Benefits of connecting flights to international QF J class

[BenAlexander]

I have a (rewards) business class flight, flying qantas internationally later this year. if I now need to book a connecting QF domestic flight, will I receive the J Class benefits (ie baggage allowance and lounge access)?

What if I am looking at a JQ connecting flight here in Australia?
What if I am also considering Jetstar Asia connecting flight on the other side?

I'm guessing if I book online, my luggage won't go straight through. Can I call up to have the connecting flights added to my exisiting booking? Are there any issue mixing a rewards business flight, with a paid economy flight?

FWIW: I'm only a silver ff at the moment, and all connecting flights will be the same day as the international sector.

 

[trixydoza]

What would the trip have cost in points if you'd originally included those legs? You might find you can add them on (assuming award availability) for just a 3,500-point change fee.

For example, CBR-SYD-SIN is the same in points as SYD-SIN, so you could add CBR-SYD to a SYD-SIN booking for 3,500 points.

 

[anat0l]

Let's break it all down.

Start with your connecting flight in Australia, i.e. you fly to the gateway for your international Qantas Business Class flight. If you book your domestic flight as a...

Qantas Business

No problemo. You can check all the way through to your international flight (assuming it is the same calendar day). You'll also have access to the Domestic Business Lounge (if offered, otherwise Qantas Club). The international luggage allowance will apply.

Note carefully that the international Business Class luggage allowance for a Qantas FF Silver is less than that for domestic Business Class for a Qantas FF Silver.

Qantas Economy

You can check all the way through to your international flight. The international luggage allowance probably will apply, but I'm not too sure, since it is separate tickets. By rule of letter, two separate tickets usually means two separate allowances, although since both flights are on Qantas, the IATA MSC doesn't really apply here, and normally Qantas in such a case will apply the international flight's allowance.

Now if I understand the rules correctly, you are allowed to access the Domestic Business Lounge (if offered, otherwise Qantas Club) even if you are travelling the domestic in Economy, because you are connecting to a same-day international Business Class flight.

Jetstar Economy

You will not be able to check through to your international flight. The baggage allowance for Jetstar (depending on what kind of fare you have booked, plus any additional baggage allowance purchased) will apply, not the international Business allowance on your Qantas flight. You will need to collect your bags at the gateway, make your way to Qantas International check-in, and re-check in there.

Now I'm not too sure about this, but I think that since you are connecting to a same-day international Business Class flight, you'll have access to the Domestic Business Lounge (if offered, otherwise Qantas Club).


If you are flying onto Jetstar Asia on the other end, then you will need to claim your bags after your flight then re-check-in for Jetstar Asia. I think this applies even if you had bought both flights on the same ticket, let alone with separate tickets.


Note that since you have separate bookings, technically you have no protection if you are delayed and miss a connecting flight. Being able to check through your bags gives you some protection (as well as being able to check-in for both flights at the same time and get both boarding passes), but a case like flying a JQ domestic connector to a QF international, if your JQ domestic connector is delayed or cancelled and you fail to make it to the QF international flight, you're done for. Don't forget you still need to claim your bags at the gateway after your JQ flight, make your way to the international check-in then re-check-in, one hour before scheduled departure of the international flight. A similar case would apply for connecting from your QF international flight to a Jetstar Asia onward flight (with the same consideration of check-in time limits).

You can call Qantas after booking your separate ticket and get them to "link" both bookings. This doesn't really protect you but adds notes to both bookings that you are intending to connect from one to the other. You can only do this if both bookings are for Qantas flights; Jetstar flights won't work this way (or would be a waste of time).

 

[BenAlexander]

What would the trip have cost in points if you'd originally included those legs? You might find you can add them on (assuming award availability) for just a 3,500-point change fee.

For example, CBR-SYD-SIN is the same in points as SYD-SIN, so you could add CBR-SYD to a SYD-SIN booking for 3,500 points.

I booked the BNE <-> NRT glitch for 48k points (and $500). With the connection, it would have been 168k points (and $550).
With three travellers, I saved 360k points and $150 (admittably, I wouldn't have been able to consider flying Business class otherwise).

Let's break it all down.

Start with your connecting flight in Australia, i.e. you fly to the gateway for your international Qantas Business Class flight. If you book your domestic flight as a...

That was an epic reply, thank you so much for the assistance. Your reply helped me with some google terms.

