[Adam.S]

As it turned out for my travelling family, yesterday's flight(s) turned out to be quite an event from what I've been told:

Departing Melbourne they were bound for Sydney on QF440 for the domestic leg, then connecting with JQ3 to HNL in Sydney.

At the gate in Melbourne checked luggage can be seen being loaded onto flight QF440 (14:30 departure) as passengers start to boarded the aircraft aswell.
Approx half the passengers have boarded when they are then asked by staff to leave the aircraft.
From there they were apparently given the option to join the next scheduled flight to Sydney, QF442 (15:00 departure) while staff look over the aircraft operating QF440.

My family board flight QF442 and arrive in Sydney with just their hand luggage, as their checked baggage was already loaded in the original aircraft (flight QF440) and stayed in Melbourne.

Arriving in Sydney they find out that their bags, and flight QF440, have eventually departed Melbourne 90mins late and will arrive in Sydney at a time after check-in has closed for their international leg on JQ3.

After some frantic discussion with both Jetstar and Qantas staff at Sydney Airport (who were both seemingly unaware of the delayed flights from Melbourne) they are told they can check in and fly out to Hawaii this evening without their luggage, however there was no guarantee their bags would arrive in Hawaii within the next 48 hours.

My family couldn't afford to be away from their luggage for that long, so they took up the airline's overnight accommodation offer, which thankfully included late checkout to correspond with their new flight's late-afternoon departure the next day.
That was the latest update I heard from them after being reunited with their bags which were delivered to the hotel.


Just a few questions I would like to ask:
*Is it not illegal to have checked luggage on a flight without the owner of that luggage being onboard the same flight? I thought this was standard airline policy introduced after Lockerbie?

*Now arriving in 24hours late they have forfeited 1 night's accommodation in Hawaii. Generally speaking, is there a chance their travel insurance could compensate for this lost night of accommodation - approx $100AU ?

*Why wasn't JQ3 held in Sydney until the connecting passengers from Melbourne arrived?
Not sure how many (at least 7 confirmed) passengers missed their JQ3 connection, however I assume the cost of putting these passengers up in a hotel would be less then what Jetstar would have faced in fines for a late departure from Sydney?

*Apparently the check in staff were unaware that there were 2 delayed flights from Melbourne. I doubt this would be the reason though.
What is the procedure when check-in staff make the "final call" for late passengers? Can't they look up their computer to see if these 'late' passengers are booked on a connecting (and possibly delayed) codeshare flight?


Not complaining, just curious really.
Cheers.