QF to QF separate bookings (ADL -> MEL -> LAX). Can Adelaide check my bags all the way through?
Hi everyone,
I have a quick question about connecting from a Qantas domestic flight to a Qantas international flight on separate tickets/bookings.
- Leg 1: Adelaide (ADL) to Melbourne (MEL) - Qantas operated
- Leg 2: Melbourne (MEL) to Los Angeles (LAX) - Qantas operated
- Leg 3: LAX - CLE - American Airlines (No issues with this ig)
I arrive in MEL at 07:50 AM, and my LAX flight departs at 09:45 AM. This gives me a 1 hour 55 minute layover.
I've seen completely conflicting information online (I was also on call with the Qantas for hours) and on the Qantas website about baggage handling for separate tickets:
- Some posts say that because both flights are QF-operated, the check-in desk at Adelaide can through-check my bags all the way to LAX if I present both tickets.
- Other posts state that because they are separate bookings, I must collect my bags in Melbourne, switch terminals, and check in all over again.
Baggage Allowance Question: If they do agree to check my bags all the way through as one journey at Adelaide, what happens to my baggage allowance?
- My domestic ticket specifies a 23 kg allowance.
- My international ticket to the US allows 32 kg.
If they link the flights at the Adelaide counter, will they honor the international 32 kg limit for the domestic leg as well, or will I get hit with an overweight fee for the ADL-MEL flight if my bag is over 23 kg?
For context, I am not an Australian citizen (traveling on a foreign passport), so I'm unsure if that adds any extra document verification steps that might slow me down.
If I do have to manually collect and re-check my bags in Melbourne, is 1 hour 55 minutes even remotely enough time to exit domestic arrivals, change terminals, drop bags, and clear international security/immigration? What if I miss the Intl flight?
Any advice from frequent flyers who have done this specific QF-to-QF separate ticket transit would be massively appreciated. Thanks!