Interestingly, this page seems to confirm that if I am travelling QF International, my international baggage allowance will be accepted on the domestic sectors.
qantas /travel/airlines/checked-baggage/global/en#domestic-flights

This also suggests we will have access to the domestic business lounge if connecting to an international leg on the same day.
qantas /travel/airlines/lounge-locations/brisbane/domestic/domestic-business-lounge/global/en

I am hoping that although they will be booked on different bookings, that that should still apply.

I won't bother with the JQ domestically. A few quick searches show that Qantas is currently cheaper, and obviously has additional benefits.
The Jetstar Asia legs are a bit annoying. I have no choice in carrier for these. Will need to restrict the luggage, or just purchase additional for the return leg.

(Sorry, I can't post links yet )

 

[Quickstatus]

Extending from Anat0l's post

Regarding lounge access:
Lounge access depends on the next flight. I think if travelling on QF Y domestically unless you have Qantas Club you wont get access until the next airport from which you depart on your International J flight at which time you will get Business lounge access (there are no lower tier lounges than business lounge in the international terminal). I believe on 2 separate tickets without Qantas club membership, silver FF, and only a Y domestic ticket you wont get Dom Business or Club Lounge access because your next flight is a Y flight.

Similarly for inbound. Int J to Dom Y. Lounge access will depend on your next flight, unless you have Qantas Club or at least Gold FF


Regarding luggage Qantas says:

"Note: that if you have purchased international flights and domestic flights and these are on the same ticket, the international checked baggage allowances apply to the domestic flights too. Where the international and domestic flights are on separate tickets, if the connection time is within the same calendar day* the International Baggage Allowance is accepted on both flights. Be sure to present both tickets when checking your baggage in. Exceptions apply."

Calendar day always end at midnight on that day

 

[anat0l]

Extending from Anat0l's post

Regarding lounge access:
Lounge access depends on the next flight. I think if travelling on QF Y domestically unless you have Qantas Club you wont get access until the next airport from which you depart on your International J flight at which time you will get Business lounge access (there are no lower tier lounges than business lounge in the international terminal). I believe on 2 separate tickets without Qantas club membership, silver FF, and only a Y domestic ticket you wont get Dom Business or Club Lounge access because your next flight is a Y flight.

Similarly for inbound. Int J to Dom Y. Lounge access will depend on your next flight, unless you have Qantas Club or at least Gold FF

See that's interesting, then I read the rules on Qantas' website (i.e. I chose a lounge and read who has access).

So, for example, bringing up the rules for the Sydney Domestic Business Lounge. Under the rules by class of travel, "International Business" (which means Qantas International Business):

Eligible if connecting to or from a Qantas or Emirates international flight on the same day.

Qantas customers can bring one guest.

So I guess this means even if you are in Qantas Economy on the domestic connector, as long as your same day connection is in Business, you get access as if you were a Business Class passenger. But you'd have to show your Business booking on the same day or your Business boarding pass to the lounge entry to prove you're good to enter. This also seems to work the other way around, i.e. if you arrived off a Qantas International flight in Business and connecting to a Qantas Domestic flight in Economy.

Even if the OP was in Business Class on another oneworld airline, they'd still have access:

Eligible if travelling on a Qantas domestic flight connecting to or from a oneworld flight in International Business on the same day

No guest allowed.

The only catch this time is that the connecting domestic flight must be on Qantas, not Jetstar. This rule for oneworld carriers, in principle, is also written on the oneworld website.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

See that's interesting, then I read the rules on Qantas' website (i.e. I chose a lounge and read who has access).

So, for example, bringing up the rules for the Sydney Domestic Business Lounge. Under the rules by class of travel, "International Business" (which means Qantas International Business):

So I guess this means even if you are in Qantas Economy on the domestic connector, as long as your same day connection is in Business, you get access as if you were a Business Class passenger. But you'd have to show your Business booking on the same day or your Business boarding pass to the lounge entry to prove you're good to enter. This also seems to work the other way around, i.e. if you arrived off a Qantas International flight in Business and connecting to a Qantas Domestic flight in Economy.

Even if the OP was in Business Class on another oneworld airline, they'd still have access:
The only catch this time is that the connecting domestic flight must be on Qantas, not Jetstar. This rule for oneworld carriers, in principle, is also written on the oneworld website.

That's correct - domestic economy will get lounge access at the point of origin if connecting same day to a QF international flight in business or First.

Connecting from QFi to QFd the normal oneworld rules would apply anyway at the transit point.

