YVR Cockroach

Some family are flying QF PER-MEL and then CX MEL-HKG. I'm advising them to take the redeye to MEL to connect with the morning CX flight (so the flights will be on seperate tickets) to save on hotel and ground transportation. Question is, as OW emerald/sapphire, will they be able the domestic QC in MEL prior to checking in for the CX flight. If not, how many hours before departure does CX open up in MEL and what time will they be able to get into the int'l lounge? Are there showers in either lounge?

Also, will they be able to check their bags through to HKG? I presume yes as both airlines are OW. Will they be able to get their CX BPs in PER (presume not as the tickets are seperate)?

Dave Noble

Is there a reason not to just fly PER-HKG which would save a lot of time .

I am not sure what time the CX lounge opens in MEL. The QF International lounge opens at 04:45 , so I would suggest going straight through to international and if the CX lounge is not open, then they can go to the International QC, or if Emerald, to the QF First lounge. The international lounge has showers.

They should be able to check the bags through but not sure about BPs

Dave

Kiwi Flyer

MEL CX lounge opens fairly early (is also used by EK). No showers and fairly basic lounge. Better off going to QF lounge.

No access to domestic qantas club on arrival (lounges are departure lounges except for QF WP & CL who have open door access).

I don't think they'll be able to check in at PER since it is separate ticket the check in agent will not have access to their record on CX system. CX check in at MEL likely opens 3 or so hours before departure.

Globaliser

Is this a new rule, or an old rule now being enforced? I thought that the terms were access if you had a BP for that day, ie you could therefore use it as an arrivals lounge.

I've successfully done it a couple of times in the last 12 months, although I've waved the same single document (ie card) whether just arriving or just about to pick up a BP for the next flight.

Kiwi Flyer

With quick check machines in the lounge it may be hard for the bouncers to tell if you are arriving or departing That said, MEL are sticklers for the rules even going to the effort of swiping your card to bring up any itineraries to check that you are indeed departing (unless your card is QF WP).

YVR Cockroach

Thanks for all the replies. The CX flight is part of a LHR-HKG-MEL "cheap" BC ticket (GBP 2.4k or something like that) and MEL yields the most miles.

I was hoping they could use the QF domestic lounge since they are departing on an OW flight that AM (but probably won't have BPs in hand).

NM

Though in theory if they are OneWorld Sapphire or Emerald with an onward same day CX flight, they can use any OneWorld Lounge at MEL, so that should include the domestic QF.

There is no right of access to that lounge as an arriving QF passenger (although many of us can report being granted access in such cases). But there is a right of access as a OneWorld Sapphire/Emerald as a departing CX passenger.

Note that about 18 months ago when I arrived into MEL on QF10 to transit on QF10 to SYD, the Qantas Club lounge was not open untill 6am, so I had to sit in the main lounge area for almost an hour. They certainly did not open at 4:45am at that time, but maybe my experience is a little out of date and they are now opening in time for the arriving QF10 passengers to use the lounge.

Definitely go for the Qantas Club lounge at the International terminal. Its a nice lounge, will be quiet at that time of the morning, and has good shower and other facilities.

Alan in CBR

A number of times I have used the SYD Domestic QP on arrival from CBR prior to transferring to the International terminal for a oneworld departure. Never had any indication from the lounge staff that this was out of the ordinary.

I would think it would be a more common occurrence in SYD, with its terminals being a long way from each other, than in MEL, where Dom and Int are under the same roof. I would be surprised if there was a problem though.

serfty

I have often used the SYD Dom QP prior to heading across to an International flight. This was generally as a QF SG as the Dom QP has better catering than the Int J lounge.

I have also used the MEL Dom lounges prior to international flights (utilising Guest access privileges). 10 years ago, both MEL and SYD had international Landside QP's these were closed . Qantas advised (in the now defunct Q-club Magazine IIRC) that members travelling internationally would be able to entertain non travelling guests at the domestic lounges.

Having posted that, I should stress that this was all prior to taking Qantas flights. Hoever, oneWORLD benifits should be the same.

Alan in CBR

Yes, I certainly didn't do so on my last trip, since I had access to the Int Flounge.

I've done it prior to BA flights in WT/WT+. And access was gained using a non-QF oneworld Sapphire card.

(Edited to add: Just noticed I finally made it to 500 posts. They've certainly been few and far between!)

Kiwi Flyer

I stand corrected, and congratulations Alan in CBR.

trekkie

i'm aware that melbourne has been rumoured to be tough on access. i have an upcoming flight on qf 129, melbourne-sydney, dom J. can i get access?

bensyd

dom J doesn't get QP access unless you get it through QP Membership or SG/WP status or equivalent OW status....

NM

In my experience, and from what I have read here, MEL Domestic QP is well known for applying the access rules as they are publised. They are no tougher than the application of the published access rules would permit. I am not aware of recent situations where people who have lounge entitlement have been denied access.

As you are departing on a domestic itinerary, business class travel does not entitle you to lounge access. OneWorld Sapphire or better status will provide lounge access.

thadocta

Domestic lounge, no. But since you are flying from the international terminal, you may be able to sneak in, as most of the time they are looking for the class of travel, rather than FF status.

Dave