Booked QF Paid J Class?( 2 seats ) PER JFK PER via BNE in June 2017. On the return leg QF have booked us to return BNE PER on QF589 departing at 8:20 am. QF16 from LAX is scheduled to arrive at 6:10 am. Is 2 hours 10 minutes sufficient time to complete arrival formalities and transfer to the domestic terminal? ?Recent arrival times of QF16 indicate that this time differential could be very skinny. What is the procedure if we are unable to make the connection due to the late arrival of QF16.?
Firstly, 2 hours is the standard - it's a 5min bus trip to Domestic and you'll hopefully get to experience the fab new Qantas biz lounge.
I do BNE-US a few times a year and in my experience the delays with getting processed out of LAX and into BNE include:
QF16 is often held so Qantas can collect inbound pax from JFK off QF12 (i.e you in June). QF12 has a shocking on-time performance record primarily due to JFK being, well JFK.
If you are delayed into BNE you'll no doubt land just after a whole raft of other inbound wide-bodies - Emirates ex-DHB, Virgin ex-LAX, Korean, Qantas ex-SIN, Qantas ex-NRT, Air NZ, Emirates ex-SIN, and even more from China - if this happens you're up the creek! As you taxi to the gate look out the right side and have a look at how many wide bodies are at gates and if they are unloading cargo! THEN...
You have to deal with the Australian Border Force commando's and hope they are all working and the minions in ABF have all there servers switched on so as to process passports- a big ask!
Keep in mind that Qantas owns the whole booking so if you land late and can't make the connection you'll likely be rebooked onto QF651 - you probably don't want this as QF651 is the B737 vs the A330 for QF589. You may get one of the upgraded A330's (for QF589) - you may not (I've personally found it pretty hit and miss ex-BNE to PER re new seats vs old seats.
Either way, Qantas will know what is happening once QF12 pushes back from the gate at JFK - QF12 usually can sprint across the US as it did for me in January (90min departure delay turned into 5-min arrival delay). Once you get to LAX you'll have a feel for the likelihood of getting to Brisbane on time!
It took me 2 hours and 15 minutes from landing at Brisbane international after QF16 to arriving airside at domestic in February. That was with priority baggage. I was fortunate that the plane landed early.
Immigration and customs were very slow, with massive crowds for both, and this was after both school holidays and Chinese New Year. As mentioned, several planes arrived at the same time.
If you miss the connection, Qantas will put you on a later flight. Speak to either lounge staff or staff at the transfer desk, queues for business usually aren't too bad there. They were very helpful with me and my sightly complicated ticket and tight onward connection.
I also had a tight connection through BNE the other day. I arrived at 6.45am on QF62 from NRT and had a connection to ADL at 8.30am. So, it was a bit less than two hours. I had the family in tow and and we managed to get to the domestic terminal with enough time to visit the lounge. We used the bus outside the terminal to transfer. So, when it's working, you can make it. I appreciate that you're talking about coming from LAX and the incoming flight is more likely to be delayed. Like Jhor says, if you miss the connection, QANTAS will just put you on the next flight. Good luck.
Have you read the discussion "Involuntary Downgrade "? If you are late in BNE, and the next flight is a 737 you could well be finishing your trip in Y. 2 hours is tight and I would normally go for the next flight, but then you have 737 instead of A330, still at least a better chance of getting a J seat. Perhaps better off coming back throug SYD.
I don't think you will see a non-upgraded A330 on either of the BNE-PER flights mentioned. There are only 2 left and they are the international configuration with Skybed 1 in J. They mostly go to Beijing and Honolulu. QF651 seems to be all 737s recently. (Should have been a reply to markpk)
I don't think you will see a non-upgraded A330 on either of the BNE-PER flights mentioned. There are only 2 left and they are the international configuration with Skybed 1 in J. They mostly go to Beijing and Honolulu. QF651 seems to be all 737s recently. (Should have been a reply to markpk)
VNAV
VNAV
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 07 Feb 2016
Total posts 13
Booked QF Paid J Class?( 2 seats ) PER JFK PER via BNE in June 2017. On the return leg QF have booked us to return BNE PER on QF589 departing at 8:20 am. QF16 from LAX is scheduled to arrive at 6:10 am. Is 2 hours 10 minutes sufficient time to complete arrival formalities and transfer to the domestic terminal? ?Recent arrival times of QF16 indicate that this time differential could be very skinny. What is the procedure if we are unable to make the connection due to the late arrival of QF16.?
markpk
markpk
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 29 Nov 2013
Total posts 456
Firstly, 2 hours is the standard - it's a 5min bus trip to Domestic and you'll hopefully get to experience the fab new Qantas biz lounge.
jhor
jhor
Member since 18 Nov 2013
Total posts 61
It took me 2 hours and 15 minutes from landing at Brisbane international after QF16 to arriving airside at domestic in February. That was with priority baggage. I was fortunate that the plane landed early.
Immigration and customs were very slow, with massive crowds for both, and this was after both school holidays and Chinese New Year. As mentioned, several planes arrived at the same time.
mern2001
mern2001
Qantas - P1 Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 10 Apr 2013
Total posts 103
I also had a tight connection through BNE the other day. I arrived at 6.45am on QF62 from NRT and had a connection to ADL at 8.30am. So, it was a bit less than two hours. I had the family in tow and and we managed to get to the domestic terminal with enough time to visit the lounge. We used the bus outside the terminal to transfer. So, when it's working, you can make it. I appreciate that you're talking about coming from LAX and the incoming flight is more likely to be delayed. Like Jhor says, if you miss the connection, QANTAS will just put you on the next flight. Good luck.
GregXL
GregXL
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 26 May 2014
Total posts 320
Have you read the discussion "Involuntary Downgrade "? If you are late in BNE, and the next flight is a 737 you could well be finishing your trip in Y. 2 hours is tight and I would normally go for the next flight, but then you have 737 instead of A330, still at least a better chance of getting a J seat. Perhaps better off coming back throug SYD.
GregXL
GregXL
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 26 May 2014
Total posts 320
I don't think you will see a non-upgraded A330 on either of the BNE-PER flights mentioned. There are only 2 left and they are the international configuration with Skybed 1 in J. They mostly go to Beijing and Honolulu. QF651 seems to be all 737s recently. (Should have been a reply to markpk)
markpk
markpk
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 29 Nov 2013
Total posts 456
I don't think you will see a non-upgraded A330 on either of the BNE-PER flights mentioned. There are only 2 left and they are the international configuration with Skybed 1 in J. They mostly go to Beijing and Honolulu. QF651 seems to be all 737s recently. (Should have been a reply to markpk)