Originally Posted by
Koru Flyer
I am missing something here, as there are several options and I am not sure which you are referring to? And none are actually truly airside, as the "seamless" the Dom-Int drops you in Int checkin hall, and the Int-Dom requires that you have picked up your bags, gone through customs are outside and then wander across to a domestic checkin located next to the Int terminal form where you catch a bus. Remember there are different security requirements for Domestic vs International in AU (liquids being the obvious one).
You cannot check in luggage for a domestic flight until around 3-6 hours (depending on the airport) before a flight so I am not sure what "I'd check in and dump bags at T1".
The TBus goes every 30 mins - I am not sure it has a true timetable rather than runs when it does.
The most stress free but it costs $6.70 per person would be to take the train. They come every 5 mins or so and take 2-3 mins. That would probably be my option if the seamless is not working.
When I stayed at the Rydges, there was a free shuttle organised by the hotel to Domestic. You may wish to contact them and see if that is running. Or stay at another hotel that has both a free bus from Int and to Domestic.
KF
There used to be a service in the international arrivals hall where you could check in your bags for a domestic flight, clear security (yes, I'm aware there are different requirements) and then take an airside bus. My intention, if that were running, was to do that in the morning. I'm not sure where you got the idea that I would be checking my bags earlier that 3-6 hours.
While it's true that even then one had to clear immigration and collect bags, the advantage was that said bags didn't then need to be conveyed to domestic. There was a domestic check in area, with its own security, at the McDonalds end of T1 arrivals.
Anyway, I see from a subsequent reply that this is no longer operating.
As I stated, there is conflicting advice on the airport and Qantas websites as to what time the landslide terminal transfer bus operates, and as my domestic flight is early, the timing is important. Also, traffic at that time of morning can be horrendous, which makes the timing even tighter if the first bus isn't until 0730.