Recommendations for MEL-JFK award

[alect]

Looking to book a J award on QF MEL-JFK (with stopover in LAX on the way back) for mrs alect traveling alone.

Options are:

• outbound
  • QF4xx + QF107 ; or
  • QF25 + QF107
• inbound
  • QF108 + QF4xx ; or
  • QF26

Considerations so far:

• transit via SYD always a PITA
• being on QF107 all the way through ensures no missed connection in LAX - although isn't it usually 107 that is late and not the AKL flights and they would hold 107 to JFK or re-accommodate on AA metal?
• MEL-AKL and AKL-MEL QF25/26 segments are on 737 so not ideal (but OK)
• transitting through AKL is easier than SYD and they would always hold QF25/26 for the inbound a/c with same flight number.
• given it's likely she will stopover in LAX on the way back QF10late missing connection to MEL won't be a problem. Although for some reason QF online won't let me book QF108 JFK-LAX segment as part of a multi-city award booking when stopping over in LAX?????

Any other pros and cons?

 

[alect]

Holding a booking now (using AAdv) but found something curious.

Did my research on QF.com plenty of availability in August for the dates need. When I called AAdv they said they only had availability on QF400+QF11 outbound. I took it, but then checked BA.com - they too show availability on QF4xx+QF107.

Is it normal for AAdv to have less QF U availability available to it than BAEC? Or did I just get a dud AAgent?

 

[serfty]

Qantas can vary fare bucket availability depending on several factors. Among these are "markets" and "Agents".

i.e. Qantas may be having less availability for awards when the request is from the USA then from the UK.

I first came across this years ago when E/F (USA market) was showing D7 for QF93 but the AA agency in CMB only saw D0 (Asian Market?) for the same flight.

In the end I had to travel via SYD on QF107.

 

[alect]

Qantas can vary fare bucket availability depending on several factors. Among these are "markets" and "Agents".

i.e. Qantas may be having less availability for awards when the request is from the USA then from the UK.

So if I had called AAdv in the UK they would have had the access to the same inventory as BAEC?

 

[serfty]

You could try. Of course, AA in UK may source inventory from the USA searches.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Looking to book a J award on QF MEL-JFK (with stopover in LAX on the way back) for mrs alect traveling alone.

• inbound
  • QF108 + QF4xx ; or
  • QF26

Considerations so far:

• MEL-AKL and AKL-MEL QF25/26 segments are on 737 so not ideal (but OK)
• transitting through AKL is easier than SYD and they would always hold QF25/26 for the inbound a/c with same flight number.

I read that the transit time on the QF25/26 was something like 4 hours?

Not sure when your're planning the travel but i did a quick search on the QF site for March 2010 and the inbound QF26 arrives AKL at 0910 and the onwards flight to MEL is at 1300.

At four hours it is a bit of a toss up between that and going via SYD.

 

[dajop]

At four hours it is a bit of a toss up between that and going via SYD.

Four hours a toss up? As much as I detest the transfer at SYD I'd take it over four hours at AKL. Even at the worst of times, the longest I've transferred in SYD has been about 100 minutes from landing to T3, but usually quicker (you can book legal 2 hour connections). And when you get off the plane in MEL you're home - no customs/immigration whereas ex-AKL you still have to do customs/immigration. If it were 2 hours AKL would be worthwhile, but at 4 hours its a no-brainer.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Four hours a toss up?

Agree - I just re-read the OPs thread - i thought initially it was MrsOP + child

Without child I agree SYD would be the better option.

 

[jgm]

SYD is NEVER a better option.

 

[dajop]

SYD is NEVER a better option.

So you'd take a 4hour connection in airport without a terminal change in preference to a 2 hour connection in SYD?

Looking a random date (which happened to be mid march), QF 108 arrives at 09:25. Although QF will book a pax onto the 11am flight to MEL, say the transfer did take a very long 2.5 hours - (which I doubt) - that would put the OP on an 12:30pm flight to MEL - landing at 14:00. That's still a full hour ahead of when they would arrive on QF26, with potential for upside AND would not have any immigration formalties to deal with on arrival in MEL.

If you say NEVER - what is your limit - what if it was an 8 hour connection in AKL (or 5.5 hours like it is on QF26 from April onwards)? I detest SYD transfers as much as the next person, and take direct flights to MEL if at all possible, but if avoiding SYD means hanging around another airport and getting home several hours later - no thanks - I'll put up with the b*s at SYD.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

no thanks - I'll put up with the b*s at SYD.

Finally! It's official - the transfer bus at sydney has become a swear word in its own right :mrgreen:

 

[jgm]

So you'd take a 4hour connection in airport without a terminal change in preference to a 2 hour connection in SYD?

Yes - every time.

If you say NEVER - what is your limit - what if it was an 8 hour connection in AKL (or 5.5 hours like it is on QF26 from April onwards)? SYD.

I don't have a limit. 5.5 hours at AKL is enough time to head into town & have a look around (at the very least you can relax). No matter how short your transit at SYD, it is never relaxing; and I have absolutely no desire to contribute anything to the profits of one of the leading ripoff merchants in Australia - MAp.

 

[alect]

It eventuated to be a non-option - as QF in their wisdom restricted the U inventory available to AA (but not BA). Had to go out via SYD (and forced to take QF11 and NOT QF107 out of SYD making a 5hr connection in SYD - absurd).

So given the above posts re QF being able to restrict inventory by geographi market) why would QF make more award inventory available to BA (UK) cf. AA (US)? Don't BA and AA pay for award to QF at the same rates? Or does QF have individual agreements re payment for QF awards with each OW member?

 

[N860CR]

The 4 hour AKL stop is a PITA. I'm doing LAX-AKL-MEL on QF26 then MEL-SYD so all up a nearly 24 hour trip (all because the fare doesn't allow AKL as a transit point, and technically QF26 is a direct LAX-MEL).

Certainly not looking forward to it :evil:

 

[Sprucegoose]

SYD is NEVER a better option.

my friend you need to get around a bit more, SYD is one of the better airports in the World.

SPRUCE:shock::shock::shock: