Virgin AU to Delta timing warning
Jul 21, 2011, 7:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1
Virgin AU to Delta timing warning
The Delta website provides packaged routes in Australia (in my case DTW to Melbourne and back by way of Sydney). The earliest flight offered on the website out of Melbourne is 7AM (but the first flight out is 6AM).
It is almost impossible to make the 10:25 Delta flight if you take the 7AM. Today for instance the weather held up the 7AM flight and so we were an hour and 20 minutes late arriving, Virgin would not even take me to the international terminal.
I would recommend if you have to travel to Australia and you are using Delta, that you avoid using the website and book via the phone. Try to give yourself a minimum of 3 hours in Sydney to do the transfer (gate 37, to a bus, to a check in desk to immigration to security to the gate). Given the delays in Sydney (similar to Newark, Atlanta, and O'Hare) you will almost always be 30 to 90 minutes late arriving in Sydney from an other Australian city.
As I write this I am stuck in a hotel, waiting for Delta to tell me when I am headed back to the USA. I should have learned this lesson last time. You would think after a couple million miles on Delta, I would know better.
It is almost impossible to make the 10:25 Delta flight if you take the 7AM. Today for instance the weather held up the 7AM flight and so we were an hour and 20 minutes late arriving, Virgin would not even take me to the international terminal.
I would recommend if you have to travel to Australia and you are using Delta, that you avoid using the website and book via the phone. Try to give yourself a minimum of 3 hours in Sydney to do the transfer (gate 37, to a bus, to a check in desk to immigration to security to the gate). Given the delays in Sydney (similar to Newark, Atlanta, and O'Hare) you will almost always be 30 to 90 minutes late arriving in Sydney from an other Australian city.
As I write this I am stuck in a hotel, waiting for Delta to tell me when I am headed back to the USA. I should have learned this lesson last time. You would think after a couple million miles on Delta, I would know better.
Jul 21, 2011, 7:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: West of the Rockies
Programs: AA EXP | DL SM | HH DM |*wood Gold
Posts: 1,271
I've made Sydney connection using the 6am Melbourne departure. It was a little tighter than I would have liked, but it worked. The 7am Melbourne departure looks to be suicidal
MO
MO
Jul 24, 2011, 9:43 am
#3
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Ft Lauderdale
Posts: 2,596
Kingsford Smith isn't close to the amount of traffic that ATL or ORD has. It's like any other airport regarding delays. I have been to Australia 15 times or so and have only had a problem once flying into SYD due to airport conditions.
Jul 24, 2011, 11:43 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: DL DM 1MM; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 225
DHousema welcome to FlyerTalk!
On a side note, the Delta website is also horrible in trying to take advantage of the Virgin Australia codeshare. Spent an hour on the phone with the Diamond desk and they were stumped for a while as to how to access booking from SYD to AKL or CHC on VA.
On a side note, the Delta website is also horrible in trying to take advantage of the Virgin Australia codeshare. Spent an hour on the phone with the Diamond desk and they were stumped for a while as to how to access booking from SYD to AKL or CHC on VA.
Jul 24, 2011, 11:50 am
#5
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Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,719
For those who are new to SYD, though, Kingsford Smith isn't close to ATL's or ORD's domestic-international coordination, either. It's two terminals on opposite sites of the airfield, and requires a long, laborious landside transfer. The OP's warning is well taken.