MEL to USA on QF - East vs West coast start and end points

[Harpoon]

Hi All,

Looking at my USA holiday I'm trying to plan flights where we have a mix of East and West coast destinations. Ideally we want to fly in to NYC and out of LAX. But we can do the reverse if necessary. PLugging the same dates into QF website gives the following results... what the.....

2 People Multi-City:
Outbound: MEL-LAX
Inbound: NYC-MEL (via LAX)
~$3000

Outbound: MEL-NYC (via LAX)
Inbound: LAX-MEL
~$6000

Can anyone possibly explain why doing the trip starting in NYC and ending in LAX would be double the air fare of starting in LAX and ending in NYC? Makes no sense to me! Am I doing something wrong on the online booking form? Would it pay to ring up as we would prefer to start the holiday in NYC not LAX but we will do LAX first if necessary...

Also can anyone who's done NYC-MEL QF18 / QF94, is 1 hour 10 mins enough time for transit in LAX? Will they hold up QF94 if QF18 is late?

 

[jb747]

Also can anyone who's done NYC-MEL QF18 / QF94, is 1 hour 10 mins enough time for transit in LAX? Will they hold up QF94 if QF18 is late?

If the flight from New York is on time then that is adequate. Your luggage will be transferred, and you simply have to walk from one aircraft to the other...and they will normally be parked very close to each other.

The 94 will not wait for very long. Any delay out of LA will cause a rippling effect that will almost certainly delay the 93 ex Melbourne the next day. There is no fixed time, it varies with the number of people transferring from the NY flight, and also the planned flight time to Melbourne. So a few minutes, yes....Half an hour, almost certainly not.

 

[juddles]

...Can anyone possibly explain why .....

Do not try to make sense of fare structures. they are actually based on very sound principles, but is a very intensive learning curve to actually fathom them. And at the "end of the day", they do make sense.

Just don't try to experience that "day"

 

[Harpoon]

Thanks for the advice jb on the connection. What happens if we are late and qf94 has departed, will we be sent to Sydney and then connected to melbourne? Or would we have to stay in lax overnight?

 

[jb747]

Thanks for the advice jb on the connection. What happens if we are late and qf94 has departed, will we be sent to Sydney and then connected to melbourne? Or would we have to stay in lax overnight?

I guess that would depend upon the number of seats available on the sector. When I recently saw just this happen, they were able to accommodate everyone on flights that night.

 

[Harpoon]

I can just play it safe and book an AA connection NYC to LAX an hour or two earlier than QF18

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Can anyone possibly explain why doing the trip starting in NYC and ending in LAX would be double the air fare of starting in LAX and ending in NYC?

It's simply based on the maximum revenue the airline thinks it can charge for the available seats on your plane for the day you want to travel.

If any one of the sectors is heavily booked, the cheaper fares may have sold out, and you'll be left with the more expensive ones.

Airlines will also increase the prices for popular periods... school holidays, end of uni, major public holidays (Christmas, Easter, New years). So if you depart during one of those (or in the lead up), you can expect to pay more.

 

[Harpoon]

Another quick question... I booked my fares and it shows up in my qff bookings but I haven't received an itinerary or tax invoice. Is this normal? I booked on Tuesday and it's now friday...

 

[serfty]

This would suggest your flights are some time off... it is likely your flight had not yet been 'ticketed'.

Qantas do prioritise 'ticketing' with those further into the future done after those more imminent.

 

[Barks]

Another quick question... I booked my fares and it shows up in my qff bookings but I haven't received an itinerary or tax invoice. Is this normal? I booked on Tuesday and it's now friday...

Have you filled in your APIS? You won't be issued your tickets to the US until this is done.

 

[legroom]

$3000 should be enough to cover an extra day off* and an AA F seat (with additional SCs thrown in for good measure) so that you can start the holiday in NYC

* QCs excepted

 

[Dr Ralph]

I can just play it safe and book an AA connection NYC to LAX an hour or two earlier than QF18

I would take this option. Have been left stranded before.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Hi All,

Looking at my USA holiday I'm trying to plan flights where we have a mix of East and West coast destinations. Ideally we want to fly in to NYC and out of LAX. But we can do the reverse if necessary. PLugging the same dates into QF website gives the following results... what the.....

2 People Multi-City:
Outbound: MEL-LAX
Inbound: NYC-MEL (via LAX)
~$3000

Outbound: MEL-NYC (via LAX)
Inbound: LAX-MEL
~$6000

Can anyone possibly explain why doing the trip starting in NYC and ending in LAX would be double the air fare of starting in LAX and ending in NYC? Makes no sense to me! Am I doing something wrong on the online booking form? Would it pay to ring up as we would prefer to start the holiday in NYC not LAX but we will do LAX first if necessary...

Also can anyone who's done NYC-MEL QF18 / QF94, is 1 hour 10 mins enough time for transit in LAX? Will they hold up QF94 if QF18 is late?

Is this the calculation you get pricing it yourself online? Always worth trying a travel agent, they sometime find different ways to price things up.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Have you filled in your APIS? You won't be issued your tickets to the US until this is done.

This isn't my experience. I've been issued tickets without even applying for an ESTA.

 

[Barks]

This isn't my experience. I've been issued tickets without even applying for an ESTA.

Normally this was the case for me too but on my last trip in April this year (booked in early March) it was definitely a requirement.

 

[Dr Ralph]

Normally this was the case for me too but on my last trip in April this year (booked in early March) it was definitely a requirement.

OK. My last booking was January for a trip which departs in two weeks time.