omk298

Hi all

A quick question about a trip I've putting together in October. I've booked (very cheap J) flights on MH from LHR to SYD, scheduled to arrive at 11:00. I then want to travel on to PER on the same day, which will be on a separate ticket.

My question is, how long should I leave for this transfer? I have booked a J seat with BA Avios on QF577 at 14:00 - is a 3 hour gap realistic? The next flight is at 17:45, so 2:45 longer to wait. As it's on Avios I can cancel and rebook for minimal charge, so that's not a problem.

I realise that it's separate tickets, so if the MH flights are very late I'm in trouble, but how much leeway is there? How long does this transfer in SYD from terminal 1 to terminal 3 take?

Thanks

Globaliser

Personally, the 3-hour gap is about what I would allow if I were doing this on one ticket. On separate tickets, I'd definitely go for the 1745 flight.

number_6

Clearing immigration and customs and then bus to domestic terminal normally takes under 60 min. A few days per year it can take several hours (mostly due to strikes by immigration workers who have been without a contract for circa 3 years now). The risk is MH flight being delayed by 2 hours, which has gotten more common as MH decommisions aircraft and runs with few spare planes or crews as part of their downsizing. Later flight isn't much safer, you'd have to book travel to PER the next day to be reasonably safe. Sad to see how MH has fallen, but understandable.

poopbunny

Its all luck.
I had a MNL flight no significant delays (<30mins) considering there was a cancellation 2 days before due to weather and subsequent delays, I think my flight was the first that came right.

Then my AKL flight was ready to go but held back 60mins+ for connecting pax arriving from India.

omk298

Thanks for the advice. Have decided to go for the later flight - I know it's still not entirely safe, but it gives me a bit of leeway. BA's free cancellation within 24 hours of booking coming in useful once again.

Mwenenzi

Arrival at 11:00 into SYD is well past the early morning peak.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ocean...nnections.html

Ausriver

YES. At 11am arrival, I would say 360 out of 365 days you would be able to get your bags and exit international terminal within 1 hour. Assume you would be holding UK passport and using the auto gate will only take few section to pass immigration and normally luggage came at around 10 minutes wait. When I arrive with CX at 11am, on average you're looking at about 40 minutes.

HOWEVER, although unlikely since it MH homebase but MH from KUL-SYD could be delayed, anything over 1 hour will make your connection really tight.

It all depends on what kind of traveler you are. 3 hrs is long enough at SYD but so many things could go wrong and you might end up with a Y seat for the next 5 hour flight to PER

docbert

The QF transfer counter in SYD is fairly good with letting you change flights. Presuming you're on time, ask if they can move you to the earlier flight, and presuming there are seats available (in J it's certainly possible there won't be) and they will most likely move you.

Col Ronson

i've booked and successfully completed a 110 minute transfer before (with luggage i might add). So 3 hours is more than doable. QF domestic flights board 20 mins before departure and they board quickly, and it never takes more than 2 mins to get thru security since they dont screen for liquids or make u take ur shoes off.

vbroucek

If this is your only experience, please, do not confuse other people and do not take it for granted! I have personally experienced 100 minutes wait in customs when they decided to hand check every single passenger on arriving SQ 380 aircraft (tip off???). Same with security - your claim is not correct. Seen much longer queues, been asked to take off shoes and other things...
To put is simply, 3 hours on separate tickets in SYD is always risky!!!

omk298

That's very useful to know, thanks

omk298

Another quick question (and sorry if I've missed something on my search), but I'm continuing to book my trip piece by piece. My next one is a flight in J from PER to CHC. Unfortuately the flights I want aren't available as a redemption, so I'm looking for a cash ticket. These are the flights I'm looking at:



My question: Is this (approx Aus$1400) a good price or is there likely to be a sale in the next few months for this sort of trip?

Thanks

Globaliser

A quick look at QF award availability suggests that you should be able to get these two specific flights as an award in business class. I suspect that the problem is that the SYD-CHC is operated by Jetconnect, and awards on Jetconnect flights don't show up on ba.com. (There have been quite a few threads on this in the past, if you're interested in searching for the single word "Jetconnect".)

I would phone BAEC and ask whether you can get these as an award.

Mwenenzi

[off topic]

Economy prices vary a lot more than business class prices do.
PER CHC is a thin route.
Air NZ fly non stop at some times of the year IIRC (75% confidence level)
QF fly PER AKL on Friday & Saturday (may be seasonable). AKL to CHC (~70min) would need to be separate tickets on NZ or JQ
Qantas (aka Air Sydney) will steer you via SYD even if other alternatives are available.

As post above, BA seems to have award flight issues with the 100% QF owned NZ based QF branded subsidiary that is legally JetConnect. No other OW airline ffp seems to have this trouble. Look in the BA forum

[/off topic]

AustralianPoochie

Going out of Aust, not a problem 99.9% of the time.
Your bags can be put straight onto the CHC flight, ask in PER, so no farfing around with the bags on the QF transfer bus.
I have arrived into SYD D and rushed across to SYD I on the QF bus to CHC before, but my ADL - SYD flight arrived about 16.10/16.15.
I am always HLO. If you are too, good, if you have plane hold bags, with the transfer bus, your plane hold bags go automatically to the int terminal.
QF transfer bus is very good, as it goes via the internal road, on the inside of the airport fence. No traffic lights to worry about. Great view too.
As a J pax, you would have access to the SYD int J lounge, do make a 15 mins pop in, if you have the time.
QF SYD - CHC uses a narrow plane, the last time I did it, it left from gate 25 or so, I think so not long a walk.
If you are coming back to SYD, I would try the EK CHC - SYD service. Have done it in J, the bar access was a great thing.
QF does not have a lounge of its own at CHC, so its the Manaia, can't complain about that.
Pay the old Anglican Cathedral at Cathedral Square in CHC a visit, only birds live in there now!
Things are getting better in the city, but lots of construction work still going on.
If not driving on your midnight arrival, Supershuttle is a good one to use to the city, or the Sudima Hotel for the first night.