Issue with Int-Dom connections at SYD on same airline?

[Dantine]

Thanks to Expert Flyer, got a ping on QF26 Haneda-Sydney for J reward availability next month. Happy days! Off I go, trying to book one way Haneda to Brisbane via Sydney.

I can't get classic reward availability for QF26 paired with any of the QF SYD-BNE hops available in the afternoon, even though flights are bookable separately and MCT is easily met (1h30 in this case).

The system will only offer up:

• QF26 HND-SYD paired with a JQ flight SYD-BNE OR
• JQ12 NRT-SYD paired with a QF flight SYD-BNE

Has anyone experienced this before and found a way around it? I'm kind of at a loss without endlessly calling and hoping for a capable phone agent.

Tried to workaround by:

• Multi-city booking to force the tool to pair the flights together, I get to the pay screen and then it coughs out with an error
• Book just QF26 and call QF to add the domestic sector. Offshore call centre can quote me a price for the fare difference (¥3300 which seems about right) but then the system won't let them do it. Call centre suggestion is to just book the domestic leg separately. (No thanks, costs more points and risk unprotected connection)
• Book QF26/JQ820 and use the Manage My Booking > Change Flights button to move the domestic leg earlier. Get error message "We are unable to find recommendations from the airlines we search." as soon as I pick the date to change to.

 

[muppet]

I suspect its married segment issues, that’s why the multi-sector booking keeps generating an error.

If you are WP you may be able to get the call centre to release whatever availability is missing for the married segment.

Or you may be better off booking a separate flight but taking the risk of missed connection.

 

[Mwenenzi]

Thanks to Expert Flyer, got a ping on QF26 Haneda-Sydney for J reward availability next month. Happy days! Off I go, trying to book one way Haneda to Brisbane via Sydney.

I can't get classic reward availability for QF26 paired with any of the QF SYD-BNE hops available in the afternoon, even though flights are bookable separately and MCT is easily met (1h30 in this case).

Is a difference between MCT minimum connection time and SCT sensible connection time. And more at SYD

How confident are you that you can enter Japan in a month? [Does depend on passport/visa]

 

[djkelly69]

This issue (connecting an international award with a domestic award) has been discussed in some other threads like here, and likely the OWA and Call Centre threads as well.

I don't recall seeing any real workarounds as yet.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Nope… unfortunately no workarounds… unless maybe if you have access to Hobart or Auckland call centres.

What is frustrating is that if it is married segments, why does the multi-city tool show the flights as being available? And for the call centre, why does their system show connecting flights which don’t meet MCT and are impossible to book?

An example of the last one is an arrival into SYD of 0720, the call centre can only ‘see’ connecting flights at 8am. As soon as they go to book it there’s an error on MCT. No other flights show for that day SYD-MEL in conjunction with the international flight. But of course you can book them separately, for more points.

 

[Dantine]

I suspect its married segment issues, that’s why the multi-sector booking keeps generating an error.

Thanks for the reply. Could it be a married sector issue if both sectors are individually bookable? I thought married sectors were to do with pulling apart connecting flights into their components

 

[Dantine]

Is a difference between MCT minimum connection time and SCT sensible connection time. And more at SYD

How confident are you that you can enter Japan in a month? [Does depend on passport/visa]

Absolutely, I always thought it was bonkers that Qantas would let you connect from domestic to a once-a-day international flight in 70 minutes or whatever it was earlier. In this case, the option offered is an 8h40m layover which definitely exceeds my SCT! There are half a dozen QF flights with availability before then.

I have a visa already for the trip - it's going to feel a bit weird going to a Japan with no tourism.

 

[Dantine]

This issue (connecting an international award with a domestic award) has been discussed in some other threads like here, and likely the OWA and Call Centre threads as well.

I don't recall seeing any real workarounds as yet.

Thanks for the link, that explains a lot. I flicked through the first couple of pages of threads in case I was rehashing a recent bug but looks like this has been an issue for much longer.

 

[djkelly69]

Could it be a married sector issue if both sectors are individually bookable?

You could call it divorced sectors - married sectors have to be booked together, divorced sectors can't be booked together.

 

[Dantine]

Nope… unfortunately no workarounds… unless maybe if you have access to Hobart or Auckland call centres.

What is frustrating is that if it is married segments, why does the multi-city tool show the flights as being available? And for the call centre, why does their system show connecting flights which don’t meet MCT and are impossible to book?

An example of the last one is an arrival into SYD of 0720, the call centre can only ‘see’ connecting flights at 8am. As soon as they go to book it there’s an error on MCT. No other flights show for that day SYD-MEL in conjunction with the international flight. But of course you can book them separately, for more points.

As a Gold, it sounds like that's a nope to the 'premium' call centre. Your experience is basically the exact same situation. It's just so bizarre that on my call they got to the fare difference quote and went on hold briefly before it suddenly became 'computer says no'.

 

[Dantine]

Thanks for your help team.
I think best strategy for now is I'll leave the JQ sector as my nearly free 'insurance policy' against a cancellation or long delay of the inbound QF26, but if all goes well I'll travel on a separately booked flight and self-connect.