Aus_Mal

In the near future I have a nested booking where I fly SYD-HKG (Qantas), HKG-SIN (Cathay), SIN-HKG (Cathay), HKG-SYD (Qantas). The two Qantas flights are on one paper ticket. The Cathay Itin is electronic using their proprietory booking method. The tickets were booked through an online TA.

On the outbound journey, I have a few days stopover in HKG before flying to SIN. Coming back from SIN, I have about 5 hours in HKG before catching the Qantas flight home.

Is it possible to phone up Cathay and link the two itins together (Or add booking notes?) ? That would make life a lil easier coming back. Or should I call Qantas and try and get them to link/note the itins incase my flight from SIN gets cancelled or is OOO.
Should I just call my TA and ask them to find a way to link them together?

Any other ideas to make the whole effort as painless as possible? Would I be likely to have issues with Cathay in SIN not wanting to tag my bag through to SYD correctly?

inasmuchas

I have an upcoming itin which see's me flying CX MEL-HKG-SIN return. I'm travelling with my father who lives closer to MEL than my home town of SYD, so I'm 'connecting' on QF from SYD to MEL return on a pair of red-e-deals.

Long story short, I rang CX and they were more than happy to note the details of my QF flights with my CX booking. On the outbound I have a connection of just 1hr 20 mins in MEL, and was assured by the CX agent that at QF Dom check-in I'd be issued with boarding passes for SYD-MEL-HKG-SIN (it's going to be a long day), and that my baggage would be checked through. The success of luggage check through remains to be seen, but I have faith.

They even suggested that I could fly Virgin Blue to MEL and as long as they had the details in the booking it should be fine. The cheek � like I'd take that option.

So to answer your question, I'd call CX and they should have no problem linking your itins.

Good luck.

QF WP

Aus_Mal, what you need to do is link the bookings by advising each airline of the other reloc and asking each to do an "information only sector" in the booking.

For example, in your QF booking, get QF to put in an "information only sector" of your CX flight HKG/SIN. In that way, at QF SIN, they are going to know that you are connecting from a CX flight - although it doesn't protect your QF booking if you mis-connect. CX and QF interline baggage, so can't see why that's a problem (as pointed out by inasmuchas in his comment). They'll check them SIN/HKG/SYD.

thadocta

Get both CX and QF to put the details of your other flights into your PNR as 'AK' sectors - this will then tell the airport, res and other staff about your other flights, without removing inventory from those flights.

Dave

Aus_Mal

Thanks guys.

Rang Cathay. They're not really interested in noting the Qantas flight in the PNR. Suggest just showing the through tickets and bags will be through checked.

Oh well. will see how it all goes. Have been bitten before with staff not wanting to through check baggage on two seperate one world tickets so a lil cautious. Have plenty of time to deplane, immigration, baggage, customs, check-in, immigration etc etc, but it all cuts into valuable lounge time!!

Oh and I loved their policy on not allocating bulk heads. The summary was "Everyone wants it these days, so we wait until the airport so we can see how tall people are!" (Better than the standard [and correct?] reason of waiting for bookings with babies). Bet they're available through Online checkin...

thadocta

CX really don't need to know about your QF flight in, as you will be having a few days in SIN. QF will probably want to know about your HKG-SIN flight on CX though, as you will be connecting straight onto your QF flight.

Dave

gaia

Recently travelled SYD - HKG - SYD on QF and HKG - BKK - HKG on Cathay. Both were separate e-tickets with no linkage. At BKK I asked at Cathay checkin to check baggage to SYD...no problem.

Then went to QF QC airside at BKK and asked them to issue the HKG - SYD boarding pass. Showed them my baggage receipt and met my bag in SYD.

Very easy and efficient.

Ysardine

I just flew CX from MEL - HKG - ICN and had the dissatisfaction of the 1st row in economy on the long sector on an airbus A330-300. It was the narrowest seat I have ever had, and the av and head phone gear protrudes into you leg as well. Damn annoying for a 8+ hr flight. I may not be the thinnest person in economy, but I'm not the fattest either. I'll take 77D any day over those seats.

I just need a way of changing my seating pref to "forward ailse but not too far forward".

Mind you - would be nice if CX had some kind of on-line checkin for OW memebers.

Cheers,

YS

PS - got delayed and stuck in HKG for a day. CX did and excellent job 0 even organised a hotel in the city, free trsfers when I said I didn; want to stay in the airport hotel. And CX first class lounges are damn nice

SanDiego1K

I had a slightly different situation two weeks ago. I flew HKG-MEL (CX) - CNS (QF). Both sectors were on the same ticket. I was flying in F on CX. CX refused to tag my bag to CNS. The agent insisted that the Australian government would not allow them to thru check the bag. I said I knew I had to clear the bag thru customs at my first port of entry, but would like the bag tagged onward. The agent (at the Central Airport Express check-in) kept repeating the Australian government would not allow this.

My concern was that should CX fail to get the bag on my HKG-MEL flight, they had no responsibility to get it to me in CNS. In the end, it all worked out - but is there truly such a policy?

Kiwi Flyer

Seems odd. NZ has the same must pick up bags at port of entry, but allows tagging through to destination.

Its been a long time since I've been in that situation in Australia as most times have carry-on only.

gaia

When I book online on the CX site it lets me choose the exact seat I want.

gaia

I through check my bags in a similar way 3 times a month from PVG, HKG, BKK to MEL via SYD with the MEL-SYD flight always being a domestic flight and have never had such an issue.