bluepig1

I'm a very frequent traveller, but have never flown Virgin Australia. We are two adults in our 30s/early 40s (so we can hustle through an airport if needed), considering booking SYD-BNE-BDB; it would be ticketed through Virgin Australia but Alliance Airlines would operate the BNE-BDB leg. VA931 would arrive BNE at 10:30am, and VA2073 would depart BNE for BDB at 1:05pm.

Two questions:
1) we are considering having a friend who lives in Brisbane pick us up for a quick lunch nearby; we would plan to be back at the airport by 12:00pm, one hour before departure. Any issues with this plan, to get back through security in time to get to the gate for boarding? Note that VA2973 is the only flight from BNE-BDB operated by Virgin/Alliance each day. I do tend to cut things a bit close as far as getting to the gate in the US, but am not as certain about doing so in an unfamiliar airport with an unfamiliar airline.
2) We would check our checked baggage in SYD, and I'm hoping it would be checked through to BDB so that we don't have to pick it up in BNE. Does Virgin and Alliance's partnership allow for bags to be checked through? I'm assuming so since they are codeshare partners but could not find info on the Virgin website to confirm. Any experiences with lost bags in this instance where bags misconnect in the transfer between airlines?

Thanks all in advance.

serfty

1) one hour is the minimum I would try to allow. That'll give about 20 minutes of finagle and 20 minutes to navigate security and the terminal before boarding starts 20 minutes before the flight is scheduled to depart..

2) If bags are tagged through, you still need to collect them after immigration, go through customs and then recheck them (head all the way to the far right after exiting into the landside arrivals hall).
Note these are separate terminals maybe a mile apart, but your friend would be up with that.

2) Bags should be checked through

Mwenenzi

Unless Queensland has seceded from the Commonwealth of Australia in the last few days SYD-BNE-BDB is a domestic trip.
Great Circle Mapper
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundaberg_Airport
Anyway Brisbane to Bundy is not a long drive

serfty

deleteme

Mwenenzi

International travel is not stated in post 1, so no immigration. To me an Au domestic trip starting in SYD

serfty

OK, I somehow read that as SFO ... need new glasses ...

AustralianPoochie

Flying totally within Aust is an easy thing compared to the US.
BNE Airport is not all that large, and if you just tell your friend to meet you near the Coca Cola machine, near the baggage lockers on the VA side of BNE domestic, you won't get lost.
Getting back through domestic security, here in Aust, we don't have a TSA demanding for id prior to flight.
If VA has not provided you with a BP from SYD, just have to go to the check in area with Alliance, and show photo id, this is just to obtain the BP, or you can do OLCI if its available.
Google BNE domestic airport Virgin terminal if you are worried.
Like I said, BNE domestic is not huge, quite nice actually, QF is on the very far left, facing the runway, and VA is on the right, with the Airtrain station facing behind you.

AustralianPoochie

If you google (VA dom to dom connection), and its on the same ticket, I checked and did a dummy booking, and the same day flight comes up at $193, so its the same, it does say pick up your baggage at your final destination.
I just passed BNE dom in early this month, and saw that there were many Alliance planes parked on the VA side, not at the gates, but on the VA side of the terminal.
One thing to note too, is that they do close all flight operations if there are major thunderstorms, which was lucky for me, as I arrived just in time to miss a very rainy Saturday end of Sept this year.
The 737 can land, but they can't put the baggage handlers to load the plane on a thunder filled open area, they announced that airport operations had closed due to lightning activity.

vbroucek

Most of the world's airports close during the lightning activity - experienced it personally at FRA and CDG.

AustralianPoochie

Ta Vbrouck.
I know it happens in SYD, as I pass that city a lot.
Less though passing or arriving into BNE.
Oh, one more thing to add to the OP, if you do want your friends to do pickup, you need to go the furthest driveway from the VA terminal, 1st drive way is buses, 2nd drive is taxi and chauffered, and the 3rd which is the one closest to the multistorey car park is the one for short term pickup.
This is where the Coca Cola vending machine is, on the VAd side.
Close by also is the down ramp for the overhead walkway to the train station, and the overhead access to the car park.

nancypants

bluepig1

Thank you all! This is very very helpful. We look forward to our trip in mid-January and will cross our fingers that there are no rain (both for the Lady Elliot Island part of our trip, and for the Aussie Open!) or lightning delays to worry about.

RTWFF

We can always hope

weegraeme

Although airport parking would be expensive, as would the food, you friend would be able to be at the airport prior to your arrival and meet you airside. I'm not sure if it's allowed in the US, but over here, you don't need to be travelling to clear security at a domestic airports, so your friend could meet you in the terminal. I've never eaten at any of the places inside the terminal. No doubt there are more and potentially better places elsewhere. But it would eliminate the risk of you missing your connection.

CPMaverick

Agree with this, there are decent restaurant options in BNE, and it would save you the stress of making your flight. Also it would make lunch less hurried. No ID or ticket required to go through security at domestic airports in Australia, and the queues aren't typically too bad for your friend. More hassle for them, so just depends on how good of a friend they are

I'm not from BNE, but I have been around the airport a fair bit, and stayed in airport hotels. There aren't any amazing food options near the airport anyway.