NY to LA to SYD with Qantas Anyseat Award

[lindyb]

Hi & thanks to all for the information I received from my last post which has enabled me to book an ASA business to Copenhagen.
Next part of the trip is a flight from New York to Sydney in Sept 2012 and after checking many times it seems on a direct flight from NY to SYD QF108 isn't an A380. To get the A380 I would have to go NY to LA then flight QF12 - A380 LA to Syd but the problem is when I do a practice run in the ASA's multi city it keeps coming up not available.
So I thought I could just book LA to SYD QF12 ASA which is fine but then when I go into the the Qantas america site trying to book NY to LA it will only let me fly to an Australian country. Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Mwenenzi]

..when I go into the the Qantas America site trying to book NY to LA it will only let me fly to an Australian country. Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong would be greatly appreciated.

Qantas does not sell NY to LAX as single flight for $ or reward. Must be USA to Aust
Just as United does not sell MEL to SYD

 

[lsmi4126]

Yep - the JFK to LAX discussion has been well covered previously and quite recently. A forum search for cabotage will bring it up.

As QF108 gets into LAX at 2200hrs and QF12 leaves LAX at 2230hrs, QF won't let your book them on the same booking either. If you're keen to get on QF12 for the A380 experience (which is my preference too - QF108 JFK - LAX is A333, LAX - SYD is B744), jump on an AA trans-con flight that gets into LAX at around 2000hrs - QF3112 (AA181) is a good one (and is usually a 763), which gets in at exactly 2000hrs.

 

[straitman]

Yep - the JFK to LAX discussion has been well covered previously and quite recently. A forum search for cabotage will bring it up.

As QF108 gets into LAX at 2200hrs and QF12 leaves LAX at 2230hrs, QF won't let your book them on the same booking either. If you're keen to get on QF12 for the A380 experience (which is my preference too - QF108 JFK - LAX is A333, LAX - SYD is B744), jump on an AA trans-con flight that gets into LAX at around 2000hrs - QF3112 (AA181) is a good one (and is usually a 763), which gets in at exactly 2000hrs.

Or book QF108 and QF12 with a stopover in LA.

 

[lindyb]

Yep - the JFK to LAX discussion has been well covered previously and quite recently. A forum search for cabotage will bring it up.

As QF108 gets into LAX at 2200hrs and QF12 leaves LAX at 2230hrs, QF won't let your book them on the same booking either. If you're keen to get on QF12 for the A380 experience (which is my preference too - QF108 JFK - LAX is A333, LAX - SYD is B744), jump on an AA trans-con flight that gets into LAX at around 2000hrs - QF3112 (AA181) is a good one (and is usually a 763), which gets in at exactly 2000hrs.

Would the flight gettting to LAX @ 2000hrs leave enough time to clear customs to catch the QF12 to SYD leaving @ 2230hrs?

 

[ozmille]

Would the flight gettting to LAX @ 2000hrs leave enough time to clear customs to catch the QF12 to SYD leaving @ 2230hrs?

2 1/2 should be enough yes

 

[cove]

To lower the level of difficulty from 100% to a lower number you would do the long haul first and then go AA to LAX as there are plenty of options to do this. Then allow 3 hours between the 2 flights and call the 800 number to link the flights at Qantas.
My method works but you don't get Qantas from New York but the partner flight is acceptable.

 

[lsmi4126]

Would the flight gettting to LAX @ 2000hrs leave enough time to clear customs to catch the QF12 to SYD leaving @ 2230hrs?

There's no customs to clear at LAX outbound to AUS. If you fly into Terminal 4 from JFK (which you will if you fly AA), you can catch the airside shuttle to TBIT and avoid going through security at LAX entirely. Borrowing from a post by serfty from a year or so ago:

From T4 you catch the bus near gate 44; same place as the eAAgle shuttle departs from. Where it arrives at TBIT it about a 25 metre walk to the lift that takes you to the oneworld lounges.

From 4PM until 11PM, the bus departs T4 on the Hour and every ½ hour, taking about 5 minutes for a mini tarmac tour.

You will need a BP for an ex-TBIT Qantas metal flight to use it.

Knowing this schedule, in two uses since my total waiting time has been about 4 minutes. I depart the T4 F/L ~5 minutes before the scheduled departure, the bus is normally waiting I board and it departs 1 or 3 minutes later. I have been ensconced in the TBIT F/L within 10 minutes of leaving the T4 F/L.

 

[rechoboam]

There's no customs to clear at LAX outbound to AUS. If you fly into Terminal 4 from JFK (which you will if you fly AA), you can catch the airside shuttle to TBIT and avoid going through security at LAX entirely. Borrowing from a post by serfty from a year or so ago:

So where do you clear Customs? ORD in my case (ORD LAX MEL)?

