Rumples

Hey all,

arriving in SYD at 20:15 via SQ 211 on a Friday from SIN - how is clearing immigrations recently in SYD? Trying to decide if i’m going to be able to catch a late dinner or just go straight to hotel and eat there?

Mwenenzi

Assume this is later in the year when daylight saving is happening. Looking for today 20:00 does not seem that busy. As a big guess other days about the same. Some of the aircraft from NZ-Fiji-Vanuatu will be B737/A321 size, so fewer passengers than the wide bodies. A passport that can use the auto kiosks can make immigration faster. Customs can be slower
--->https://www.sydney-airport.net/syd-a...rminal-1?tp=18

Rumples

ah thank you, I should have just known to do that spot check. Stupid of me and appreciate you doing that for me and linking.

Yes, later this year in Oct., so the flight gets in an hour later. I have a US passport so should be able to use e-gates and maybe expedited or express custom lane since i’m coming off SQ F?

Thank you again, safe travels everyone

supine

I don't believe there is any status / class based benefits at customs.

What you should do is look for the border agent who is sometimes guarding a side door and letting selected people (nothing to declare, less suspect origins) skip customs checks.

There are also sometimes border agents roaming the baggage area and engaging one of them with an innocuous question is often a way to get your declaration prechecked and be told to use the quick exit.

:D!

Not sure what the "quick exit" is. Since 2010 I have ticked no to every box on the customs form (sometimes if I had to go through manual immigration, the officer would write a letter on the form). I then follow the normal customs route and the officer collecting the customs forms has always directed me straight out to landside. Never had to wait more than a few seconds.

I have never approached any roaming officer but once one of them approached me, they looked at my form and asked "are you sure you have nothing to declare", I said yes, they asked the same thing another 3 times, then went away. They didn't write on my form so that interaction didn't achieve anything. (There were no dogs either.) Again when I went to the exit, the officer collecting the forms just directed me straight out.

I had not entered Australia since 2019 until this month. So I was interested to see if anything had changed, but no, I was again directed straight out with no further checks. 2009 was the last time I saw every arriving passenger being directed for a manual inspection.

supine

It was a door to the right of the main processing area, opened into a corridor that went straight to landside. I never got anywhere near the agent doing initial triage like you described, though I've had that in the past too.

kirkwoodj

Hasn't been available on my arrivals this year.

docbert

It was a seemingly random option that was really only available if you had checked luggage.

Customs staff would sometimes walk around the baggage belts, and pick people seemingly at random (although I'm guessing it wasn't actually random!) to talk to while they were waiting for their bags. They would ask to see your card and passport, after you a few questions (eg, any food?) and then if they were happy with your answers would put a stamp on your card and point to an exit off to the side that you could use when you were ready. Once your bags arrived, you could then take them through the "quick exit" where they would look at the stamp on your card and let you through without any further questions.

There was an art to being selected by them - or at least I convinced myself there was. Passport out, so they could see you were Australian. Looking bored enough to appear to be a low enough risk. Standing somewhere near where they were patrolling, without looking too eager. I have no idea if any of that actually made a difference, but over the years I'd say I've been 'randomly selected' by them >50% of the time so maybe it did.

Realistically the steps were basically the same as the normal exit lane process, just in a different order, and with the benefit that you didn't have to line up to show your card when you were ready to leave.

superboi

I will be flying BLR-SYD-MEL later this month, all on one ticket issued by Qantas (QF68>QF441). First time visitor to Oz.

I went through the wiki (very helpful, wealth of info!) and posts on this thread and have a few questions to confirm I've understood things correctly re: transit at SYD.

1. After deboarding at T1, one has to pass through immigration, collect bags, pass through customs, turn right, drop bags, pass through security, board QF "Seamless Transfer" (Lite?Heavy?) bus, deboard at T3 and directly proceed to departure gate. Is this about correct?

2. The transfer time is 1h 40min (a. 1020, d. 1200) which I understand is tight from posts on this thread. But also understand that Qantas is responsible for rebooking me free of charge if the incoming flight is late. Will they do this proactively or should I ask someone (or do something)?

3. If QF68 arrives on time but there are long lines/delays at immigration/customs, will Qantas still rebook me free of charge? Again, should I alert ground staff if this happens, or do they monitor lines and transferring passengers?

4. Will QF check-in at BLR give me boarding passes for SYD-MEL as well?

5. Will having the Qantas app on my phone help?

docbert

1) Correct
2) The staff at the transfer desk (where you drop your bags) will be able to rebook you if you miss the connection. You could also do it on arrival in the domestic terminal if needed (eg, you think you might still make it but then end up missing out), but it'll be easier at the international terminal.
3) Yes, they will rebook. You will need to ask.
4) Yes
5) It won't hurt, if only because it'll make it easier to check on delays/etc.

Mwenenzi

QF068 BLR SYD 18:35 10:20
QF441 SYD MEL 12:00 13:35
The peak arrivals into SYD T1 international is 06:00 ~ 08:00 with many long haul wide body aircraft arriving. At 10:20 should have less people arriving. Some of the arrivals about that time are smaller B737/A320 aircraft.
https://www.sydney-airport.net/syd-arrivals-terminal-1

QF also fly QF070 DEL MEL non stop

Enjoy Melbourne!

superboi

Thanks very much docbert and Mwenenzi !

I did look at BLR-DEL-MEL but it was more $$$ and longer (duration as well as distance) than BLR-SYD-MEL.

Will report back with my experience in a few weeks.

ellipsicon

Recent data point for connecting. Arrive on QF into SYD around 7am and had a 3 hour layover before continuing domestically. Took us just over 2 hours to get bags, clear immigration/customs, and then go through the domestic transfer within the international terminal. Had about 20 minutes in the lounge before boarding commenced.
Leaving SYD in the intl terminal took maybe 20 minutes. Utilized fast track lane, economy lane was much longer and my guess would have taken 40-50 minutes.

Mwenenzi

For Intl T1 to Dom T3 where was the biggest delay?
Some people have used the train or free T-bus after T1 QF bag drop, due to congestion on the QF airside bus.
07:00am is in the peak of wide body long haul arrivals.

ellipsicon

If I had to guess.

~15 minutes to use e-gates
~30 minutes for bags
~10 minutes to clear biosecurity (nothing to declare)
~60 minutes to walk to transfer, drop bags, security, wait for bus
~10 minute bus ride