1 wife, 2 kids - 2 bookings into 1 on QF1 + Upgrades

[Dooney]

Expert FF advice needed.

So, my flight was booked through work for my wife and I plus our little girl (infant) but under my company policy I had to book and pay for my son (child) separately.

Here is the dilemma, although I have linked my sons booking with mine, Plat QF staff tell me that I can't join the bookings together. Is this the correct advice because I would of thought this scenario is not unique.

In addition, I have requested upgrades both ways and was told that the result may be my wife and I being successfully upgraded and my son missing out. They indicated that this scenario would result in him having to fly as unaccompanied minor??

Has anyone had a similar issue or can you help with some advice on solving this problem?

Thanks AFF.

 

[mannej]

The information is correct that the two bookings cannot be joined into one PNR.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Expert FF advice needed.

So, my flight was booked through work for my wife and I plus our little girl (infant) but under my company policy I had to book and pay for my son (child) separately.

Here is the dilemma, although I have linked my sons booking with mine, Plat QF staff tell me that I can't join the bookings together. Is this the correct advice because I would of thought this scenario is not unique.

In addition, I have requested upgrades both ways and was told that the result may be my wife and I being successfully upgraded and my son missing out. They indicated that this scenario would result in him having to fly as unaccompanied minor??

Has anyone had a similar issue or can you help with some advice on solving this problem?

Thanks AFF.

Full details of the Qantas unaccompanied minor service are listed on the QF website: Children Travelling Alone | Qantas

'Unaccompanied minor' includes where a child is travelling in a separate cabin from the parents.

Qantas says there is a service fee of $90 for unaccompanied minors when booked in advance, and an additional $90 payable when the service is requested at the airport (so it seems a $180 total fee if you arrange it at the airport).

 

[Dooney]

Thanks Mel_Traveller. I've request upgrades to J and then PE if not available. Wish they were all recognized as one booking but the system does not compute.

Although the booking is linked they are two separate booking references and will be considered that way when determining an upgrade.

Leaving a 3yr old in a different cabin is not an option.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Leaving a 3yr old in a different cabin is not an option.

Yes - in fact the child must be 5 before they can travel unaccompanied.

I think perhaps it might be a good idea to follow up with QF to ask what happens in the worst case scenario where your wife's upgrade is processed and you son's is not. Under the upgrade rules, once an upgrade is granted, the original seat in economy may be lost for good, and as your son cannot travel as an unaccompanied minor... what happens? (I suspect your wife would have to do a bit of seat shuffling and give her upgrade seat to another lucky passenger... which is a bit of a waste of points)

 

[Princess Fiona]

Yes - in fact the child must be 5 before they can travel unaccompanied.

I think perhaps it might be a good idea to follow up with QF to ask what happens in the worst case scenario where your wife's upgrade is processed and you son's is not. Under the upgrade rules, once an upgrade is granted, the original seat in economy may be lost for good, and as your son cannot travel as an unaccompanied minor... what happens? (I suspect your wife would have to do a bit of seat shuffling and give her upgrade seat to another lucky passenger... which is a bit of a waste of points)

This is what I think the likely outcome would be.
Do any of you have P1 status ?
If so the upgrades would be ok. Otherwise I think it's going to be very difficult to get all four of you upgraded.

 

[offshore171]

To be honest I think you'd be best off cancelling the upgrade request in this case.

It could otherwise end up in a very difficult situation.

 

[greenfish]

I'd risk it. Surely QF would let one of the adults swap with the 3 y/o if only the adult upgrades come through? Better to have 3 in J, 1 in Y than 4 in Y?

 

[ajw373]

Interesting issue and I face something similar.

My wife is booked in J, on one PNR.

I am booked in Y on one PNR.

My 21 month old son is booked in Y on a 3rd PNR, yes own seat.

Qantas have quite kindly linked our PNR's and have seated my son next to me, but preferably I would want all of us together in J, so have put in an upgrade request for myself and my son.

I had figured that upgrades are processed manually and seeing that my son is a) so young and b) on a separate PNR that they wouldn't upgrade me without also upgrading him. In other words upgrade both or deny upgrade to both.

Bloody company policy and stupidity of travel staff have resulted in this. I was more than happy to actually pay to book my son and I into business class and pay the difference, but that is against policy, likewise my wife said she would fly Y so we were all together and got the same result. Not looking forward to this flight (8 hours) if upgrade is denied. My son will know where my wife is and being 21 months old will want to be going backwards and forwards the whole way.

 

[Dooney]

This is what I think the likely outcome would be.
Do any of you have P1 status ?
If so the upgrades would be ok. Otherwise I think it's going to be very difficult to get all four of you upgraded.

No unfortunately just Platinum. Haven't scaled the lofty heights of P1.

QFF have said that he carries my Plat status but it may be viewed inferior when assessing available upgrades vs. availability. I had assumed that it worked on the status - ticket class - date scale for determining?

Anyway I feel as though negotiating will be a pain but would be resolvable.