BNE I–D Connection Question
 

I'm looking at flying my son DUD–BNE–CNS next year to meet us there, as it's the only way he can fly to Cairns on NZ/VA without it taking 8+ hours. However, there is only 1:35 between flights. I know this is higher than the 90min MCT, and he is my Elite Partner so is able to use premium check in etc, but is this realistically a long enough layover? Virgin Australia has confirmed that it is, but if he got stuck there would have to be an overnight in BNE.

It's certainly on the tight side given the international arrival and the bus to the domestic terminal, but it should be fine 90% of the time. Or 80%. Or 95%, I don't know the statistics, but if VA reckons they're happy to take the risk then I would be too. I think as long as the incoming flight isn't late and he doesn't get lost it'll be fine.

The worst thing that can happen is that he misses the flight and has to spend a night in a Brisbane airport hotel at VA's expense before flying up on the first am flight. If that's not a disaster (ie if your son is old enough to take care of himself and you don't have to catch a ship in the morning or something) then I'd just accept that's a few-percent probability.

Agree should be plenty of time. Never had an issue going through BNE. Smart gate and customs are pretty smooth. Pick bags up, go to VA transfer desk (still in international terminal landside to the right), he could ask for train tickets for free as this was running faster than bus earlier in the year then straight through domestic VA security and go to lounge. To date I've never had long lines going through VA.

In my experience the train is a minute or two faster but the bus is far more frequent and involves less walking.

We just made the transition from I to D in BNE (11 October). Immigration was slow even in the Express Lane. Five international flights (one an A380) arrived within minutes of our flight.
We used the bus between terminals (maybe 10 minutes) but processing through security was fast. Took just over an hour from deplaning to the boarding gate.

Same story on October 25. The worst part was immigration, everything else went very quickly. Security line was non-existent, but this was 8AM on a Sunday.

Main problem I've find with BNE arrivals is that there aren't enough SmartGates and there's usually one or two down.

There are a few before the duty free shop. Once you have a ticket there is generally a step to the front of the smartgate queues.

Key to entering at BNE or SYD or MEL for sure, there are Smartgate ticket machines seemingly all over the arrivals area.