ARCHIVED: Transfer time Sydney airport international > domestic
 

I'm arriving 0800hrs 13th September at Sydney airport with Malaysia Airlines.
I want to then fly on to Cairns. What sort of transfer time should I allow to get from Terminal 1 to (I assume) Terminal 2 or 3?

My choice of flight from Sydney to Cairns is 1100hrs or 1425hrs, both flights with Virgin. Is booking the 1100hrs one cutting it too fine?
I really, really DON'T want to hang around Sydney for 6 and a half hrs if I don't have to, following 25hrs travelling, and with another 4hr flight in front of me!

Thanks!

3 hours is tight in the morning.

You arrive at the tail end of peak period for arrivals. Immigration & customs can easily take 90 minutes. The domestic terminals are a far distance from international, and since not flying Qantas you'll need to take landside train or bus at a cost (A$7 IIRC) - allow 20 minutes for this. The train is a reasonable walk from where you arrive in the terminal, and also a reasonable walk from the domestic check in.

If everything goes well - arrive early, shorter than normal queues, little wait for next train, then you might make check in cut off for the 1100 flight. But I wouldn't count on it, especially if you are be on separate tickets (thus a misconnect may require a new fare to be paid).

Guess I'm going for the later flight then - thanks so much for the advice :-)
Incidentally, is there anything I can do close to the airport for a couple of hours? I have no experience flying or with airports - I assume there will be somewhere I can leave my luggae for a while?

Also, one other question - I am flying from London Heathrow, via Kuala Lumpar. There is a 3hr stop there. I think I saw something somewhere about paying in advance to go in the lounge at Kuala Lumpar - but I've searched the Malaysia Airlines website and can't find anything about it. I don't suppose you've been there, or know anything about it?

If you booked QF SYD-CNS then you could use the QF airside transfer bus, saving the AUD 7 train/bus fare and also can drop baggage at the int. terminal for the QF SYD-CNS flight. Much more convenient.

As for storing bags, there is a left-baggage storefront in the international terminal at SYD, fees is rather high (from memory AUD 20 a day per bag, varies by size). Unattended lockers have been removed for security reasons, so this is a monopoly. Not much to do around the airport, esp. as public bus service is extremely limited (deliberately, to encourage using the extortionate private rail station at the airport). Gotta love the privatization of SYD airport, it has made things sooooo inconvenient for pax while sooooo profitable for the private companies that had the right connections.

The plaza premium lounge allows brought access at kuala lumper for $45 for 3 hours

Transfer Between Sydney T1 -> T2
 

Hi. I'm looking for advice from seasoned FTers:

a) I'm arriving into T1 at 0740, Friday 27-Jan on TG475 (BKK-SYD).

b) I've a domestic connection leaving T2 at 0935, Friday 27-Jan on JQ507 (SYD-MEL).

c) I'm arriving into SYD on biz class with an APEC card and 1 checked bag (Express Path/APEC will speed things up, but unfortunately, the checked bag will slow me down).

d) After immigration and baggage claim, I intend to take the AirportLink from T1 to T2.


Will I make it in time for my domestic connection? Please advise. Thanks!

A little late asking the question (2 days) ;)
Is this 1 PNR or separate tickets ? 1:55 does not leave much margin for error. 07:30 is a busy time for arrivals

If you had booked SYD-MEL with Qantas you could have checked in at the international terminal and taken the free QF bus between terminals. May be able to do the same with Virgin [not 100% sure].
May be yes - may be not. I would not risk it on separate tickets (especially with Jetrats).
Others may take the risk. Dump JQ and take another airline in my view. If you late checking in with JQ that is your loss. Trying to save a few dollars has the potential to cost you 100's

Your saving grace is that Friday 27th Jan is the day after Australia Day (a public holiday). A lot of (business) people will be taking the day off.

Hey Mwenenzi!

Thanks for the prompt response!

a) I'm on separate tickets. Unfortunately, my partner booked the domestic leg for me; otherwise, I would have paid more for a more comfy departure time.

b) I've decided to dump the checked bag and go with carry-on; hopefully, this will buy me some precious time.

c) I'm also banking on Friday, being a day after Australia Day, to have a little less (business) folks in the airport.


Anyhow, wish me luck! I think I'm gonna need it! ;-)

If your incoming TG is on time & you clear immigration/customs in reasonable time should be OK. JQ are the least tolerant of late check-ins. Also be careful of JQ baggage charges.

