AlwaysOnTheRoad

Flying QF Hobart to Sydney and onto Dallas-Ft. Worth. Connection time now 1 hour 5 minutes due to change in HBA-SYD flight time. I have been on board QF flights where they have delayed closing the doors for a "group" of connecting passengers.

Will they do this for one passenger?

Any actions I can take to improve chances of making the connection?

Flying First.

madrooster

Your best bet is to ring reservations and ask to be moved to an earlier flight. Since there was a schedule change imposed on you, you are allowed to change flights free of charge.

Dave Noble

Since the only impact is that the connection time is reduced but is still within the MCT , I would be a tad surprised if Qantas permitted a free of charge change and with only 1 flight a day from HBA-SYD not much to change to anyway

With 65 minutes, should get to the aeoplane with no issue

Blackcloud

You do meet the MCT but unfortunately you will not have time to experience the First Lounge

vbroucek

While that meets MCT, I would strictly recommend changing it. 65 minutes from T3 to T1 is too risky and the flight from HBA tends to be late...

Dave Noble

Staying on Qantas gives the option of take that flight or travel 1 day earlier unless QF was prepared to allow rerouting despite there being no connection time issue

jridge

I'll be doing the exact same connection in December, and personally I'll take my chances. I've had that connection "fail" once, where HBA-SYD was late and they strictly enforced a cutoff of 45 mins at the intl transfer gate. Result was 24 hr delay in SYD. There were others making the same connection, but didn't seem to matter.

But 9 of 10 times it works in my experience. They also seem to be more willing to hold QF7 if there are strong tailwinds and the arrival time will not be impacted (i.e. they consider connection issues on the DFW end as much as in SYD).

garethlewis

I will generally only hold for groups of passengers from my experience

m0hamed

Not always. Was on a delayed QFLink flight PQQ-SYD where 6 pax were told they wouldn't make their QFi flights to the U.S. and had to overnight in SYD.

garethlewis

Well not always obviously

RooFlyer

One direct flight on Qantas; three direct flights on Jetstar (yes, I know not QF, and I avoid them too, but to make an international connection, I'd consider it ...) and numerous Qantas combinations via Melbourne, so there are a number of options available.

I fly HBA/MEL HBA/SYD for international connections every 6 weeks or so and would never consider anything less than a three hour connection time, due to the well known issues of the 717s flying into HBA. Several hours in the Qantas First lounge in SYD (or MEL) is time very well spent too .

If its winter, I usually fly in the night before, unless its an evening international departure (fog/weather issues).

To the OP: Definitely try to get on an earlier flight (eg via MEL); you should get it for free. Even if not, I'd do it (and make a complaint to try and get a refund).

Dave Noble

There is no reason why he should get it for free since the current booking is still perfectly valid and no impact has been made to his departure and equally no entitlement to a refund

pomkiwi

If there is a significant chance of a missed connection (MCT notwithstanding), then it might be in QFs commercial interests to allow a change which costs them little rather than have to accommodate a F pax for 24 hours. Presumably that decision would be informed by analysis of the on-time stats of the HBA-SYD flight.

AlwaysOnTheRoad

As much as I like the F lounge at SYD... leaving HBA at 0600 to go to MEL and then on to SYD arriving 0925 would then leave me sitting in the lounge for six hours. Normally I would not be that concerned about the connection except I am meeting my wife in DFW for an onward flight to Cancun the next day. I probably should have just flown to SYD a day earlier but now I wonder if QF would allow that change. As noted, the MCT is met with the 65 minute connection. I could call the QF First people and see what they have to say.

Dave Noble

I would expect that the decision would come down squarely on the MCTs

If the passenger wants to travel earlier , then I am sure that QF would have no objection to making changes as per the fare rules