JClasstraveller

I’m not going to beat around the bush here.

You are over-valuing the lounge benefit. You are arriving off a 15 hour flight in J. You will likely have slept.

I wouldn’t call the QF lounges in SYD relaxing. Why would you loiter around SYD for the sake of a lounge is somewhat puzzling. Get to your hotel in MEL ASAP and relax there.

If you really want lounge access, just go on VA, at least you can buy entry.

Besides T2 (Virgin) and T3 (QF) on a Saturday morning aren’t that bad in the public areas.

Repooc17

There is SmartGate.

One datapoint, I arrived in SYD the day after Christmas (on Boxing Day). SmartGate didn't work for me, but got through regular immigration and customs within 5 minutes after deplaning (no checked bags). The flight arrived around 8 in the morning local time.

Mwenenzi

Smartgate thread. Smartgate at Australia & NZ immigration. Refer post 81
I will work on adding a wiki in the next week or so.

Agree. 100 to 1000's of pax just go with a domestic flight after SYD arrival as soon as they can.
Anyway from Canada is not that long flight time. There are many A380 & B747 that arrive with pax from Eu (~20 24 hours travel)

====
You can check in for QF & VA at T1 for T2/T3 domestic flights.
100's of people arrive into SYD and have separate domestic tickets. And many others will have a continuing ticket/PNR. With 2 major Au domestic airlines and no Star Alliance Au domestic airline people do not have much choice.

vbroucek

As other said, in SYD, 1:45 will not give you any time to visit lounge. Forget it! Do your homework - first thing is that you will need to get from International to Domestic terminal and that can take some time. Since you will be on separate tickets and two different alliances, you will need to re-check and drop off luggage and QF closes rather early... I would not risk 1:45 connection on two separate tickets in SYD EVER!

BTW, AC33 has been late to SYD in 80% for the last 14 days...

Eugeniusz Bodo

Transfer between terminals is fast, literally 5 minutes by bus, departing approx. every 10 minutes. Check in and security at domestic are really fast too, 15 min. total in my experience. The gamble is with timely arrival. Your luggage technically will be priority. If you don't declare anything, customs should be a breeze, immigration is through automated gates. My observation is that officers pay attention to priority tags as well. I have never been stopped, delayed. From the moment of touchdown to exit 20 minutes has been my multiple experience. I did once reverse scenario, 90 minutes from arrival from Gold Coast to departure to Vancouver. I had 25 minutes in the lounge to spare! The big difference is that I was alone and ready to deal with any situation. You are with dependents. Overall, I would go safe in your place. If Vancouver flight gets delayed there is NOTHING you can do! Let us know!

number_6

QF now allows using the QF bus even if not arriving by QF internationally ... it was a rather stupid policy enforced rigigly a few years ago but hasn't been the case for quite a while now, so no problem with the inter-terminal bus. You will need to be able to checkin for your connecting QF flight before boarding the bus (normally easily done at the connections desk but can be a problem for non-QF issued award tickets if they are not properly in the system). I've been burned by that a couple of times and there is no recourse (the issuing airline has to release control of the ticket for any changes, BA in the OP's case and they may not be staffed at SYD at his arrival time).

Kiwi Flyer

Not necessarily. I've had bus transfers that get held up waiting for aircraft movements (perhaps 50% of the time at that hour of the day). I've also had instances where there are more people waiting than can fit on one bus - so wait in the pen for 20 odd minutes. Again perhaps 50% of the time at that hour of day when it is really busy.

Eugeniusz Bodo

I am not talking airside buses but public at the curbside. $5 transfers you in no time!

BearX220

There's a free terminal transfer bus for those with onward domestic tickets. It leaves from the far, lonely end of the arrivals hall (e.g. exit customs area through doors, turn left, keep walking). When you get there, there's a sign with a long list of "allowed" arrival airlines -- I am normally on CX -- but in practice I don't think anyone cares who you just flew. There are QF and VA domestic check-in desks there; you get your BPs, check your bags, and board the free bus outside. No $5 needed.

luftaom

I agree with the don't do it chorus.

If you can't get a reward seat until much later in the day - you can get a paid seat for around $175 (inc. baggage) (VA/QF) leaving around midday. Even with no lounge access that would be much better than sitting around for 5 or 6 hours if you ask me.

serfty

This is the best advice if you must have lounge access:

DragonSoul

Have two hours between a QF int'l flight and a QF domestic one. The QF int'l flight has a track record of being late and I feel I might be pushing it. Have the option of using The Qantas Club at T3; not even a consideration as I'm just hoping upon hope to make my domestic flight (really don't want to arrive any later at my destination).

Guvner067's idea is an excellent one if relaxing and showering are priorities for you.

LTN Phobia

The op is unlikely to have enough time for a shower with that 1h45m connection. Getting through immigration, the customs & quarantine which may or may not send you straight out, finding one's way round to the domestic transfer if not overly familiar, the transfer bus frequency has been getting worse, then a bit of a walk from the transfer drop-off gate to the lounge especially not familiar all take time, and there is often a wait for a shower at SYD domestic J lounge anyway.

Finding two cubicles available in a short space of time at that time of the morning - not a great chance.

AUD 6 from memory, but the OP can use the free airside bus.

This would be the advice I'd give if the OP were on revenue flex ticket. It however needs to be done at the transfer desk because they won't do it in the lounge if there are checked bags. Being on non-cash ticket may affect things, though, and the OP may well be stuck till 5pm, which to me is a pretty poor experience.

My feeling is that the OP should forget the shower (or pay for a day room at Rydges) and fly Y if they can only book reward seats on those flights in J, get to the hotel ASAP and then have a shower at the destination. That is certainly what I'd be doing.

AustralianPoochie

Edit: Seconding LTN Phobia.
The Rydges Hotel at Sydney International Airport has day 3 hours day use slots in a hotel room you can pay to use.
They do need a credit card for incidentals, but its not that bad, they give you the rooms they don't have people inside, from about 9am to 5pm.
Bar downstairs, no rush, time to maybe have lunch and feel the Sydney sunshine, or get some air.
I have used it, and its worth it for after a long flight.
Granted you have to pay about $150, but for 2 and a place to store your items if you want to go and see Sydney, 9am to 3pm, 3pm back to International Airport to get the transfer bus.
But as be known to all on here, I talk a lot of bull.
The Mercure is further away, but also has day rooms.

FlyerGoldII

I will fly QF 259 from Sydney to Adelaide - leaving Sydney at 1:45 pm.

Lots of time between arriving AC flight and departing QF flight.