 

[Mike_m]

So where do you clear Customs? ORD in my case (ORD LAX MEL)?

You do not need to clear customs when leaving the US. They don't really care who is leaving the country, they just care who is coming in.

 

[lindyb]

There's no customs to clear at LAX outbound to AUS. If you fly into Terminal 4 from JFK (which you will if you fly AA), you can catch the airside shuttle to TBIT and avoid going through security at LAX entirely. Borrowing from a post by serfty from a year or so ago:

Pardon my ignorance but what is TBIT?

 

[straitman]

Pardon my ignorance but what is TBIT?

The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. See TBIT.

 

[serfty]

LAX has 9 "terminals". There are those numbered 1 to 8 and there is "TBIT". (LAX - Maps)

QF12 departs from TBIT; QF108 JFK-LAX arrives at T4.

There's no customs to clear at LAX outbound to AUS. If you fly into Terminal 4 from JFK (which you will if you fly AA), you can catch the airside shuttle to TBIT and avoid going through security at LAX entirely. Borrowing from a post by serfty from a year or so ago:

Be aware of some issues with the transfer in relation to the current TBIT renovations: (LAX Development: About the Program)

The bus is timetabled for the Hour and every ½ hour - I have seen it leave a little early, rarely late.

However, currently the TBIT bus drop off is near gate 123.

Last time I took it was in January. Due to the construction of the West "wing" of TBIT, the shuttle is currently travelling over 2 miles as it travels West (nearly half way to the coast), then North, then East to a new (Temporary, I hope) bus facility inside the Northern end of TBIT near gate 123. From there it's a 7-10 minute walk back to the O/W lounge.

This whole process can take ½ an hour, so maybe the upper level walk is currently better.

Yep - the JFK to LAX discussion has been well covered previously and quite recently. A forum search for cabotage will bring it up. ...

Just to note that Qantas can legally sell JFK/LAX on QF107/QF108 as long as the routing is international. e.g. HKG-(CX)-LAX-(QF)-JFK does not break Cabotageregulations. Same with UA and MEL-(UA)-SYD, MEL-(UA)-SYD-(NZ)-AKL-(NZ)-SFO is legal.

However, Qantas choose not to sell this segment unless inbound to the USA on a Qantas flight or connecting outbound on a Qantas flight.

 

[lindyb]

LAX has 9 "terminals". There are those numbered 1 to 8 and there is "TBIT)

QF12 departs from TBIT; QF108 JFK-LAX arrives at T4.

Be aware of some issues with the transfer in relation to the current TBIT renovations: ()

Just to note that Qantas can legally sell JFK/LAX on QF107/QF108 as long as the routing is international. e.g. HKG-(CX)-LAX-(QF)-JFK does not break Cabotageregulations. Same with UA and MEL-(UA)-SYD, MEL-(UA)-SYD-(NZ)-AKL-(NZ)-SFO is legal.

However, Qantas choose not to sell this segment unless inbound to the USA on a Qantas flight or connecting outbound on a Qantas flight.

Thanks everyone for all the information, learnt something new this weekend re Cabotage. My plan at this stage is to book an AA flight JFK to LA then QF12 LA to Sydney ASA when they are released in a couple of weeks.

Hopefully the TBIT renovations will be complete by Sept 2012 and we can transit quickly from T4 to TBIT.

Love this Forum, so much help and information!!!!!

 

[DC3]

My plan at this stage is to book an AA flight JFK to LA then QF12 LA to Sydney ASA when they are released in a couple of weeks.

Wouldn't you be better off booking the QF award first, then an AA flight that fits in? There's a risk that you will have an AA flight without your preferred connection to QF (i.e., if there's poor QF award availability).

 

[straitman]

Wouldn't you be better off booking the QF award first, then an AA flight that fits in? There's a risk that you will have an AA flight without your preferred connection to QF (i.e., if there's poor QF award availability).

.... or look at both booking simultaneously.

 

[lindyb]

Sorry didn't explain myself properly. Yes i intend booking the QF leg first especially as it appears AA don't release their flights as early as QF

 

[cove]

This thread has me wondering if there is a better way to do the NYC to Australia.
Typically I search the long haul then book that then fill in the short haul later. In this case that would be the run to Australia and then the run from New York and being flexible as to where I land in Australia seeing there are 3 main city choices of MEL,BNE or SYD with QF metal on a JASA.
If I have left it too late I would use a different company. Have not missed on SQ and I now have VA as a backstop to that idea.
Now the New York to LAX runs at 50,000 or 75,000 QF points depending on whether it is business or first.
My final shot would be to try through Dallas seeing it would be a 747 with QF.
Is there a better way to do this run on points?