QF Interline with AA

I was able to secure a couple of business seats to LAX later this year. We're now looking to fly beyond LA. I want to have interline so that of there are any delays Qantas will manage it and to check bags through (on the way back). So will book with AA or Alaska.

I want to confirm though that if I do book with these Oneworld partners I can just ring up QF and get those flights added to my original booking?

As long as you call Qantas and change your original booking with Qantas it will be fine but will likely cost a fortune with a new fare.

If booked through Qantas it will be a Qantas codeshare flight and has to be on a route Qantas codeshares on usually

I have done this few times before.

TBH AA is just amazing and treats QF pax very well. Even if QF does or cannot do this, once you pick up bags in LAX, as you walk towards the bag drop off, the staff there can quickly print a tag towards your final destination and make your life easier.

On the way back, every single time, AA has been able to tag me all the way to Australia, even if the tickets are not connected.

Atleast, this has been my experience over 15+ times. I will fly to LAX in 4 weeks, then i have domestic connections (booked separately with AA) however, connecting with my international legs, i will let you know if anything changes.

From the Qantas website:

• oneworld flights on separate tickets/bookingsare not eligible for through check–in, except if you have a Qantas Frequent Flyer reward or Qantas commercial booking, advise airport staff at check-in of the booking references.

Which I interpret as including a commercial booking on Qantas connecting to a OneWorld flight that is a QFF reward or the reverse. I had that case last year and the supervisor at Perth airport refused to check my bags through to my final destination, even though I had contacted Qantas prior to the travel day and they confirmed with BA (apparently). My complaint to Qantas wasn't even answered.

In the case of a reward flight connecting to a commercial ticketed flight on AA or Alaskan, the above is a bit vague. In the end it depends on check-in on the day. Good luck!

Jazzop, I assumed that by “securing” business seats you mean as QFF rewards.

Thanks for the responses. I should have been clearer, yes the flights to LAX are QFF rewards.

I guess it's book the flights, try and connect them to the FF booking, and if not ask at check in. One scenario though is if I can book AUS to LAX flight with QFF points. Does that make it easier to connect?

Call them up once you have both bookings done and the booking ref numbers, or ask the checkin staff on departure. They should be able to link the bookings and certainly tag it all the way to final destination no worries. You just may not be able to get boarding passes for all flights in au, but check-in online should sort that.

I have never done this but if it is my understanding that if your first flight is Qantas reward, luggage interline is possible to another oneworld carrier.

But I won't expect much as it is often airline staff (regardless of which airlines) do not know the complexity of air travel rules but just the simplest and most commonly-encountered ones.

I travel with separate bookings often and I normally make sure I have a good 4-5 hours in between. Better, stay overnight at the first arrival city and continue the next day (assuming you have the time and the flexibility to do so). Less tiring.

I am platinum and was paid J with AA. They refused to tag me to final destination with two separate tickets AA to AA and AA to QF. This occurred at FLL and LAX. "our system wont allow it"-this is even after I requested a supervisor to perhaps override the 'system'.

The QF website is quite clear, ie if separate tickets QF-Oneworld and one of the is a redemption/award ticket, baggage will be checked through to the final destination (relevant parts below are in bold).

One PNR

Separate PNR

Scenario

Boarding Pass

Baggage

Boarding Pass

Baggage

QF to/from QF

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

QF to/from EK

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

QF to/from oneworld

Yes

Yes

No^

No^

QF to/from non - oneworld

Yes*

Yes*

No

No

If connecting from an international flight through to an Australian domestic flight, you will need to clear customs and collect your bags at the first international point.

If travelling on a oneworld flight booked on separate tickets in separate bookings, the baggage will not be checked through and the customers will not receive the boarding pass for their onward flight.

Please allow enough time for your customers to collect their baggage at the end of each flight, clear customs and immigration if necessary, move between different terminals and re-check in with the next airline.

However, if your customers are travelling on separate tickets but in the same booking, the bags will be transferred between flights and they will receive the boarding pass for their onward flight.

^ Exemptions apply for customers travelling on a oneworld separate PNRs when using a combination of award travel and revenue travel. Note: This is a Qantas exemption and may not be supported by all oneworld airlines.
* Provided Qantas Interline and Inter-Airline Through Check-in (IATCI)Opens in a new tab or window agreements exist.

https://www.qantas.com/agencyconnect/au/en/policies/book/baggage/interline-and-through-checked-baggage.html