Qantas Frequent Flyer - Melbourne - New York (Via LAX)... Help

Hello,

I am flying from Melbourne to New York (via LAX) on 21st December 2009.
What confuses me is that this flight only has a 1.5 hour transit time between arriving in LAX and connecting to New York (JFK). Furthermore, the flight from Melbourne to LA is on a Qantas A380, and then you change to a Qantas 747-400 at LAX.
There is no way that you can clear immigration, re-check baggage, and go through all the security checks in 1.5 hrs at LAX.

I've done this flight many times in the past (before A380 introduced) and it would always be the same aircraft (747-400) that does the whole trip (with a refuel at LAX). And, they would always wait for the Mel-LAX passengers to go through the nightmare process at LAX (i.e. clear immigration/re-check baggage and clear security) before taking off for New York.

So how does it work now that they change aircraft at LAX? Do they wait for the Mel-LAX passengers to clear immigration and re-check baggage before leaving? And why does Qantas publish a 1.5 hr transit time at LAX, when this is completely unrealistic?

Cheers

Bottom line.... Will i get to New York?

I don't know, last time I cleared LAX (last year) coming from Europe, I was off the 'plane, bags collected and through customs and immigration in 25 minutes, the people who had come to collect me were a bit surprised, they had just bought their first beer expecting me to be at least twice that.

There were many others being sent back to the end of the line for not having their paperwork filled out correctly.

Maybe I am just lucky.

The flight that continues on to JFK is QF107 from SYD, not MEL. Coming from MEL, you'll be on QF93 and connect to QF107 at LAX. QF107 arrives in LAX at 0615 and departs for JFK at 0850. The A380 used for the MEL flight sits in LAX all day and returns to Australia as either QF94 or QF12.
QF93 arrives in LAX at 0720. If you miss the connection, you'll be put onto an AA flight (ie AA2, AA4, AA40 etc).

When I arrived at LAX on QF11 in early September, I was through immigration in 30 mins. Last year on QF107, I was through in 20 (I spent longer at the gate waiting to reboard then I did in immigration).

I did this connection in August and was fine. Caught the A380 from MEL but departure was delayed due to fog in LAX. Had a bit of a rush at LAX but in reality it was fine. The flight to JFK was also held back for us so we could make it.

Jase.

Bottom line.... Will i get to New York?

Welcome to FT and the friendly QF forum, vudu!

The previous posters have already said most relevant details but I would just like to answer your question with a "yes". QF107 is often late, if not, they often hold it for connecting pax and if this doesn't work you can enjoy the next AA flight. So yes, you will make it.

There is no way that you can clear immigration, re-check baggage, and go through all the security checks in 1.5 hrs at LAX.

[Rubbish :td: - It is entirely possible provided your arrival is on time. Both flights at TBIT]

I've done this flight many times in the past (before A380 introduced) and it would always be the same aircraft (747-400) that does the whole trip (with a refuel at LAX). And, they would always wait for the Mel-LAX passengers to go through the nightmare process at LAX (i.e. clear immigration/re-check baggage and clear security) before taking off for New York.

So how does it work now that they change aircraft at LAX? Do they wait for the Mel-LAX passengers to clear immigration and re-check baggage before leaving? And why does Qantas publish a 1.5 hr transit time at LAX, when this is completely unrealistic?

Cheers

Bottom line.... Will i get to New York?

Usual answer : Yes.
QF Endeavours to make sure all Passengers make the LAX-JFK connection and check the manifests for passenger names at the baggage re check station. Also if QF really did have problems with this 1.5hr connection, you think they would not allow pax to book it or change the schedule.

I had 90 minute delayed arrival on the A3latey and was lucky enough that QF107 was able to wait for all pax as well as those from QFs 107/25.

Also, every pax who came from QF107 ex SYD has to clear immigration at LAX.
The aircraft ain't going nowhere without them.
O/T - is this one of the lowest Yields for Qantas, given they can only sell it as AUS-NYC?

Touch wood for no delays ex Mel.

Have a good trip.
New York is great!
Just mind the cold after leaving Melbourne summer.

David ;)

Qantas has a number of flights from Australia/New Zealand to LAX (QF15 from BNE, QF93 from MEL, QF25 from AKL and QF107 and QF11 from SYD). With the exception of QF11 (because if you were going from SYD-JFK, you'd be on 107 and not 11 to start with), they all arrive at LAX in time for connections to the LAX-JFK leg of QF107.

In most cases, Qantas will hold 107 at LAX until everyone has reached it (which I would assume is part of the reason QF108 is almost always late getting back to LAX).

