rolli

My parents are flying on Sep 1 on UA 839 from LAX - Melbourne via Sydney. They want to buy some duty free on arrival back in Oz. Can anyone advise what happens when they land in Sydney? Do they stay on the plane? Do they go into a holding room and then re-board to fly to Melbourne, where they will clear customs, or do they clear in Sydney - then go back and board? I can see the flight arrives into international terminal in Melbourne, so I 'assuming' they will clear customs there - which means they should be able to get duty free on arrival.

Thanks for any help!

Asuka

Melbourne, you will loose all liquids in Sydney since UA do not allow you to check in hand luggage like they did before. You will deplane, put in a holding pen, where they advise you to stay in even if you want to leave, it's safe to to leave for a short while, often the MEL flight is delayed.

You clear customs in Melbourne, but you will be re-screened in Sydney and even a random gate search in Sydney before boarding.

While you can buy Duty Free in Melbourne on arrival, the prices are really shocking compared to the rest of the world

bugayev

As above, you'll be going through customs and immigration in Melbourne. I found that the liquid rule was quite easy to explain to security (esp. because I'd bought some stuff in Duty Free at LAX after going through security and that put me over the limit).

Failing that, I was planning to point out that Aussie domestics don't have a liquid rule, so a flight from SYD-MEL shouldn't be an issue.. but it didn't get that far

Kiwi Flyer

Flying UA to MEL via SYD means customs is cleared in MEL. However, all pax in SYD must disembark and go through security - at this point all liquids over 100ml are confiscated (it is still treated as an international flight as it uses the international terminal).

Your parents should not get duty free in LAX. They could get duty free in SYD once back airside, or on arrival in MEL (I'd expect prices to be similar at both).

Australia allows 2.25 litres of alcohol duty free per adult. If you go over the limit, duty is assessed on the total amount (not just the excess).

Asuka

Does anyone know why they forced us to go through security again Sydney?

Last year, I use to be able to drop off a bag at the gate, there was no full rescreen, and it was the tables of bag screeners at the gate that use to hold your items until you checked in hand luggage?

The UA staff use to take these items as oversized luggage.

What changed?

Markie

This has been the rule for several years. Although I have not been down in about 10 months. The idea, as with many international airports, is that the rescreening allows the enforcement of the rules of the screening country. I.e. Australia can impose it's rules even if you come from the US.

flyinbob

I don't know when this happened to you, but on arrival in SYD, to change planes to the MEL flight you go through the downstairs security checkpoint and then are free to roam the terminal, including shopping and lounges.

Most countries make you rescreen through security on arrival in their country prior to departing on another flight. Some rescreen at the gate, like in SIN, others do it in terminal, like SYD or HKG (or USA).

Asuka

Most of 2007 and early 2008, I didn't have the full screening, it was up the ramp, rather than down at Sydney. There were the thugs at the gate though on random, found liquids and you could check them in as over sized luggage.

Now they force you down the ramp, you have a full screen, and they take liquids.

I did complain to Sydney Airport when this changed, but they directed me to Downtown Duty Free (at the time, before rename) which is owned by Macquarie Bank, and own's the airport.

I've understood the rule in my recent trips, and have changed my travel plans, but never found out why it was changed.

Fly 15 hours with the item, but not good enough for the 1.5h flight to MEL.

og

Are you seriously questionning the logic behind "security"? There is no logic on it in Oz, nor is there any logic in the process in the US.

For example, Oz regulations mean plastic knives rather than metal. In a way, this is good - most airline plastic knives are better at cutting steak than the old blunt metal ones

Asuka

Yes it does my head in, and if anyone treats my passport as a piece of crap and over bends it on this trip, I will give them a mouthfull. Sick of it.

UA does have silver plastic knifes in C, not that it helps when I give the drink coupon to my seat partner.

Steak is better than Chicken or the Beef, regardless

flyinbob

You sure you're not thinking of HKG? HKG has the split ramp where up would take you to the terminal and down is to transfer. I really can't remember the ramp situation at SYD (too many airports!).

Goes2Oz

Kiwi Flyer gave you the correct answer.

Kiwi Flyer

Are you sure? I've been taking int->int connections at SYD very frequently over many years (most recently just a couple of days ago) and the forced security for the transit has been in place since just after 9/11.

Indeed I almost always get the "random" explosives test as well because I'm the first (sometimes only) transit passenger to get to security. I said to the couple of screeners the other day it is hardly random when I always get it. They agreed but added their rules say they have to do the explosives test on at least 1 transferring passenger from each flight.

adampenrith

All pax arrive on the arrivals floor, all transfer pax are directed to the transfer point - where they go thru security. (I know off the plane back onto the same plane security again but thats the rules).

I do know that the United flight onto Mel does have gate screening, same as the gate screening for the eastbound flights to LAX and SFO.

AC used to have it too- when they transited HNL but since the direct flight to YVR - it is only standard security just after Immigration.

I have sat at SYD near the United gates and watched this happen many a day.
The gate area is screened off with screens so that all pax are subject to some sort of gate screening.

Adam

Platcomike

When going from SYD-MEL you do go through the downstairs security before you can roam the terminal freely. Liquids are confiscated. Make sure you go this way, rather than through immigration at SYD. This is the same for ANY international connection (like connecting to AKL). It usually is pretty quick and shoes are allowed to stay on.

On the way BACK from MEL-SYD you go UP the ramp from the plane (rather than down as before) and into the "pen" (bypassing the security step), but there is no restriction on going out and back into the terminal for shopping or visiting Annie in the lounge. No additional security is needed since all that was done by Ozzies in MEL.

Perhaps that is why different people seem to remember a different procedure. It depends on which way you are going.