LTN Phobia

Is there any chance (or any way, even if I have to pay extra) of through-checking baggage on VA domestic to SQ international on separate tickets?

I hate doing landside transfers at SYD DOM to INT so I tried to buy them as a single ticket but SQ don't sell them that way, so I had no choice but to buy separate tickets. For what it's worth, in case it makes any difference, VA domestic will be in J and SQ is F.

vbroucek

Although there will be people here telling you otherwise, I was not successful when doing HBA-MEL(VA)-SIN(SQ) on two separate tickets very recently. I was told that while they theoretically can do that, they have strict instruction not to do it. I was told this by several VA staffers on the phone (HUACA) as well as by actual checking staff...

LTN Phobia

Thank you vbroucek. I should have really thought about it and routed through MEL (much easier for DOM-INT landside transfer as you'd probably know than SYD). Never mind!

vbroucek

Yes, there are only few airports that I am systematically trying to avoid and SYD is on the top of the list :-) I will rather go few times through FRA than once through SYD...

edy4eva

Really? FRA T2 to T1 land side transfer is about the same in SYD. At least in SYD you don't have to walk a lot to get to the gate (well except for NZ/EK/EY/VA flights )

vbroucek

Problem is, that SYD is pain even air side... INT-DOM or v.v. is simply pain, no matter what.

LTN Phobia

FRA is annoying but SYD is even worse IMO. I rate SYD to be the worst airport I have ever been to for transfers (particularly airside).

Virgin could make a nice packet if they allowed baggage through-check to SQ for a somewhat reasonable fee like AUD 100. I'd pay it to avoid the SYD landside transfer.

RTWFF

A friend of mine recently attempted SYD-MEL-SIN-BKK in Business Class with VA domestically and SQ internationally. Not only was the Sydney domestic check-in agent dismissive of the attempt to check the baggage through, she also decided (irrelevantly) that she would check his international travel documents and told him off for what she believed (incorrectly) was an infraction of the Thai arrival/passport formalities. It was a most unfortunate experience all round

As a separate issue, I do wonder what VA mean by "airline partners". There's a prominent display next to the transfer desk in Sydney that gives a long list of "airline partners". As far as I can tell it simply means you can travel on the VA bus between terminals eg. Sydney domestic arriving on VA to Sydney international departing on TG. However, since baggage cannot be checked through it's presumably of benefit only for passengers without baggage