Transfer to Domestic at SYD
Mar 23, 2019, 12:22 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
I have had good results in terms of QF moving me to an earlier departure than booked if I have shown up way in advance- usually a red e deal (ie cheap ticket) when it happens. I am QF gold now but have been moved forwards while BA silver or LA plat as well. May be worth considering if you end up going for a longer connection as insurance
as always, YMMV
as always, YMMV
Last edited by nancypants; Mar 23, 2019 at 4:34 am
Mar 23, 2019, 1:12 am
#17
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
I have had good results in terms of QF moving me to an earlier departure than booked if I have shown up way in advance- usually a red e deal (ie cheap ticket) when it happens. I man QF gold now but have been moved forwards while BA silver or LA plat as well. May be worth considering if you end up going for a longer connection as insurance
Another thing is, if it's convenient for them (e.g. if they are expecting to cancel a later flight) they'd happily move you no matter what your status or ticket is
That's happened to me quite a lot in the past.No problem having oneself moved to an earlier flight if it's on a single ticket issued by QF.
For a BA codeshare, be careful doing this because if you get moved to a QF-coded flight, you will lose extra Avios-earnings that you get for BA flights (e.g. status bonus).
Last edited by LTN Phobia; Mar 23, 2019 at 1:52 am
Mar 23, 2019, 4:15 am
#18
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: East Cheam
Programs: QF, BA, VA
Posts: 198
I make this trip 7 or 8 times a year and allow 3 hours. I am HLO and getting through immigration and customs is always pretty quick. At weekends I have seen queues from the international terminal to domestic transfer and have used the train instead.
My success rate at getting earlier flights, typically on red-e-deals upgraded using QF points, is about 60%. It depends entirely on the staff in the domestic J lounge for me.
In the months when BA15 arrives at approx 5:00AM I take the train because the bus service hasn't started by the time I am land side.
I will time myself tomorrow. I arrive at 06:50 and have a 10:00AM MEL-SYD. (Unusually for me all on one PNR)
My success rate at getting earlier flights, typically on red-e-deals upgraded using QF points, is about 60%. It depends entirely on the staff in the domestic J lounge for me.
In the months when BA15 arrives at approx 5:00AM I take the train because the bus service hasn't started by the time I am land side.
I will time myself tomorrow. I arrive at 06:50 and have a 10:00AM MEL-SYD. (Unusually for me all on one PNR)
Mar 23, 2019, 4:33 am
#19
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
They used to be very flexible, but they've become really hardened lately. Then again, they flit between the two at SYD so they might get relaxed again. (Also, there are real grumpies at SYD domestic transfer desks...)
Another thing is, if it's convenient for them (e.g. if they are expecting to cancel a later flight) they'd happily move you no matter what your status or ticket is That's happened to me quite a lot in the past.
No problem having oneself moved to an earlier flight if it's on a single ticket issued by QF.
For a BA codeshare, be careful doing this because if you get moved to a QF-coded flight, you will lose extra Avios-earnings that you get for BA flights (e.g. status bonus).
Another thing is, if it's convenient for them (e.g. if they are expecting to cancel a later flight) they'd happily move you no matter what your status or ticket is
That's happened to me quite a lot in the past.No problem having oneself moved to an earlier flight if it's on a single ticket issued by QF.
For a BA codeshare, be careful doing this because if you get moved to a QF-coded flight, you will lose extra Avios-earnings that you get for BA flights (e.g. status bonus).
Mar 23, 2019, 5:44 am
#20
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Lincoln, UK
Programs: BA Gold, TK, DL, IHG Diamond, HHonours Gold, Hertz Presidents Club
Posts: 497
I think a lot on here are being very risk adverse.
Me travelling with hand baggage I can be into the domestic lounge from walking off the plane international side in about 35-40 minutes, walking at a normal pace. (I know the route so add another 10-15 minutes for a first timer)
I come through SYD onto domestic average 4/5 times a year with 75% of them in from New Zealand though.
Assuming your British so can use the e-gates, immigration will be quick and customs/biosecurity check they are pretty speedy these days (assuming you haven't brought anything in they don't like)
The bottle neck is baggage collection, which I can't help because the last time I collected luggage from SYD was 2008.
2 hours should be fine 2 1/2 if you want the breathing space.
Me travelling with hand baggage I can be into the domestic lounge from walking off the plane international side in about 35-40 minutes, walking at a normal pace. (I know the route so add another 10-15 minutes for a first timer)
I come through SYD onto domestic average 4/5 times a year with 75% of them in from New Zealand though.
Assuming your British so can use the e-gates, immigration will be quick and customs/biosecurity check they are pretty speedy these days (assuming you haven't brought anything in they don't like)
The bottle neck is baggage collection, which I can't help because the last time I collected luggage from SYD was 2008.
2 hours should be fine 2 1/2 if you want the breathing space.
Mar 23, 2019, 6:31 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Which is precisely why those advocating a longer gap between flights are being realistic rather than risk-averse. Sometimes, even with the fastest possible passage to and through immigration, your bag will already be on the belt. Other times, you can dawdle in the shop, dawdle down to the belt, and still be standing there for another 45 minutes.
