There are several international gateways depending on where you want to go to and airline travelling on. Sydney may be the busiest, but Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and even Adelaide can be used for international departures.

QF is not the only domestic carrier in Australia and why should QF be liable if bags go astray on a long trip if their only involvement is a short hop on a completely separate purchase

No. Virgin (the other major Airline operating in Australia) also offers the same "airside transfer" bus from Domestic Gate 40 something to International Terminal.

And despite that caveat, Virgin were kind enough to let me ride the bus (and even checked me in and issued boarding pass for the SYD-LAX sector) when I was flying CBR-SYD; SYD-LAX (two tickets, worked out cheper than purchasing CBR-LAX). Ofcourse I didn't have any checked bags to worry about.

If its a Domestic-International connection then a pax even on an all QF itin would need to visit landside to clear outbound immigration.

Depends on how you look at it. Basically all airlines in ANZ don't offer this service (anymore). And even outside the region you find airlines who don't, from a full service carrier like British Aeroflot to a Ryanair.

True perhaps in Australia, but it is still incorrect to say that most airlines do not interline. I agree most people here have an Aussie focus, but the example of travelling through Asia was quoted.

That said, we have to take out discount carriers as they will not even through check bags on their own services. They do not wish to deal with onward transfer of luggage. period.

But in my experience, the following will interline if you can show two itineraries and even better if you have the printed online BP for the two segments.
EMEA: All except BA, and I think I IB is also dragged in.
Americas: All majors
Asia: All majors
ANZ: well, well, well...

Of course every now and then you come across the 'too lazy to be bothered' but from multiple touch points of multiple airlines and as someone who typically puts together separate trips I only encounter this sillyness in ANZ and with BA.

As I said, I think it is quite interesting that SK went down this path, only 6 months later to turn it around into an advertising point against BA, esp. as BA started moving more into Scandinavia.

This is incorrect, both AirAsia and Jet* now provides 'through connections' when booked on the same PNR. There are strict conditions, and this is not applicable to all routings - but is an important part of the present strategy to feed to regional asian destinations following longhaul - eg AKL-SIN-XXX on J* and CHC-KUL-XXX on Air Asia.

QF is also offering a Gate Check service or "Premium Hand Luggage" for the Dash 8's. Just get the tag from the gate agent, attach it to the bag, leave the bag at the steps onto the aircraft and collect the bag when you step off. No need to go landside at all.

I'd like to close this thread out from my point of view with my final coments.

For the 12 months ended 30 June 2011, I flew 98 international flights in J and F with flight times between 5 and 11 hours. This has been my pattern for a few decades (since 1987) & likely to continue for at least another decade or two.

I do try to limit my frequent flyer programmes, but even with the best of intentions I do end up being top tier in several.

It might be difficult to say that I'm not an experienced flyer.

Only this once have I encountered such nonsense with QF MEL-SYD transfer & I'm genuinely surprised that this forum is so insular in their collective vehemence.

I shan't post here again, I'm clearly not in this forum's class.

If you read the post you quoted I never said Sydney is the only airport with International departures or that QF was the only domestic carrier. There is such a thing as market power without having a monopoly.

I think gaia is right, He was treated poorly not only by Qantas but also by several members of this forum.

Qantas is on a slippery slope towards mediocrity.

We could learn much from gaia's about flying in premium class.

One might say he was flamed.

Gaia was right. And I cannot see a single argument that confirms Qantas' actions as being prudent.

So what if Gaia was given an interline once and then went back the next time and 'but you did it last time'?

With 98 flights QF should be going above and beyond to keep his business.

If QF cannot even do this for this CIP, I wouldn't be holding my breath that the new super platinum level is going to offer anyone anything special.

Sure QF has rules, and these are published. But those rules are not law, and can be adjusted based on individual circumstances.

I quite agree, if you are bronze/silver or gold FF on a $69 fare MEL-SYD then QF doesn't need to spend money on you to interline your baggage. but if you are a Plat or the new Plat 1 then it is perhaps not the best business sense for them not to.

QF is not a government department. They don't need to treat everyone the same.

I wouldn't be so negative. In reality, there are two things happening:

- QF just followed its policy and you contributed to this problem by booking full fare flights on two tickets (don't get upset, stay with me for a second). Putting connecting flights on two tickets is something one should try to avoid unless the price difference is substantial.

- However, I think almost everybody here agrees that no matter whether QF followed its policy or not, its the policy which is the actual problem. QF not checking the bags through is just bad no matter which class you fly or status you have. A premium airline needs to deliver premium service. Yes, you could have avoided the problem but the culprit here is QF's policy.

No they are not but the reality most probably is that differentiating baggage interlining rules by status or COS will create a complexity in the backend which costs more than it saves.
What QF needs to do is to change its policy back to where it used to be.

I don't see why Qantas should change its policy; where Qantas is getting revenue only for a short flight , such as SYD-MEL, why should they take on the liability where the baggage goes astray on a journey for which they have no involvement

If the passenger misses the onward flight, I would also not expect QF to pick up costs of hotels or rebooking

QF does provide an exception to this where the onward journey is on a OW carrier, but I don't see why they should provide the benefit when going on an unrelated competitor. The OP could have flown BA or QF in any class to BKK and received the benefit or bought a through ticket

It is nice when an airline does an through baggage connection and had it done recently connecting from EK F to a BA Club Europe ( which would not happen in reverse), but I had no expectation that they would do it and made sure that I had allowed plenty of time to handle collecting bags and checking in again.

Nice if QF would do it, but the policy is not to do it now and the OP should be ready to expect it in the future

Because it makes commercial sense? The amount of money QF is going to save from a certain percentage of the cost being back charged to them is negligible. It will cost QF a lot more money that other airlines are through checking to them on separate tickets.
But offering this service makes frequent flyers like gaia come back. I haven't done it with QF yet but I have deliberately avoided BA on two ticket itineraries because of the baggage problem.

I agree a QF to QF flight should transfer bags from domestic to international. QF has a bad policy that should be changed. SYD with it s two terminals may as well be two airports, perhaps not QF's fault, however they are prime tenant at SYD. They HAVE a problem, why pass it off on the PAYING public.

QF is doing all it can to lose premium customers: Baggage policies such as the above, plus: Eliminating first class on 744's. pushing premium passengers on Jetstar , overpricing the domestic business product etc. No wonder EK, EY, QR are having such success in Australia. Look at the great EK product SYD-AKL and MEL-CHC. 3 class 777 and 380's! compared to 35 inch pitch for business class customers on 737's or 767's.
If QF wants to keep PAYING premium fliers they need to look at the PREMIUM competition. If they want to be Jetstar ok. charge Jetstar prices. Keep Jetstar Jetstar. If Qantas wants Premium passengers Qantas needs to treat premium passengers like GAIA better as would Qantas of a few years ago.
Just 4 years ago I looked forward to a QF flight, now I fly QF only when they are the only alternative.

This thread started with the title" Qantas has lost the plot".

Yes, I agree.