Thanks very much for all the feedback.
Last time i did this flight... Re-checking baggage and clearing immigration was the quick part... It just took forever to get back through the x-ray machines after clearing immigration... Biggest queue i've ever seen... and i think Britney spears had just arrived for a flight too, so everyone had to make way for her, and her entourage.

I wasn't sure if i took a wrong turn somewhere in the airport after re-checking bags and clearing immigration though... I think i ended up at the main 'lobby' of LAX. I had to queue back up to go through the x-ray machines again and I didn't recognize anyone from my Mel-LAX flight in the queue. I think i was mixed in with all the domestic USA departures. Is this normal? Or is there a 'special' way that transiting international passengers are supposed to go after clearing immigration?

Cheers

Thanks very much for all the feedback.
Last time i did this flight... Re-checking baggage and clearing immigration was the quick part... It just took forever to get back through the x-ray machines after clearing immigration... Biggest queue i've ever seen... and i think Britney spears had just arrived for a flight too, so everyone had to make way for her, and her entourage.

I wasn't sure if i took a wrong turn somewhere in the airport after re-checking bags and clearing immigration though... I think i ended up at the main 'lobby' of LAX. I had to queue back up to go through the x-ray machines again and I didn't recognize anyone from my Mel-LAX flight in the queue. I think i was mixed in with all the domestic USA departures. Is this normal? Or is there a 'special' way that transiting international passengers are supposed to go after clearing immigration?

CheersThe LAX-JFK leg of QF107 is not an international flight, there is no international transit in the US. All arriving international passengers, including those transiting to places outside the US, clear US immigration then go through TSA (The US doesn't have departure immigration either, so all departing international passengers go through TSA with domestic passengers).

When I was on QF107 last year, it still used LAX T4, it now uses TBIT which I've never departed from, so I don't know the departure layout there.

Once you've cleared immigration, you drop your bags off at the interline desk, then head for departures and go through the TSA checkpoint (in T4, that was past the check in desks and upstairs, not sure about TBIT).

Security clearance at TBIT will take 5 min at that time of the day -- quite a change from T4, which has a hundred AA flights leaving then, vs. 1 or 2 at TBIT. Most of the fears of the OP about this connection are unfounded, and as mentioned the situation at LAX has changed for the better. Probably will have time for a shower in the lounge prior to boarding :)

Security clearance at TBIT will take 5 min at that time of the day -- quite a change from T4, which has a hundred AA flights leaving then, vs. 1 or 2 at TBIT. Most of the fears of the OP about this connection are unfounded, and as mentioned the situation at LAX has changed for the better. Probably will have time for a shower in the lounge prior to boarding :)

Organised panic is the best way I can describe what I went through when the flight from MEL was delayed by about 1 hour. We were never told we would be making our JFK connection but from picking up our bags to getting on the plane we had ground staff shepherding as through TBIT to our waiting JFK flight. They really did a good job.

Upon boarding the captain announced “we were always going to wait for you”. Probably best approach as we rushed and all made it, no one was willing to dawdle and test that though!

Jase.

I was on 107 a few weeks ago and despite having arrived at LAX on time, we were delayed more than and hour and a half waiting for the delayed melbourne flight and its connecting pax. So yes, 107 will wait for you. Within reason.

Remember, the majority of pax on the A380 from MEL are not connecting onward to JFK so 90 minutes is long enough to transfer the comparatively few who are.

awesome thread guys...

I was wondering the same thing as i'm doing the MEL- JFK flight on the a380/747 in just over two weeks.

very helpful ^

Just follow the signs for transit after re-subbmitting any checked luggage - do not go landside and you will be fine.

O/T - is this one of the lowest Yields for Qantas, given they can only sell it as AUS-NYC?



It may be a low yield, but I'd be surprised if it were THAT much of a disaster -- after all, 107/108 feed from/to all 4 flights (SYD, MEL, BNE, AKL). Plus, if you're a premium pax heading to the East Coast of the US (other than Florida), wouldn't you rather be in F/J on QF rather than any domestic US product (even AA's LAX-JFK product)? Remember that other than LAX-JFK, a couple of AA's MIA flights, and a few stray flights elsewhere (1x LAX-ORD, 2x LAX-DFW, and some UA flts to IAD, not all of which work with connections ex-AUS) there are no "premium" (lie-flat seats) cabins on domestic US flights.

I have wondered about staffing on this flight. Are the 107/108 crew based at LAX, or do they fly TPAC and just extend their time in the USA?

New York is great!


+1

The crew overnight at LAX and then work LAX-JFK-LAX and overnight again before heading back to Australia (or NZ I suppose, not sure if NZ based crew work the JFK flight). There are no LAX based crew as far as I know.

I was advised the Flight Deck crews flying QF107/QF108 to/from JFK do actually overnight in NYC - the FA's do the turnaround.