QF web is selling AKL - MEL (x) on 330 and then MEL - PER on the 787

[AustraliaPoochie]

on the 22 Dec this year.
Nzd$1429 in J. If div by 160, its Nzd$8.93 per QF SC.
Would be a good one to try, yes/no/maybe?
I am tempted!
Dep AKL at 13:45, arr MEL 16:00, then just passing international transit security, without any real MEL lounge access, time short, or maybe a few mins in the lounge, dep MEL at 17:00 gets to PER at 18:10.
Add on the cost to get to AKL of course and then PER back to your home city, plus hotels...
Too excited to chase the other thread about chasing the 787.

 

[bosox76]

Hi Poochie,
Just a little confused. Is your main goal to fly the 787? Or is it the SC?
If it’s the SC I would have thought that there’s better value out there then this particular run especially if you’re in possession of a DSC offer, if it’s to fly the 787 couldn’t you just take it from MEL? You’re not really getting the benefits of any decent lounge access given the timing. As you’ve said you’ll also have to add the costs of positioning to AKL from ADL and back from PER. Sure you get more SC but without doing the sums I’d guess that the overall value would decrease further. Personally I wouldn’t but YMMV.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

I do have several goals, the main one, as with a lot of us is to test out the 787 on a longer route, but I can't in my life at the moment, go to the UK.
3.5 hours to 4 hours, with a sunset view, with a wide window, and a J service at that, also the AKL - MEL is also wide body, and the chance to do a MEL international transfer, wow, not many chances of those these days.
Expensive hobby this one of ours, ...
So far I have not done a QF 787 plane trip, have done the J with with Latam on their 787, with Lan on the 340 and in premY with AirNZ.
Re: SC earn, yep, that would be good to have too.
Still have QP on the cooler, am QF SG at the moment, but will drop to PS/NB this end Jul. But will pay for subclass of J from now on for my trips, less number in a year.
Sorry about veering off main theme of the forum, but for those chasing QF SC, and wanting a longer QF 787 ride with true international transfer in MEL, this is it.
Edit: I don't think that QF is selling the 787 from MEL - PER (domestic) on its own though, if flying as a domestic passenger on an international flight, ala from days of old was your thought idea.
Double edit: ((HEH, sorry for all this Malarkey, turns out that QF is selling the domestic passenger on an international flight opportunity again)).
Just had a look.
Aud$2150 in J though for the opportunity!!!!!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[bosox76]

I see. Only you can decide whether your proposed trip is worth the financial outlay and if you’ll get out of the trip the things that you want to. It’s a pretty tight connection. You’ll probably be ok but I always get a little edgy with international connections of one hour or less. All it takes is a slight delay out of AKL or a traffic control hold coming into MEL. If you proceed I hope you enjoy it.

 

[kermatu]

Seems to be available for a number of dates, but I agree the connection time is tight. In my experience late departures from AKL are the norm (though flight time is often less than advertised). And if doing this run for the enjoyment factor then the lack of F lounge time in MEL would seem a real waste.

Thanks for posting though AP. I have done AKL-PER twice recently (both times via SYD with the Intl-Dom transfer hassle) so this might be a viable alternative at some point.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Thank you both for your feedback.
If I do (do) it, and find that I have missed the flight to PER, I could stop at MEL and just immi process there, pay for an overnight at one of the hotels in MEL city and back to ADL on the next day.
Can't really see the benefit of giving QF my $ to keep SG, so that is why its most likely in my case a drop to PS/NB, so status chasing is more so a 2nd/3rd/4th place decision maker.
Haven't tried the PER T1 QFi lounge, so maybe doing the $21xx $$$$$ on PER - MEL, though very expensive as it is, is another option. If I don't fly often with QF, the PER - MEL domestic passenger on an international flight, being my once yearly flight, that $21xx might be ok to spend.
Ok, back to normal runnings.

 

[kermatu]

Also the Emirates lounge would not be open in AKL so you'd have to slum it in the QF lounge.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Didn't notice there is a 6am flight from AKL - MEL earlier on in the day, same price for subclass of Linkable booking, though a 737 dep AKL at 6.00 arr MEL at 8.15, fare about the same dep MEL 17.00, this one would give enough time to be a lounge lizard.
Also in J for about Nzd$143x.
As an Aust citizen, even if they chase me out in MEL for spending too much time in the international secure zone (if international security are told to move people on if their transit time in MEL is more than 8 hours), going MEL - PER from the start, ie, outside Aust immi in MEL might be ok.
I don't mind the QF AKL J lounge, its not all that bad. If you are WP/P1 you could use the F lounge.
Could also pay to go into and check out the Strata Lounge, since they moved it a while ago, it would be interesting to find out its new location.

 

[kermatu]

I've never heard before that someone may be kicked out of transit for more than 8 hours???

In any event, way too long to be a lounge lizard!

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Somewhere, does not affect us Aussies, but there is something somewhere that says a person does not need an Aust visa, if they remain in the transit area, ie after Aust immi processing at an Aust airport, that maybe, Aust international to international security xray staff might have been given orders to check and see when boarding passes are presented to go into xray zone, ie, to prepare to go upstairs to international departures via the international to international transfers, rather than via the Smartgate system.
They might have been given orders that if a transit is too long, to put people through incoming immigration (a bit of bu****** talk here).
Unlike the real - real transit/transfer AKL - MEL - SIN transit for eg.
This 6am AKL departure now does open an opportunity to do some testing. 17.00 - 8.30 = 8 and a half hours. Less maybe 45 mins or so security xray and boarding time, maybe 7.15 hours.
Will be a long wait in T1 MEL international departures...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

i don’t think it is worth it!

to fly the 787 you could go to bali, jetstar business, and have money for your hotel left over even mix it up a bit and fly garuda back, business class. All for less than you’d spend to go to AKL, hotels, and back from perth.

The 787 is ok. The benefits are longer flights for the lower cabin pressure. Three hours to perth will hardly be noticeable. i wouldn’t go out of my way to take it.

an international transfer in MEL? not worth the money.

 

[docjames]

MEL-PER is bookable as QF9 online via Qantas website.

I can see eg. Apr 28

Looks not to be loaded for some of (the latter half of )December - suspect that's more to do with QF anticipating long haul demand leading up to Xmas.

In early december it's still available.

 

[RichardMEL]

Neither option is ideal... and if you are so gung ho on doing it wait for a sale!!!! (or use points)

I don't know why you care about loungw time anyway at MEL since you're forever whining about the dungeon J lounge anyway so... no loss there.

As others have said the 787 experience in the QF config is nice but it's hardly the QR QSuites or anything groundbreaking. Essentially the same as the 330 product.

And if you missed the 1700 connectpion at MEL QF would just put yoiu on the next domestic sector to PER as there are a number more in the evening schedule so I'm not sure why you'd bring up the notion of staying in MEL and getting a room etc.. unless you decided to ditch the MEL-PER sector, which would then cancel any return portion of a ticket. Not a great idea IMHO.

If you really want it just book it MEL-PER as others have suggested (or v.v. would actually make more sense if it goes from PER domestic with the nicer longe

I'd note that that close to Christmas it's unlikely you'd find award or upgrade space or even sale fares available unless you plan now.

IMHO