wanderingeditor

For a variety of dull reasons, I need to travel SIN-MEL then MEL-LAX in early March (and then back again the same way at the end of March), with a pretty short turnaround in Melbourne. I plan to be in Melbourne for around 48hrs on the way out and maybe only 24hrs on the way back.

I've got my eye on two separate return tickets, both with Qantas. But the SIN-MEL fare has a three-day minimum stay. Does that just mean I can't take the MEL-SIN portion of the ticket within three days of the SIN-MEL part? Or do I actually have to stay in Australia for 72hrs? i.e., Will I run into problems when I try to board the MEL-LAX flight two days later, since it's also Qantas?

I assume it's the first, but it's hard to find any information about it.

Globaliser

Yes, this is how the minimum stay rule works. The text of the rule is "TRAVEL FROM LAST INTERNATIONAL STOPOVER MUST COMMENCE NO EARLIER THAN 3 DAYS AFTER DEPARTURE OF THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL SECTOR" and can only apply to the fares that you're buying on this ticket (ie the SIN-MEL-SIN ticket). This rule couldn't stop you buying another ticket on another airline to depart MEL immediately after you arrive there on this fare, or otherwise trap you in Australia for 3 days.

Some airlines have other rules in the CoC that prevent you nesting tickets, which is what you'd be doing with your two planned QF tickets. I couldn't immediately see anything like that in QF's, but others will have more experience about them.

LondonElite

It means there is a minimum stay required before you can use the return, not a mandatory stay. I assume you are returning on both tickets, so you have nested a MEL-LAX return inside your SIN-MEL return. Fairly normal.

wanderingeditor

Ah great. Thanks for your help!

madrooster

QF publishes fares for SIN-US. So it might be cheaper to do it all as one ticket.