 45 minutes as listed on the AA website which is for flights departing LAX domestically which would be 1030.

This means if your flight does arrive on time you have only 45 minutes to disembark the aircraft, make your way through customs, collect bags off carousel, line up to hand in arrival card then exit TBIT with your luggage & make your way to Terminal 4 & be checked in with bags dropped off by 1030.

Boarding generally starts at T-45 so you'd be lucky to get any overhead locker space by the time you got onboard the aircraft.

American Airlines Suggested Arrival Times On AA.com

 

[UP4014]

Forget it.

 

[Jack_OC]

This means if your flight does arrive on time you have only 45 minutes to disembark the aircraft, make your way through customs, collect bags off carousel, line up to hand in arrival card then exit TBIT with your luggage & make your way to Terminal 4 & be checked in with bags dropped off by 1030.

While it's obviously very tight and it might not work out, it's not impossible either. A few weeks ago I flew into LAX with QF and I was in a taxi out of the airport 20 mins after scheduled arrival time. I may just have been lucky, and it was also earlier in the day (~6.30am) so perhaps a quieter time, but I think this shows it's not out of the question.

You definitely need to be prepared for not making your preferred flight though, eg make sure you will be able to switch to the later flight without penalty if you're too late.

 

[drewbles]

Several large flights arrive into TBIT in the morning (QF from MEL/SYD/BNE and VA from the same). I arrived a few weeks ago on a VA flight behind the QF flights. I was amongst the first off, and still waited almost an hour to get through. My bags were waiting for me when I cleared immigration, but it took time.

1.5 Hours I would not risk, however, check out oneworld - Separate Tickets which mentions you will be protected on a separate ticket. That said, it make no mention of having to comply with MCT's either, so if that is applicable, you will not be protected. YMMV as normal, but i'd be overnighting in LAX my self, or arranging a non-direct flight (why fly direct, when you can connect; more SC's and points).

 

[DC3]

"Originally Posted by Modification of serfty's transit procedure The process for QF107 to New York if all goes to plan (when does that ever happen)?

• Check bags through to JFK
• Fly to LAX
• Queue up
• Disembark Aircraft
• Walk through the dungeon like corridors to TBIT immigration
• Queue up
• Be processed by Immigration
• Queue up
• Collect bags
• Queue up
• Proceed through customs processing
• Head up ramp, look for signs for baggage "re-deposit"
• Queue up
• Re-deposit bags
• Look for transfer security
• Queue up
• Head through back airside
• Await ongoing flight ...
• Queue up
• Board flight
• Aircraft queues up awaiting departure
• Aircraft queues up awaiting landing clearance at JFK "

Insert BNA (or wherever you are flying to) where the above states JFK.

If the flight leaves LAX at 11.15am, you would need to be at the gate by 10.45am. Good luck with that.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Several large flights arrive into TBIT in the morning (QF from MEL/SYD/BNE and VA from the same). I arrived a few weeks ago on a VA flight behind the QF flights. I was amongst the first off, and still waited almost an hour to get through. My bags were waiting for me when I cleared immigration, but it took time.

1.5 Hours I would not risk, however, check out oneworld - Separate Tickets which mentions you will be protected on a separate ticket. That said, it make no mention of having to comply with MCT's either, so if that is applicable, you will not be protected. YMMV as normal, but i'd be overnighting in LAX my self, or arranging a non-direct flight (why fly direct, when you can connect; more SC's and points).

AA to/from AA or a oneworld® Carrier

If a customer is holding separate tickets on AA or another oneworld carrier, customers holding separate tickets where
travel is on oneworld airlines should be treated as through ticketed passengers. In the event of a disruption on the originating ticket, the carrier responsible for the disruption will be required to reroute the customer to their final destination. The ticket stock of the second ticket must be of a oneworld carrier, eligible under the Endorsement Waiver Agreement. You may contact AA Reservations 1-800-433-7300 (U.S. and Canada) or outside the U.S. and Canada, reference for additional information if the separate ticket is for travel on a oneworld carrier.

I read the AA definition of 'through ticketed passenger' as being when OW carrier A through checks the pax to a OW carrier B flight eg 081 QF ticket SYD/LAX connecting to an 001 AA ticket LAX/BOS however that can only be done when the MCT is adhered to.

In the OP's case they would be purchasing a separate ticket in F LAX/BNA so if they missed the 1115 flight AA would go by the rules of that ticket which I imagine would be more flexible than a discount whY fare.

 

[drewbles]

I read the AA definition of 'through ticketed passenger' as being when OW carrier A through checks the pax to a OW carrier B flight eg 081 QF ticket SYD/LAX connecting to an 001 AA ticket LAX/BOS however that can only be done when the MCT is adhered to.

In the OP's case they would be purchasing a separate ticket in F LAX/BNA so if they missed the 1115 flight AA would go by the rules of that ticket which I imagine would be more flexible than a discount whY fare.

Yes but the clause clearly states 'separate tickets'. By its very definition, separate tickets may not meet MCT hence my comment You're far more knowledgeable in that though so if that's the rules it makes perfect sense (no reason MCT being ignored on separate tickets should allow someone to be treated as a through ticket).

Would the check in agent try and through ticket to the second PNR and have the system spit an error out saying it didn't meet MCT?

 

[docjames]

As annoying as it is for the OP, the connection is too short, so either one of the earlier flights from Aus is required, or else the connection flight via DFW.

Sorry, but I would never risk 1.5hr at LAX.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Yes but the clause clearly states 'separate tickets'. By its very definition, separate tickets may not meet MCT hence my comment You're far more knowledgeable in that though so if that's the rules it makes perfect sense (no reason MCT being ignored on separate tickets should allow someone to be treated as a through ticket).

Would the check in agent try and through ticket to the second PNR and have the system spit an error out saying it didn't meet MCT?

If you went to add any flight (booked separately) as oncarriage the system would recongnise the connection was under MCT & not add the sector in to your checkin record thereby not enabling you to check the bag through to the final destination nor receive a boarding pass for the 'connecting' flight.

 

[dfcatch]

1/ Don't do it - you have only a 1 in 10 chance of "maybe" being close enough to make it. But only if QF11 is earlier than Team Asia (never happens).

Remember you have about 152 747s arriving from Korea, Japan and China right before QF11.


2/ I thought the express passes were orange, not yellow?

Perhaps they change them periodically to thwart any hoarding of passes?

 

[serfty]

...

2/ I thought the express passes were orange, not yellow?

Perhaps they change them periodically to thwart any hoarding of passes?

back on November the ones they had for me were a bright flouro orange - easy to look simply yellow from a distance.

The date was clearly visible from a distance being marked in large numbers with a thick black "texta".

 

[Comoman]

As of 2 days ago they were still orange. Heaps of Korean Air passengers off an A380 clutching them. The new arrivals area at TBIT is really nice but there was only 10 non-US passport counters open so took approx 90 mins I think.

Customs was quick though.

 

[GCC]

Thanks for all the advice. Looks like plan B.

I have generally been pretty lucky with transfers through LAX off QF11 to date, & always have connection times around 2 hours, hence my optimism. I agree though it is pushing it to expect good luck to arrive on schedule when needed.

You're right too about the cards - they are orange.