 

[Quickstatus]

Thanks Anat0l,

So you are saying:

For example MEL-SYD (Y on one ticket) then SYD-SIN (J on separate ticket) then SIN-KUL(Y on 3K - Jetstar Asia) on another ticket

At MEL no inbound flight, just outbound to SYD on Y with Silver and no QC = no entry into MEL QC or QFJLounge
At SYD irrespective of inbound QF flight, then outbound to SIN on J = Int J Lounge
At SIN inbound QF J flight outbound 3k flight = access at SIN QF J lounge because inbound flight was QF J
At KUL arrival into last port no access

Return
At KUL no inbound but outbound on 3K = no access
At SIN inbound on 3K but outbound on QF J = access to SIN QF J lounge
At SYD inbound on QF J but outbound on QF Y = access to SYD domestic J lounge
At MEL arrival not platinum = no access

Point of contention will be the MEL-SYD leg and whether this gets Dom J Lounge in MEL as MEL Traveller suggests.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So you are saying:

For example MEL-SYD (Y on one ticket) then SYD-SIN (J on separate ticket) then SIN-KUL(Y on 3K - Jetstar Asia) on another ticket

At MEL no inbound flight, just outbound to SYD on Y with Silver and no QC = no entry into MEL QC or QFJLounge

No - you do get access in MEL as you have a connecting flight on QFi later that day from SYD in business class.

You are entitled to use the QFd business lounge.

Lounge access at the point of origin is a Qantas benefit which is over and above normal OW lounge access rules.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

At SIN inbound QF J flight outbound 3k flight = access at SIN QF J lounge because inbound flight was QF J

Unless there is some special carve out for 3K flights, techinically I can't find that lounge access is allowed for the connection point in Singapore.

Connecting QF J to 3K is not covered by OW rules, and most of the boxes seem to indicate the next onward flight must be in QF or OW business/first class. There only seems to be lounge access for JQ max, or Qantas Club (although if it was me I'd be trying to see if they would let me in anyway)

 

[Quickstatus]

No - you do get access in MEL as you have a connecting flight on QFi later that day from SYD in business class.

You are entitled to use the QFd business lounge.

Lounge access at the point of origin is a Qantas benefit which is over and above normal OW lounge access rules.

Thanks MEL_Traveller . If i need to negotiate with a lounge dragon what rules should I point to? You are suggesting that the "Eligible class of Travel" under the section "lounge Access and Eligibility" does not refer to the next flight but the highest class of travel that day?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks MEL_Traveller . If i need to negotiate with a lounge dragon what rules should I point to? You are suggesting that the "Eligible class of Travel" under the section "lounge Access and Eligibility" does not refer to the next flight but the highest class of travel that day?

It's on the lounge access page (for the domestic business lounge, melbourne): Lounge Location | Australia | Melbourne Domestic | Domestic Business

International Business	Eligible if connecting to or from a Qantas or Emirates international flight on the same day. One guest allowed and does not need to be travelling.

 

[Quickstatus]

It's on the lounge access page: Lounge Location | Australia | Melbourne Domestic | Domestic Business

International Business	Eligible if connecting to or from a Qantas or Emirates international flight on the same day. One guest allowed and does not need to be travelling.

No need to 'negotiate'

To me it reads thus: You will get lounge access if you arrived on or will be departing on a QF/EK international business flight on the day you seek J Lounge access.
The words "to" and "from" suggests the immediately previous or next flight.

If it says "eligible if flying on a QF/EK international business flight on the same day" then I will immediately agree with you.

Anyway accept that you are correct. Will keep this intepretation in mind as no doubt you have practical experience with this. Will open new possibilities with travel within the QF/OW network

 

[trixydoza]

I booked the BNE <-> NRT glitch

You're welcome.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

To me it reads thus: You will get lounge access if you arrived on or will be departing on a QF/EK international business flight on the day you seek J Lounge access.
The words "to" and "from" suggests the immediately previous or next flight.

If it says "eligible if flying on a QF/EK international business flight on the same day" then I will immediately agree with you.

Anyway accept that you are correct. Will keep this intepretation in mind as no doubt you have practical experience with this. Will open new possibilities with travel within the QF/OW network

Yes - but I have only copied the lounge rules as specific to the Qantas domestic business class lounge. So the international flight is likely to be from another port if you are 'connecting' (otherwise you'd probably be in the QFi lounge already)

You'd need to check the QFi SIN lounge for the connection to 3K, which from my reading, doesn't have the same 'connecting to or from' provision.