Mar 23, 2019, 7:00 am
#22
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
When you have checked baggage, you're at the mercy of domestic transfer staff who tend to be more bound by the fare rules, I suspect.
It's interesting to read that you allow 3 hours despite being HBO though. I tend to find that the biggest time-taker in the whole process is checked baggage. As you probably know it used to be the customs & quarantine...
Which is precisely why those advocating a longer gap between flights are being realistic rather than risk-averse. Sometimes, even with the fastest possible passage to and through immigration, your bag will already be on the belt. Other times, you can dawdle in the shop, dawdle down to the belt, and still be standing there for another 45 minutes.
HBO saves quite a bit of that, especially if you can OLCI for the domestic leg or have the BP issued.
Mar 23, 2019, 8:04 am
#23
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: M4, T5, DME, DXB, CAI, SDF among many others
Programs: BAEC GfL/GGL/CCR, BA Amex, Quidco, IHG Spire, Hotels.com Reinstated Gold)
Posts: 272
With Mrs O on a three week holiday, HBO isn’t going to cut much ice unfortunately.
Mar 23, 2019, 8:24 am
#24
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: LON
Programs: QF Plat & LTG, VA Plat
Posts: 1,435
They used to be very flexible, but they've become really hardened lately. Then again, they flit between the two at SYD so they might get relaxed again. (Also, there are real grumpies at SYD domestic transfer desks...)
Another thing is, if it's convenient for them (e.g. if they are expecting to cancel a later flight) they'd happily move you no matter what your status or ticket is That's happened to me quite a lot in the past..
Another thing is, if it's convenient for them (e.g. if they are expecting to cancel a later flight) they'd happily move you no matter what your status or ticket is
That's happened to me quite a lot in the past..
Mar 23, 2019, 8:50 am
#25
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Singapore
Programs: HHonors Diamond; A3 *Nothing ; BA Exec. Club Gold
Posts: 1,689
I had a connection Sin-Syd-Mel last year. Arrived on time from Singapore on the BA flight (BA15) and had an 8.30 flight (QF417) to Melbourne. I was in WTP and as a BAEC Gold I got a priority immigration pass. The wait was at the baggage carousel. Be aware just like domestic US connections you have to collect your bags, they are not checked through.
I had my bags around 7.30, at the QF transfer at 7.45, got the priority check in, and was surprised the checked me in, got on the bus to the domestic terminal and boarded immediately when I got there. If you are on separate tickets don’t try this short connection. I felt I was lucky with making this connection and still felt stressed even though I was on one ticket. If I was on seperate tickets I would have been stressed out.
Globalist
Mar 23, 2019, 8:56 am
#26
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
I'm a Mrs Checked Baggage and the wait can be so long that I sometimes start thinking there must be something wrong with the belt (and one time, there was something wrong with the belt indeed!).
Extra stress is not something one needs when travelling, if it can be avoided. If you book a "wrong" flight and something goes wrong, you might get Mrs O's wrath for that
Mar 23, 2019, 2:39 pm
#28
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: East Cheam
Programs: QF, BA, VA
Posts: 198
Landed at 06:39, off the plane at 06:49 and in the domestic QF J lounge at 07:25. i took the train rather than enjoy the; delights of QF seamless transfer. The lovely peeps in the J lounge moved me to the 9:00AM flight, the 8:00AM flight was already full in J. Now i just need to offload a couple of KG's from my carry on into my Scottevest jacket to meet the 7KG carry on limit. 
Mar 23, 2019, 3:21 pm
#30
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: Complete Pleb, former BAEC Gold, former MH Silver
Posts: 194
You have a lot of variables in play here:
- Arrival time of the aircraft
- Immigration (though usually quick via e-Gates)
- Baggage collection
- Clearing customs (including the possibility of additional screening)
- Check-in for Qantas Domestic
- Was for seemless connection bus (less seemless than it implies)
On a separate ticket I'd allow for as long a transfer as you can stomach.
If you are speedy and lucky you may get the option to get on to an earlier flight - but accept that you may end up with a long wait but that you can use that time to shower to freshen up and have a spot of breakfast.
Also note that QF are generally strick on cabin bags being under 7Kg and and heavier bags brought off your inbound flight will likely require check-in (and/or frantic repacking) at the seemless transfer desk, even in J.
- Arrival time of the aircraft
- Immigration (though usually quick via e-Gates)
- Baggage collection
- Clearing customs (including the possibility of additional screening)
- Check-in for Qantas Domestic
- Was for seemless connection bus (less seemless than it implies)
On a separate ticket I'd allow for as long a transfer as you can stomach.
If you are speedy and lucky you may get the option to get on to an earlier flight - but accept that you may end up with a long wait but that you can use that time to shower to freshen up and have a spot of breakfast.
Also note that QF are generally strick on cabin bags being under 7Kg and and heavier bags brought off your inbound flight will likely require check-in (and/or frantic repacking) at the seemless transfer desk, even in J.