Its so much easier (quicker) to check in for domestic flights at the international terminal when coming off an international flights.

Edit:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/qanta...-airports.html

Can't believe that I made my domestic connection. Furthermore, can't believe that given the peak arrival period, I cleared immigration/security so quickly.

a) TG475 landed at 0735 (5 mins ahead of schedule), but by the time we disembarked, it was 0800 (due to an ill passenger needing to be disembarked first).

b) Long lines at immigration, but thankfully, there were only 2 passengers in front of me at the APEC line.

c) Long lines at security screening (even at the Express Path), but it moved quickly and I was waved through.

d) Jumped onto the AirportLink and got to T2 at 0835, with an hour to spare.


Thanks again for your advice, Mwenenzi!

Choosing a SYD-MEL flight after arrival from LAX
 

Kiwi Flyer,

Thanks for the helpful perspective.

I have booked a ticket to arrive SYD on Delta via LAX, which arrives into SYD at 840am. I need to get to Melbourne but am unsure of a couple of things:

(1) If I am checking luggage, will I need to collect by bags and clear customs in SYD or can I check direct to MEL? Does it matter whether I book a separate domestic ticket or try to bolt this leg onto the existing ticket?

(2) Does it matter whether I book this leg on Qantas or Virgin Australia given I am traveling internationally on Delta?

(3) Are domestic flights within AUS at a completely separate terminal and do Virgin and Qantas offer the same degree of complexity from Int'l arrivals?

(4) I've seen mention of the free QF bus, would I be eligible for this is I book a o/w SYD-MEL on QF?

Thanks in advance for your help

Yiu have to clear immigration, customs & quarantine at first port of call when exiting an international terminal.
Then check in for your next flight and drop bags off.
On some flights [eg UA] you can transit air side, as the UA aircraft goes SYD international to MEL international, and then immigration at MEL.

Delta & Virgin have a tie up of some kind, but doubt it will make a difference.

International & domestic terminals are separate is Australia. Each has its own security and no mixing with other pax.
At SYD (and BNE - PER) they are some distance apart, hence the bus - train.
MEL (and ADL) has both international & domestic terminals in the same physical building. A few minutes walk
Both QF & DJ have the same complexity for a domestic flight

Yes. Can check in at the intl terminal and take the free QF bus across.
Unsure if DJ offer domestic check in from international terminal

transfer time from domestic qantas to international united
 

Is 1:50min transfer time from domestic qantas to international united in sydney enough time??

Look at the posts above, even though most are Int to domestic

In my view 1:50 is not enough time, as guessing they are on separate tickets.
Any checked luggage ?
Passport issued from ?
QF from where?
Take an earlier QF flight.
If you miss the international flight you are sc****ed.
If International to domestic not so important as plenty of domestic flights and not as costly if you miss you booked flight.

Hi,

I just did a QF (CBR-SYD) --> UA (SYD-LAX) transfer at the end of May. 1:50 is nowhere near enough time. I barely made it with a little over 3 hrs, I made it to the gate right at the start of boarding. It's a very -- very -- very long walk inside the international terminal to the UA gates.

If you are checking bags, QF might not interline them over to UA. They only do it if it is on the same itinerary. I'm not sure what they consider 1 itinerary, but my travelocity bookings didn't count and they wouldn't interline my bags. Assuming they don't do it for you, you have to go and pick them up downstairs in SYD. Then you have to go downstairs again to ride the (public transit) train to the international terminal (1 stop, use airport xfer ticket, $5). If they are kind and interline it, then you can use the Qantas domestic --> international bus and forgo UA checkin at the international terminal....

After riding the train you go upstairs to the UA checkin desk. After checkin you are subject to outgoing customs which will (most likely) be very crowded. It moves quickly though --- after clearing outbound customs you go through airport security. This is where the long walk begins. You have to walk through a huge duty free mall before you even get to the exit for the gate areas. From there, you have to walk all the way to the gate (in my case, UA was at the far end of the terminal.)

So, in summary, you definitely need more time. Also, prepare yourself if you are flying to LAX, the customs area in terminal 7 (UA) is decidedly third world and is one of the worst experiences I have ever had while traveling (and I was simply waved through with no additional screening....)

-- Dan