International Business	Qantas International Business Next onward flight that day must be a Qantas marketed flight (QF flight number). One guest allowed and must be travelling with the member on the same flight. Emirates International Business Next onward flight that day must be operated by Qantas or Emirates with an EK flight number. No guest permitted.
Jetstar Business Max Fares	Must be travelling onwards on a Jetstar Airways operated and marketed flight in the business cabin on a business max fare. Lounge access is only permitted in the port where Jetstar Business operates from. No guest permitted.

 

[Shan Man]

Jetstar Economy

You will not be able to check through to your international flight////If you are flying onto Jetstar Asia on the other end, then you will need to claim your bags after your flight then re-check-in for Jetstar Asia. I think this applies even if you had bought both flights on the same ticket, let alone with separate tickets.

You can through check your bags from QF to 3K, I had this done recently for a SYD-MEL-SIN-BKK flight (QF-QF-3K). This was all booked on the same PNR however. Separate tickets I'm not sure but given its a 3K coded flight on my baggage receipt, I'd say its definitely possible!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

You can through check your bags from QF to 3K, I had this done recently for a SYD-MEL-SIN-BKK flight (QF-QF-3K). This was all booked on the same PNR however.

Separate tickets I'm not sure but given its a 3K coded flight on my baggage receipt, I'd say its definitely possible!

QF will only through check to 3K if booked on the same ticket as separate bookings can only be OW carriers or EK.

What 3K choose to do is entirely up to them so it's quite possible 3K in Asia will through check to a QF flight in a separate ticket but that is not a reflection of what will happen in the other direction.

Note that even if the 3K flight was booked as a QF codeshare flight (marketed/sold as QFxx_ but 3K metal) the baggage claim and boarding passes will always reflect the operating carrier whose metal you're on eg SYD QF SIN QF HKT your boarding pass for SIN/HKT will have a 3K flight on it.

Seeing a 3K flight on your baggage claim is not an indication that QF will through check bags to 3K on separate pnrs. If same ticket it wouldn't matter if SIN/HKT was sold as a QF or 3K flight - bags will still be through checked.

 

[hutch]

To me it reads thus: You will get lounge access if you arrived on or will be departing on a QF/EK international business flight on the day you seek J Lounge access.
The words "to" and "from" suggests the immediately previous or next flight.

If it says "eligible if flying on a QF/EK international business flight on the same day" then I will immediately agree with you.

Anyway accept that you are correct. Will keep this intepretation in mind as no doubt you have practical experience with this. Will open new possibilities with travel within the QF/OW network

This from OW page:

Connecting between oneworld marketed and operated flights:

• First and Business Class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
• Lounge access will be determined on the international long haul ticketed flight (either First of Business Class) regardless of the ticketed class of travel on the international short haul or domestic flight.
• You must be prepared to show your boarding pass or itinerary showing travel in First or Business class on the international long haul flight, in order to access the lounge before your international short haul or domestic flight.

 

[Shan Man]

QF will only through check to 3K if booked on the same ticket as separate bookings can only be OW carriers or EK.

What 3K choose to do is entirely up to them so it's quite possible 3K in Asia will through check to a QF flight in a separate ticket but that is not a reflection of what will happen in the other direction.

Note that even if the 3K flight was booked as a QF codeshare flight (marketed/sold as QFxx_ but 3K metal) the baggage claim and boarding passes will always reflect the operating carrier whose metal you're on eg SYD QF SIN QF HKT your boarding pass for SIN/HKT will have a 3K flight on it.

Seeing a 3K flight on your baggage claim is not an indication that QF will through check bags to 3K on separate pnrs. If same ticket it wouldn't matter if SIN/HKT was sold as a QF or 3K flight - bags will still be through checked.

I know,

I was merely saying they have the capability to through check. If they do or don't however that would be up to the QF agent at the time

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This from OW page:

Connecting between oneworld marketed and operated flights:

• First and Business Class customers connecting on the same day of travel, or before 6am the following day, can access the lounge when travelling between an international long haul (a oneworld international long haul flight is defined as an international flight marketed and operated by any oneworld carrier with a scheduled flight time longer than 5 hours) and an international short haul or domestic flight (and vice-versa).
• Lounge access will be determined on the international long haul ticketed flight (either First of Business Class) regardless of the ticketed class of travel on the international short haul or domestic flight.
• You must be prepared to show your boarding pass or itinerary showing travel in First or Business class on the international long haul flight, in order to access the lounge before your international short haul or domestic flight.

These rules are more restrictive than the QF rules which cover lounge access at origin (rather than at the connecting point) and also EK.